UMASS/AMHERST ■.immmmma^'.'- 312066 0333 301 JMJ!!ili£iMiMj ffi.^ 'Krw?^ifif^XK*iyif!^>7.','.\\i}^j^i's?». I 1 II ^Hf^rKWEWf?^?^"^:^ vl'W^'^f^MMUM > ^ -J' ^6 " ^ , 200; effective, 114; moles in, 202 Flora of British India, 70 Floral decorations at the Crystal Palace, 433 Flore des Serres, 325, 254 Florence, 352 ; exhibition at, 314 Flower garden in winter and spring, the, 29 Flower mission, the, 535 1^ lower-pot cover, 341 Flower-seekers, the little, 99 Flower Sermon, 449 Flowers and foliage, metal, 49 ; at Zer- mai, 53 ; diversity of colour in, 156 ; hardy, in bloom, 113 ; in Devonshire, 350 ; in sand, 306 ; preserving cut, 33, 112; how to make the most of spring, 323; Swiss, 10; colours of, 57 ; unusual winter bloom of, 40 ; and the season, 519 Fly-catchers, 36, 444 Food, Dr. Smith on, 150 Forcing plants, hardy, 131 Fountains, water-pressure in, 466 ; and foliage, 526 Foxgloves, improved, 641 French Beans, 464 French method of cooking Spinach, 553 Friendly criticism, 557 Frost, damage done by, 411 Fruit borders, cropping, 271 Fruit, canned, 273 Fruit crops, 427, 525 ; in Worcestershire, 513 ; ditto and the late frosts, 215 Fruit culture in Nebraska, 61 Fruit garden, the, 432 Fruit sheds, 411, 525 Fruit, thinning, 525 Fruit-trees, protection of, 285; graft- ing, 93 ; wash for, 92, 501 Fruits, historical notes on, 233 Fruits, packing, 123 Fruits for a north wall, 543 Fuchsia chandelier, 131 Fuchsia insects, 363 Fuchsia corymbiflora, 534 Fuchsia trial at Chiswick, 80 Fuchsias, culture of, 102, 328 ; from cuttings, 301 Fuel, a new, 41 Furze, the, 183 Gaillardia amblydon, 139 Garden, cropping a, 64 Garden destroyers, blackbirds as, 53 Garden fer'jihsers, 431 Garden insects, and means for their destruction, 2, 315, 337 Garden, Mr. Hanbury's, near Mcntone, 479 Garden scenery, bold variety in, 78 Garden structures, 96, 290 Garden walks, edgings for, 349 Garden walls, wiring, 457 Gardens, ancient Asiatic, 511 ; ancient Egyptian, 186; Boboli, 353; Italian, 374 ; land under market, 88 ; Little Trianon, 420 ; modern Egyptian, 58 ; floating, of Mexico, 36; renovated, old, 39 ; roof, 96 Gardeners and the Spectator, 495 Gardeners' benevolent institution, 178 Gardener's cottages, 435 Gardenias, cure for mealy bug on, 555 Gardening, cottage, 248 ; in America, 20; in the time of Pliny, 455 Garland flower, the, 463 Gas, effect of coal, 503 Genoa, 355 Gentiana acaulis, 4^10, 497 ; affinis, 223 Gentians, cultivated, 497 Geranium, armenum, 193, 96, 513; Backhousianum, 112; Ivy-leaved, a covering for Rose-stems, 73 German Iris, 462 Gesneras, cultivation of, 36 Gladiolus cardinalis, 500; Colvilli, 226; purpureo-auratus, 226 Gladwin, the, 50. 55 Glasgow Crystal Palace, 344 Glaucium Serpieri. 50 Glen Eyre, Basset, Southampton, 65 Goat moth at Ghent, 4 Golden-tinted Spruce Fir, IS Goodyeras, ISO Gooseberries on walls, 314; t)yTamidal, 312; two new, 388 Gooseberry bushes, wood v. fruit in, 411 Gooseberry caterpillar, the, 337, 411 Gooseberry trees, training, 548 Grafting fruit trees, 93 Grafting wax, 272 Grape culture, peculiarities in, 19 Grapes, Golden Champion, 314, 331; Golden Queen, 441 ; at Berkhamp- stead, 71; Madresfield Court, 224; Ashton Court way of preserving, 61 ; Almerian, 83; flavour of seedling, 253; in water bottles, 88, 215, 373; out-door, 92, 361 ; Ferdinand de Les- seps, 235 ; early white, 453 Grasses, dried, 70; gathering wild, 541 Grass-flowered Mahonia, the, 534 Grass walks, 400 Greenfly, cure for, 266 Green Gage Plum, origin of the, 371 Greenhouses, glass for, 338 Green lanes, 206 Grevilleas, culture of, 466 Griseliuia macrophylla, 163 Ground for tree-planting, preparation of, 356 Growth, root and top, 333 Guano, deposits of, 273, 300 Guava, the white-fruited, 23 Guelder Rose, the Plaited-leaved, 439 ; the Pear-leaved, 439 Gum Anim^, 13 Gum m fruit trees, cause and euro of, 123, 517 Gum-tree, the fever, 201, 233, 336, 521 H. Hakeas, 166 Hardenbergia ovata rosea, 251 bardy Ferns, stands of, 329 Hardy fruit-tree culture, 353 Hawthorn, the, 463 Heather -thatched summer-houses, 392 Heath, the Tree, 12, 114 Hedges, good, 34, 135 ; evergreen. 374 for exposed situations, 437; orna- mental, 151, 307 ; Rose, 261; tan for, 147 ; Willow, 253 Helleborus niger major, 350 Herbaceous, meaning of, 541 Heron's Bills, select, 179 Hibiscus, hardy kinds of, 157 Historical notes on vegetables, 334 Holiday toui-, a, 216, 26Q, 286, 308, 330, 352, 374 Holhes, 470 ; when to strilse, 185 ; from seeds, 296 Hollyhock Fungus, 344 Hops, spent, as manure, 461 Hornbeam and the Elm, the, 471 Horned Poppy, new double, 50 Horseradisb, culture of, 229 Hotbeds, rope-refuse for, 160 House plants and insects, 413 House-top gardens, 96 Hull Window-garden Society, 28 Huttonia palustris, 518 Hyacinth roots, 224; second year, 230 Hyacinthus amethystinus, 454 Hybridisation, remarks on, 85, 223 Hyde Park, its bulbous plants, 363 Hydrangea acuminata, 198 Hydrophobia, remedy for, 306 Hyphoene thebaica, 62 Jaborandi, 534 Jasniinum nudiflOj Jacquinia smar Jubaea spectabil Judas tree, 435 ' Jute plant, the,' f^GK I. Idesia polycarpa, 232 Illustration Horticole, English edition of the, 173 Imantophyllum miniatum, 305 Indian Com, Mr. Bright on, 103 Indoor plants, Arundo conspicua as, 534 ; Dielytra spectabilis as, 413 Insect devouring plants, 414, 556 Insects and flower fertilisation, 393 ; and means for their destruction, 2, 315, 337; Fern, 436; Fuchsia, 368; great swarm of, 233 ; Mountain Ash-ti'ee. 393 ; on house plants, 413 ; Vine, 460 International Horticultural Exhibition at Florence, 452 Irises, 304; Douglasiana 112 ; rare, 499, 522 ; fcetidissima, 50, 55 ; germanica, 224, 162 ; Histrio, 49 ; pumila, 326 ; reticulata, 264; stylosa, 116, 462; sus- iana, 475, in Scotland, 521; the early Mount Lebanon, 49 ; the great spotted 475 ; tomiolopha, 392 ; in Kensington Gardens, 541 Irrigation a danger, 175 Isle of Wight, vegetation in the, 4 Italians and perfumes, 413 Ivies, propagation of, 210 Ivy, German, 412; indoor, 503 Ivy-leaved Toad Flax, the, 499 Ixias, 432; culture of, 211; when to plant, 116 Ka3mpf eria Roscceana, Keeteleer's Larkspur, 304.- "" ... Kitchen-garden, at Versailles, limStotev=*< 50 ; cropping a, 339 Kniphofia caulescens, 544 Koslreuteriapaniculata, 305 Kumquat, the, 501 L. Labels, parchment, 173 ; preserving wooden, 503 ; self -adjusting, 245 ; whalebone, 534 Lachenalia pendula, 213 Lackey Moth, 435 Lacquers, Japan, 311 Lemons and Oranges, 436 Lagerstroemia indica, 368 Land, a poisoned, 161 Landscape-gardeners vei'siis Architects, 21,25 Landscape-gardening, notes on, 47 Lanes', Messrs., Nursery, 73 Lapagerias, 467; rosea, 32; how to grow, 631 Laportea pustulata, 193 Larch, American, 98 ; decline of British, 304; substitute for, 126 Lascelles' roof -garden, 96 Lathyrus Sibthorpii, 139 Laurel, Californian, 523 Law, Japanese garden, 100 Lawn-mower, new, 36 Lawn shrubs, flowering, 185 ; trees, 167 ; turf, Spergula, 498 Lawns, worm-casts on, 211 Lawson Nurseries, Edinburgh, 130 Leaves, do they absorb moisture? 328 ; fresh as manure, 161; gases in, 118 ; nature-printed, 202 Leeds Royal Park, 344 Leeks, 18 Leicester Square, 83 ; 323 Lemon, singular, 411 Lemons, wholesome, 273 Leptopteris Wilkesiana, 411 Lettuces, market garden, 161 Leucojum autumnale, 225 Leucopogon Richei, 351 Levelling the Malvern Hills, 410 Lewisia rediviva, 473 Leycesteria formosa, 231 Liboiiia floribunda, 302 Library, the, 37, 99, 150, 210, 325, 251, 334, 333, 456, 49J Lichens on trees, 13 Lightning-rods, 63 Lilacs, forced white, 181, 197, 213 Lilies, Californian, 1 ; from cuttings, 95 ; Japan, 263 ; rare, 76 Lily, double tiger, 93, 119, 336 LiUum auratum, double-flowered, 10; polyphyllum, 77; Wallichiannm, 77 Lily insects, 26t} Lily of the Valley, 119, 110; forcing, 183 Lily, St. Brimo's, 600 Limekiln heating, 513 Lime, uses of, 223 Linaria cymbalaria v. Salt spray, 199 Lincoln's Inn Fields, 83 Linnean Society, 196, 236 Linum Berlandteri, 139; trigynura, 53 Lion's tail (Lionotus Leonurus), 69, 103 Lisbon, Royal gardens at, 293 Lisianthus RasselUanus. 531 Liverpool winter garden, 112 Lobelias, new bedding, 543 London trees, 362; pruning of, 551 Lonicera Staudishii, 261 Lomatia longifolia, 496 Loquat, 125 ; out of doors, 186 Luculia gratissima, 277 Lupines, tree, 513 Lycaste Skmneri, 28 Lyons, public gardens at, 236 Lysimachia Nummularia, 233 M. Madrona, the, 522 Magnolias, layering, 369 Mahonia glumacea, 524 Maiden-hair Ferns, flue, 31; how to multiply, 369 Maidstone, remarkable trees near, 439 Maize, English, 175 Malvern Hills, levelling the Mammillaria sulcolanata, 221 Manchester Horticultural Society, 473 VUl THE aARDEN INDEX. [scppLBM'rulea, they make it up in their number and longer continuance, and are remarkable for their colour. It is a native of Eastern New Mexico (Organ Mountains not far from El Paso, (Thnrbor, Wright ; and further north, Parry), to Arizona (Mabihi, Parry, &c.) Also in South Utah. Now in cultivation from seeds collected by Dr. Parry, and distributed from the Botanic Garden of Harvard University. Jan. 3, 187 K] THE GAEDBN. THE GARDENS OF ENGLAND. CHATSWOETH. It was just fifty years, last June, since we first became ac- quainted with this Palace of the Peak, about the time when the late Duke of Devonshire had commenced those extensions of the mansion which took so many years to complete. Then Chatsworth was comparatively a small place, and, from a gardening point of view, was not equal to many other places in the midland counties ; indeed, it was not until Sir Joseph, then Mr., Paxtou took charge of it, that any decided steps were taken in gardening, and those steps were not in the happiest direction. The great error which Paxton committed was that of not removing the forcing-garden from its present ill- chosen position ; for, make the best you can of it, the situation is as bad as could be found upon the whole estate ; low, cold. produces from ten to fifteen hundred magnificent fruits annually, and those of the finest possible quality. (If you want a superior Peach or Nectarine go to an old tree, as they will always afford the finest-flavoured fruit.) In the history of this Peach, and, indeed, of many more at Chatsworth, the fact cannot be resisted, that the roots during wet seasons must be constantly immersed in water, and yet Peaches are forced both early and well. This is a singular anomaly, over which young gardeners may ponder possibly with profit. In the management of his early Vine borders, the gardener, Mr. Speed, finds it expedient to cover them, so that between autumn and the advent of warm spring showers, not a drop of water falls ixpon them. For this purpose he uses what are called common pantiles, and these, while allowing a free passage of air to the soil, carry the water all off effectually. It was in a border thus protected, and from the rejuvenated old Vines of thirty years' growth, that Mr. Speed exhibited the bunches of Interior of the Victoria House at Chatsworth. and always damp, being but a few feet above the level of the Derwent, which runs close by, the finer varieties of fruits refuse to ripen, while vegetables are weeks later in coming to maturity than in other gardens close by ; this is very dis- heartening to a gardener, but he has no remedy except patience, and the protection of glass, which cannot be used with advan- tage everywhere. Paxton tried the scheme of throwing the surface of the garden into broad ridges sloping to the south, but after several years trial it was abandoned. A low and damp garden is, however, not an unmixed evil, for in the parching summer of 1868 the crops of Strawberries and vege- tables at Chatsworth were magnificent, and the envy of all who saw them. This gain, however, was but transient, for, when the rain and frost came, vegetation suffered severely. Still, for all this, there are some fruits which do well under glass at Chatsworth; as for example that grand old Eoyal George Peach, which, filling two or three houses, Grapes which created such a sensation at the Oxford Meeting of the Eoyal Horticultural Society in 1869. Bunches such as these were, for size of berry and finish, are rarely seen ; in fact the house taken as a whole from that time till now, has been year by year equal to the best we ever saw. The Victoria and Amherstia Houses. We cannot leave the kitchen-garden without saying a word about the Victoria and Amherstia houses. The former is a very suitable and handsome building, but, like all similar buildings which have to contend constantly with the alterna- tions of heat and moisture, it is fast going to decay, and must at no distant date be renewed. Seen in the summer season with the broad and singular leaves of the Victoria floating upon the water, and the different varieties of Nympba3a Lotus, Limnocharis, &c., in the corner tanks, and the immense masses in baskets depending from the roof, this is certainly one of the most interesting houses in a very interesting place. THE GAEDEN. [Jan. 3, 1874. The Acliimenes, and here let us remark that the older species and varieties only are grown, or rather are found suitable for basket growth, are in their season most efieotive. They consist of A. grandiflora, longiflora and its white variety, Verschaffeltii, and the old coccinea. To say that these pla.nts at Ohatsworth are used hy thousands, is not to exaggerate, for no doubt thousands of each kind annually find their way into these baskets, which form globes from 5 to 7 foet in diameter, and as much high. Some conception may therefore be formed of the truly regal manner ia which the Achimenes is grown at Ohatsworth. The Victoria house is square in form, and has a flat ridge-and-furrow roof, England of the same extent. They are for the most part shattered and wind-rent, and the sward beneath them is covered with broken fragments ; but their main branches are still green and vigorous, and like the famous Oak of Yardley Chase — The spring Finds them not less ahve to her sweet force Thau yonder upstarts of the neighbouring wood. The two largest trees are near the house. They are nearly of the same girth — a little more than 35 feet at about a yard from the ground. But the tree which the poet has celebrated is by far the more striking of the two, and is marked by one long lateral bough which stretches nearlj' at right angles from the main stem, then dips sharply to the ground, and again rises. This Oak is full of leaf, and is, perhaps, more noticeable for its huge short bole and its indication of jreat age than for picturesque growth. Like other Oaks in the park, it has been pollarded, but at some very remote period. Of the age of these trees it is difficult to speak with even an approach to certainty. Dr. Hooker, wo have been assured, has ))ronounced that they have not seen more than five centuries, but they had long passed their prime in the days of the Commonwealth, when a survey was made of the timber in Ampthill Park, and it was declared to bo unfit for naval purposes. Wo may at any rate be quite sure that these venerable Oaks have many a time cast their shadow on Queen Catherine of Arragon, during her tenancy of Ampthill ; and it may have been under the greatest of them that, during a hnntiDg party held here before the coming of the unhappy Queen, the Bishop of Paris and " Mdlle. Anne " were posted, each with a cross bow, waiting for the driving of the deer towards them. King Henry was himself in the heat of the chase. The bishop, in a letter to his own court, describes the scene and his conversation with Anne Boleyn — who, he adds, had made him a present of a hunting cap and frock, a horn, and a greyhound. The old castle of Ampthill stood on the highest ground in the park, looking far and wide over the masses of greenwood at its feet to the wide plain of the Ouse, fading away into a blue distance. Leaving for the moment the question whether this Ampthill Oak is in truth the king of English forests, we may cross to the border of the neighbouring county of Northampton, and, penetrating the thickets of Yardly Chase, find our way to the Oak sung by Cowper, who, by the way, is not quite accurate when he talks of it as — • Survivor sole, and hardly such, of all. That once lived here, thy brethren, at my birth. Three large Oaks remain in an open " lawn " — to use the true forest term — near a farm in the midst of the Chase. The space is nearly level, and is fringed by younger growth ; and the three giants stand out picturesquely as in a green " court " of their own. The largest and most shattered tree is CowiDcr's. On it is fastened a gracefully apologetic warning — " Out of respect to the memory of the poet Cowper, the Marquis of Northampton is particularly desirous of pre- serving this Oak. Notice is hereby given that any persons defacing or otherwise injuring it will be prosecuted according to law." The tree is a ruin, with hollow trunk — • that seems An huge throat, calling to the clouds for drink. broken through below and capable of holding many persons. There are two or thi'ee bare limbs, from which the bark has fallen, showing like whitened skeletons against the Lichened and knotted rind of the trunk, and there are at least two large boughs which still send out their clusters of green leaves. The trunk is not lofty, and is not more than 30 feet in circumference at a yard from the ground. But the tree is a study for an artist, and its condition is wonderfully suggestive of the long course of time since it put forth its first feeble leaflets : — Thou wast a bauble once ; a cup and ball Which babes might play with ; and the thievish jay. Seeking her food, with ease might have purloined The auburn nut that held thee, swaUowing down Thy yet close-folded latitude of boughs And all thine embryo vastness at a gulp. Many large Oaks are scattered through Yardley Chase, and two called " Gog and Magog," are of especial size. Bnt none claim to bo the largest Oak in England ; and although the great existing forest districts of this country — New Forest, Dean, Sherwood — abound in stately trees and in Oaks of vast girth and great evident antiquit}', there is no known tree in any one of them of which the dimensions exceed those of the Ampthill Oak. For true Oak character indeed, and for the charm of deep untrodden greenwood, we must penetrate the recesses of the New Forest or Sherwood glades, where the groat trees rise by thousands from a golden " lair " of Brake Fern, where the light quivers under the leafy vaulting, and where the scene is still much the same as in the days of Robin Hood or Clym o' the Clough. But the largest remaining English Oaks stand comparatively alone, like that at Newland-on.the-Wye, which is said to measure 40 feet at a yard from the ground, and like that which we have reserved to the last, and which we believe to be in the truth the largest and most venerable Oak in this country — the Cowthorpe Oak, in York- shire. This gigantic tree stands about a bowshot north-west of Cowthorpe Church, in a meadow on the right bank of the River Nidd. Its true measurements are as follow : — Circumference, at 5 feet from the ground, 36 feet 3 inches ; close to the ground, 60 feet ; extent of the principal branch (propped for safety), 50 feet 6 inches ; girth of this branch close to the trunk, 10 feet ; height of tree including decayed wood, 43 feet. In 1776 the height of the tree was 85 feet. An enormous bough, which extended 1)0 feet from the trunk, fell in 1718 ; and the owner of the tree, Mr. Montague, of Ingmanthorpe Hall, possesses a table made from this wood. Like that of the Ampthill Oaks, some of which has occasionally been used, it is full of knots and linings, and from its great hardness takes a very high polish. It may be added that the box in which the freedom of the city of York was presented to Lord Brougham was made of Cowthorpe Oak. The tree is a wonderful ruin, such as no words can fairly describe. It is a hollow tower into which you enter by an opening at the side, and the great ribbed masses of the trunk sweep round — the tree has twisted in its growth toward the south-east — in unexampled grandeur, resembling more than anything else the clefts of a sea- worn sand-rock. The sun-light falls through narrow openings, and flecks the interior of this literally Jan. 3,1874] THE GAEDBN. 23 " worm-eaten hold," the colour of which, in the more shattered por- tions, is a deep umber. High above your head the blue sky — we last saw the Oak on a clear autumn day when the sky was cloudless — seems to roof in the tower, round the summit of which clusters a coronal of green leaves, still borne by the outer boughs. No silver Lichens or branching Polypody hang from this grandest of Oaks. The expression is that of the highest dignity, and of a strength almost unrivalled — a majesty that " smiles in death." Professor Burnet ascribed to this tree an age of 1,600 years ; and if he is correct what changes it has witnessed — what worlds of thought and of feeling have passed away since the acorn fell from the old barbaric Oak, its parent ? Its young boughs may have trembled to the march of Eoman legionaries ; it was a stately and even an aged tree before the first Christian missionaries arrived in Northumbria ; it was extending all its wealth of boughs over the surrounding croft long before the first stone was laid of the adjoining church; and it has seen that church, like itself, crumbling into slow decay :— Oh, couldst thou speak. As in Dodona once thy kindred trees Oracular, I would not curious ask The future, best nukuown, but at thy month Inquisitive, the less ambiguous past. — Standard. [We are by no means certain that the Cowchorpo Oak, which we have seen, is the largest Oak in England ; a very great width at the base is not the right test of the size of an Oak ; the best place, if we are to measure at a given si^ot, is at five or six feet from the ground. Will any correspondent kindly tell us which is the biggest Oak in Warwickshire ! If it has not the biggest Oak in England it certainly has moro fine Oaks than we have seen in any other county.] THE FtJTUEE OP THE EOYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. What is to be the upshot of all the agitation that is going on in the liorticultural world — or, rather, amongst those connected with the Royal Horticultural Society ? — a question that must be occurring to many besides myself, and one that requires careful consideration. If we are to believe what report says, the society is in a complication of difficulties of long standing. There are evidently a variety of schemes afloat for setting it to rights, but without either unanimity of purpose or action. In fact, it would appear that there arc a number of cliques, each agitating on its own account for a something, and, as regards several of them, it is by no means apparent what that something is. We are weekly made aware of the e.Kisteuco of Mr. G. F. Wilson's clique, proposing the reduction of the fellows' subscription to a guinea, as a certain restoi-ative ; also, I believe, advocating removal from South Kensington ; but Mr. Wilson does not state where he would take the society to. According to Mr. Wilson's statement, there is a clique of "competent agriculturists in London engaged in the work of reconstruction." Reconstruction of what ? for I am not aware that any London society has as yet actually fallen to pieces ; therefore, what does this reconstruction mean ? Perhaps this clique meditates turning the present Council out in February, and the reconstruction means putting themselves in their places. If so, it would be well to know who these " com- petent horticalturists " arc, and what their subsequent policy would be. Then, there is the vote-by-proxy clique, who, I believe, have requested the Council to summon a meeting of the fellows — to do what? Why, "to make a bye-law to give the power of voting by proxy." Now, if I read the charter aright, the fellows do not possess the power of making a bye-law at all ; consequently, tho meeting will be a futile one, independent of tho fact of a similar proposal having already been negatived once this year. A clique of horticulturists which existed a short time since, called the Horticul- tural Defence Committee, took upon themselves (in conjunction with another clique, I believe) to go as a deputation to her Majesty's Com- missioners— so the Defence Committee's report stated ; but (query), did they not merely go to her Majesty's Commissioners Office. However, be this as it may. What did they go to do ? Nothing but mischief, for they possessed no power to make arrangements with her Majesty's Commissioners, even if met by them, nor had they any authority from any one to attempt to do so ; in fact, this move, ment on their part looked to me very like the rank and file rushing over to the enemy's camp without either the presence or authority of an officer, simply to be caught in a snare prepared for them. I read a proposal to build a club-house at Chiswick, for the con- venience of the country gardeners, as a meeting place, &c. ; this seemed to be in connection with Mr. Wilson's guinea scheme. Then there is what is called the Kensingtonian clique, a large and wealthy clique, too, and one that contributes largely to the Society's funds, who, it is said, desire that the South Kensington Gardens should be kept in first-rate order (at the society's expense) for themselves and their friends to play croquet in, with frequent flower-shows, and band playing for their own, their children's, and their nursemaid's amusement. All these cliques are apparently pulling in different directions, the more they pull and waste their strength, or, in other words, the more they squabble and disgust the subscribing fellows, and consequently fritter away the society's means, the better, I guess, it will be liked by the mightiest clique of all — her Majesty's Commissioners, who, under these circumstances, will have simply to bide their time, and let these cliques go on fighting till, like the Kilkenny cats, there is nothing left but their tails ; then they will be able to walk quietly in, and swallow up what little remains, and all they had been fighting over. This, I fear, will be the upshot of matters connected with the Royal Horticultural Society if we don't mind. I am not aware if any of these cliques have consulted tho Council, which is the only body possessing any power to make arrangements with her Majesty's Commissioners or anyone else ; whether this body is unanimous upon a policy, or is also divided into cliques, I know not ; bnt it is whispered that they, too, cither in their corporate or individual (a mode of proceeding as ruinous as the Defence Committee's) capacity, or both, have in some way or other endeavoured to induce her Majesty's Commissioners to come to some arrangement, if this be so, in which way, and with what objects in view P it is the duty of every fellow to make himself acquainted ; and the duty, also, I take it, of the Council, in a business-like and straight. forward manner, to inform us ; and not to follow the example of the previous Council of trying to sell us, and then expecting us, without consideration, to vote upou the instant the confirmation of the warrant for our own execution. If there are a few independent fellows who take an interest in the society's welfare, and who are desirous that it should be preserved intact, and that it should maintain the position which the Royal Horticultural Society of England ought to occupy ; moreover, that it should be free to manage its own affairs, financial and otherwise, free, in fact, from all foreign control, and free to expend its income for the promotion of the science of horticulture, I say, if there are some who have not formed themselves into party cliques, but are desirous of promoting these views, it is time that they should come forward and sign a requisition also, requesting the Council to call another meeting (or to arrange for the con. tinuation of the one already called), not to consider an isolated question, which can be brought to no issue, but to consider what can best be done to reinstate the society in an independent and prosperous position ; at the same time, soliciting the Council to state plainly their views and policy, and to assist them in solving the problem. I cannot bring myself to believe that her Majesty and the Royal family can really intend to desert the society, the prosperity and maintenance of which at South Kensington formed a part of the late Prince Consort's scheme, both for the promotion of the science of horticulture in con- junction with other sciences there, and for the adornment of the Kensington estate. There can be no two opinions, I think, as regards the desirableness of coming to "satisfactory" arrangements with her Majesty's Commissioners, if possible ; but what those arrangements should be require mature consideration, and I maintain that the whole body of the fellows should be consulted and given ample time to consider. We must bear in mind that we possess, for nineteen years, the control of most valuable property , property, too, that her Majesty's Commissioners want at once ; in fact, bad as our affairs are said to be, I believe we possess the means of inducing her Majesty's Commissioners to come to us (instead of our going to them), and with such an offer of terms that would enable the society to maintain an honourable and independent position, and at South Kensington too. But if her Majesty's Commissioners will not meet us upon fair and honourable terms, then let us keep them out of every inch of ground belonging to ns, and make no temporary arrangement what- ever with them. JouN Denny. Stoke Neiuimjton. WORK FOR THE WEEK. PRIVATE GARDENS. Flower Garden. — -The chief attractions belonging to outdoor gardens at present are winter Aconites, Jasmines, and Christmas Roses, together with a few miscellaneous flowers that have beeu tempted to expand. Both evergreens and Grass have also au unusually fresh look for this season of the year. Unless, however, cleanliness and tidiness are maintained, the most charming arrange- ment cannot be in itself satisfactory ; therefore, in order to have a garden enjoyable, the roller, broom, and rake must be frequently at work. Use tho hoe amongst growing plants, for a loose and open surface is congenial to their health. Prune deciduous shrubs ; but the pruning of evergreens should be deferred until spring. AU kinds 24 THE GARDEN. [Jan. 3, 1874. of trees may still be transplanted, especially snch as are deciduous. Proceed with any alterations that may have been previously deter- mined upon. Ajiy ground yet unturned should be dug over as soon as practicable; if for Dahlias, Foxgloves, Uollyhocks, or other strong-growing gross-feeding plants, add plenty of manure ; but if for Pelargoniums, or other plants that are required to produce abundance of flowers and to keep dwarf in growth, a dressing of leaf- mould will be more beneficial. Lay up the ground quite roughly, in order that the frost, wind, and sun may ameliorate and sweeten it; well pulverised soil is greatly superior to that newly dug. Break up the surface of gravel walks, but not so deeply as to disturb the rubble in the bottom; and, if necessary, apply a coating of fresh gravel, lioll Grass verges, so that they may not appear too high above the gravel when cut. Protect all tender plants with mulchings and temporary light coverings against frost. Bedding Plants. — Pelargoniums must still be kept rather dry, with the exception of a few plants of them which should be placed iu an intermediate house and moderately watered, in order to induce them to make young wood for propagating purposes. Keep all the fiucst-Ieaved kinds, such as tricolors and bicolors, near the glass, in light airy pits or greenhouses, and give them sufficient water to prevent "them from flagging. Verbenas, Ageratums, Salvias, Tropa3olums, and similar plants should be cleared of all decaying leaves, and dry wood-ashes or sand should be scattered over the surface of the soil in the pots or boxes that contain them. If the stock of them is short, introduce a few plants to a warm house, give them a fair quantity of water, and they will soon produce voung wood, which may be made into cuttings. Indeed, from this time till the end of April, Verbenas, Ageratums, &c., may be forced and propagated in large quantities, for the cuttings root readily, and soon furnish tops and side-shoots which may be used for a similar purpose. Sow some Lobelia seeds in heat, and prick off the young seedlings as soon as they are fit to handle into pots, pans, or boxes containing light sandy soil well mixed with sifted leaf-soil. By sowing Lobelias, pricking them timely out, and pinching them a littlo before planting-out time has arrived, they will bloom early and long. Cuttings of Lobelias may also be inserted as soon as convenient. Leave Gazenias undisturbed till March, it being then soon enough to propagate them ; for early-struck plants become long and weakly before they are planted out, unless a good deal of room and pains can be devoted to them. Calceolarias in frames and boxes should be well ventilated in fine weather, and all decaying matter removed from amongst them, llemove the points of any shoots that are growing too rankly, and prepare cold frames for purposes of propagation next month. Calceolarias strike as well in cold frames if inserted in early February as they do if inserted iu October ; but, if the operation is delayed till March, they require a little heat to induce them to root readily. Any kinds of Dahlias that arc scarce may be started in heat at once, and cuttings of them may be taken oif and rooted as soon as they can be obtained ; next month, however, or even the 1st of March, is soon enough for starting the general stock. If a good stock of Caladium esculentumbe required, start some of the rested plants iu a brisk bottom.heat, and, when they have begun to grow, remove the top and insert it as a cutting, still retaining the old root-stocks in the plunging material. Before long the latter will Dush forth a numerous progeny of young shoots, which may be separated individually after they form a leaf or two, and used as separate plants. Rub over the incision with powdered charcoal, in order to counteract damp, and return the root to the position which it formerly occupied, keeping it there until it has exhausted every effort to produce another offset. Seeds of sub- tropical plants, such as Solanums, Wigandias, Ferdiuandas, Uhdeas, &c., should be sown in heat as soon as possible, in order to have good strong plants before bedding-out time ; and all old plants of these genera wintered in pots should be plunged in bottom-heat, in order to produce young shoots to bo used as cuttings. Prune back Hibiscuses, Cassias, Fuchsias, Abutilons, and similar plants, so that they may begin to gi'ow slowly and hardily. Acacia lophantha, raised from seeds sown now, makes good plants before May for mixing with other plants in small beds. Keep Centaureas rather dry than other- wise, in open airy houses or pits near the glass, and remove every particle of damped-off leaves that may be hanging about them, sprinkling |)owdered charcoal or dry wood-ashes about thoirnccks and over the soil. Echevcrias, and other succulents, treat like Centaureas, with which they are equally, if even not moro, hardy. Conservatories. — Use only fire.heat enough to expel damp and frost, and no more ; and when for the former ventilate the house at the same time. Maintain a temperature of 40' at night, with the usual daily rise. Water all evergreen plants moderately, and keep dccidnous ones nearly dry. Plants in borders require watering very seldom at this season, there being but littlo demand upon tho roots at this time of year; but pot plants, especially such as are near hot- water pipes, require unremitting attention as regards water, for although apparently moist on the top the soil in the bottom of the pots may be dry. Such a condition would be extremely detrimental, as the greatest amount of roots is amongst and over the drainage. Rather than keep the conservatory too warm, in order to forward the plants therein, supply any deficiency there may be in tho way of flowers by means of Camellias, Azaleas, Jasminums, Weigelas, Kalmias, Prunnses, Acacias, Dielytras, Lily of the Valley, Dutch and Roman Hyacinths, Tulips, Narcissi, Crocuses, and other plants from the forcing pits. Decaying leaves must be regularly removed, and a rather dry and healthy atmosphere is a good remedy for such an evil, and to effect this supply artificial heat and plenty of air. Keep Heaths, Epacrises, Chorozemas, Boronias, Tremandras, &c., in the coolest and freest ventilated portion ; and forced shrubs and other flowers, Orchids, &o., in the warmest parts. Cut over Chrysanthe- mums that have done flowering, and keep a pet of each kind in a frame, if sufficient cuttings have not already been obtained. Plant the others in the open border, or, if not wanted out of door hrow them away. Shift herbaceous Calceolarias and Cinerarias as they require it, and keep them cool and well watered ; never permitting a damped or decayed portion of a leaf to remain. Fumigate to destroy aphis, and keep in mind the old maxim, "prevention is better than cure." Keep Mignonette near the glass, and stake and tie it as may be necessary. Have a good succession of it, Violets, and other plants, in pits. Regularly train Tropa;olums, and give them a little manure-water if they are making good progress. Con. tinue to pot off singly good rooted early autumn-struck cuttings of Azaleas, Camellias, &c., but if neither time nor space can be spared for shifting them at present, leave them for a time in their cutting pots set on a side-shelf of a close pit or intermediate house. Any Statices becoming too long-stalked should have an incision made on each branch just at the base of the foliaged crowns, after which some Moss should be tied around it. The Moss should always bo kept damp, and if a little silver sand is mixed with it so much tho better, as it helps to encourage root-production. Keep old and young Statices moderately moist and in a minimum temperature of 45°. Pot off cuttings of Libonias and keep them for a short time in a warm pit, and when root action again begins, transfer them to an intermediate house. Divide tho rhizomes of the variegated-leaved Acorus javanicus, and keep the divided portious for a time in gentle heat. From male Aucubas in |fiower gather the pollen and keep it dry between \jits of glass for future use. Start into growth, in a warm pit, tropical Crinums. Re-pot and start some Hajmanthuses they may be placed upon the floor in a warm house or pit, or on a back shelf. Hardy Fruit and Kitchen Garden. — Proceed with tho pruning and nailing of wall-trees, such as Plums, Pears, Cherries, and Apricots. All standards, if not already done, should be pruned as expeditiously as possible, and old unfruitful trees removed to give place to younger ones. Moss growing on the stems of old trees should be scrubbed off, and afterwards the trees and large branches should be washed with a mixture of lime-water, soot, and brine. Root-prune over-vigorous trees, taking care not to encroach too severely on the roots. Cut of shoots to be used as scions in grafting, and insert their ends in soil in some well-sheltered situation. Head back stocks, for if allowed to remain without being cut until the sap is iu active circulation, the bark commonly dies back a little below the wound. Freely expose Lettuces, Cauliflowers, &c., in frames in favourable weather, protecting them from frost at night. Plant out some Lettuces, at convenience, on a warm border, and prick some Spruce branchlets amongst them. Plant in dry ground Ash-loaf Kidney Potatoes, and make new plantations of Horseradish and Jerusalem Artichokes. Sow some Parsley on a sheltered spot, and protect a portion of the old plantation with a frame-sash or two, so as to permit of the leaves being gathered in frosty weather, and likewise Cauliflowers under hand-lights. Lift in Broccoli that is living with good balls, and place them iu cellars or sheds to protect them from frost. Uncover Celery ridges from the mulching of litter in fine weather, as its presence woidd generate dampness and promote rottenness. Sow some of Wood's Frame Radishes on a south wall border, and mulch it with litter ; and Early Horn Carrots may bo treated tho same as Radishes, and some Early Dutch Turnips may likewise be sown on a warm border. Avoid sowing anything on sodden soils, as much harm is done by so doing, and whole crops frequently lost. Gilbert's Protectors.— I notice in tho advertisoment columns of tho Rardcninf,' jireas, wlmt. I may call an cxtraordinay assertion on tho part of Messrs. llcralton, viz.— That the judRes at Birmingham giivo them tho only prize for ])rotcctors, when at the same meeting I was awarded a medal for Gilbert's hand-lights and protectors. Such assertions as these aro apt to lead tho public astray. — H. Gilbekt, Jan. 10, 1874 ] THE GAEDEN. 25 THE GAEDEN. " This is an art Which does mend nature : change it rather : but The Akt itself is Nattjeb." — Shakespeare. LA.NDSOAPB GARDENERS VERSUS ARCHITECTS. By J. C. NIVEN, Botanic Gardens, Hull. The article which appears in your last week's number (see p. 21), in which " Civis " defines, no doubt, to his entire satisfaction, the relative positions of the architect and the landscape gardener, should not pass without comment at the hands of those whose status he somewhat rudely assails. The habit which some have of looking at things from only one point of view is tolerably well exemplified in the article in question, and, in offering the following remarks, 1 do so, not exactly as the knight champion of the landscape fraternity, nor as possessing the ability to define clearly, for all whom it may concern, that boundary line which separates the two pro- fessions, but merely to assert my individual opinion upon one or two matters in the article just alluded to, which, I think, ought not to pass unchallenged. Let me, in the first place, congratulate the " citizen " architect on his frank and free admission of the engineer to a fair professional recognition. I j' wish, when admitting the fact, that he had not qualified it by a sort of " lamentation," and hinted that he had been galvanised into existence by a sort of high-pressure railway development, but had honestly admitted that the engineer was a necessity of the iron age in which we live — a necessity which no sensible architect will, I think, deny. Remembering perfectly the onslaught which was made by the architectural journals when the construction of Westminster Bridge was placed in the hands of Mr. Page, the engineer ; and admiring, as I do, the beauty of the bridge so designed and, in spite of all the ill-natured pi-ognostioations, still existent, I the more appre- ciate the recognition of the civil engineer's profession, and am further enlivened with the hope that at some future time the true status of the landscape gardener will be as fully recognised, and his services as highly appre- ciated, even by " Civis " himself, as those of the engineer. Permit me, at the outset, to demur to the somewhat novel title which some of us landscape gardeners have assumed — namely, that of " landscape architects." I have heard the title " garden architect " appended to the more general one of " landscape gardener," and a perfectly correct and intelligible addition it is, as both combined appear to define pretty clearly the work which devolves on the landscape gardener. I will now endeavour briefly to point out the respective spheres which the two professions should occupy — nay, I might almost add, do occupy, were I to speak from my own professional experience, which extends over some twenty years. Let vis suppose, as in the illustrative case which " Civis " uses, that, as a matter of course, the services of the architect are called in to prepare the designs for a mansion. Here, of course, he is master of the situation ; but has he not forgotten that, as a general rule, the " site " of the house — which has a somewhat important bearing on the style — is usually first selected ? And here I claim the right of the landscape gardener to be heard — nay, to be fully consulted. Not only is there truth in the old adage, that " two heads are better than one," but so much of the picturesque character of the mansion depends on its surroundings, that the salient points, even " Civis " himself will admit, are more likely to suggest themselves to the practised eye of the landscape gardener than to the architect. Here, then, at the outset, let the two professionals argue out, if necessary, their pros and cons, with the client as umpire ; and, the site having been determined, let them proceed on their separate courses, taking care that such courses run in parallel grooves, and not at cross purposes, in which case there is sure to be a collision. On the architect clearly devolves all the work in connection with the mansion aud its outbuildings, the lodge, the gardener's house — and, in fact, any other cottage or building of that description on the estate ; but, let me add that, as in "fixing the site of the mansion, so, before the sites of all such buildings are finally determined upon, the landscape gardener should be consulted, as it devolves on him either to utilise them, if ornamental, or to screen them from view if otherwise ; and who more likely than he to know what are the natural advantages available for this important pui'pose? My practice is to indicate on the general plan of the estate, the positions for all such buildings, leaving everything else to the architect. The next point, namely as to the arrange- ment of terraces, terrace steps, fountains, &c., is one open to considerable difference of opinion, even amongst those of our own profession. I am clear on the matter that those imme- diate adjuncts of the mansion should represent the result of a happy combination of the two professions ; the general lie of the ground, and the arrangement of the flower-beds, if any, should belong to the landscape gardener ; the archi- tectural details, which, of course, will be carried out in harmony with the details of the building, belong to the architect. Wliere the latter monopolises the whole arrange- ment to himself, he is not always happy in his results, and rarely is he practical, as many a poor gardener can testify to his cost. A conservatory, now-a-days, is almost invariably an adjunct to a country house, and properly so ; but, as it has a use beyond its mere external appearance, namely, its true use as a means of extending and increasing indoor enjoy- ment, while it possesses sufficient architectural character to harmonise with the rest of the building, it ought to be equally well adapted for the growth and artistic display of plants. There should be means of maintaining a proper tempera- ture and full power of thorough ventilation. Here it will be obvious that the grooves in which I proposed the two professions should run, again just touch one another; let the architect build the conservatory, consulting his brother professional as to the ventilation, and let the " garden architect " (here we give him his other name) complete the internal arrangement, including the disposal of the hot-water apparatus, &o. Of even more importance than the conser- vatory is the kitchen garden, with its forcing houses, plant- houses, and the various sheds which are necessary for the usual purposes of garden accommodation, including, of course, the walls. These belong, I most unhesitatingly main- tain, to the garden architect. Here the architect, pure and simple, is out of place, just as much, and perhaps a little more, than the so-called " landscape architect " would be in dealing with the lodge or the stables, as contemplated by " Civis." The majority of our profession have been at one time practical gardeners, and thus know by experience what the essential requirements of such buildings are in all their detail. Should, however, the designing of these kitchen garden adjuncts devolve on the architect, as might possibly be necessary in the case of one or two of our most highly a3sthetic landscape gardeners, I will 'give him one word of advice — let him not deem it beneath his dignity to submit his plans, before final completion, to the gardener, and avail himself of those practical suggestions which I will warrant he will obtain from that source. Having thus indicated what, from my pomt of view, appears to be the relative position of the two professions, I have one or two points to touch upon before I bring my remarks to a close. Let me ask " Civis " for a straightforward answer to the following questions : — Does his so-called " Landscape Architect," against whom he has made out a case of profes- sional poaching, represent the only class of poachers ? Do architects never by any chance arrogate to themselves all the functions of the landscape gardener .'' If "Civis" declines to answer these questions, I will do so for him, after the Scotch fashion, by asking another question or two. Have we no terrace-gardens in the country where artificially variegated walks are made to wage war with the true contrasts and har- monies of nature's beauteous flowers P Have we no parterres that bid defiance to all the powers of the gardener, even with the most extensive resources, to plant successfully ? I am of opinion we have, and for most, if not all, of them we are indebted to architects who have stepped beyond their calling and become poachers on the true preserves of the landscape gardener. Again, look at the hundreds of cemeteries scattered through the length and breadth of the land that have sprung into existence within the last few years. The great majority of these are illustrative of the result of architects undertaking to do what they possess no qualification for, with what result I 26 THE GARDEN. [Jan. 10, 1874. will not trust myself to say. The public bave, ia many cases, passed a true verdict, and more fully will it be endorsed by the descendants of the said public in future years, when they find that even the softening hand of time will fail to obliterate the incongruities that have been, and, indeed, are every day being, perpetrated by architects, and in many cases by architects of no mean reputation either. If I lay myself open to be challenged as speaking harshly of a profession in whose ranks I have personally always met with the most honourable and straight- forward conduct, I must plead that they have been called forth by the insinuations from " Civis " derogatory to our profes- sion. In conclusion, I would say, with reference to the " happy thought" broached by "Civis" "That the architect should assert his authority, and insist that all drawings for whatever works shall be submitted to him for his approval before being put in hand," that the profession of landscape gardener and garden architect is year by year assuming a more definite status, and, in spite of all " Civis " may do or say, will hold its own true position as independent of the whim or fancy of the " architect." THE GARDENS OF ENGLAND. CHATS W GET H. iConcluded from p. 7.) The Pleasure G-rounds. Tetese, including the Pinetum, may be counted by miles, not by acres, and require a full day to pass through them, and far more to know them thoroughly. Paxton has done much ; but, from an artistic point of view, he might have done more. We have seen many of his creations at Sydenham, Birkenhead, and at other places, and, with all due respect for his memory, we are bound to confess that Chatsworth, as a whole, is not the most meritorious of his works. This may not be his fault, but rather his misfortune. We all know that, with ancient families, interference with the past is more difficult than improvements for the future ; and hence old landmarks must he retained, which, for real improvement, would frequently be better swept away. Many of these crop out at Chatsworth, but to detail them would be simply waste of time. Hence, much that has been done in the garden, or pleasure ground, properly so called, might have been better done. Smoothness, Burke, in the " Sublime and Beautiful," defines as one of the main elements of beauty ; but in the walks at Chatsworth, especially in the strictly Paxtonian parts of the grounds, there is a want of finish and smoothness which is anything but pleasing to the eye of taste. The main fronts associated with the mansion are terraced, the retaining walls, and all belonging to them, being of the most substantial and appropriate character. Numerous specimens of vases, urns, and statuary decorate the piers, and the principal flower-beds are margined with massive stone walls of suitable design. When, in the autumn months, these beds are full of the flowers of the season, they have a brilliant cifect. But Ijedding-out at Chatsworth is disheartening work, for the frosts are so late and so early that it is the end of June before it is safe to plant, and the end of August is certain to bring frost. However, while the beds are in perfection, the sight is a glorious one. Seen from the principal apartments, with the silvery Derwent meandering through the valley, amid line timber, the scene is a charming one, and one which is worthy of the pencil of our greatest artists. But, fine as is the effect of bedding-plants during their transient season, it is when the garden can be seen with acres of the various-tinted Grhcnt Azaleas, Rhododendrons, and other American plants, backed )jy the variously tinted foliage of deciduous trees and the ever-grateful Hawthorns, that it crops out in full glory. Of timber trees, there is at Chatsworth a fine avenue of Limes, Spanish Chestnuts of more than usual size, .and grand speci- mens of Oak, Beech, and Ash. Holly and Yew luxuriate there, associated with some fair specimens of Cedar of Lebanon, Wcllingtonia, and the Lawson's Cypress; but the Deodar, Araucaria, and .some of the tender Conifers, suffer much in Hovcrc winters. The lawns at Chatsworth are superbly kept, the turf being smooth and velvety; but, as you get away to the arboretum, less care is observed. The collection of trees and shrubs was at one time very complete ; but the severe winter of 1861 destroyed so many of the tender shrubs, that it was considered impracticable to replace them. Still, many interesting examples may be found in the three miles' walk which comprises the arboretum. The Eoek Garden. This may be considered the ante-garden to the grand con- servatory, and it is not until you get into it that you realise the Paxton idea of landscape work ; and there you bave a fair example of what may be eifected by means of excavations, stones, and shrubs. The latter have now played an important part, having covered the nakedness of the rock-work, and, when they cover the whole, the garden will look none the worse. It was a bold act of Sir Joseph to enter into competition with nature in one of her strongest positions ; and, though the conception was good, and in some respects well executed, one has only to take a run from Chatsworth to Buxton to see how futile it is for man to enter into such a trial of skill. The stone used is mainly of the boulder formation, piled together so as to form archways and rock pillars, the labour of moving such huge masses being not the least remarkable feature con- nected with the work. Except in the principal mass, some 30 feet high, from which drips a streamlet into a basin at its base, little attempt is made at stratification. In the strictly garden part, huge stones crop out from beds of American plants, and Ferns and some Coniferous trees play an important part in diversifying the scene. In fact, this is as much an American as a rock-garden, and the association is by no means bad. The Plant Houses. A collection of many hundred plants of Epiphyllum trun- catum, and its varieties, is, at this season, one of the most remarkable features of the conservatory, to which we briefly adverted last week ; while, in hanging baskets suspended in various parts of the house, they present a floral charm rarely to be equalled. Of the suitability of these plants for hanging baskets, those only who have seen them at Chatsworth can form an opinion : they ai'e simply superb. As anon-flowering plant, nothing looks so well as the Elk's-horn Fern (Platy- cerium alcicorne), with a few Adiantums, and other Ferns of that kind. In their season, Achimenes also form a grand feature in baskets ; indeed, it may be said that the baskets at Chatsworth are a feature always to be admired. Other plant-houses are numerous, and some of them of fine proportions. The Orangery, which adjoins the sculpture gallery, is a noble structure, and contains some remarkably fine trees in vigorous health. This house is, of course, architectural in character, and, when artificially lighted, and the trees are in bloom, it forms a charming promenade. From the Orangery extends a glass-cased wall of several hundred feet in length, which forms in stormy weather a very agreeable shelter. It is, however, very narrow, not being more than 6 or 7 feet wide, but we believe it is contem- plated to make it 15 feet wide, and to continue it from the Orangery at one end to the plant-houses at the other, thus forming a very interesting promenade. In the central part of this case may be seen remarkably vigorous specimens of double white and other Camellias, which annually produce thousands of flowers. Here, upon this wall, may be seen the original plant of Clianthus puniceus, first shown at Chis- wick by Messrs. Young, then nurserymen at Epsom, and for which the late Duke paid fifty guineas. Here, also, is one of the first plants of Brugmansia sanguinea and a remark- ably fine specimen of Citron, presented by the Duke of Rutland. On this wall many plants grow with wonderful vigour. Ugenia Ugni yields annually a heavy crop of fruit, and we never have seen Mitraria coccinea in such fine condition as it is when thus protected ; in short, it blooms almost continuously. The Camellia-house is an architec- tural building, perhaps the oldest in the garden. It has heavy walls pierced with windows, and the roof consists of very small glass ; the plants, however, many of which arc very large, are in the finest conceivable health, and produce, annually, tens of thousands of fiowers. Mr. Speed's plan is to deluge them, in the growing season, with weak soot-water, and never, at any time, to let them know the want of water at the root. Adjoining this glass promenade are three ranges of plant- houses, erected some five years back. Each range is divided into Jan. 10, 1874.] THE GARDEN. 27 three houses ; the first range consists of stoves, the second o£ intermediate-houses, while the third, which is of considerable size, is devoted to Orchids. One house is occupied almost exclusively with Vandas, Aerides, and Saccolabinms, some of them being enormous specimens, which bloom in the most perfect manner. The plants stand upon slate shelves covered with spar, the extremes of heat and cold in summer and winter rendering isolation from the slate necessary. This house is heated by sixteen rows of 4-inoh pipe. In the cool-house will be found a fine collection of Sarra- cenias in robust condition, and also grand masses of Ccelogyne cristata, Miltouia spectabilis, Lycastes, and some of the hardier Dendrobes. Of Dendrobium nobile and its allies, Chatsworth has many very large speci- mens, and the plants D. Devonianum and Dalhousianum and some of the rarer ones are also very fine. Phala3- nopsis amabilis and Schilleriana will bo found in superb condition, while Pleiones and Calanthes for cutting flowers from are grown by thehundred. Stove plants are grown mainly for the sake of their blooms, in a cut state, for table decoration, hence the object is rather to -^eep the plants small and healthy than to produce enormous specimens, and the same maybe said of the greenhouse plants. Upon the whole, Chatsworth is a most interesting place, but no one should expect to realise its full attractions without devoting, at the least, three days to the work of inspection. The keeping of the whole place reflects great credit upon Mr. Speed, and is yearly improving under his skilful management. not go a mile in any direction without getting into it ; longer excursions were frequent. These rides and strolls into the woods were very fruitful in natural history acquisitions and observation." The result of these four years of constant and intelligent observation Mr. Belt has embodied in a handsome illustrated volume of nearly 400 pages, replete with the most useful and interesting information on the natural history and present condition of that part of Central America. Had we space, we might quote pages. We must content ourselves, however, with the following short extracts, the first of which contains an account of the singular insects rep- resented in the illustrations, for the use of which we are indebted to the courtesy of the publisher — Mr. Murray : — THE LIBRARY. THE NATURALIST IN NIOAEAGUA.* In the beginning of 1868, Mr. Belt arrived in Nicaragua for the purpose of superintending the operations at the mines of the Choutales Gold Mining Company, situated near the village of Santo Domingo, and nearly in the centre of the republic. Here he resided for four years, during which time, in addition to the discharge of his pro- fessional duties, he employed himself in acquiring a thorough knowledge of the natural history of the country, and the manners and customs of the inhabitants. He says, " I had much riding about. The mines worked by us when I first went out extended from Consuelo, a mile higher up the valley, to Pavon, a mile below Santo Domingo, and even after I had concentrated our operations to those nearer to our reduction works, there were many occasions for me to ride into the woods. I had to look after our wood-cutters and charcoal-burners, to see that they did not encroach upon the lauds of our neigh- bours, as they were inclined to do, and involve us iu squabbles and law-suits ; paths were to be opened out, to bring in Nispra and Cedar timber ; our property had to be surveyed, and new mines, found in the woods, visited and explored. Besides this, I spent most of my spare time iu the forest which surrounded us on every side, so that we could * " The Naturalist in Nicaragua." A narrative of aroaidenco at the gold mines of Chontalea, journeys in the savannahs and forests, with observations on animals and plants in reference to the theory of evolution of living forms. With maps and illustrations. By Thomas Belt, P.G.S. London : John Murray, Albemarle Street. 187*. Amongst the insects of Chontales none are more worthy of notice than the many curious species of Orthoptera, that re- semble green and faded leaves of trees. I have already described one species that Moss Insect. looks like a green leaf, and so much so that it even deceived the acute senses of the foraging ants j other species, belonging to a closely related genus (Pterochroza), imitate leaves in every stage o£ decay, some being faded-green blotched with yellow ; others, as in the species figured, resemble a brown withered leaf, the resemblance being increased by a transparent hole through both wings that looks like a piece taken ont of tlie leaf. In many butterflies that resemble leaves on the under side of their wings, the wings being raised and closed together when at rest so as to hide the bright colours of the upper surface, there are similar transparent spots that imitate holes ; and others again are jagged at the edge, as if pieces had been taken out of them. Many Chrysalides also have mirror-like spots that resemble holes ; and one that I found hanging from the under side of a 1 eaf had a real hole through it, formed by a horn that projected from the thorax and doubled back to the body, leaving a space between. Another insect, of which I only found two specimens, had a wonderful resemblance to a piece of Moss, amongst which it con. cealed itself in the daytime, and was not to be distingnised except when shaken out ; it is the larva stage of a species of Phasma. Of the effect of corrosive sublimate on ants, the author writes as follows : — • A little of it sprinkled across one of their paths in dry weather has a most surprising effect. As soon as one of the ants touches the white powder, it commences to run about wildly, and to attack any other ant it comes across. In a couple of hours, round balls of the ants will be found all biting each other ; and numerous individuals will be seen bitten completely in two, whilst others have 'lost some of their legs or antennce. News of the commo- tion is carried to the formi. cai-ium, and huge fellows, measuring three-quarters of an inch in length, that only come out of the nest during a migra- tion or an attack on the nest or one of the working columns, are seen stalking down with a deter- mined air, as if they would soon right matters. As soon, how- ever, as they have touched the sublimate, all their stateliness Leaf Insect. leaves them : they rnsh about ; their legs are seized hold of by some of the smallerantsalreadyaffectedbythe poison; andtheythem. selves begin to bite.and in a short time become the centre of fresh balls of rabid ants. The sublimate can only be used effectively iu dry weather. At Colon I found the Americans using coal tar, which they spread across their paths when any of them led to their gardens. I was also told that the Indians prevent them from ascending young trees by tying thick wisns of Grass, with the sharp points downwards, round the stems. The ants cannot pass through the wisp, and do not find out how to surmount it, getting confused amongst the number. less blades, all leading downwards. 28 THE GAEDBN. [Jan. 10, 1874. NOTES OF THE WEEK. We are glad to aunounce that the new edition of Mr. Gordon's " Pinetum " is now almost ready for the press. The book is nearly re-written, and the information on the subject brought well down to the present time. We learn thnt the autumn show of the larger Fungi at the Royal Horticultural Society has so steadily increased in interest and popularity that it is intended to considerably extend it this year. Tho most useful of the edible and easily obtained kinds should be shown in some quantity, and, if possible, in a cooked state also. We have just seen a batch of single and double Chinese Primroses, which have been sent by express from Nice, where they ■were grown by Messrs. Stuart. Nothing could be more beautiful than their varied and rich hues. They are not grown in the open air at Nice, bnt in cool houses as at home. A PLAN has been prepared, which contemplates the making of a park for Boston containing 3 square miles of territory, or about 2,000 acres, and for this the cost, with improvements, is estimated at 5,000,000 dols. The site contains small streams and a large pond of water, and it is proposed to use the water-supply in making an arti- ficial lake and a chain of lakelets, which will give variety to the scenery. There is nowafine specimen of Angra3cum sesquipedale,bcar. ing twelve of its great wax-like flowers on three spikes, in the Koyal Exotic Nnrsery, Chelsea, the plant being one of the finest we have seen. The beautiful white-flowered variety of Lcelia auceps, named in honour of the late Mr. Dawson of Meadowbank, " Dawsonii," is also in flower, as is likewise a fine rosy-coloured variety of Cy pripcdintn Roezlii, while a good foroi of the pretty little Colax jugosus is in bloom. We are pleased to hear that Odontoglossum coronarium is again showing flower (two spikes) in Lord Londesboro^gh's collec- tion at Surbiton. This plant seems as shy in its flowering as Kenan, thera coccinea, and has, as yet, only bloomed in one or two collections in this country. Amongst other plants also in bloom in this fine collection are La'lia antumnalis, with seven flowers on a spike, and L. albida rosea with two deep rosy blooms in place of the white ones common to the species. A plant of the rare and beautiful Sophro- nitis violacea has also produced deep rosy -lilac flowers in the same collection. The Royal Botanic Society of London have issued their programme for 1874. The arrangements are :■ — Exhibitions of spring flowers, Wednesdays, March 25th, April 22nd. Summer exhibitions, Wednesdays, May 20th, Jnne 10th, and June 24th. Gates open at two o'clock. Special evening fete, Wednesday July Sth. American exhibition, daily. May 25th to June 9th. Promen.ades, e%'ery Wed- nesday in May, June, and July, excepting the exhibition days, commencing iVIay 6th. Visitors admitted only by tho special coloured orders. Lectures in the museum at four o'clock precisely, Fridays, May 15th, 22nd, 29th; June 5th, 12th, 19th, 26th; July 3rd. In the January number of the Botmiical Maijazine, among other plants figured there, are three deserving of especial attention. Foremost amongst these is Saxifraga peltata, a native of California, a species which has great peltatc-Iobed leaves and erect cymes of rose-coloured or rosy-white flowers. It is found in moist localities, and grows best treated as a sub-aquatic. Stoudnera colocasiajfolia, a dark blotched-leaved yellow-flowered Ai'ad, also deserves mention, as does likewise Mesombryanthemum truncatellum, a stunted swollen species from the Cape, of a brown colour, bearing golden-rayed blossoms; and the beautiful Colchicum speciosum, a native of tho Caucasus, also to which we have already alluded as having flowered freely during tho past antnmn in Mr. Barr's collection at 'Tooting. An account of tho Hull Window Garden Society just received Ehows that, after paying all expenses, a balance of upwards of £14 still remains in tho treasurer's hands, while last year tho balance was little more than ,C3. Upwards of ninety money prizes have been given away this year, and in addition thirty-seven prizes, consisting of articles of various kinds and values — from a bird-cage or ii pair of table-spoons to ;i flower vase. Besides these somo three hundred well.rstablished pl.inta for window culture have been given to tho exhibitors. It is likewise stated that every exhibitor, including the little children who brought their neatly-arranged bunches of wild Grasses (and of these there were some two hundred), received somo reward for his labour. It is mentioned that no jilants taken from tho borders have been distributed this autumn, tho committee being of opinion, from previous experience, that as much pain as pleasure is given by such distributions. So many of the plants die, that tho effect is often discouraging as well as disappointing ; they propose, therefore, to act in future years as they have done this year, viz. : — give away, at tho flower-show, as many well-established plants as they can obtain from their friends, who, like themselves, are desirous of promoting the culture of window-plants by the working classes. A PLANT of Lycaste Skinneri, now in blossom in the Royal Exotic Nursery, Chelsea, bears two flowers on one spike, as is occa- sionally the case with Cypripedium barbatnm, C. venustum, and its variety C. pardinum. If we wanted proof of tho hardiness of shrubby Veronicas it might be had in Miss Hassard's garden at Upper Norwood, where there are plants from 4 to 5 feet high, that have been out in the open ground this two winters, and in no way protected during the hardest frosts. Amono rare tropical fruits offered for sale in Covent Garden Market we have this week noticed fine samples of the white-frnited Guava from Madeira, Psidium pyriferum, the fruits of which are of a pleasant sub-acid flavour. The Botanical Maija:ine for January contains a figure of Bambusa striata, a Chinese species, having deep green stems striped with bright yellow. It grows under cultivation 6 or S feet high, and forms a highly ornamental plant either for conservatory or greenhouse culture. The new Clarkia, C. integripetala limbata, is well figured iu colours in the new issue of Messrs. Carter's seed-catalogue. It is a large f ull-petalled kind, with its crimson petals evenly and distinctly margined with white, and it is likely to prove a very popular garden flower. . At a sale at Stevens' on Thursday last, single plants of the rare and beautiful white-flowered Odontoglossum Roezlii realised from £6 5s. to £16. Ten thousand bulbs of Lilinm auratum, newly im- ported, also fetched good prices, notwithstanding other large impor. tations lately received. . At a meeting last month of the Central Horticultural Society of France, M. A. Riviere, chief g,ardener at the Luxemboui-g, ox. hibited a very charming specimen of a Bromeliad, not too well known in our gardens, viz.,Vriesiabrachystachys Regel., or V. psittacina, v.ar. brachystachys Hort., which was pronounced to be unequalled amougsc Bromeliads for vigour of growth and beauty of bloom. When completed, the new park at Eastbourne vi'ill be one of the greatest improvements at that fashionable town. The ground, nearly 13 acres in extent, is to be known as Burlington Park, and is situate close to Eastbourne College. The southern part is arranged in throe terraces, and will be planted with shrubs and trees of various kinds. There will be a row of Elms all round the ground, while an avenue of trees, opening from the south on to the orickot-ground proper, will form the main entrance. The cricket.ground will be nearly 6 acres in extent, and surrounded by trees. It is intended to have ornamental water in the ground. The whole expense will be defrayed by his Grace the Duke of Devonshire. — -^ Professor Asa Gkat, in a paper read before the American Pomological Society, makes some interesting and apt remarks as to the origin of our cultivated fruits. He asks, " Were the fruits made for man, or did man make the fruits .' These," he says, " need not be taken as mutually exclusive propositions ; for as ' God helps those who help themselves,' and man's work in this respect is mainly, if not wholly, in directing the course or tendency of nature, so thero is a just sense in which we may say ' the art itself is nature,' by which the greatest triumphs of horticultural skill have been accomplished. Moreover, I am not one of those naturalists who would have yon boliovo that nothing which comes by degrees, and in the course of nature, is to be attributed to Divine power. The answer I should give to the question, as we thus put it, is : 1. Some fruits were given to man as they are, and he has only gathered and consumed them. But these are all minor fruits, aud such as have only lately como within the reach of civilized man, or are not thought worth hia trouble. Cranberries, Persimmons, and Papaws are examples. Whether even such fruits have or not been under a conrse of improve, meat irrespective of man, is another question. 2. Others have como to man full flavoured, and nearly all that he has done has been to increase their size and abundance, or extend their season. Carrants and Gooseberries, Raspberries and Blackberries, Chestnuts, and, above all. Strawberries are of this class. 3. But most of the esteemed and important fruits, as well as the grains, have not so much been given to man as made by him. The gift outright was mainly plastic, raw material, time .and opportunity. As to the cereal grains, it is only of tho Oat that wo probably know the wild original ; of Wheat thero has been an ingenious conjecture, partly but iusufliciontly con- firmed by experiment ; of the rest, no wild stock is known which is not most likely itself an escape from cultivation. Of some of them, such especially as Maize, not only can no wild original be indicated, but in all probability none exists. So of tho staple fruits; of some, tho wild originals can bo pretty well made out ; of more, they are merely conjectural ; of some they are quite unknown and, perhaps, long ago extiuct." Jan. 10, 1871.] THE GAEDBN. 29 THE FLOWER GARDEN. CLIMBEES FOR CORRIDORS AND VERANDAHS. AEcniTECTURAL features, however beautiful in themselves, are improved both in appearance and interest when judiciously associated with climbing or trailing forms of vegetation. We have many plants suitable for covering balconies and pillars that add very materially to the charms of a well-appointed garden or landscape. The remains of some of our finest abbeys and castles owe much of their beauty to the Ivy that clings lovingly to the ruined arch, or that clambers rampant to the highest point of the massive keep or donjon tower ; and what the Ivy is to our old castles and churches, ornamental climbers are to our more modern dwellings. In our town gardens more especially, these gi'aceful plants should find a place, as they require but little attention after being planted, and do much towards softening down the rugged angularities of brick-and- mortar structures, the barren nudity of which is but too obvious in our streets and squares. We have a great wealth of material at hand for such purposes. In planting climbers for covering buildings, protect them from drip from the eaves, as this is fatal to their well doing. Among the forms of vegetation best suited for pillars, balconies, arbours, .«r porticoes, are Roses, especially the climbing varie- ties, all of which are very beautiful. The common white Jasmine is a great favourite with us, and the golden-coloured Jasminum uudiflorum is very pretty in winter, when trained loosely up a trellis on a fresh green background of the common Ivy. One of the best of all trailing plants is the fragrant lilac-flowered Wis- taria sinensis, which, as most of us know, blooms very freely on a sunny wall, while its foliage keeps fresh and green until very late in the autumn. We generally see this plant trained horizon- tally along a wall, but it is much more beautiful when trained up the trunks of Larch, Scotch Firs, or other trees, and allowed to droop down from among their branches in elegant festoons, or its long branches may be trained along the tops of palisades and railings, where it forms fresh green wreaths of foliage all through the summer months. Aristolochia Sipho is one of the most noble of all climbers with which to drape balconies or outer walls of town houses, but, like the Wistaria, it is deciduous. Those who have seen this beautiful climber on Mr. Fleming's house at Clevedon, or in the garden at Ockham, will not need to be told of the unique effect which it is capable of producing. Mulready was greatly struck with the eSect produced by the plant at Ockham, where it grows most luxuriantly, and a graphic pen and ink sketch of its foliage may be seen at South Kensington, the handiwork of that groat artist. The common Grape Vine is one of our noblest deciduous climbers, either for corridors or for trellises, ■while the American and Canadian Vines are very attractive in autumn, when their foliage changes to the brightest tints of crimson and gold. The American Fox Grapes used to grow and fruit very luxuriantly on trellises in the Royal Horticultural Gardens at Chiswick, and they are useful for covering walls or low out-houses along with the green and variegated forms of the common Tvy. Cotoneaster m'icrophylla is another excellent evergreen wall-plant, which is always fresh and cheerful, either in spring when covered with snow- white flowers, or in winter when thickly studded with crimson berries. A very pretty effect may be produced by planting the last-named plant with the golden-flowered Jasmine nudi- florum, as the two contrast most effectually when seen together. For town gardens few deciduous trailers surpass the Virginian Creeper which succeeds so well in the neigh- bourhood of London. It grows quickly, and is invaluable for covering blank walls and trellises in the shortest possible time. Its foliage is fresh and green throughout the summer, and in autumn it dies off, tinted gloriously with glowing crimson, rich brown, and purple. Its congener, the Japan Creeper, is another fine wall plant, which clings firmly to masoni-y or brickwork. In the Royal Exotic Nursery at Chelsea this species of creeper grows very luxuriantly, covering a cottage and other buildings with admirable effect. For walls, porticoes, arches, and corridors, such as those represented by our illustrations (fromMr.Delamotte's charmin"- sketches of " Holland House," published by Messrs. Macmillanf, few plants are equal to Clematis Montana, C. Jaekmanii, 0. lanuginosa, and many other varieties of that useful genus are well known on account of their profuse-flowering qualities, and we have seen them grow well and flower freely in exposed positions, even as far north as Leeds. The common Hop plant is also one of our best ooverers, and of Honey- suckles there are several species that flower freel3-. Solanum jasminioides, Big- nonia capreolata, and B. grandiflora are likewise all suitable plants for sunny walls on warm soils, where they grow and flower freely ; nor must we forget the different kinds of Magnolia — M. grandiflora, M. pur- purea, M. Soulangeana, and M. glauca being the best. - M. grandiflora and its variety, exoniensis, are very useful in warm situations, haying glossy evergreen foliage and large fragrant white flowers. Colonnade at Holland House (exterior view). THE FLOWER GARDEN IN WINTER AND SPRING. It is during the winter season that we appreciate flowers most, since many of our favourites are then rendered conspicuous by their absence ; but it really requires little trouble or outlay to obtain and keep up a stock of hardy winter and spring-flowering plants and bulbs. After the bedding plants are cleared away is the proper time to dig over the beds and see about planting dwarf evergreen shrubs, bulbs, and trailing plants, so as to hide the bare soil, even if nothing further is attained. If however, as frequently happens, this has not already been done, not a moment should now be lost in making up for loss of time. Those who have seen the beautiful effects obtained by the use of common spring-flowers at Belvoir or Cliveden, will best comprehend what can be done in this way by the judicious use of simple means. No time must now be lost in planting Tulips, Hyacinths, Crocus, and Anemones, the flowers of which do so much towards making the first bright days of spring enjoyable; while Hepaticas, Primulas, Arabis, Aubrietia, Forget-me-nots, variegated Lamium purpureum, Stachys lanata, Cerastium, and other plants equally hardy, will assist in producing an excellent effect. One of the finest of all spring or early summer-flowering plants is the pale blue Myosotis dissitiflora, which may be readily propagated in any quantity from seed, and it is simply invaluable for dry lianks or beds, not only in the flower garden proper, but also in the 30 THE GARDEN. [Jau, 10, 1874. half-wild parts of the pleasure-grounds, where it can be associated with Primroses, Blue Bells, and other native plants. During the early part of the winter, say in November and December, Pompone and other Chrysanthemums are available for the decoration of flower-beds, more especially those nearest to the house. They can be readily propagated from cuttings in April, and may be grown on in pots outside all the summer, so as to be in readiness for removal to the flower garden as soon as the bedders are cleared oS in the autumn. The centres of large beds are best filled in with groups of Conifers and evergreen shrubs massed together for effect, leaving margins round the side for spring-blooming plants and bulbs. The best shrubs for the purpose are Retinos- poras and Thujas, green and variegated Hollies, and Aucubas. Ivies, and the gold and silver-variegated Periwinkles may be used with good results for edgings and borders. One of the best of all spring-blooming annuals is the Saponaria calabrica, the seeds of which should be sown in autumn, on dry banks or borders, and in such positions it will be found a charming companion plant to the blue Myosotis dissitiflora, before- mentioned, forming great breadths and patches of the most delicate rosy-lilac colour imaginable, and lasting in bloom for several successive weeks. Of the common Primrose, one of the finest of all spring-blooming plants, we have now many beautiful sorts, varying in colour from pale yellow, through all the shades of lilac and pale rose, to bright rich crimson ; and these can scarcely be used too extensively in producing lively effects early in the year. They are easily propagated by dividing the clumps after fiowering, when they should be planted in rows in some light deep earth, and well watered, especially during hot dry weather, when they are liable to suffer; for we must remember that naturally the Primrose is a moisture and shade-loving plant, and is too often neglected when the summer bedding-season commences. In' partially neglected portions of the lawn or pleasure-grounds very pretty effects may be produced by planting yellow, white, or purple Crocus, Snowdrops, and yellow Daffodils. These peep through the herbage early in the spring, and produce a delightful effect, while the common yellow Caltha palustris is well worth naturalising on the margins of ponds, or in wet situations where other plants fail to grow. With the great wealth of material, both British and exotic, at our command, we may make our gardens as delightful in the spring as at any other time of the year, and even more interesting,>ince the number of distinct species we may employ is far greater and better suited for close examination than are those in general use for tsedding purposes during the summer months. F. W. B. CARPETING BORDERS BENEATH SHRUBS. In places where greenhouse plants are uaecl (says the Farmer) to decorate the grounds, whether they are turned out or the pots are plunged, the appearance of the border devoted to them is greatly improved if the surface of the soil be covered with some low-growing and rapidly spreading plant. We have seen Portulacas sown broad- cast with very good effect, but the trouble with these is, that the seed germinates slowly, and the plants do not make much show until lace in the season. The best attempt we have seen at carpeting was where Gnaphalium lanatum was used. This bedding plant is propa- gated with ease, grows rapidly, and soon covers the soil with a carpet of a neutral grey tint, against which bright foliage and flowers show to the best possible advantage. This is a point in gardening that has received less attention than its importance demands. If the soil of beds in which plants are temporarily placed be carpeted with some rapidly growing plant of a pleasing colour, not only is the general effect heightened, but of course much labour in keeping is saved. In permanent shrubberies, too, this is a matter of no little importance. The soil beneath our shrubs is either bare or covered with weeds. Why not grow some pleasing plant which shall cover the ground and save all trouble of weeding ? Wo are trying two plants for this purpose. In one row of shrubs we have sot plants of Money. wort (Lysimachia Numraularia), which always grows rapidly enough when allowed to become a weed, and which makes as dense a mat as can be desired. In another clump of shrubs we are trying Cerastium Biobersteini (a variety of Mouse-Ear Chickweed). We have not had cither of these long onougli upon trial to be able to say more than that they promise well. The common Periwinkle (Vinca) would probably be useful in such places, and the Moss Pink (Phlox snbulata) might be tried. Could we get a set of low-growing plants that would flourish well beneath the drip of the shrubs, and com. pletely cover the surface, it would not only greatly improve the appearance of our grounds, but do away with the necessity for weed- ing. When shrubs are set out to remain in one place for years, the soil should be so well prepared at the outset that there will be no need of the annual forking in of manure that many think it necessary to give their shrubberies every spring. Wintering Alpine Plants in Pots. — The greatest enemy to Alpines in low-lying situations is excessive wet and damp. Accustomed as these miniature gems of the vegetable kingdom are in their native habitats to be frozen dry for nearly six months of the year, it is evident that what they require is not to be protected from cold, for no amount of frost will injure them, but to be sheltered from excessive rain and snow. Where there are large quantities of these plants to be preserved through the winter months, it is scarcely possible to place them all in frames under glass without going to a great expense ; therefore, the following plan, which I have now tried for two years may be useful. I place a row of bricks or empty pots on the side of a north wall, and about 13 inches from it ; on these I lay the plants with the crowns of foliage outward, in a horizontal position, tier upon tier, with a slight incline towards the wall, filling in between the pots and the wall with fine ashes or sand. It will, therefore, be seen at a glance that the rain falls on the sides of the uppermost row of pots, while the plants in them remain as dry as when they were first placed there. For some Alpines a south aspect is better than a north, especially such as have tomeutose foliage. — R. P., York. Propagation of Scolopendrium vulgare, var. Wardii. — Having been successful in propagating large quantities of this hardy Fern, which is one of the prettiest of the dwarf-crested and bulb, bearing varieties of the Hart's-tongue, I wish to record my experi- ence for the benefit of your readers, as it very rarely, if ever, produces any fructification. My method of increasing it is as follows : — Procure some good established plants, place them in a warm pit near the glass, and let them remain there for three or four weeks. Then introduce them into the coolest end of the propagating house, still keeping them near the glass. Thus treated, in a short time they produce quantities of small bulbils on the edges of nearly every matured frond, and from these the stock may easily be increased. Prepare a small seed-pan or pot, and half fill it with finely-broken crocks, which cover with rough peat, and fill to within half an inch of the top of the pot with fine soil, consisting of two parts peat, one of well-rotted leaf-mould and another of loam, with a fine admixture of sand, and some finely broken potsherds, all well mixed and finely sifted. Distribute the small bulbs carefully over the surface of the soil in the pans thus prepared ; water rather sparingly, cover with a square of glass, and place them in a cool part of the propagating-house case. Under ordinary circumstances, they will be ready in three months for transplanting into store pots, prepared as the pans were, and as they make progress in growth they may be potted and gradually hardened off, until eventually they are planted in a moist nook in the outdoor Fernery or rock-work, or even in a greenhouse, where they are seen to better advantage. — S. NOTES AND QUESTIONS ON THE FLOWER GARDEN. Culture of the Double Primroses.— I have repeatedly failed to grow these well ami increase them rapidly, and shall he greatly obliged if any corres- poiulout of The Garden will kindly tell me what is most essential to success with these lovely hardy plants. — J. N. H. Crimsou Chilian Beet,— This forms a beautiful indoor decorative plant if potted and removed to a warm greenhouse in autumn. It soon establishes itself and throws out its fine glossy crimson-veined foliage in great quantities, the colour being very bright and efTective mingled with fresh green Ferns, Palms, and other fine-foliaged plants. Grown in pots it is very useful for conservatory decoration during the winter season. — Q. Adiantum Hendersonii.— I consider this to be one of the most useful of all the Adiantums, more especially for table decoration. Its young fronds are of a briglit purple tint, and contrast well with those more fully developed, while tho whole plant has a graceful appearance, its fronds drooping on all sides very elegantly. It wiil be found to be invaluable in pots for decorative purposes or for cutting, and it grows well in but a moderate temperature. — A. Viola White Swan. — in my notice respecting this new bedding Viola in a previous number of The Gaedew, I omitted to mention that it is an exceeUingly early bloomer. As it was a seedling of the previous summer, of course that point in its character had not been tested, but now that we are passing through tho chill season, it is gratifying to find that tliis Viola proves itself to bo tho very earliest variety in cultivation, every shoot of it being now in bloom, whilst not a bud is visible on any other Viola or Pansy. If thisearliness to flower should prove to be of a permanent character, I am disposed to believe that this white- flowering Viola will become a most useful plant to grow for the supply of white blooms during tho winter months.— A. D. Jan, 10, 1874.] THE GARDEN. 31 THE ARBORETUM. ORNAMENTAL EVERGREEN BERBERRIES. Some of these come to us from the west, some from the east. America has contributed a large number, and has an abundance of others in store to reward the enterprising collector. Nor does the warmer part of Asia yield the palm in this respect. The evergreen Berberries should be divided into three principal groups, viz ; — I. Those in which the leaves are simple, and the flowers solitary, or fascicled in the axils of the leaves. — II. Those in which the leaves are simple and the flowers in lengthened racemes or panicles. — III. Those in which the leaves are pinnated. In this order they are treated of here. Leaves simple, Flowers solitary, or, if in Clusters, one only on a Stalk ; tlie Stalks all springing from the Axils of the Leaves. Crowberry-leaved (B. empetrifolia). — From the country lying between the Straits of Magellan and the Cordillera near Valparaiso. A little trailing bush, with stiif three-parted spines, and linear pungent leaves, not unlike those of Genista anglica, bright green, clustered, and about an inch long. From their axils appear, in the month of May, a few bright yellow flowers, growing singly or in pairs, on stalks shorter than the leaves. This is a well-known plant, suited for rock-work in a mild climate, but among the less valuable of the genus. Box-leaved (B. buxi- folia) . — A very common plant jftl over the southern regions of South America, throughout Patagonia, Chiloe, Tierra del Fuego, and the Straits of Magellan. In gardens it forms a straggling bush, with small ovate, or oblong, spiny- pointed, toothless leaves, of a dull dark-green above, and somewhat glaucous with indis- tinct veins beneath. When the bush is old, it produces an abundance of strong three- p.irted spines, which are longer than the leaves, some of which are toothed, iind obovate instead of ovate. The flowers grow singly or in clusters, are very deep yellow, and rather larger than usual in the genus. It is almost universally known in gardens by the erroneous name of B. dulcis ; but I have it from Messrs. Veitch under its cor. rect designation, they having raised it direct from seeds collected by Mr. T. Lobb. In its early state, the leaves are much rounder than in the more advanced stage. In " Flora Antarctica," is the following account of the wild plant : — " This is a variable species, especially in the foliage, exhibiting a different aspect at different seasons of the year. In spring, when the flowering commences, fascicles of new leaves are produced, which are pale green, membranous, and entire. At this period the leaves of the former season begin falling, while those of the pi'esent year gradually become larger, stiffer, coriaceous, and generally mucronate or pungent at the apex. They are not fully developed till autumn, when they are generally quite entire, attenuated at the base, and shoi-tly petiolate, about half an inch long, rigid and coriaceous, reticulated on the npper surface; during the following spring these in their turn fall away. In seedling plants the leaves are larger than at any future time, on long petioles, broader, and here and there furnished with spinous teeth. The flowers are pale yellow, generally in threes, but sometimes solitary. The berries, about the size of a small Pea, were much used for tarts by the oflicers of the Beagle and found excellent. The B. dulcis, of Sweet, agrees with the common form of this plant, except that the flowers are larger in that author's figure, and the pubescence of the pedicels not visible in the wild specimens. The B. inermis seems a variety, some of the specimens being quite unarmed : indeed, the spines of this genus afford but an inconstant character." For the purposes of cultivators it may be desirable to distinguish the true B. buxitolia from the Straits of Magellan, from the B. dulcis from Valdivia. The latter has larger and more spathu- ColonnaiJe at Holland House (interior view, see p. 29). late leaves, larger fruit, and is more deciduous. The former is also a dwarfer plant. They are not, however, specifically distinct. Yellow (B. lutea). — A native of the mountains near Veto in Peru, at the height of 12,000 feet above the sea. Kuiz and Pavou say that it grows in coldish places Clocis frigidiusculis). In its wild stations this is said to be au evergreen bush as much as 18 feet high ; it has, however, all the appearance of being much smaller. The branches are downy, and thickly covered with small leaves the size and colour of B. Darwinii, oblong, with three or more spiny teeth when young, perfectly undivided, narrower, and mucronate in old plants. The spines are small and slightly three-parted. The flowers grow in fascicles from among the leaves, on slightly downy foot-stalks. It has stood out during two winters with Messrs. Veitch. It is a very pretty little species, and, if hardy, will almost rank with B. Darwinii, from which it diiiers in its flowers not being in racemes. Wallich's (B. Wallichiana). — An evergreen of most beautiful aspect, with brown branches, a very dark green dense foliage, and long, slender, throe-parted spines. The leaves grow in clusters, are about 3 or 4 inches long, with a sharp prickly point, and numerous fine serratures, ending in a straight point on each side ; on the upper side they are a rich bright green, turning to a claret colour in the autumn, and remarkably netted ; on the under side they are pale green and shining. Wallich describes the flowers as gi-owino- on foot-stalks, clustered iu a round dense fascicle, and pale yellow. As it is a Java plant, it may be the B. xanthoxylon mentioned, but not described, inHasskarl's " Hortus Bogori- ensis." If so, that name must give way to Dr. Wal- lich's. Leaves simple. Flowers in Racemes or Panicles. Ilex-leaved (B. ilici- folia). — Wild in Tierra del Fnego and about the Straits of Magellan. This very rare shrub is described as being a straggling bush about 8 feet high, and the handsomest species of the genus. It has bright glossy Holly-leaved foliage, large clusters of fine orange-coloured flowers, and berries of a deep steel blue tint. The leaves are des. cribed as being obovate, petiolate, acute, coriaceous, dark shining green, especially above, pale beneath; the margin coarsely and distantly serrated, and each serrature armed with a distinct spur. The plant which flowered at Kew is unfortunately dead, and the species requires to be re-introduced. There is not a more ornamental hardy shrub in any of our foreign possessions. Darwin's (B. Darwinii). — Chiloe and Patagonia. An evergreen shrub 3 to 5 feet high, of extraordinary beauty, and conspicuous for its ferruginous shoots, by which it is at once recognised. The leaves of the deepest green, shining as if polished, not more than J inch long, pale green , with the principal veins conspicuous on the under side, with three large spiny teeth at the end, and about one or two more on each side near the middle. Although small, the leaves are placed so near together that the branches themselves are concealed. The flowers are in erect racemes, and of the same deep orange-yellow as in the Box. leaved species. Small-flowered (B. parviflora). — Supposed to be a native of South America. It is a pale-wooded evergreen bush, wuth slender branches, small, rather fine spines, and bright green leaves, without a trace of glaueousness. The leaves are about Ik inches long by h an inch wide, and have pretty exactly the form of a lengthened wedge, whose upper end is almost always divided into three nearly equal coarse spiny teeth ; other teeth, however, occasionally appear at the sides. The flowers are unusually small, and grow five or six together in nodding clusters, whose stalks are nearly as long as the leaves. Among all the evergreen species this is known at first sight by the form of its leaves. Perhaps its nearest relation is B. Lycium. It diifers from B. virgata, whose name it sometimes bears, in the form THE GARDEN. [Jan. 10, 1874. of its leaves, and especially in the flowers being racemose, not solitary. It is a true evergreen, perfectly hardy, and rather hand- some. XiOxa (B. loxcnsis). — If it were not for its smaller size and much more diminutive flowers, this would be regarded as a variety of B. Jamiesonj. It has small palmated spines, and very shining, blunt, obovate, bright green leaves, of nearly the same colour on both sides ; they seem to have in all cases a spiny point, and very often several teeth at the sides. The flowers are unusually small, and stand erect in panicled racemes on a long peduncle quite clear of the leaves. Its hardiness is uncertain ; but its beautiful foliage makes it worth some protection if necessary. Wavy (B. undulata). — From the mountains of Peru. This has slender branches. End weak palmated spines. The leaves are dull green, scarcely glaucous, oblong, tapering to the base, remarkably wavy, and furnished with a few spiny distant teeth, without any distinct trace of netted veins. In a wild state it is a stout stiff bush, with three-parted or five-parted spines, sometimes as much as li inches long. The leaves are thick, narrower than in the cultivated plant, but still preserve their undulated appearance. The flowers appear in small roundish, nearly sessile racemes, which are scarcely so long as the leaves. In this state it is not unlike the figure of B. flexuosa in the "Flora Peruviana," but the spines are not corky at the base, the racemes are much shorter, the flowers smaller, and the leaves J^hicker. It is a hardy evergreen shrub, from 4 to 6 feet high. Orange-flowered (B. aurahuacensis). — Found in the province of New Granada, near the village of Aurahuaco.Taquina, in the Sierra Nevada, or Snowy Mountains, at about 9,000 feet above the sea, near the snow-line. It is an elegant shrub, with straight erect branches, and to be distinguished by bearing leaves of two sorts ; the lower cordate, slightly enlarged and angular in the sinus where they are jointed by the petiole, which is very long ; the upper obovate, elliptical, tapering to the base, coriaceous, wavy, with a few marginal spiny teeth near the end, very glaucous beneath. The flowers are in compact racemes, drooping, and very deep yellow. Jamieson's (B. Jamiesoni). — This very beautiful Peruvian bush has leaves of the deepest green and most lucid surface ; they appear in fascicles, and are nearly 3 inches long when full grown ; in form they are oblong, a little narrowed at the base, with a spiny point, and a few spiny toothings on each side, or with scarcely any ; beneath they are pale green without a trace of glaucousness. The flowers are in close, somewhat erect, panicled racemes, about 3 inches long. This must certainly be a plant of great value in gardens. Noc so hardy as Wallich's Berberry. Wliitened (B. dealbata). — From the mountains of New Granada. A good-looking shrub, with stout brown branches, scarcely spiny, and undulated leaves of a bluish-green on the upper side, and almost white beneath. The latter are generally truncate, with three spiny teeth at the end, and two or three more at the sides, some- times 2 inches long, and If wide. In the " Botanical Register" they are not well represented, being much too small, and not distinctly enough truncate. The flowers appear in April, in short, oblong, very compact drooping yellow racemes. White-backed (B. hypolouca). — One of the stoutest of the genus, with strong, very pale, erect branches. The spines are unusually small for the size of the shrub. The leaves are larger than in any other simple-leaved species, sometimes measuring 4 inches in length liy 2 in breadth; they are leathery, strongly netted, dull dark green, and very white underneath ; at the edge they are furnished with coarse rather spiny teeth. The flowers are about the size of those of B. vulgaris, and appear sparingly in long-stalked corymbs. It is a remarkably fine species, likely to rival the Kushmul in stature. It is truly evergreen, but is sometimes slightly injured in the foliage by a severe winter. Kushmul (B. asiatica). — Found in all the mountainous country north of Hmdostan, where it appears to be called Kushmul. It is correctly distinguished from tho Chitra, or B. aristata, by Dr. Royle. This is tho largest of the species in cultivation, growing quickly to the height of 8 or 10 feet, with pale erect branches, rather small spines, and a beautiful lucid, bright green, glaucous foliage. Tho leaves are oblong, tapering to the base, and a good deal netted when old ; as in all the Indian species, they are toothed in various degrees, according to age or other circumstances; when toothed they are invariably scalloped, as it were, and not serrated as in the Chitra. The flowers grow in very short, roundish, sessile racemes, scarcely projecting beyond the leaves, and are succeeded by clusters of dark purple roundish berries, covered with a rich bloom like a Plum. In India these are dried and sold as raisins, which they much resemble, excf-pt in size. It is the best known of all tho Indian Berberries, having been longest in cultivation, and in the south-west of England has become extremely common. Thousands of plants have been distributed by the Hortioultnral Society, JTo\yhere, however, has it been cultivated, with so much success, or on so large a scale, as at Killerton, the seat of Sir Thomas Dyke Acland, Bart., from whose gardener I have received the following account : — -"About eighteen years ago 1 received a packet of seed of Berberis asiatica, from which I raised about 100 plants. After keeping them two or three years in the nursery, I planted them out singly in different situa- tions both at Killerton and Holmcote. The plants grew vigorously, were allowed to make their natural gi-owlh, and in a few years, at the latter place, began to seed. Being near the sea, the late spring frosts did not kill the blossoms; and from those plants we have now, for several years, obtained many pounds of seed, the plants being upwards of 11 feet high, and as many in diameter. From the commencement of their ripening with us, the seeds have been sown annually in drills, or broadcast in beds in the open ground, about the first week in March, in a light soil, letting them remain in the above situation until the spring after. I then plant them out in the nursery in rows, about 15 inches from row to row, and about 6 inches from plant to plant. In two years they make fine strong bushes for permanent situations. Finding the plants to be free growers, nearly evergreen, and very strong, and raising many thousands per year, I began, by the desire of my employer, to plant them out for hedges, and they succeed particularly well, either planted on banks or on the bare surface. The latter I can highly recommend for dividing allotments in cottage gardens, this Berberry being free from mildew ; and it can be kept clipped with shears or shorn with a reap-hook to any width required. When planted on a bank, it makes a beautiful hedge by cutting out with a knife the very luxui'iant shoots about twice a year to within an inch or two from where they grow, allowing the side and weak growth to form the hedge. I have a hedge at Killerton so treated, which has been planted upwards of twelve years, and at this time is not more than 4 feet high and about the same width ; and with the same treatment it can be kept to the same size. I should recommend, in planting hedges, to keep the plants a foot apart, and, if the hedges are to be kept shorn, in a single row ; but if to be kept in the more natural growth, plant two rows, not more than 1 foot apart, and the plants the same, but put in alternately. When strong, this Berberry is proof against any cattle. Last spring I planted a stout bush in the deer pai'k without protection. They have oattled it with their horns, but they have not killed it. It can be planted nearer a fence where cattle have access than any shrub I know." It is, indeed, a most valuable plant, and hardy enough to defy the rigour of any frosts south of the Humber. Many varieties are to be found in gardens, but they are not different in important characters. Chitra (B. aristata). — Long known as a Nepal plant, and more particularly described by Dr. Royle as inhabiting the Himalayas at from 5,000 to 8,000 feet of elevation, from Jurreepanee to Mus- sooree, and on the Choor Mountain : its hill name is Chitra. It is also found on Nuera Ellia, in Ceylon, and probably grows along the whole of the Neilgherry range. By no means uncommon in gardens, where it forms a stout evergreen bush, with dark browniah.red spreading branches, and shining rich green leaves, usually fringed with bristle-pointed, fine, closo serratm'cs, whence its specific name. The flowers are large, bright, not dark, yellow, in loose, panicled, long-stalked racemes hanging down beyond the leaves. They are succeeded by an abundance of red, bloomless, oblong, acid berries, which hang on the branches till Christmas. The fine, close, bristle, pointed serraturos of the leaves, the rich reddish-brown branches, and the long, loose, panicled racemes of flowers are quite peculiar to this plant, and separate it clearly from every other. Dr. Royle tells us that its fruitforma a part of the hill " raisins " of Nepal ; in England they acquire no bloom, and would not readily dry. Like B. asiatica, this produces several varieties, one of which 1 propose to call the " entire-leaved Chitra" (B. aristata integrifolia). It is distinguished by the edges of the leaves being almost wholly destitute of bristles, and is known in some gardens under the false name of B. Wallichiana, to which it bears no i-esemblance. The plant figured in the " Exotic Flora" has the leaves of B. petiolaris of Wallich, a species which I have not myself seen alive ; at least their toothed, not serrated, margin would lead to such a conjecture ; at the same time the flowers are exactly like those of B. aristata. Umbelled (B. umbellata). — Dr. Wallich's collectors appear to have first discovered this plant in Kamaon and Gossain Than. For its introduction to our gardens we are indebted to the East India Company. It is a hardy bush, about 4 feet high, with a spreading manner of growth, pale brown, angular branches, slender three- parted spines, and very narrow, binish. green leaves, strikingly glaucous beneath ; on an average they are If inches long by f wide ; sometimes they are perfectly entire, in which state they are represented in tho "Botanical Register"; but they are more commonly furnished with a strong, marginal, spiny tooth or two, and sometunes with many. (Can this state be the B. oeratophylla Jan. io, 1874.] THE GAEDBN. S^ of G. Don?) The flowers are pale yellow, in drooping, narrow racemes, and are succeeded by an abundance of oblong purplish fruits. The species is very pretty, in consequence of its graceful manner of growth. It is best suited for growing among rough places, such as heaps of rock-work, where its spreading way of branching can best be seen. It ia not, however, a good evergreen' the leaves being too thin and pallid. Dyer's (B. tinctoria). — Found wild in the Neilgherry Mountains, whence it was lately introduced by the East India Company. The plants in gardens are slender brown-wooded shrubs, with small slender spines, usually three-parted. The leaves are thin, not shi- ning, dull green above, glaucous beneath, oblong, blunt, with a spiny point, but scarcely spiny-toothed, except on the seedling plant. The flowers have not hitherto appeared. They are represented by Dr. Wight as standing erect in loose racemes scarcely longer than the leaves, and succeeded by an abundance of dull red fruit. In the absence of such evidence there would be some doubt as to this ; for botanists have evidently misunderstood the distinctions of some of the Indian Berberries. M. Delesserfc, for instance, figures a B. tinc- toria, declaring at the same time that it is nothing but B. asiatica ; yet B. asiatica has no resemblance to the plant now described, whose leaves are glaucous, not bright green, thin, not coriaceous, almost veinless, not strongly netted. Dr. Wallich, on the other hand, dis- tributed, under the name of B. tinctoria, specimens which in part at least belong to B. aristata. But the specimen .".from Lesche- ' naultinWallich's Herbarium, de- posited with the Linnoan Society, is extremely glaucous be- neath, and ap- pears to agree with the garden plant, as it does with Dr. Wight's figure. It ap- pears to be only a sub-evergreen, and to be toler. ably hardy. Its name has been given it in con- sequence of its furnishing, like other species, a fine yellow dye. Vauquelin states that it is inferior to few woods for that pm'pose. Ophthalmic (B. Lycinm). — According to Dr. Royle, this occurs in the Himalayas from Rajpore to Mussooree, at an elevation of from 3,000 to 7,000 feet ; also from Nairn to Choor. This bush derives its name from having been discovered by Dr. Royle to be the real Lycium indicum of the Greek physicians. To this day its extract is used against ophthalmia with great success, as in the time of Dioscorides. Its branches are erect, pale brown, and angular, armed with three-parted spines of unusual length for the size of the leaves. The latter, when young, are glaucous on the under-side ; but in winter they are nearly green, and become a dull, unpleasant, brownish-red. In form they are oblong-lanceolate, spiny-pointed, with several lateral spiny teeth ; sometimes, however, they are toothless. The flowers grow in long, erect, somewhat panicled racemes, much longer than the leaves. This is a bad evergreen, but a pretty summer bush. It is perfectly hardy. Leaves Pinnated, or Trifoliolate. Ash-leaved Berberries or Mahoniaa. Three-leaved (B. trifoliata).— In the North of Mexico, among stunted Mimosa and Cacti, this plant is found occupying large tracts of country. It is a charming evergreen bush, with prickly, deeply scalloped leaves, having bluish. green variegated leaflets, in threes, sessile at the end of a stalk either longer or shorter than themselves. On the under side they are quite glaucous. The wood is hard, red- dish.brown, and somewhat streaky. The flowers are pale clear yellow, growing from three to five together, in small nearly sessile racemes, in the axils of the leaves. The fruit has not been yet Berberis nepalensis. formed in this country ; it is said to be eaten by the children that inhabit its native wildernesses. It grows 3 or i feet high, and has hitherto proved hardy near London. Thin-leaved (B. tenuifolia). — A Mexican shrub, from the foot of Orizaba. No probability exists of this graceful plant being hardy, it being destroyed by only a few degrees of frost. It is easily distin. guished by the leaflets of its long pinnated leaves being ovate- lanceolate, pale bright green, and perfectly free from all trace of toothing. Its flowers appear in abundance in long, simple, erect, loose, open racemes, opening, in the month of December, in a green- house. It is said to grow 10 feet high in its native places, and is a good conservatory plant. Pallid (B. pallida). — An evergreen shrub, from 5 to 6 feet high, from the mountains of Mexico. A handsome species, with pinnated slightly prickly leaves, and long panicled racemes of pale yellow flowers, succeeded by globular, dark purple, glaucous fruit, the taste of which is not only unpleasant, but particularly acrid. It makes a fine greenhouse shrub, but is too tender for the neighbourhood of London. Prickly (B. fascicularis). — A species confined apparently to the lowlands of California and the north of Mexico. With much the appearance of the Holly -leaved Berberry, this is, I apprehend, a distinct species ; when alive, distinguishable by its much niore prickly leaves, and their want of lucidity, especially on the under side, which is as unpolished as in the Creeping Berberry. It is also more arborescent ; its inflorescence is much more com- pact, and it is far more impa- tient of cold, not living in the open air near London, except under the shelter of a roofed wall. A hybrid, be- tween it and B. Aquifolium, ex- ists in cultiva- tion, said to have been raised by Mr. Rivers. It is of a larger growth than the prickly Ber- berry, and has its compact in- florescence and dull hard leaves, but all the habit of the Holly- leaved. This Berberis hy- brida is a good- looking e V e r- green, and per- fectly hardy. Nepal Ash-leaved (B. nepalensis). — A native of the moun- tains of Northern India, extending as far to the eastward as the Munipoor country, according to Roxburgh. It has, as will be seen by the accompanying illustration, pinnated leaves a foot and more in length, with five or six pairs of sessile, ovate, oblong, obliquely cordate, coarsely spiny-toothed leaflets, the largest of which are 3 inches long and 1 inch broad. From among them rise erect, simple racemes of large flowers, sometimes as much as 6 inches long. The fruit is oblong and dark purple. The leaves of the seedlings are glaucous on the under side. It was raised at Chiswick from seeds supplied by the East India Company. Holly-leaved (B. Aquifolium).— All over the north-western parts of North America, both in the Hudson Bay Company's terri- tory and in Oregon, this plant is found in woods. It does not appear to inhabit California. Than this we have no finer evergreen in culti- vation. Hardy enough to bear all winters, putting forth its half- transparent rosy foliage in the spring, hardening it into a gloss and texture not inferior to those of the common Holly, and bearmg in the autumn enormous quantities of large globular deep purple berries, covered with a bloom that rivals that of the finest raisms, this shrub is certainly one of the most valuable of the numerous species for the introduction of which Europe is indebted to the Royal Horticultural Society. It thrives in sandy or clayey land, m wet places, or on precipices, overshadowed by trees, or exposed unsheltered to the sun. In the latter situation it bears fruit most abundantly, and therefore may be ranked as the first among bushes u THE GAEDBN. [JAN. iO, 1874, suitable for rock-work. This character applies however, strictly, only to the true Holly.leaved Berberry, the leaves of which are a bright clear green, very shining, even on the under side, and a rich vinous red along the leaf-stalks. In the nurseries are numerous varieties of inferior merit, with broader leaves, not shining on either side, of a duller green, and apparently hybrid varieties between this and the Creeping Berberry (B. repens). They, too, are fine ever- greens, but not so handsome as the genuine original kind. It is desirable that they should be separated by the nurserymen who deal in them. Creeping (B. repens). — A native of North-West America, according to United States nurserymen, by whom it was first sent to Europe. I suspect, however, that it is confined to the Bocky Mountains, for it is not among Douglas's plants, and it has lately been met with on the mountains of New Mexico hj Mr. Fendler, by whom it has been distributed under the name of B. Aquifolium. It is the opinion of many botanists both in Europe and the United States, that this is a mere variety of the Holly-leaved Berberry. I cannot agree with them, unless they use the word species in the same sense as those who identify the dog with the wolf and jackal. The Creeping Berberry owes its name to its great tendency to form what are called creeping roots, for which it is much more remarkable than the Hollj'-leaved. It is a dwarf bush of no great beauty, scarcely exceeding a foot in height ; its leaflets are not shining, are not sharp-pointed, are little prickly, but are roundish, of a dull glaucous green, and few in number. Moreover, it has few of the good qualities which distinguish the other. It is, however, to be observed that it breeds freely with the Holly-leaved, and from this mixed parentage has probably arisen the spurious form of the Holly-leaved to which I have alluded in mentioning that species. It can scarcely be said to be worth cultivating except in botanical gardens. Cliafiy-steinmed (C. glumacea). — Found in shady Pine woods at the mouth of the Columbia, N.W. America, where it is common. This well-known plant forms a close bush, about a foot high, and produces every year an abundance of upright racemes of pale yellow flowers, succeeded by globular purple berries, covered by a fine bloom. Their taste is austere and acid. The species derives its name from its stem being covered by the long persistent lanceolate scales of the leaf -buds, which continue to clothe the stem like coarse chaff for many years. (Something of the same kind occurs in Fortune's Chinese Berben-y). The leaves are nearly 18 inches long, and bear about six pairs of sessile leaflets, quite similar in form to those of B. nepalensis, pale green on both sides, lucid on the under, with a reddish petiole. In the " Botanical Register " it is remarked that, although perfectly hardy, this little plant cannot bear that the extremities of its shoots should be removed. It seems to have little power of developing new axillary buds if the terminal one is destroyed ; so that, if injured, it either dies outright or remains in a stunted state. Acanthus-leaved (B. Leschenaultii). — Dr. Wight says that this is found in almost every clump of jungle about Ootacamund, in the Neilgherries, flowering during the S.W. monsoon and at other seasons ; the fruit, which is bluish-pnrple, ripening in the dry season. As far as we know anything of this, it must be a still nobler plant than B. nepalensis, its leaves being almost 18 inches long, with eleven or twelve pairs of leaflets, which seem to be harder and shorter, and much more closely set upon the petiole, than in B. nepalensis ; the fruit, too, is globular, not oblong. Japanese (B. japonica).^Th6 earliest account of this is to be found in Thunberg's " Flora Japonica," where it is mentioned under the name of Ilex japonica, that traveller having mistaken a leaf for a branch, and the leaflets for true leaves. He found it cultivated under the name of Sassa Nanting, in Niphon, where he observed it while on his journey to the Court of Japan. Dr. llobert Brown afterwards, in 1818, pointed out this strange blundei-, which indeed was suHiciently evident from the figure of the so called Ilex published by Thunborg himself in the year 1802. Mr. Fortune states that it grows from 100 to 150 miles N. of Shanghae, and that it is the most gigantic of the Berberries. The leaves are of a stout leathery texture, large and handsome. — Horticultural Society' s Journal. [Can any of our readers tell us how many other species of this fine family are in our gardens at the present time r"] TREE GROWTH IN SOUTH AUSTRALIA. PT:RnAi's it may interest some of your readers, as illustrative of the rapid growth of some trees here, if I state that a Cuju-essus macrocarpa planted eleven years ago is now 33 feet through, and the same in height. This is considered the finest specimen here, but as it is growing in sandy soil, I presume it will not live very long. This, of course, is the Lambertiana variety, as distinguished from trees raised from seed, which are far less spreading in their habit. In Sequoia gigantia you undoubtedly beat ns. I have one planted eight years since, that now measuses 12 feet through, the branches reposing beautifully all round on the Grass, and is 21 feet high ; the girth of stem, 1 foot from the ground, is 42 inches. This beautifully sym. metrical tree is growing in sandy ground only 2 feet deep, overlying a 6-inch bed of gravel, under which is a compact bed of clay, rather sandy than otherwise. I was surprised a few mouths ago to find that its roots had not apparently penetrated the layer of gravel in the bed of clay below, for, on transplanting an Arauoaria excelsa that was becoming too near to it, no roots of either appeared even in the gravel ; indeed, we had some difficulty in transplanting the Araucaria owing to the gravel dropping away from under the ball during the excavation, being upheld by no roots whatever. However, the trans- planting was successfully performed, and the tree is now in perfect health, four months having since elapsed. But for its perfect sym- metry I would not have ventured on so heavy a work, for which, however, I am now well repaid. This tree is not so very large, having been planted at the same time as the Wellingtonia, but I have seldom seen one so perfectly symmetrical. It measures through its lower tier of branches just 18 feet, and is 21 feet 6 inches high. There are many much larger trees here, but the extension of the lower branches is generally interfered with by small subjects being planted near the trees when young. I may, perhaps, add that I have never seen an A. imbricata here with branches apparently so intricate and crowded as the one figured at p. 398 Vol. III. of The Gakden; it must be a truly magnificent specimen, ours here are much more bare, each branch and branchlet standing out clearly and distinctly. A. Cun. ninghamii, as it grows here, is more like it. My garden just now is almost too strongly redolent of the odour from Orange blossoms. My oldest plants are now about eight years old, and have borne fine fruit for years ; some of the trees are 11 feet through, and about the same in height. I allow the lower branches to lie almost on the ground, in preference to forming a clear stem such as you see in the Orange, boxes in France ; the ground is thus kept cool above the roots, which I find always very near to the surface, but not so close as where a mulch is used. Joseph Satcb. Caulfield, Melbourne, Victoria,. A Good Hedge Plant. — In a prize essay on the subject of hedges, a Canadian writer recommends the Honey Locust (Gleditschia triacantha) as a hedge plant for northern looaU. ties. He is " convinced from experience and observation that for a hedge plant suitable to the requirements of a very cold country, there is none superior to the Honey Locust. The following are a few of its superior qualities : — -1. That it will stand the severest winters of this latitude uninjured. 2. There is no hedge plant that will grow with ns and make a hedge in so short a time. 3. When it once becomes a fence, it will, with little care, remain so ; not like some plants, in which, when kept constantly pruned, the lower branches die out, and thus make an ineffectual hedge. Some may imagine it to be only the common Locust growing here as an ornamental tree. It belongs, in fact, to a family of plants which do not sprout, and upon which the borer never works. The red bud and Kentucky Coffee tree belong to the same order as the so-called Honey Locust. There is a Honey Locust hedge at Elizabethtown, New Jersey, over forty years old. It is one mile in length, and has always been tight and strong, and is at this time known to be the best hedge on the continent. The hedges of J. L. Budd, of Benton County, Iowa, some four miles in length, are also beautiful, symmetrical, and a perfect protection against all farm stock. I mention these two instances because the one is in the rich prairies of the West, and the other in the sterile soil of the East." NOTES AND QUESTIONS ON TREES AND SHRUBS. A Fine Maiden-hair Tree.— lu tho Botanicul Garden, at Pisa, Italy, is a Gingko, or Mnidcn-lmir Ireo (Salisburia adiantitolia) , which has attained the heiRht of nearly 00 feet, auil at 3 feet from the ground is 9 feet 7 inches in oir- cnmforonco. It was received from England and planted in 1788. It is a splendid tree, and very remarkable for the rich golden colour which tho leaves assume before falling. A Hew Beech Blight.— In Westphalia the Beech trees have been recently attacked, it is said, by a new form of blight, which commences on the bark, and finally covers it with a snow-white down, to the ultimate destruction of the tree. Under the microscope this blight is seen to consist of fine threads, among which there occurs a small insect, apparently an undescribed species. Tho threads, which arc secreted by the insect, are of w.ax, which has a melting Ijoint of about 80 degrees, and tho percentage composition of which is, carbon 81-39, hydrogen 1.3-68, and oxygen 603. Both as regaa-ds its composition and melting-point, this new wax ia very near that of Chinese wax. Jas. 10, 1874.] THE GARDEN. 36 THE INDOOR GARDEN. TEEE-FERNS. (Continued from p. 9.) Cibotium. This is a genus of Dicksoniese, diatinguished by its two-valved coriaceous involucres. The veins are forked and venules free, bearing dentiform reflexed sori, the receptacles being punctiform and terminal. The celebrated Tartarian Lamb, C. glaucescens, belongs to this genus, but, as its growth is decumbent and not arborescent, it will not be included in the present enumeration. C. Schiedei. — A beautiful oool-honse Fern. Stem from 10 to 15 feet high, though trunks of this size must be very old, judging from the very slow jirogress they make in this country. Its fronds . are spreading and pendent, from 6 to 12 and 15 feet long, bipinnate, the pinnules being small and deeply pinnatifid, light pleasing green on the upper side, and glaucous below. The involucres containing the sori are situated near the margins, and resemble little boxes. Stipes and raohis, as well as the crown, densely furnished with long woolly hairs of a light chestnut colour. Native of Mexico. C. regale. — Until within a few vveeks, it had been questionable with me whether this plant is a true Cibotium. Having, however, now found it in a fertile state, I have no longer any doubts on the matter. C. regale is at once a magnificent and elegant species, its broad erect arching fronds, with its finely-divided rich green ^.pinnules, rendering it extremely ornamental. The stipes, rachis, > and crown are densely clothed with long silky cinnamon-coloured hairs, which add materially to their beauty. It seems to form a trunk far more quickly than the last-named species, and, like it, thrives well in a cool or intermediate Fernery. Native of Mexico. C. spectabile. — This plant resembles the preceding, in a young state especially ; but, with age, I apprehend it will become very distinct. It is a free-growing handsome Tree-Fern, differing from C. regale principally in the colour of the long hairs which clothe the crown of the plant and the base of the fronds, which, in this plant, are ashy-grey or slightly tawny. Both these plants are undescribed in English books, so far as I am aware, but both are well deserving a place in every Fern collection. Native of Mexico. C. MCenziesii. — The first living plant of this species that came to this country, came under my care, and, as the genus was always a favourite with me, and the species belonging to it very few, those who are enthusiastic in their love for plants will quite understand the pleasure it afforded me. It is erect in growth and, in all proba- bility, forms a stout stem, although I cannot speak positively on this point, having never seen a trunk higher than a few inches ; the fronds are bipinnate, and leathery in texture ; pinuas large and pinnatifid, the segments being broad and obtuse. The involucres are very large and of great substance, and situated at the base of the sinus. The fronds are dark green in colour, the stipes and crovra of the plant being clothed with short dun-coloured woolly hairs. Native of the Sandwich Islands. Hemitelia. A magnificent family of slender-stemmed stove Ferns, characterised by their simple or pinnately-forked veins and free venules, the lower pair of which, becoming united, form costal areoles. The sori are medial, enclosed in a half. cup-shaped involucre. This genus has always been to me a very fascinating one, the broad fronds, ornamented with the regular lines of large sori, rendering the plants very ornamental and very tropical in appearance. They require stove heat, and delight in an atmosphere well charged with moisture. The soil should be peat and loam in the proportion of two parts of the former to one of the latter, to which should be added a good portion of sand. H. speciosa. — This species makes a stemtolerably quickly, but I am uncertain what height it attains in its native country. The fronds are very large, erect, and spreading, and are destitute of spines ; pinna?, deep green, from 12 to 15 inches long, broad and slightly lobed at the edges. The numerous large sori are situated near the margin in this species, forming a conspicuous broad con- tinuous band. Crown of plant and base of fronds furnished with largo dark brown scales. Native of Brazil and Caraccas. H. grandifolia. — Stem 6 feet or more high. The fronds are from G to 7 feet in length, pinnate ; pinnas large, about a foot long, and pinnatifid ; colour, bright shining green. The crown is fm-nished with scales, and the base of the fronds are spiny. It is a very noble plant. Native of several of the West Indian Islands. H. horrida.— A truly grand plant ; stem, some 8 or 10 feet high, perhaps more ; fronds from 6 to 10 feet long, broadly lanceolate in outline, bipinnate; pinnules pinnatifid, and from 12 to 18 inches long, bright green on the upper side, paler below, where they are also slightly tomeutose. The sori form a conspicuous and beautiful ornament ; the base of the fronds is scaly, and armed with long stout spines. Native of the West India Islands. H. obtusa. — Nearly aUied to H. grandifolia, yet distinct as seen growing side by side. The fronds are large, pinnate ; the pinnules being deeply pinnatified, and deep green in colour'. The under side is furnished with a few whitish scales which, however, soon fall off. The base of the fronds is also furnished with short spines, as is the case with nearly the whole of the species. The sori form a beautiful ornament to the under side of the fronds. Native of the West Indian Islands. H. Karsteniaua. — This species is somewhat rare in our collec- tions, but it must be a superb plant when it has arrived at maturity. On young specimens the fronds are very long, pinnate, with pinnaD from 10 to 12 inches long, obtusely lobed and deep green in colour. Native of Venezuela. H. spectabilis. — Like the preceding, this is at present rare in collections, and only to be met with in the form of comparatively young specimens, so that it is quite impossible to judge of the height it will attain. It is a grand stove Fern, producing broad pinnate fronds from 12 to 15 feet in length, or even longer. The pinnae are from 10 to 15 inches long, upwards of 2 inches broad, deeply lobed, the lobes being obtuse; colour, bright light green. Native of Venezuela. H. Imrayana.— As a species, this would appear to be allied to H. horrida, but it becomes a very distinct and handsome species with age. I have only seen it in a young state. There are other kinds in cultivation, bearing the names of II. subinoisa and H. Klotschii, but as they have not grown sufficiently large to determine whether they are distinct from those already enumerated, further notice of them must be deferred. Tbyrsopteris. One species only has been found for this genus, and that is a native of the island known so familiar to every one as the residence of Robinson Crusoe. The plant in question, T. elegans, is characterised by its broad de-compound, thick leathery bright green fronds, the fertile portion of the fronds being much contracted so that they appear like large panicled racemes of sori, whilst the involucres are calyoiform, and the sporangia when magnified are seen to be each furnished with a little stem. It is an extremely beautiful plant, and as rare as beautiful, being only found in the best collections. It thrives in moderate heat, but likes abun- dance of shade and moisture. Native of Juan Fernandez. Sehizoesena. A genus, having generally all the appearance of Cyathea, and to which the few species it includes are usually assigned, or of which it forms a sub-genus, I have the impression, how. ever, that for all ordinary purposes, the well-marked characters which these plants have, entitle them to generic distinction. They differ from the former genus in their more coriaceous texture, in the sori being situated on the middle of a vein, and not axillary, and by the cup-shaped involucre becoming divided into (usually) about six obtuse lobes. A few species only belong to this genus, only one, however, as far as I am aware, being yet introduced, and the first plant of which I had the peculiar satisfaction of nursing into life in this country. S. sinuata. — This real gem forms a very slender erect stem, not thicker than an ordinary walking-stick, but I cannot say to what height it attains. Those which have come under my own observa- tion have not exceeded 2^ feet ; they are black with the persistent bases of the frond-stalks ; the crown of fronds is very elegant, they are simple and entire, usually from 10 to IS inches long, and seldom exceed an inch in breadth, lanceolate in outline, the margins being beautifully undulated ; they are somewhat thin in texture, and bright shining green in colour. When fertile, the sori upon the underside add materially to its beauty. It requires an abundant supply of moisture to keep its beautiful fronds from curling up, whilst the soil should be very light and open. This species appears peculiar to the island of Ceylon. One or two fine species of this genus are known to exist in Malacca, and I have recently received a beautiful species from Queensland, which would appear to be related also, so that I hope C. sinuata will not long be the sole representative of the genus in cultivation. G. WINTER-FLOWERING ORCHIDS. I HAVE just returned from a visit to the Orchid-houses of Messrs. Backhouse & Son, of York, and seldom have I seen Orchids in better health or better vigour ! Mr. Marshall, who has these houses more especially under his own eye, has treated his beautiful nurslings with all the care they so eminently require, adapting to them just the con. ditions of growth and development that their capricious nature seems to demand to coax them into bloom. My attention was directed by 86 O^HE (GARDEN. [Jan. 10, 1874. Mr. Marshall to upwards of a score of these beautiful flowers. Odon- toglossum Rossii was well in flower and very lovely. It is a native of Mexico. The petals are beautifully spotted and contrast most happily with the pure white lip. Fine spikes of Oncid'ium cuoullatum, with its hood of sepals and crimson spotted lip, were very conspic- uous. Its inflorescence is extremely graceful. It is a native of Ecaador. The delicious fragrance of Zygopetalum Mackayi made itself felt on entering the house it occupied. It is a lovely dappled Orchid, and in its nature appears to blend and harmonise colours apparently incongruous. The Masdevallias, tovarensia and coccinea, white and crimson, natives of New Granada, exhibit curiously-formed flowers. To these I would seek to draw attention, without attempting to arrange or class them in their several groups, but simply noticing them as they presented themselves before me, irrespective of the gradations of temperature to which they are subjected. The Calanthes make a grand display, and I knew not which most to admire, C. vestita rubra or its very interesting hybrid, Veitchii, with its spike of rosy flowers. The curious Angrsecum sesquipedale, a native of Madagascar, was staged in the same house. The flowers are of a waxy-white, and delicately fragrant. As the specific name implies, the spur often exceeds a foot in length, the upper sepal being cornute reflected or deflected in the several species. But I must not omit to notice a curiously marked Orchid, Mormodes Claveringii ; as its generic name implies, it represents the imaginary outlines of some Mormo of antiquity. Odontoglossum Insleayi Leopard inum, very happily named by Mr. James Backhouse, is a most lovely flower, though it lacks fragrance. The LEelias in the Mexican house, autumnalis, anceps, and albida, form a beautiful group that must attract attention. But time would fail me to tell of Lycaste lanipes, Phalsenopsis grandiflora, Saccolabium giganteura, Sophi-o- nitis grandiflora, or Mesospinidium vulcanicum, a name that indicates its association with extinct volcanoes. Peter Inchbald. Hovingham Lodge, near York, JCultivation. of Gesneras. — Although these beautiful winter- flowering plants are generally to be found in our stoves, they are seldom so well grown as they ought to be. I usually grow from six to seven dozen of them annually, for the decoration of the stove or conservatory from December until March. The varieties which I use are Exoniensis, Cinnabarina superba, Zebrina, and Splendidissima, but many others are equally well worth growing. In addition to its floral beauty, I may mention that Exoniensis is one of the prettiest of foliage plants. I shake the tubers out of their pots in May, and place them thickly in a mixture of peat and loam, with a good sprinkling of silver-sand. As soon as they have made two or three leaves, I pot them singly in 60-sized pots, and place them in a Cucumber.house, shifting them into larger pots as growth pro- gresses, until I get them into 16-sized pots, that is if large plants are required ; but nice plants for decorative purposes may be grown in 32-sized pots. Gesneras are very partial to shade, and under that of Cucumbers they grow very rapidly. In watering, they require care, for if watered excessively they soon die. I prefer keeping them rather dry than otherwise. Liquid-manure, largely diluted with water, assists them wonderfully. In their successive shifts, the compost which I prefer consists of peat, loam, a little cow-dung, and plenty of silver-sand to keep the soil open. This I use in a rough state, potting moderately firm, and draining well. After they have done flowering, I place them on a shelf in the stove to complete their growth, and then dry them off gradually. Under this treat- ment, plants may b(3 grown from 1 to 2 feet in diameter, and they will produce flowers in profusion. — D. S. GiLLErr, Court Qarden, Great Marlow. NOTES AND QUESTIONS ON THE INDOOR GARDEN. Browallia demissa as a Winter Bloomer.— I have never seen this old- fa.Hhioneii plant so attractive as at present in one of the warm houses in the ■Wellington Nurseries, where it lias been full of its pretty blue flowcra for Bome weeks past. It would seem to be most precious as a winter ornament, as, when flowered in summer among annuals and similar plants, it is not so conspicuous or so useful. Seed of this sown in May, and pjrown rapidly on in a spent dunjj-bed, and the strongest shoots taken off for cuttings, will flower beautifully tlirough the months of November, December, and January. — R. H. li. Coelogyne cristata.— Mr. Tanton (see p. 10) is correct in stating that COBloyyne cristata is one of our liest winter-flowering Orchids, but he is wroug in describing it as coming from Guatemala. It is a native of Nepaul ; and the best of some thirty known species of Coclogj-ne, all natives of the ca.stern hemis- phere. Mr. Tanton tells us that he has two plants, one with 160, the other with 230, bulbs, each bearing a spike of flowers. The plant only flowers from the voung bulb, which will not stand in in"cat«r proportion than one in Ave. so if he has Sfty spikes carrying from five to seven flowers on hia largest plant it is extremely good ; but his statement, that ho has got a spike on every bulb, is scarcely credible. Such statements as these are not worth notice were it not for the mischief they are likely to do in rendering people, who possess similar plants, but who are deficient in knowledge respecting them, dissatisfied with their own.— T, B.LIHE9. THE FLOATING GAEDENS OF MEXICO. AViiEN the city of Mexico was taken by the Spaniards nnder Corbez in 1621, it occupied several islands in the lake Tetzouco. The water, from various influences, chiefly volcanic, has since receded, and the city, although still retaining its ancient site, is now '2i miles distant from the lake. At the time of the Spanish conqviest, however, it presented very much the appearance of Venice, a " city in the sea," " throned on her hundred isles," the margins of whose broad and narrow canal- streets were in many places lined with splendid mansions. According to the ancient Spanish hi.storians, the native Mexi- cans had at that time attained a high degree of perfection in various arts, for which they do not appear to have been in any way indebted to the civilisation of the Old World, and which must have been an out-growth of unaided indigenous talent. Among the many novelties and wonders which met the eyes of the Spaniards, were the cJiiiu<7npas, or floating gardens, which abounded on the lake, and supplied the city with vege- tables, fruits, and flowers, the latter being in great request amongst the Mexicans for decorating the altars of their gods. These gardens were formed by constructing a large raft from the reeds and other aquatic plants which grew by the shores of the lake, makiug it sufiiciently firm and buoyant to sustain a quantity of soil which was spi-ead over the surface, and kept in position by a low fence of wicker-work, or intertwined reeds and branches, which ran round the edge of the raft. The fertility of these little floating islands, owing to the constant supply of moisture, is very remarkable, and the old chroniclers describe them as being literally covered with flowers and fruit and verdure. The city of Mexico is still, to a great extent, supplied from these singular market-gardens, which form the sole support of some villages on the shores of the lake, in- habited hj families of the descendants of the aboriginal race who fell beneath the treachery of the sanguinary Cortez. Two of these villages, Santa Anita and Ixtacalco, which are not very far from Mexico, are particularly noted for the pro- duction of beautiful flowers, and, at certain seasons, when their floating gardens arc in full bloom, they are a favourite resort of pleasure-parties of the citizens. Our illustration atfords an excellent idea of the structure and general appearance of these interesting horticultural contrivances, the sole heritage of the outraged people who once possessed the splendid city, the view of whose domes and spires, still proudly rising from the distant horizon on the other side of the lake, must often awaken iu many a toiling breast sad memories of long-departed greatness. W. M. PLANT FLY-TEAPS. Now that the Sundew and the remarkable phenomena connected with it have been once more brought prominently before the public at the recent meeting of the British Association, and it has been announced on good authority that Mr. Darwin has been making observations upon the same subject for future publication, it may be interesting to give a brief ri!sum6 of the phenomena of a more or less kindred character which are manifested by certain other plants. It will be found that, besides the species generally reckoned as fly-traps, there are others, widely separated in their affinities as iu their geographical distribu- tion, which manifest similar peculiarities in a remarkable degree. The confirmation by Mr. A. W. Bennett of the observations of former writers upon the Sundew, to which I shall again recur, will give a fresh impetus to observers of similar phenomena ; and the list of fly- catchers will, doubtless, receive many additions. The vegetable fly- ti-aps fall naturally enough into three groups — the first containing such plants as by their viscidity attract and retain small winged or other insects ; the second embracing such as by thoir structure are peculiarly fitted to retain the insects which they have, so to speak, unconsciously entrapped ; and the third, and most remarkable, inclnd. ing such species as effect the capture of the insects by a definite, special, and, I may say, sensitive contrivance. I shall treat of these in the above-mentioned order. The species which exude a viscid matter from the stem or leaves are very numerous, and need not be enumerated. Among them, however, the Sileno muscipula is note, worthy as possessing this viscidity in a remarkable degree, whence its specific name : it is especially the top of the stem of this species which is glutinous, and which retains small flies and other insects which settle upon it. The same thing is noticeable in our English Sileno noctiflora in a somewhat less marked degree; and the English name for the genus, "catch-fly," as well as the French, " gobe- Jan. 10, 1874] THE GARDEN. 37 O > H O C > O 38 •THE GARDEN. [Jan. 10, 1874. mouche," refers to this peculiarity. This viscidity is occasionally turned to account, as at the Cape, where, according to Thunberg, Roridula dentata, a plant allied to the Sundews, ia hung up in country houses for the purpose of catching flies ; in Georgia and Florida, also, a beatiful shrub, Bejaria racemosa, is known as " fly-catchei'," and branches of it are collected in flower and used for a similar object, the racemes being remarkably glutinous. The Pitcher Plant. Passing on to our second group, we shall find it mainly, though not exclusively, composed of " pitcher. plants " of various descrip- tions. In the true Pitcher-plants (Nepenthes) insects are frequently found drowned in the fluid contained in the pitchers ; many, no doubt, being detained as prisoners on account of the difiiculty of egress, the margin of the pitcher turning inwai-ds, and forming a peculiar inverted rim, which is toothed at the edge ; the teeth, of course, meet any insect which is making its way out of the pitcher. In some species, as in N. ampullaria, this inverted rim is very broad, and projects a long way into the cavity of the pitcher, forming a trap in which numbers of flies and other insects are taken. Nor is this rim the only hindrance to their escape. In the common species, N. distillatoria, and others, the base of the inside of the pitcher is covered with reversed glands, which hinder their exit in a manner similar to that which is effected by the reversed hairs of the Sarra- ceniea;. Even animals are occasionally caught in the pitchers of some of the larger species : Mr. St. John tells us of a dead rat having been found in one of those of N. rajah, a gigantic species, native of Borneo, from one pitcher of which four pints of water were taken ! Eumphius says that various little worms and insects crawl into the orifice and die in the tube, " except a certain small squilla, or shrimp, with a protuberant back," which lives there. In the species of Sarracenia, the pitcher-like leaves are smooth inside towards the top, but the lower part of tho tube is lined with hairs, which all point in a downward direction ; at their base is a sweetish watery secretion. Attracted by this, the insect enters the tube, finding no obstacle to its downward course ; but when it attempts to return it is opposed by the points of the hairs ; and unless it can escape by perpendicular flight (a rare occurrence) it perishes miserably in the liquid, after repeated efforts to escape. This peculiarity, common to the whole genus, is especially manifested in S. variolaris and S. rubra. The insects appear to be induced to enter the tube in the first place by a sweet viscid substance, which exudes from it near the mouth. In South Carolina the leaves of these species are sometimes employed as fiy-catchers ; and with such success that the tube is filled in a few hours, where flies are abundant, and the quantity of water it contains is insufficient to drown the prisoners, so that more has to be added for that purpose. Even butterflies are occasionally found among the contents of the tubes ; and Dr. Macbrido states that he has observed among them the fragments of a large Gryllus and several Gyrini. The same writer remarks that spiders descend into these tubes, pro- bably for the purpose of preying on the imprisoned insects, being enabled to escape by the assistance of their threads ; and that a small species of Phala3na appears to take shelter in them during tho day, and is enabled to ascend at pleasure, perhaps by some peculiar struc- ture in its feet. The putrid masses of insects in the tubes, which are often so dense as to render the swamps where they grow very offensive, usually contain one or more maggots in a very active state ; and Dr. Macbride ascertained that a large fly was accustomed to make use of these masses as a rearing place for its larvae. S. flava, although a larger, is a less destructive species, owing probably to the more spreading throats of the tubes ; the orifices of those of S. psitta- cina are very small, notwithstanding which insects find their way in, and their chance of escape is even less than in the other species. A Californian plant of the same order, Darlingtonia californica, has leaves of a similar description in form and internal clothing ; and each jjitcher has usually at the bottom a layer of from two to five inches of the remains of insects — from minute beetles to large feathery moths— clo.sely packed into it. Mr. Robinson states that the pitchers arc regularly used in the liouscs in siiiimier .as fly-catchers. In cul. tivation in this country the plant is equally attractive and destructive, especially to blue-bottles, which keep up a buzzing noise for about half an hour after their entrance into tho pitcher, and then die. What the attraction ia appears doubtful, as tho plant is scentless; and the entrance to tho pitchers is almost concealed by two curious reddish appendages which it possesses. The third genus of the order, Heliam- phora, a native of Guiana, has similarly constructed pitchers, and acts in the same manner. It is both remarkable and interesting to find among the Ilosacem, an order considerably removed from tho Sarracenias, an Australian plant, Cephalotns follicul.aris, with very similar pitchers, furnisliod with refle.xed h.airs like those I have been describing, and also acting as an insect trap, the victims in this case being principally ants. And in a yet more widely separated family, tho Aiaceio, wc have in Arum criuitum (or muscivorum), a native of Minorca, a trap of the same class, although this plant possesses no pitchers. The spathe is covered inside with red reversed hairs, which are more crowded towards the base, so as almost to close the throat ; the spadix, too, has remote violet-coloured bristles scattered over it. The flowers smell strongly of carrion, and flies are thus enticed to enter it ; but the reversed hairs prevent their return, and they are there starved to death. Sundews and Venus's Ply-trap. Passing on to our third and most interesting group of fly-traps, it may be well to preface our notice by a brief resume of Mr. Bennett's recent observations upon our common Sundew (Drosera rotundifolia). The assertion that this species captures insects has been doubted and even denied ; but Mr. Bennett appears to have placed its truth beyond the possibility of doubt. He placed upon a leaf, at that time quite unencumbered, a very small species of thi'ips, which made violent efforts to escape, but only succeeded in entangling itself more completely. After about three hours its struggles ceased, and the glands, which had previously only slightly converged, began to bend over, and point the knobs at their extremi- ties towards the insect. This experiment was made in the evening, and by the next morning almost every gland of the leaf was pointing towards the object in the centre, forming ar dense mass over it. A second experiment was tried with a small piece of raw meat, and the same phenomena manifested themselves, although somewhat less rapidly. On other leaves a minute piece of wood and a fragment of worsted were placed, but in neither of these cases was the least change perceptible after the lapse of a consider- able time ; so that it would appear as if the organised structure of the fly and of the raw meat had some power of exciting this motion which is not possessed by matter of an inorganic desorip. tion. These experiments are almost precisely similar to those made by Roth, nearly a hundred years ago, with the same results, upon this species and also upon D. longifolia ; and Withering states that a Mr. Whately, in 1780, made various experiments with a pin, upon which he says that the glands contracted. Foreign species of Drosera possess the same peculiarity. D. pallida, a Swan River species, closes its leaves upon insects with great rapidity, and the same phenomenon is manifested by D. sulphurea, another Australian species. Eoyle says that the glandular cilias of the viscous leaves of D. lunata, an Indian Sundew, close upon flies and other insects which happen to light upon them ; and many of the Cape species of Drosera have the same peculiarity, especially D. trinervis, which catches and retains the insects, when absorption commences, and the juices are completely drained by the many mouth-like glands, leaving in a short time nothing but small portions of dust. The Venus's fly-trap (Diontea muscipula), which Dr. Burden Sanderson's recent experiments have brought into prominence, is too well-known to need more than a reference. The two lobes of the leaf close upon each other when one of the three bristles upon the upper surface of each is touched, and thus insects are frequently captured. Dr. Curtis says : " The little prisoner is not crushed and suddenly destroyed, as is sometimes supposed, for I have often liberated captive flies and spiders, which sped away as fast as fear or joy could hasten them. At other times I have found them enveloped in a fluid of mucilagiiRus consistence, which seems to act as a solvent, the insects being more or less consumed in it." Orchids and Grasses. We pass now to a very different class of plants — the Orohidaceje. The important services which insects render to the fertilisation of a large number of species is well known, and the remarkable arrange- ment which we are about to mention is pi'obably a provision for that end. Caleana nigrita is a small terrestrial Orchid of the Swan River colony, discovered by Drummond in 1832. The following extract from an unpublished letter, in which he communicated hia discovery to the great Robert Brown, will explain the remarkable manner in which this species acts as a fly-trap : — " The lower lip is shaped like that of a Calceolaria, and is about largo enough at the lower end to hold a musket-ball. The part to which the anthers are usually attached in Orohideaj (the column) is lengthened out and forms a lid, which exactly closes tho lower lip. When the plant is in flower the lid rises up, and the moment a lly or other small insect alights on the Uowor the lid makes a sudden revolution, inclosing the insect in the lower lip as in a box. This curious Orchid grows about half a foot high ; it has a single leaf about three inches long, lying on the ground, smooth, lance-shaped, and of a fine red colour ; it has a small bractea of the same colour on the stem, about half an inch below the flower. There is only one flower on each stem ; tho lower lip is of a waxy yellow colour, and transparent, so that it shows insects moving about inside, when held between the eye and the light. Every other part of tho flower is of a dingy red ; tho inside of the lip is of a very dark red approaching to JAN. 10, 1874.] THE GAEDBN. 39 black, covered with minute glands which secrete a viscous sub. stance like honey, apparently for the purpose of attracting insects." Among the Grasses we find an example of a fly-trap in Leersia lenticularig, a native of Virginia, North Carolina, &c. Pnrsh appears to have been the first to observe it catching flies, and he communicated his discovery to Dr. Barton, who thus refers to it: — " The glume or corolla consists of two valves, a character which belongs to all the species of the genus Leersia. In the Leersia, which is the subject of my observations, the glume is of an orbicular form, inclining to lenticular, and is much larger than in any of the other American species that are known to me, or than it is in the Leersia oryzoides of Europe and America. The edges of the valves are very distinctly ciliated, or furnished mth a number of fine teeth or delicate spinules. It is this ciliate structure that enables the plant to perfox-ni the business of a Muscicapa. When a small insect insinuates itself between the valves (probably in pursuit of a honeyed fluid), the valves close upon it, the spines enfolding each other, thus retaining the insect." Apocynum and Asclepias. The plants of the orders Apocynaceas and Asolepiadaceee are peculiarly fitted by the structure of their flowers to act as fly-traps, as will be seen from the following description of one of them, Apocynum cannabinum, a native of the United States. The five anthers con- verge around the stigma, and slightly adhere to it by their inner face, a spall space being left between each. " When a fly inserts its pro- boscis between these anthers to j^lunder the honey, they converge -^' closer, and with such violence as to detain the fly, which thus generally perishes." Such is Dr. Darwin's account, as published in his "Botanic Garden " in 1799, and this has been substantially confirmed by later writers. Curtis gives a more detailed account, and explains the capture in a somewhat diiferent manner. He says that, the space between the anthers being wider at the bottom than at the top, the flies insert their proboscides at this wider opening, and attempt to withdraw them in an upward direction through the upper part of the slit, wich is too narrow to permit them to pass. Perhaps both obser. vers are correct ; at anyrate, there can be no doubt as to the efficacy of the plant as a fly-trap, as a Belgian horticulturist has lately advocated its cultivation for that purpose. Dr. Barton observed that the flowers of the Oleander, another Apocynaceous plant, entrapped insects in a similar manner. In the Asclepiadaceae it is clear that flies and other insects render important service in assisting fertilisa- tion. For a detailed account of the mode in which this takes place reference should be made to a paper published by Mr. Mansel Weale in vol. xiii. of the Linnean Society's Journal. It is sufficient to note for the present purpose that this writer noticed that, on placing the blossoms of Gomphocarpus physocarpus, a Cape Asclepiad, in water, numbers of flies, attracted by the nectar, got attached to the stig- matic glands, and appeared unable to release themselves. " On allowing the flowers to remain until completely withered, I ascertained that the flies had not sufficient strength to extricate themselves, and eventually perished with the flowers." The remains of legs of small moths and other insects were also found adhering to the stigmatic glands. Dr. Barton, of Philadelphia, observed that some branches of Asclepias syriaca, another member of the same order, which he had gathered, entrapped sixty or seventy flies in the course of a few hours, many of them being caught by the proboscis, others by the legs. Some of the larger ones were able to disengage themselves ; others only succeeded in doing so at the loss of a limb ; while many were unable to escape, and ultimately perished. The^jollen-masses which are characteristic of Asclepiads are removed by the visits of insects, and applied to the stigma, so that the latter play an important part in the fertilisation of these plants. Mr. Riley, the State entomologist of Missouri, has lately stated that bees, when they become exces- sively troublesome, may be destroyed by planting Asclepias syriaca, which is much visited by them ; the wax-like pollen-masses adhere firmly to their hair and claws, and so impede their motions that many drop to the ground and die. Dr. Barton also observed that the common tropical A. curassavica captures insects in the same manner. Such is, I believe, a summary of what is known regarding these vegetable fly-traps. Should it be inquired what purpose is served by so remarkable a provision, is it not, I think, difficult to see three ends which are obtained by it. In the first place, these plants must in some districts play an important part in preserving the balance of life, and in preventing the too rapid increase of insects. Should this seem exaggerated, it must be remembered that in some parts of the United States the river banks and sandy fields are covered " for hundreds of acres in close connection" with various species of Asclepias ; the Sarracenias abound in the swamps of North America, and contain so many insects in their leaves that their putrescence sometimes becomes very offensive. Secondly, it appears that in some instances, at any rate [e.i]., the Droseras) , the animal food thus obtained is of benefit to the plant ; and it is not improbable that future obser. vations may show that all the leaf fly-traps serve this purpose. The third, and most important of all, is the service rendered by the insects to fertilisation in the case of the flower fly-traps. It is an ascer- tained fact that in many instances the agency of insects is absolutely necessary for the fertilisation of certain plants ; and it would cer. tainly appear to be so in some of the instances which are cited above. It may be well, in conclusion, to enumerate the plants which act as fly-traps, with their native countries, so as to show at a glance their distribution and the families which produce them ; our first group of species, which simply retain insects from their viscidity, is excluded from this list : — Sarraceniacem. Sarracenia, various species, (North America) ; Darlingtoniaoalifornica (California) ; Heliamphora nutans, (British Guiana). — Droseracecc. Drosera anglica and D. rotundifolia (Britain, Europe, West Asia, America, Columbia) ; D. trinervis (South Africa) ; D. lunata (East Indies) ; D. pallida and D. sulphurea and doubtless many other species (Australia). Diona^a muscipula (North Carolina). — Bosacecr. Cephalotus foUicularis (Australia). — Apocyn- acew. Apocynum androsa3mum (North America) ; Nerium Oleander (East Indies). — Asdepiadacea:. Asclepias syriaca (America and Canada) ; A ctu-assavica (Tropics) ; Gomphocarpus physocarpus (South Africa); and, doubtless, many other plants of this order. — Nepenthacecc. — Various species of Nepenthes (Indian Archi- pelago, Continental Asia, Ceylon, and Madagascar). — Aracefc. Arum crinitum (Minorca). — Orchidace"'. Caleana nigrita (Swan Kiver, Australia). — Graminaceo:. Leersia lenticularis (North America). — [Although the above article by Mr. Britten in the Field is calculated to widen our views and make us more observant in this interesting, and it may be important, matter, the probabilities are that a very much greater number of plants than he mentions possess this curious property of fly. catching. Gardeners, who have better opportunities of studying living plants than botanists or any other set of men, may throw much light on this subject in the future, as some of the most famous fly-catchers are popular stove and green- house plants, and the Apocynum is a pretty border.flower. The North American Asclepiads are also quite hardy in our borders, and as for the as yet very rare Darlingtonia, it will probably prove hardy in the south of England, as we found it growing pretty high on the foot-hills of the Sierra Nevada, in places deeply snowed over in winter. The Droseras, hardy and tender, are, we think all capable of cultivation. The hardy ones are not usually considered so, because a bog or swamp is rarely successfully imitated in our gardens.] THE KITCHEN GARDEN. OLD GAEDENS EBNOVATED. Land under cultivation for the production of kitchen-garden crops forms no exception to the general rule of soil being unable to bear, for an indefinite period, a repetition of the same or a Umifced succession of crops. True, there are fre- fiuently local causes in the shape of natural superiority aud greater depth of soil, accompanied with deep cultivation and a judicious rotation of cropping, such, for instance, as we see carried on bj the Loudon market-gardeners in the valley of the Thames and other places, where the soil is a rich, deep, alluvial deposit, cultivated on that all-essential principle of deep cultivation, with a liberal use of manure, and the return, as far as possible, of the soil's own production in the shape of the refuse vegetable matter worked deeply into the soil in the operation of trenching. But, with all possible natural advan- tages, assisted by the most skilful and intelligent system of cultivation, the time comes when the land gets tired, and becomes less profitable — a condition best described as wanting rest. Such is the state of very great numbers of old private gardens, where too often every load of manure required by the gardener is meted out with a gi'udging hand. The expedient not unfrequently resorted to, is the making of a new garden altogether. When the area required is large, say from 10 to 20 acres, this is in all probability the best course when a suitable site can be got ; but oven where such is the case, the making of, and inclosing with walls, a kitchen- garden is a costly affair. But it often happens that the existing garden is placed in the only situation available ; whore such is the case, and more especially if the area is not too large, and the material in the shape of new soil is obtainable, Eenovation is the only course to follow. Introduce from 8 to 12 inches of new soil. Within an easy distance from large towns, where building operations are in progress, the top spit from Grass 40 THE GAEt)EN. [Jan. 10, 1874 land can frequently be got for little more than the cost of carriage ; but in country districts it is not so easily obtainable. No one is fond of breaking into Grass land and removing the best of the soil in such quantity as the extent this operation will require. I must confess that I never yet removed from a pasture, or meadow, the comparatively small quantity of turf required for making or renovating a Vine border without feeling that it was making a sacrifice, even if an unavoidable one ; and, before commencing, it is as well to see if the material can be got from any other source. Where there is common land that can be got at within a reasonable distance, the thing IS simple enough ; such failing, there is yet another source. In many country districts, on the sides of the roads, there are continuous banks of earth, the accumulation of years of road- scrapings and ditch-scourings, still increasing, and grown over with a luxuriant sward of Grass. These said accumulations do very great injury to the roads, above which they are in many places from 1 foot to 1-5 inches higher, preventing most effectually the water from getting away. In the adjoining county of Hertfordshire this is the condition of the roads for scores of miles in any direction. The gritty character of these road-side accumulations renders them for some soils even superior to the surface soil from cultivated land. Old gardens are greatly benefited by a dressing of good sound clay, or marl. Draining and Trenching. When the question of material for the renovation has been settled, the first essential is to ascertain that the drainage is effi- cient. Even where there is little apparent stagnant water in the soil, it frequently happens that amore complete system of drain- age would greatly improve the land in several ways, by rendering it much more workable at all times, as well as allowing the pro- duction of spring crops much earlier. Then as to the depth of the drainage. This is a subject that for the last thirty years has received the attention of those connected with land culti- vation on both farm and garden. Various depths have found advocates, from 2 feet 6 inches up to 6 feet. For most soils a medium depth, between the two extremes, will be found nearest the mark. But any uniform depth of drainage for soils of the different descriptions, such as are found in almost every parish in the kingdom, is about as inconsistent vrith common sense as it well can be. For all practical purposes, it will be sufficient to say that the bottom of any drain should be something like 9 inches below the pan, or stratum, that holds water ; and, for a garden, something more is required than the simple pipe-drain alone, inasmuch as roots of the fruit trees, and some culinary vegetable crops, such as Beet, are subject to get down into the pipes and choke them. This is a matter that should be guarded against. After the pipes are laid, 6 inches of scoria, brick rub- bish, broken stones, or flints, should be laid on the top ; such not being available, faggots to the same depth should bo used. This, in a great measure, prevents the danger of root-choking, for, even if the pipes were grown up with roots, the material above would act as a drain. To render the drains more perfect before the earth is filled in, there should be two inches of straw, Gorse, or hedge dressings placed over the drainage material already in, and then fill up. If the new .soil used is of such description as to admit of its being incorporated at once with the soil already existing, this should be done by commencing at one side, and regularly trenching the whole garden right through, mixing the new soil well with the old to the entire depth the ground is stirred, adding at the same time a liberal dressing of manure. The question of depth in this operation of trenching will alto- gether depend upon the natural depth and character of the soil, and also the depth that has been gone to in previous trenchings. If the sub-soil is bad or inferior, no portion of it should be brought to the surface ; but a few inches of it may with advantage be stirred and left where it is for the present; the soil above it, and the essence of the manure washed down by rains become mixed with and gradually improve it by the time the land again requires trenching. In, say, three years, those few inches of bottom soil can be brought to the top, and a little more of the bottom loosened up and left as before. Where the sub-soil is ordinary clay, a couple of inches at this and every subsequent time the land is trenched, may with advantage be brought to the top ; but. where this is done, the work should be carried out in the autumn, or early winter, so as to allow of the clay getting mellow, and in a fit state to be forked in previous to the time of cropping. Re-planting and Re-cropping. As the work proceeds, any old useless bush fruits, such as Gooseberries and Currants, that are too far gone to be of any further service, should be destroyed, as also worn-out unfruitful Apples, Pears, Plums, &c. ; but, in this removal of fruit trees, let there be due consideration as to the requirements of the spot, and what there exists to supply their place, remembering that however unsightly a tree may be, if it be fruitful it is of more use than the beautifully symmetrical tree, that is not in bearing condition. Many a gardener has found when too late his mistake in removing unsightly trees before he has got others in bearing condition to supply their places. This is also an excellent opportunity for root-pruning any trees that are too vigorous ; but in the case of such the operation should be completed not later than the end of January, or earlier if possible. I never yet saw root-pruning done late in the season without serious injury being the result. Wall trees at the same time should receive attention ; if any reqnii'e removal or re- placing, it can be done now with advantage, as, when there is a general loosening of the soil to a depth equal to or greater than that required for the planting of trees, it prevents the occurrence of the serious injury that frequently happens to newly-planted trees, especially of considerable size, where, in planting, the soil is loosened for a greater depth, in the space their roots occupy, than in the surrounding ground. Where such is the case, if the soil is at all of a retentive nature, it will at once be seen that the space where the soil has been removed, and which is occupied by their roots, will act for a time as a drain to the surrounding ground. Unless in very light porous soils, no tree, however common, except a Willow, or other water-loving subject, should ever be planted, unless the surrounding soil is stirred as deep as it has been moved for the reception of the roots of the tree being planted. This renovating process will naturally cause an upset of many crops that cannot well be spared — things of a permanent character, such, for instance, as Asparagus. The ground occupied by this vegetable should not be disturbed until fresh beds have been made and got into bearing condition ; this will take two or three years. The ground selected should be such as has been cropped with something as diilerent as possible ; say, where Gooseberries or Currants have been growing for a consider- able time. If the soil is of a fair description, it need not all be removed to the full depth of the beds, as it is sometimes done ; if 18 inches be taken from the surface, and 2 feet of new soil and manure be brought in its place, and well incor- porated with 18 inches of the under soil, it will make ample preparation for growing this vegetable well. In the worlmig of old gardens, a great deal may bo done to prevent their becoming exhausted by continually, as opportunity occurs, adding something to make up for the continuous drain on the fertile constituents of the soil by the different crops that are taken from it yedrly. Soils of a naturally light description have a tendency to become sterile much sooner .than those of a heavier, more retentive character. Without the continual addition of the necessary, but not over-plentiful manure, to eke out which large quantities of leaves are generally used, in the course of time soil of this character gets exhausted. If, instead of year after year working on the exhausting system, no opportunity be lost of adding even in small quan- tities new soil whenever obtainable, a garden may be kept for almost an indefinite time, without getting in such condition as to require an operation of such magnitude as the addition of new soil in the quantities necessary, where complete exhaus- tion has taken place. It frequently happens that stable manure is used, to the exclusion of every other kind ; for light, dry, sandy soils, cow or pig manure used alternately is preferable, and, with such, the soil will not so soon become exhausted. The high temperature which stable manure is often allowed to get to before use renders it little better than so much decayed vegetable matter. If the manure, of what- ever description is used, could be taken fresh, and mixed with an equal proportion of loam or dry road-scrapiiigs, it would be much more useful. — Tuomas Baines. Jan. 10, 1874] THE aARDBN. 41 MESSES. F. & A. DICKSON AND SONS' UPTON NURSEKIES, CHESTER. Amongst the principal provincial nurseries this ranks as one of the most extensive and important, and one to which, at all seasons of the year, a visit must prove a source of great pleasure and instruction to all who take an interest in horti- culture. In few nurseries is such an innumerable variety of plants to be found, and yet the most systematic order is observable in the arrangement of each department. The prin- cipal entrance to these nurseries is at the north-west extremity, about a hundred yards from the Bache Pool, which is one mile from Chester, on the main road to Birkenhead. From the entrance gate a fine broad drive, defined l)y a neatly kept Grass verge on either side, runs between borders containing many thousands of the finer varieties of variegated and green Hollies of diflerent sizes, Cupressus Lawsoniana, Thujopsis borealis, "Wellingtonias, Cryptomerias, Deodaras, Golden Yews, and the finer kinds, of all sizes, many of them specimens in thefinest health, well set with bloom-buds ; another to Azaleas, amongst which we observed a number of large and beantifully-trained pyramidal plants, suitable for exhibition, besides many hundreds of plants of lesser size, full of vigour ; another large house is filled with winter-flowering plants, such as Ericas, Epacris, Cyclamens, Primulas, Daphne indica, Bouvardias, Cytisus, Deutzias, Solanums (full of berries), and a number of other kinds, either in flower or covered with bloom- buds for later flowering. Eoses in pots occupy another house, and consist of strong healthy plants of the choicest Tea-scented and Noisette Roses, as well as all the best and newest varieties of Hybrid Perpetuals, established in pots for forcing. In addition to these there are a number of other houses and an immense number of frames, &c., used for propagating and growing difierent kinds of plants, all fully stocked with healthy well-grown stuff. New houses Specimen Conifers in the Upton Nnrseries, Chester. many others of the best kinds of Conifers and shrubs in large numbers'; by following this road some distance, the offices and packing sheds, &c., are reached. The outer sides of the latter are skirted by a low rock-work, upon which are planted fine collections of the choicest Alpines, hardy Ferns, &c., and the walls are covered with the best varieties of green and variegated Ivies, &c., thus affording ample opportunity for parties to select for themselves, at the same time giving a clothed and neat appearance to the buildings at all seasons. Near this are the glass-houses, frames, pits, &c., covering about two acres of ground ; these are filled with a great variety of exceedingly healthy and well-grown plants of all kinds, including those of recent introduction. Separate houses, of lar'ge dimensions, are devoted to stove plants and variegated- foliaged plants, all in perfect health ; others to New Holland plants ; another to Ferns, Palms, &c., in endless variety ; another to Camellias, containing many thousands of plants of and frames are being added almost every year; and, in some newly-erected span-roofed frames, we observed a splendid lot of young Camellias, Azaleas, &c., in the most promising condition. Large numbers of small propagating frames for increasing the stock of hardy Conifers, Rhododendrons, shrubs, climbers, &o., containing many thousands of young plants, are also to be seen. These plants are, when fit, transferred from their frames to small brick beds, which cover a large area of ground near the offices, and they are transplanted there for one or two seasons, previous to being planted out into the open quarters in the nnrseries. In front of the greenhouses there are lines of geometrical flower-beds, which are filled at this season with Hyacinths, Tulips, and other bulbous roots, and spring-flowering plants, such as bedding Pansies, Daisies, Primroses, Hepaticas, &o. ; in summer these are re-filled with the better kinds of bedding plants, succulents, &o. Opposite these beds there is a border filled with all the newest and most 42 THE GARDEN. [Jan. 10, 1874. select kinds of Conifers and hardy evergreen shrubs, planted so as to contrast in colour, and at right angles run other two borders planted in a similar manner ; at the end of the walk, which divides the borders last named, there is a most beautiful and artistic specimen of artificial rock-work. Here arc a pair of very large handsome specimens of Irish Yews, and not far distant stands one of the finest formed specimens of Araucaria imbricata we have seen. It is some 30 feet in height, and is singularly robust in habit, and noble in character. This fine tree forms a prominent feature in the annexed illustration. Leaving this part of the nurseries, we como upon large quarters of choice named hybrid Rhododendrons, Azaleas, and other American plants, which are grown here in great numbers, and appear to thrive admirably in the natural loamy soil, without peat, which is usually considered essentially necessary for their growth. This, however, proves they will grow well in light loamy soils, and plants so grown have many advantages over those grown in rich peaty soil, as they are of a hardy nature and adapted for removal to places where peat is costly or difficult to procure. Next we come to a large breadth of all the new, rare, and choice Conifers in large and small plants. We find great care has been bestowed in the selection of these, and only such as prove to be thoroughly hardy, and in every way desirable, are cultivated. Amongst these we noticed many hundreds of large and handsome specimen Cedrus Deodara, Cupressus Lawsoniana.in its many forms, Picea Nord- manniana, P. uobilis, P. lasiooarpa, Thujopsis borealis, Abies Clanbrassiliana, Cryptomerias of sorts, Wellingtonias, and many others, all of which have been regularly trans- planted and are calculated, to give immediate effect. Adjoining this, is, what is known as the plunging- ground, where Ivies, Clematis, Wistarias, Pyracanthas, Ampelopsis, Cotoneasters, Honeysuckles, Bignonias, Escallo- nias. Magnolias, and other plants suitable for covering walls, trellises, &c., are kept in pots ; these are plunged in beds. Many shrubs are also kept in the same way, such as Arbutus . Sweet Bays, Buddleias, Escallonias, white and yellow Broom, evergreen Oaks, Forsythias, Euonymus, &c. Plants so treated have the advantage of being safer for removal, and can, without risk, be transplanted at any season of the year. The culture of fruit-trees has long formed a prominent feature in these nurseries, and upon this department especial care is bestowed to render the collection as perfect as possible with regard to kinds, growth, and superiority of training. Acres of ground are covered with these, in standards, trained and untrained, horizontal-trained trees for espaliers, and all other forms adapted for the different purposes for which they are required. We were particularly struck with the pyramids, which really deserve that designation. The same care is taken with the horizontal-trained trees, and all the other forms of training, to get them as near perfection as possible. A finer lot of fruit-trees we could not wish to see in any nursery. Vines are most extensively and successfully grown here ; and, at the time of our visit, we saw thousands of fine, strong, well- ripened canes of the leading kinds, in excellent condition for immediate fruiting in pots, and for planting out in Vine-borders in the usual way. The collection of standard and dwarf Roses grown here is something marvellous, and, the soil being admirably adapted to their growth, the plants appear very strong and healthy. Messrs. Dickson have been very suc- cessful exhibitors of cut Rose blooms at many of the leading shows, and they hold a great number of prizes awarded to them for their flowers during the past few seasons. Standard Limes, Horse Chestnuts, Elms, CratsDgus, Purple Beech, Oaks, Maples, Platanus, Poplars, &c., are also grown in many thousands, suitable for planting in ornamental bolts or plantations, and also for single specimen trees. All the better kinds of flowering shrubs are to be found in great quantities, and this is a very desirable class of plants for mixed borders and plantations, as they furnish an abundance of flowers during the whole of the growing season, contrasting Erettily with other plants and shrubs ; they should, therefore, e planted more extensively than they are at present. Immen.se numbers of evergreens are grown, such as common and Portugal Laurel, Laurustinus, Hollies, Box, Berberis, Rhododendrons, Yews, Aucubas ; and you see largo breadths containing many thousands of each kind in the shape of strong, bushy, healthy plants of all sizes. Forest trees, in all stages of growth, both as seedlings and transplanted trees, cover very many acres, and consist of many millions of all the leading kinds, such as Larch, Scotch Fir, Spruce, Austrian and Corsican Pines, English and Turkey Oak, Beech, Birch, Sycamore, Ash, Hazel, Poplars, Chestnuts, &c. They are planted thinly upon the ground, and are uncommonly strong, well-rooted, healthy trees. This portion of the nurseries, standing upon one of the highest and most exposed parts of Cheshire, renders the trees very hardy and particularly well adapted for transplanting to any part of the country. Judging from the enormous quantities of transplanted Thorns or " Quicks " grown hei-e, the demand for these must be unusually great, yet we understand that the number required increases from year to year. Near the residence of the late Mr. Francis Dickson (who was the founder of this old- established and well-known business, and who was considered to be one of the most skilful nurserymen of his day) are some noble specimens of the Araucaria, Picea nobilis, Picea Pinsapo, Picea Noi-dmanniana, Wellingtonias, and other hand- some Coniferous plants of early introduction. Time would not admit of us taking further notice, but there are many other objects well worth inspection. In the seed department, which is even more extensive than that of the nursery, the greatest attention is exercised to have everything true to name and the best of its kind, evidence of the truth of which may be found in the case of Messrs. Dickson's First and Best Early Pea, which has hitherto main- tained the high character it at first received amongst a host of rivals. A new seed warehouse and oifioes, of imposing and somewhat antique appearance, and on an extensive scale, have recently been erected in the principal street in Chester, and much judgment and good taste have been brought to bear on the internal arrangements, so as to facilitate the execution and despatch of business. In several large wai'ehouses adjacent are stored immense stocks of agricultural seeds, for the superior excellence of which, as well as all other seeds, Messrs. Francis & Arthur Dickson & Sons have, as is well known, achieved a wide reputation. One of the warehouses, we observed, was filled with hundreds of sacks of Turnip and Mangold seeds, amongst which we particularly noticed large bulks of their Improved Purple-top, or Defiance Swede, Globe and Long Red, and their Improved Yellow Man- golds. Natural Grasses, Italian and perennial Rye-Grasses, Clovers, &o., were also stored in almost endless quanti- ties. At various exhibitions a great many important prizes have been awarded for roots grown from seeds supplied by Messrs. Dickson, in different parts of the kingdom. Their mixtures for sowing down land to permanent pasture are, we learn, in great request, and are highly commended by all who have used them. It will, therefore, be seen that the nursery and seed business of Messrs. Francis & Arthur Dickson & Sons stands in the first ranks amongst extensive establish- ments of this kind in Britain. We may add, that a more enjoyable and instructive day we have seldom spent, than that on which we visited the Upton Nurseries ; and, if any of our readers should have occasion at any time to go to Chester, we would advise them to tako advantage of Messrs. Dickson's courtesy and follow our example. A New Fuel. — The Belgian press speaks in terms of praise of a new fuel discovered by a countryman named Ramaeckers, of Schoon. beck, near Hasselt. It is composed of vegetable earth, small coal, salt of soda, and water, in certain proportions. The experiments made at Bruges, Liege, Namur, and Brussels, have been generally successful. A manufacturer at Louvain tried the new fnel in afire- grate of a Marinoni steam-engine. He mixed three-parts of vegetable earth and one-part of small coal with a solution of i lb. of salt of soda, in a trough capable of containing 61 lbs. of coal, and stirred these ingredients together till the composition acquired the consistency of mud. In a few seconds an intensely vivid flame swept round the boiler, producing so much heat that the manometer soon marked 4, 5, and 6 degrees, whilst the steam regularly carried on its motive function. Other experiments have been made in the use of this new combustible material by making it into balls and burning it in open grates with coal ; and an opinion seems to prevail that a discovery has actually been made which will economise coal. JjLfi. 10, 1874.] THE GARDEN. 43 T H E H OUSE HOLD. EDIBLE STAECHES. An interesting paper on the subject of " The Edible Starches of Commerce ; their Production and Consumption," was read a short time since by Mr. P. L. Simmouds at a meeting of the London Society of Arts. The lecturer pointed out that while the English use but one word to define all sorts of starch, even the minor classification of arrowroots, sagos, tapiocas, corn-flours, &c., the French have two words by which they distinguish the starch obtained from roots, stems, fruit, seeds, &c., from the amylaceous product obtained from cereals : the former they term fecula, and the latter they define as amidon or starch. The value of the edible starches imported into England, which was in 1860 £206,438, in 1870 amounted to £366,570, and in 1871 to £185,706. The produc- tion of European starches was shown to be trifling, as compared with that of tropical and sub-tropical countries, though considerable quantities are manufactured in this country from imported Maize (or Indian corn) and Rice, and sold under the name of corn-flour. The island of St. Vincent is the only arrowroot-producing colony that has kept steadily progressing, the quantity exported to the United Kingdom having increased from 11,436 cvvts. in 1863, to 16,919 cwts. in 1870. In 1850 the shipments were only 3,573 barrels, and 7,493 boxes. The other West Indian Islands, though at one time erporting considerable quantities of arrowroot, have gradually decreased their production, and the quantity exported has in every case but that of St. Vincent, dwindled down to a merely nominal figure. In Brazil, considerable attention is given to the production jand manufacture of edible starches. A large and varied collection of these was shown at the Paris Exhibition of 1867, comprising starches made from Pumpkins, Maize, Bread-fruit, white and yellow Manioc, Brazil Potato, Deraerara Potato-yam, Banana, &c. A variety of the Manioc or Cassava, from the tubers of which feculas are mostly manufactured, the Maranta arundinacea, was introduced into India about 1810, and is now cultivated to a considerable extent, the arrowroot made from it being extensively used in India, and some of it shipped to Europe. The consumption of sago in the United Kingdom is stated as 52,000 cwts. in 1850, 179,823 in 1860, and in 1870 the aggregate of sago and tapioca received from Singapore was 344,000 cwts., representing a money value of £283,541. The Australian colonies were also noticed by Mr. Simmonds as arrowroot-prodncing countries, specimens of this starch manufactured in the colonies having been exhibited at the Paris Exhibition of 1867, and the London Exhibition of 1872. The Pacific islands appear to be very rich in the fecula-producing arums and other plants, and a considerable trade is carried on in various feculas in many of the islands. Africa also shares to a considerable extent in the production of arrowroot, but Capo Colony and Natal are the only two districts that export it in any quantity. The Maranta arundinacea is the species cultivated, and it has also-been introduced into the Mauritius, whence specimens of arrowroot were sent to the Paris Exhibition of 1867. EEOIPES. Stewed Pears. — Sixteen Pears, eight ounces of sugar, half a bottle of common claret, a little water, twelve cloves bruised. These are best cooked in a fish-kettle, no two pieces one on the other. Pare the fruit and split them in halves, spHtting also the stems. Make a syrup of the wine, cold water, sugar, and cloves ; let it boil five minutes, then lay in the halves of the Pears, and stew them gently for two or three hours till tender. How to boil a Vegetable. — The rule is simple, but must never be forgotten. Every kind of vegetable intended to be served whole should, when put to boil, be placed at once in boiling water ; and this applies especially to Potatoes and vegetables from which the outer cover has been removed. Now it often happens that Potatoes, &c., are, to save time, placed in cold water and left to boil gradually. It is just this which allows the nutritions matter to escape, and renders the meal unsatisfying. When, on the contrary, the water boils from the moment the vegetable is immersed in it, the albumen is partly coagulated near the surface, and serves to retain the virtue of the vegetable. The reverse is, of course, the rule for making soup, or any dish from which the water will not be drained. By placing the vegetables in cold water the albumen is slowly dissolved, and actually mixes with the water — a process most necessary for the production of nutritious soup. — Food Journal. [This advice is not sound throughout, as the true way to boil Potatoes in their skins is to put them in cold water at first.] Peach Brandy.— Last season 10,000 boxes of Peaches which arrived in a poor condition in Baltimore on a Saturday evening were sold at five cents a box to a Peach-brandy distiller. THE PEICE OP COAL IN ITS EELATION TO HOETICULTUEB. HoiiTicuLTURE is a luxury to most people ; but the time is at hand when it will become a necessity ; to certain classes of society it has, indeed, already become so. To many more it is in a transition state, trembling, as it were, in the balance between luxury and necessity, but, to most it is, as we have stated, a luxury. Now luxuries, upon any occurrence of a rise in prices, can be done without, upon the first feeling of tightness in the domestic exchequer. This, a philoso. phical friend of mine, assures me, is the reason why gardeners, as a class, seldom share in the general rise of prices. Other better paid classes make money, gardeners spend it. And it is the money makers, not the money spenders, that are most liberally paid. It would be easy to diminish the philosopher's argament by carrying it to an extreme length ; but, nevertheless, it embodies a general truth of great importance, the effects of which are felt throughout the entire field of horticulture. Production is, in fact, ever tied hand and foot to cost. This is true, not only in trade and commerce, but also in the domain of luxury, and especially in horticulture, which is trade, commerce, luxury, and fine art all in one. Whatever cheapens pro. ductiou fosters horticulture ; whatever adds to its cost fetters it. Of the first we had a striking example in the abolition of the excise duty upon glass. Nothing in modern times has given such a vigorous stimulus to horticulture as free glass. It made huge conservatories, greenhouses, winter gardens. Crystal Palaces possible, and also brought the luxury of glass structures within reach of every thrifty artisan who cared to possess them. It has increased plants and their cultivators ten thousand fold. The tide of progress has flowed on, growing wider, broader, and higher, until now, when it has been arrested by the high price of coal. The coal famine, although of short dur.ation, has raised the cry, " Halt ! back ! " over the entire field horticultural. It has well nigh doubled the cost of the production and preservation of tender plants aud tropical or forced produce. The cost of heat — that most important factor in production — has been, in general terms, doubled. The consequence is that many have ceased to use it ; some use half what they did before, to bring their expenditure within the old limits — nearly all use less ; and the result is less horticultural activity, less progress, less produce. Nor does the evil of dear coal end hei'e. It has raised the price of nearly all horticultural commodities, and thus limited the number of purchasers ; plants and seeds are dearer than they were, and, therefore, fewer are bought ; and so, if dear coal continues, it will mean choice fruits and vegetables at a higher price, and this, again, will limit the demand for them; and thus the coal famine checks horticulture on both sides, as it were. It checks production and limits consumption; and, by this compound compression, keeps demand and supply nearly abreast of each other, at a very low ebb. Were it not that the country is making money at an extraordinary rate, the evil effects of the coal famine must be still more keenly felt. As it is, there are but few gardens in the kingdom where the dear- ness of coal has not proved a barrier to progress — if, indeed, it has not quite stamped out some furnace fires, or hindered them from being lighted till a month or two later than usual. There is also a growing conviction that we have seen the worst of the coal famine, a conviction strengthened by a sight of the immense supplies piled at the different railway termini, and at the pits' mouths. For the future of horticulture it is to be hoped that this expectation will be confirmed. There is also great hope for horticulture in the substitution of other sources of heat for coal. Mr. Cowan's lime.kiln heating is an undoubted success. True, the philosophers say that it ought not to be so, that lime, being an inorganic substance, can generate no heat — that the heat of the coal is wasted in warming the lime that warms the boiler that heats the water ; but the fact, nevertheless, is patent to all that, by placing a boiler astride a lime-kiln, thousands of feet of hot-water pipes are sufficiently heated to warm a whole series of hothouses with the caloric which would otherwise have been utterly wasted, whilst the lime drawn promises to pay the entire cost of the heating— a grand fact of immense importance to the present and future of horticulture. I also look hopefully to our thousands of acres of useless bogs in Scotland and Ireland. Surely, it is not too much to ask of the science and the commercial enterprise of the age, that they should warm the hothouses of the nation with compressed peat at a reason, able cost. Possibly, when these two things are done, it will be found that our lime-stone rocks, our numerous deposits of chalk, aud our thousands of acres of neglected peat will prove to be amongst the most powerful stimulants to the advancement of that branch of horticulture which depends upon stoves and hothouses. But, should we remain much longer under our present deplorable dearth of heat-supply, I cannot but look forward to an increasing loss of interest in (and, in many cases, final extinction of) the culture of some of our choicest fruits, flowers, and vegetables. D. T. Fish. 44 THE GARDEN. [Jan. 10, 1874. GARDEN DESTROYERS. A NEW POTATO ENEMY. I ■WISH to say a few words about an enemy which threatens to lay waste one of Europe's most valued esculents — the Potato. For a long time North America has had to contend against two foes, which devoured the early shoots and leaves of the Potato, and thus destroyed the hopes of the farmer and gardener. These were beetles belonging to the same family as the Blister-fly, and named Lytta atrata (or vittata) and Cantharis viniaria. They can be kept within bounds; but of late a third beetle has appeared among us which really threatens to drive the Potato out of cultivation altogether. It bears the name of the Colorado Potato-beetle (Doryphora decem-punctata) ; and should it once reach the Atlantic coast, and be carried unobserved across the ocean, then — woe to the Potato-grower of the old country ! A man must witness the myriad legions of this insect, and the ravages of its never- tiring larvas, in order to form an idea of the terrible danger with°which Europe is threatened. For myself, judging from the tenacity of life exhibited both in its larval and perfect con- dition, I have not a doubt that it will soon overstep the bounds of North America, and make a home for itself in other lands. Its true domicile is in the Rocky Mountains, where it feeds on a species of wild Potato, Solanum rostratum (or Carolinianum). No sooner,however,had the edible Potato (Solanum tuberosum) been planted by settlers at the foot of these mountains, than Doryphora attacked it greedily ; the more largely its culti- vation extended westward, the faster did its insect foe travel in an easterly direction, and scatter itself over the land. In the year 18.59 it was located one hundred miles west of Omaha city, in Nebraska ; in 1861 it showed itself in Iowa ; in 1865, not only had it begun to devastate Missouri, but it had crossed the Mississippi in Illinois, everywhere leaving behind it flourishing colonies. In 1868 Indiana was visited; in 1870 Ohio and the confines of Canada were reached, also portions of Pennsylvania and New York ; and its entrance into Mas- sachusetts was notified. During the year 1871, a great army of these beetles covered the river Detroit in Michigan, crossed Lake Erie on floating leaves and similar convenient rafts, and in a very short time took possession of the country between St. Clair and Niagara rivers. Having got thus far, in spite of all efforts to stay their progress, there is every reason to believe that before long we shall hear of them as swarming in the streets of New York and Boston (as they already swarm in the city of St. Louis), and then their passage across the Atlantic is a mere matter of time. More- over, the beetle, in its different stages, is so entirely unaffected by the extremes of heat and cold, of wet and dry, which it has met with here, that I have no doubt it will care as little for the changes of climate which occur in the temperate zone of Europe, and, once settled, will quickly become naturahsed. The devastations of the Colorado beetle are all the greater from the fact of its propagating itself with extraordinary rapidity, several broods following each other in the course of the year. The first batch of infant larva? appears towards the end of May, or, if the weather be mild, of April. In fact, scarcely has the Potato plant shown itself above the ground, before the insect, which has been hybcrnating during the winter, also wakes to life. The female loses no time in deposit- ing from seven hundred to twelve hundred ^,j;gs, in clusters of twelve or thirteen, on the underside of a leaf. "Within five or six days, according to the state of the weather, the larva3 escape from the eggs, and begin their work of devastation, which goes on for some seventeen days, when the little creatures retire Ijelow the soil in order to undergo the pupal condition. After a delay of ten or fourteen days, the perfect insect comes into being, and the business of egg-laying commences anew. In this way, according to recent observations, three broods follow each other ; the last, as just stated, wintering below the surface of the ground. No description can do justice to the marvellous voracity of this insect, especially in its larval state. When once a field of Potatoes has been attacked, all_ hope of a harvest must be given up ; in a very few days it is changed into an arid waste — a more mass of dried-up stalks. At one time the cultivator indulged in the vain hope that Doryphora was a mere passer-by, that he would do his worst and then move on, without becoming a permanent nuisance. Others, again, fancied that a hot summer and autumn, followed by a long drought in the ensuing year, tended to diminish its numbers. But it has been proved incontestably that the diminution was only due to the circumstance of many of the larvaj perishing through being unable to enter the ground hardened and baked by the great heat ; plenty were left to continue the breed. Of the many nostrums employed for the destruction of this beetle, one only has shown itself to be of any value. I mean, dusting the plants with the highly poisonous substance Paris green, — a compound of arsenic and oxide of copper. However, setting aside the dangers of inhaling this deadly mixture while spreading it over the fields, there is the Colorado Potato Beetle in different stages, from egg to perfect insect. additional peril of impregnating the soil with it, — a peril which experiments carried out at Washington have shown to be well founded. There remains, therefore, only the plan of hand- picking, day after day, the eggs,larva3, and beetles. _ But even this operation requires considerable care, for the juice of the crushed insect and its larva? produces bladders aud blisters wherever it comes in contact with the skin. If a wounded spot be touched by it, severe inflammation ensues, which is liable to pass into ulcers, and an application of it to the eye endangers vision to a very serious extent. Fig. 1 gives an idea of the Colorado Potato-beetle in its different stages. The eggs are of a deep orange-yellow. The larvas, on first emerging, are of a blackish hue, which passes quickly into a dark red, with a slight orange tint. On attaining their full size, the colour varies between orange, reddish-yellow, and flesh. At c, fig. 2, is shown the pupa ; at n. Colorado Beetle. h. Foot of ditto, c. Pupa of ditto, d. Wing-case, enlarged. a the perfect insect, natural size ; a foot is portrayed at i ; a wing-case, considerably enlarged, at d. The ground colour of the latter is creamy-yellow (rahm-gelb), with five black longi- tudinal stripes, of which the third and fourth unite at the base. Doryphora does not by any means confine itself to the Potato. In places where that esculent is wanting, it will support itself on any other member of the Solanaceous order —the Egg-plant (S. melongena), the Tomato (S. lycopersicum), or the winter Cherry (Physalis viscosa). Indeed, in the northern parts of Illinois and in Wisconsin— incredible as it may appear— it has established itself in the Cabbage-garden as readily as in the Potato-field. Pn. H., in Hardwiche's Science Gossip. Jan. 10, 187-1..] THE GAEDBN. THE AMATEUR'S GARDEN.* SPEING FLOWEE BEDS. With little trouble or outlay our flower gardens might be made to look gay during the spring months, instead of being blank and dreary. Gardens, -which one has seen in summer as rich in colours as a kaledioscope, if visited during the spring can hardly be believed to be the same. Now, when spring- bedding costs but a trifle, this should not be the case. AVhen it is time to lift the plants that have flowered in spring to make room for those intended for summer-blooming, they may be planted in some back border, and when autumn comes round they may be lifted, divided, and re-planted in the flower-beds. This practice may be followed year after year, while others slied their seed, and their numbers are increased in that form. The first outlay is the principal one, as, with the exception of new vixrieties, the old stock will maintain itself. I have planted this season myself, in the centre of the lawn, a star- shaped bed ; this I have filled as follows : — In the centre is a circle of Cliveden Purple Pansy, and the rest Cliveden Yellow; right and left of these is a large pair of beds, shaped like crossed compasses, these I have planted with blue Foi-get- me-not. Between the specimen shrubs are diiierent-shaped beds, some circular; in these I have dark-coloured Poly- anthuses in the centres, edged with Clevedon White Pansies. i'hen, I have a pair, shaped like a circle in the middle, the 'ends Ijoiug two half -circles ; the centres of these consist of Viola oornuta, and the two half-circles, which form the ground-work of the centre, are filled with variegated Arabis. The next are long squares (if I may so call them), with circles at the corners, and are filled with mixed Pansies ; then I have some, formed like a Maltese cross, of variegated Arabis, with a square of Viola cornuta in the middle, where the points of the cross meet; then I have some of a circular form, with two square ends drawn out of each, in the circle are double scarlet Daisies, edged with Viola lutea, the ends being made to match; then I have some others of a diamond shape, filled with Auriculas. Besides the plants just mentioned, I have also Hepaticas, Tulips, Crocuses, Jonquils, &e., all of which tend to give my garden a gay appearance during the spring months. A. Hassmid. Upper Norwood. WOEK FOE THE WEEK. PRIVATE GARDENS. Stoves. — Maintain a temperature of 55' at night, and permit it to rise to 65° or 70'' daring the day with sun-heat. Plants of Poin- settia pnlcherrima, whose beauty is past, should be removed to a dry corner and kept dry, but still iu the stoves, or laid on their sides under the benches. Plants of Hexacentris done flowering, cut well back and induce them to go to rest. Give some weak manure-water to Eranthemum pulohellum, Statices, and other soft-wooded plants coming into flower. Lay plants of Lagerstrcemia indica on their sides in a cool house. Plants of Stephanotis, AUamandas, Passifloras, Clorodendrons, Cissus, Echites, and other climbers, if required to bloom early, should be pruned, and syringed daily to encourage growth. The general stock of these, however, should yet remain at rest. Start a few roots of Achimenes, Gloxinias, Caladiums, and herbaceous Gesneras for early flowering ; keep the majority, however, for later work and see that no damp comes in contact with them. Decapitate all long naked-stemmed Dracajnas ; use the tops as cuttings, and place the pots containing the stumps on the floor along the passage in close proximity to the pipes, so that the heat therefrom may more hastily promote the production of fresh shoots. The shoots can be taken off as they attain the length of an inch or two and used as cuttings. This method economises room in the heated plunging niateijal, which should be saved for more delicate subjects. Guard Nyinphffia roots from the attacks of rats and mice ; cats are the best and safest preventive against damage done by these vermin ; and in oi'der to OQCourage their presence a mouse or two should be given them in the place which they are desired to frequent ; if this is done they will not fail to come again to look for more. Weasels are good friends to gardeners, and ferrets are useful tor rat-catching ; with traps and poison, and the other agents of destruction so familiar to most of us, their clearance may also be effected. Pits and Frames. — Remove dead leaves from Auriculas, and * This department is written exclusively by amateurs distingnished for skill ill various br.tnches of gardening. !^ able ; but guard against heavy rains, stron^dtyjog winds, and' severe frost. Water sparingly, but do not allow the plants to flag, and towards the end of the month, when root-growth, begins more actively, water them more freely. Shift Calceolarias and CiBecarias, if necessary; keep them cool, moderately moist, and free from greenfly. Introduce a few Cinerarias into the forcing house. Car. nations and Picotees can scarcely be grown too hardy, provided they were early potted and are well rooted ; but they require to bo protected from cold winds, rain, and severe frost. Little or no water should be given, except iu very dry weather, and then only in the morning, and at a time when there is no danger from frost. Avoid as much as possible wetting the foliage, remove any decaying leaves, keep the plants thoroughly clean, and prepare the soil required for the plants to bloom in. It should consist of three parts good strong loam, and one of well-rotted manure, kept moder- ately dry and occasionally turned ; it is generally a rale to prepare, in autumn, a sufficient quantity of soil to last through the year. This should be well mixed together, and laid by in a heap where it can be fully exposed and frequently turned. As the surface becomes frozen in severe weather, the crust should be removed, so that as much of the soil as possible may be subjected to the influence of frost ; but the heap must be covered in wet weather. The loam should be carefully cleared of wire-worms ; and, before using, a little coarse sand should be added to it. Remove any mould or decay that may be found on the stems or tubers of Dahlias. Hollj'. hocks, strong and liealthy, should have abundance of air during fair weather, and keep them free from excessive moisture and decayed foliage. Late-struck cuttinsts will be found to winter best in a greenhouse or pit, near the glass, where they can have the advantage of a little tire-heat in damp or frosty weather. Cuttings from old stools may be propagated iu gentle heat. From Pansies in frames remove the lights during favourable weather, but protect the plants from cold winds, rain, and frost. Dust with sulphur the foliage of any that may become affected with mildew, and remove decaying leaves. Give Polyanthuses in frames moderate moisture and free ventilation, and prick off seedlings, keeping them rather close for a short time afterwards. Pot a few Ranunculuses for early blooming, and sow some seeds in pans, which keep near the glass. MARKET GARDENS. The fine days that we have lately experienced have had a beneficial influence on market gardens. All hands have been set to work ; those who cannot dig, trench, or shake up litter, place with the women and boys to loosen the soil amongst Cabbages, Coleworts, Lettuces, Parsley, transplanted Onions, and similar crops. Get August-sown Onion-beds thoroughly cleaned ; women with half-sieve baskets, to put the weeds in as picked, soon go over a large space on a dry day. When finished, slightly dig or loosen the alleys, and transplant Let. tuces or Cabbages therein. Get all empty quarters manured and trenched, throwing the soil into ridges 2 feet apart. Vacant ground under fruit trees manure and dig for Radishes, and be sure to have the trees thinned or pruned before the ground is interfered with. Radish beds sown early in December should be uncovered every morning, replacing the litter at night. Keep a boy for each series of beds to frighten off birds. Warm borders which contained Tomatoes iu summer are well adapted for winter-sown Radishes. Under fruit trees the beds receive a little shelter, whilst the little shade caused by the naked branches does no harm. Prune Raspberry bushes leaving them about 3 feet high, and do not use stakes for them. Prune also fruit bushes of all sorts, taking care to leave a good stock of young wood and to thin out all decaying and old portions. Root out old and useless trees, and replace them with young and fruitful ones. Remove hand-lights and sashes from Cauliflowers, Lettuces, and Onions during the daytime, but replace them at night. The smallest amount of rain must be excluded from the Lettuces, as they are so apt to damp off if they become wet ; therefore rather tilt up the sashes than remove them altogether. Thin and weed the plants, and stir tho soil a little amongst them. Scatter some lime over all kinds of crops, more especially over those transplanted permanently, such as Cauli. flowers under hand-lights. If ground is required, lift the Jerusalem Artichokes and store them ; if land is not wanted, merely cut over the stalks and spread a layer of litter along the top of each drill. Dig the ground between lines of Rhubarb, and place a forkful of litter over each crown. Any Endive plants to spare plant in front of palings or walls. If the ground is required in which the general crop is growing, lift the plants, tie a piece of matting around each, and lay them in thickly iu a bed for a time. Protect them from severe weather by shaking some rough litter over them. Look over Mush, room beds twice a week it bearing well, if not, once will suffice. This crop has borne remarkably well as a rule this year, owing to the winter being so dry. Frost is easily excluded by means of additional covering, but cold rains, no matter although the beds be covered with 46 THE GARDEN. [Jan. 10, 1874. mats, find their way into the Mushrooms, destroy the spawn, and ruin the crop. Examine Seakale beds, producing Kale, and by means of the litter in the alleys and that covering the beds maintain an equable temperature. It necessary, start two other beds by filling the alleys with fermenting manure, placing a covering of the same on the surface ; over that pnt hoops and mats, to be covered with litter if wanted. Succession beds leave exposed. Treat Rhubarb in a similar way, but give the roots more room. Take the litter off sashes pnt over Mint frames during the day, but replace it at night. Make another hot.bed, and lift another lot of roots, and start them to succeed those already in bearing. Indoor Fruit and Forcing Department. — For fruiting Pines maintain a bottom.heat of 80^, and a top temperature of lOT at night, and five or ten degrees less for succession plants. Pot suckers whenever obtainable, and keep the roots of all, except those swelling fruit, pretty dry. Begin forcing Figs with a night tempera, ture of 50', and thoroughly moisten the soil, for, if too dry, the young fruit is sure to drop. Peaches and Nectarines set their fruit much better if fire.heat and ventilation are given night and day during the time in which they are in flower, than they otherwise would do. Syringe the trees after the fruit has fairly set, and before the bloom has expanded, bat not whilst they are in flower. Begin the forcing of Cherries with a night temperature of 45°, and give fresh air freely. Strip off the loose bark from late Vine rods, and apply a coating of some insect-destroying paint. Keep the unstarted houses as cool and airy as possible, and prune any Vines not already operated on. Syringe daily until the flowers begin to open, but not after that, for plenty of atmospheric moisture may be maintained by damping the floors and walls. Introduce into heat some Strawberry plants ; 45° is suflicient at first, but, if a bottom heat of fifteen degrees higher than that can be given, it would be an improvement. Continue to intro- duce successional roots of Rhubarb, Seakale, Aspa^^agus, Mint, Dan- delions, and Endive into the Mushroom-house or hot-beds, where a temperature of 60° is maintained. _ THE KITCHEN GARDEN. Maintain everywhere neatness and order ; trench all vacant ground, turning it up in as rough a state as possible, so as to permit frost to pulverise and sweeten it, and to clear it of the larvseof insects, which dislike exposure to hard frost. In trenching, open a thoroughly good trench and break up the ground well at the bottom of it with strong forks, allowing it to remain rough and loose. Turn into the trench all surface vegetation and rubbish, and over that lay the mould from the next trench, again well breaking up the bottom ; and BO proceed till all has been turned over. By well moving the soil and getting down deeper and deeper every year, good depth of soil may be secured, and thus not only will crops be supplied with abundant food, but also, in dry seasons, with moisture. With thorough drain- age, deep culture, and surface stirring, luxuriant crops can be obtained from land at the first cropping. Whatever vegetable refuse may be lying about, or collected at the rubbish heap, keep close together covered with earth and salted — salt being a good deodoriser. If there is one thing more than another a gardener should feel an antipathy to it is a weed ; not only do weeds impair the appearance of a garden, but their production costs a considerable amount of money, inasmuch as they rob the soil of that which should go to support profitable crops. Deep trenching is a good way of keeping them in check, and there is no doubt that by deep culture the amount of most kinds of crops might be greatly increased. Surface stirrings should also be constantly carried out on all suitable occasions. Where required, look out for a new stock of Bean and Pea sticks, and get them prepared so as to bo ready for use when wanted. Seed lists, too, should be made out, in order to give the seedsmen time to get the goods put up in proper order before the busy season has .irrivcd, and when you have the seeds home placo them with the list methodically in thoroughly clean drawers or cupboards. See also that they are placed seonro from the ravages of mice, and in a dry situation to prevent mildew or dampness. Artichokes. — Still retain the mulching around the base of Globe Artichokes, and strew some straw or litter very thinly over tho crowns. Lift whatever Jerusalem Artichokes are yet in tlie ground and store them in sheds or pits. Towards the end of the month, make another plantation in any out-of-the-way corner where their shade will not injure other plants, or where thoy will make a useful shelter. Asparagus. — If last month's directions have been attended to, this crop will require no attention till next month; but if not, apply a good mulching of manure and seaweed, if obtainable, to the beds. Beans. — Earth up whatever Beans have appeared above the surface soil, and make another sowing if necessary on a warmbordor, this time including some Long-pods. Broccoli. — Take up such plants as are " taming in " with good balls, and keep them in sheds or cellars until they perfect their heads, providing the weather be severe, but, in the event of fair weather , leave them undisturbed in the ground and break a leaf over the curd to protect it from sunshine. Clear away stumps of sprouting Broc- coli from under the trees as soon as they yield their crop. Cabbage. — Plant out according to demand from the store beds of the autumn sowings, and sow a sprinkling of some small early sort if necessary, either in a frame or in a warm border. Cardoons. — Rather than encumber the ground any longer with these, lift and store them amongst clean sand in a shed, where they will become blanched, and be always ready for use. Occasionally examine them to remove any decaying leaves. Carrots. — Examine the stored roots and remove all decaying ones, from which cut away the decaying portion, and use the whole- some part at once, either for culinary or farm purposes. Sow a few Early Horn Carrot seeds on a slight bottom-heat and on an open dry border, if free from frost ; and have a sharp look-out for damping, shrinking, canker, mildew, and slugs, and dredge the plants occa- sionally with wood-ashes and dry dust. Cauliflowers. — Sow some seeds in frames in a very gentle heat. Freely expose on every favourable opportunity those wintered in frames, and tilt up the sashes at back and front during rainy weather. About the end of the month plant them out, nine under a hand-glass, or in rows in borders, or warm sheltered quarters. Celery. — Sow some seeds in pans of light rich soil in gently heated frames, and prick out the seedlings into boxes or large pans as soon as they can be handled. In case of hard frost, protect the Celery in ridges with litter or Fern, to permit o£ its easy access during all weather. Endive. — Maintain a good supply of nearly full, grown plants lifted from the open air, in pits or frames where the temperature ranges about 50°, and where they can be darkened at pleasure. Horse Radish. — Lift the old plantations of this and store the useful roots in sand in a pit or cellar, but every particle of the roots, small and large, should be removed from the soil, as they will only cause future annoyance by growing again if left. Make fresh plan- tations in deeply trenched ground. Lettuces. — Sow some seeds of the white and green Paris Cos Lettuces in frames, and the Bath Cos in rows where they are perma- nently to remain, because they are somewhat liable to run to seed when transplanted. Draw the lights entirely off the frames contain- ing late autumn sowings in favourable weather ; but replace them in the event of frost, or cold rains or snow. Onions. — If a frame can be spared for the purpose, sow somo Tripoli, or white silver-skinned, Onions for salading, as they will come in nice and useful six weeks sooner than the main outdoor sowings ; and what are not required for this purpose can be used for transplanting purposes, when they will produce larger bulbs by autumn than the ordinary spring sowings. Parsley. — Keep this crop clean from drifting leaves, and protect a few plants with hoops and mats in case of frost. By sowing some seeds in a dry and warm border, a good supply of young Parsley can be had a month sooner than from the ordinary spring sowings. Peas. — Draw some earth to those that are a little above ground, and also stake them in good time, not only for the support contributed thereby, but also for the shelter the stakes afford. Make a suoces. sional sowing, either in a border or sheltered quarter, keeping the rows about 4 or 6 feet apart, in order to permit of intercropping with Cauliflower or Spinach. Radishes. — Sow some seeds amongst Potatoes in frames, or independently by themselves. Sow, also, in quarters or borders, and mulch them over with litter till the seeds germinate. Rhubarb. — In fine weather, and when the ground is in a good workable condition, lift and divide some of the roots, and transplant them in deeply worked soil in rows 3 feet apart, and the plants 2 feet asunder. Place a large forkful of rank litter over the crowns of the old plants in order that the leaf-stalks may come up under it cleaner and more tender than they would if left quite exposed. Seakale. — Those that prefer earthing up Seakale to blanch in preference to covering it with pots, or a framework of wood, and covering with leaves, should do so at once. Under any oiroum. stances it is now time to cover up this crop. Spinach. — In frosty weather strew some rank litter over the best rov?3 of this crop, and in fine weather remove it and loosen the surface soil. About the end of the month sow some seeds of tho round-leaved sort between rows of Peas, or in any other convenient but sheltered position where the ground is not too wet and cold. Turnips. — Sow some early Turnips on a warm border, or between rows of Peas. Do not permit useless roots to occupy the ground at this season ; rather lift all. Preserve tho good in pits, and throw away the bad, and have the ground roughly dug, and in readiness for another crop. Jax. 17,1874] THE GAEDEN. 47 THE GARDEN. " This ia an art Which does mend nature : change it rather : The Abt itself is Natukk." — Shakespeare. but NOTES ON LANDSCAPE GAEDENING. By JAMES M'NAB, Royal Botanic Gardens, Edinburgh. Perhaps no subject is more interesting or more deserving of general attention than that of landscape eilects produced by the aid of landscape gardening, and it is one upon which it is o f ten impossible to get two individuals to form the same opinion. If the surface of the land to be operated on is varied and un- dulated, it will greatly assist the operator whose taste and skill are to be brought to bear upon it. To be successful in andscapo gardening, one must have the eye of an artist, and the pencil of an artist, as well as a strong natural feeling for the beautiful, and even with these requisites much that may be done will not, for many years, realise the ultimate effect which a landscape gardener is anxious to impart to his subject. The designing of a picture on canvas, so as to have it well balanced and pleasing to the eye, requires from the artist himself much thought and consideration ; and, if found to be faulty, it is easily put right by a few touches from the brush. In regular geometrical gardening, plans can be made and carried out to a "-nicety, even for avenues and carriage drives, but, as regards land- scape gardening, in its full and true acceptation, no detailed plan can be executed on paper. The arrangement and disposi- tion of trees and shrubs, for effects suitable for the undulating nature of the land, must emanate from the fertile brain of the qualified man into whose hands such works are entrusted. After all the work has been done, and the trees properly planted and grouped, it often takes years to produce the effects intended. It is not always the original designer that makes landscape gardening tell in every detail. His duty is to plant freely, both singly and in groups, using as many varieties as possible, so as ultimately to produce effective tints for spring, summer, and autumn, for which purpose numerous sorts of trees, now exist in cultivation. Care should also be taken to secure a diversity in the form of trees, such as the upright and weeping kinds, and those with spreading branches, always keeping in view a well selected proportion for flowers and foliage. Without these requisites landscape gardening is apt to be tame. To have all the varieties here stated planted pro- miscuously through each other, would be as great a mistake. The successful grouping of such trees can only be effectually done on a broad scale, and on ground more or less undulating. Suburban villa residences now occupy much of the time of the landscape gardener. For such limited space it often requires the utmost nicety in the arrangement, so as to give them a diversity of surface, as well as a feeling of extent. Some villas stand on level ground, are walled in, and command no views; for such places a simple form of laying out can easily be arranged by having, in suitable places, raised belts of ever- greens, for the purpose of giving extent. When the ground is undulating and limited it requires very great care, when plant- ing, to secure the distant landscape effects, which such situations were originally destined to command, without exposing such residences more than is necessary. In some cases such villas are built in situations so as to command views, and are planted up all round, under the plea of shelter. These shelter trees do not for many years interrupt the landscape effect ; gi-adually, however, and by almost imperceptible degrees, they shut out the views. This planting up is so far correct, and what, under ordinary circumstances, may be looked for, provided due care be afterwards taken to open up vistas by the removal or branching of certain trees, not all at once, but by degrees. In some situations the full scope of landscape gardening can only be successfully carried out after the trees in such places come to be matured, and it is at this stage that the services of the practical landscape gardener are most required. I have frequently had occasion to point out to proprietors the advan- tage of these partial clearances, and it is often gratifying to see, that when one little picture is produced in a frame of foliage, either by the cutting off of certain branches, or the removal of a tree altogether, the desire generally increases to multiply such views. It is possible, however, without proper guidance, to carry this too far, as, in some instances, fine trees are ruthlessly sacrificed for the landscape effects produced by their removal. Of course, such thinnings must be carefully and judiciously done, so as not to injure the outline of the picture intended to be produced, nor endanger the shelter of the place. For the smaller villas it is not absolutely necessary that they present a picturesque effect from the neighbour- ing country ; but it is different with a nobleman's residence, where it ought to be a primary object to make such places tell from as many points as possible, groups of trees, as well as single specimens, being tastefully arranged around them. On large domains apparent errors are frequently seen, or, if not errors, they are effects far from pleasing to the eye. A large old mansion, standing on level ground, having a long straight road or avenue in front, is very often to be met with, and is sometimes suited for certain styles of architecture. With all modern buildings, such straight roads ought to be avoided, and, more particularly, if the land is in the least degree undulating ; such, however, is sometimes done, but whether from the wish of the architect or the proprietor, it is difficult to say. When a new house is placed in the neigh- bourhood of old and well-shaped trees, it may be difficult to get proper clearances made for a suitable approach without tho sacrifice of some fine specimens, but such limited feelings should not be allowed to exist. If £100,000 has been laid out on a mansion, nothing should stand in the way of making the approach, and every thing else around it, as perfect as possible. In the formation of large parks and pleasure-grounds round large mansions, and even with places of moderate extent, it would be desirable if the architect and landscape gardener could go hand in hand in the details of the outside work, par- ticularly in the immediate neighbourhood of the house, instead of being antagonistic, as frequently happens : a harmonious feeling would often save a gi-eat deal of after-work, and con- sequent expense. I am not quite certain if the modern style of terraces and geometrical flower-gardens, in the imme- diate vicinity of a large residence, is altogether in good taste. A large expanse of Grass, and good grouping of trees and shrubs, have always appeared to me to give to large mansions a degree of stateliness which they cannot have by any style of geometrical flower-gardening placed immediately under the windows ; to say nothing of the jar of the mowing-machine continually going on during early morning, and which often proves a great source of complaint to gardeners. But such terraced gardens, from their extent, cannot be made to look well without constant machine-work. On large and level policy grounds, also in public parks, good effects are produced by the formation of large sheets of water, of a somewhat irregular form, so as to give the grounds a greater appearance of extent ; such a sheet of water lying in sight of the chief windows, has, to me, a more pleasing effect than many of the modern flower-garden departments, placed immediately before the house. The soil round such artificial lakes should be placed in irregular waving mounds around the margin, but chiefly on one side ; and these raised grounds planted over with trees and evergreen shrubs, having on the flat Grassy spaces a sprinkling of the various species of Yucca, Cordyline, Phormium tenax, Gynerium argenteum, Arundo conspicua, also clumps of evergreens and deciduous flowering shrubs and perennial herbaceous plants. If rock-stones are abundant in the neighbourhood, a shelving group of them here and there, close to the water edge, gives a pleasing effect, and, if narrowed in certain points, rustic bridges become telling objects. In villa gardens, and moderate-sized mansions, geometrical flower gardens, or clumps placed near the house, are by no means objectionable. Such residences being often limited in extent, prevents them being put elsewhere. The flower plots, however, should not all be filled up with bedding-out plants. Three or four may be occupied with scarlet Geraniums or any other favourite summer-flowering plant, these to be removed in autumn, and their places filled up with the bulbs of Hyacinths or Tulips, for spring effect. The major portion of the clumps should be fllled with peat soil, and planted with hardy Heaths,* or dwarf free-flowering American plants, or ♦ See article on hardy Heaths in TnB Gaedeit, 21st Decemher, 1872. 48 THE GARDEN. [Jak. 17, 1874. others requiring bog earth, of which a large variety now exists ill nursery collections, and some kinds of which will be found flowering so as to give a succession during the whole year. If the clumps are raised and aiTanged with rock -work sides. Mossy and other Saxifrages, Sedums, and Sempervivums, can be grown without much trouble. By this arrangement, villa- garden clumps would have a clothed appearance all the year round, which is not generally the case during the autumn, winter, and spring mouths, unless temporarily filled with coloured Kales, Acubas, and variegated Hollies, to be removed when the summer bedding plants are to be put in. This changing style of gardening is often attended with much trouble, for which the three or four months of bloom will scarcely compensate. THE SPECIES OF TULIPS. As MUCH interest is now taken in the cultivation of bulbous plants, we believe that the following slightly abridged trans- lation of an article by Dr. Jiegel, of the Botanic Gardens, St. Petersburgh, which appeared in a recent number of the Gatien- flora, will be acceptable to many of our readers. Very few persons, we think, are aware that there are so many distinct species of Tulip as are here enumerated, the greater number of them being, up to the present, quite unknown in our gardens. Many of them, however, are worthy of introduction, and we shall be very pleased if our notice of Dr. Hegel's " Synopsis " proves the means of directing the attention of our cultivators to even the one very beautiful species, T. Greigi, the acquisition of which would form a very important addition to our list of fine flowering plants. Every lover of hardy bulbs is, of course, familiar with the numerous and beautiful varieties of a few species that adorn our gardens in spring. The species to which we now call attention, while for the most part highly ornamental, may, in time, give rise to new races as important as those we already possess, in the various forms of T. Gesne- riana and the bedding Tulips. Synopsis of the Species of Tulips. A. Inner perianth-segments and the stamens bearded at the hase. * Leaves linear, or linear-lance-shaped, or narrowly-lance-shaped. a. Bulb-scales thickly bearded on the inside towards the top, and sometimes at the base. 1. Tulipa sylvestris. — Flowers, yellow ; stamens, covered at the base with woolly hairs. Leaves, narrowly-lance-shaped or linear- lance-shaped, and somewhat flat. Anthers, usually linear, and about as long as the stamens. Perianth-segments, nearly 2 inches long. Flower-stalk from 8 to 16 inches high. Native of central and southern Europe. a. T. s. var. Biebersteiniana. — Flowers, yellow, the outside or back of the perianth-segments being greenish or purplish ; in other respects like those of the type, but smaller. Stamens, covered with weak hairs at the base. Flower-stem bearing one flower, seldom two. Native of South Russia, the Crimea, Podolia, Greece, the Caucasus, and Turkestan. b. T. s. var. tricolor. — Flowers, white on the inside and yellow at the base, greenish or dull purple on the outside. Stamens, covered with weak hairs at the base. Flowcr-stem, from 3^ to 12 inches high. Leaves, varying from linear to linear-lanco-shaped, upright or reflexed, flat or undulating, as long as, or longer than, the flower, stem. Anthers longish or elliptical, twice or thrice as short as the stamens. This is a purely Russian species, its distribution extending from the Steppes of the Volga and the Caspian Sea to the Ural and Altai Mountains, Soongorie, Ili-gebiet, and Turkestan. c. T. s. var. cretica. — A dwarf species, with rose-coloured or pale rosy flowers. Stamens covered with weak hairs at the base. Flower- stem, only from 2i to 4 inches high, leafy, one-flowered, shorter than the leaves. Leaves, like those of the preceding species, varying in shape, direction, &c. Native of the loftier mountains of Crete, and the Caucasus. d. T. s. var. pulchulla. — Another dwarf species, from SJ to 5 inches high, with purplish-red flowers, marked with purplish-black spots. The ono-flowcrod stem bears throe or four linoar-lanco-shaped erect or roflexed leaves, which generally over-top the flowers. Found at Kotschy, in the Taurus Mountains, Asia Minor. e. T. s. var. Orphanidea. — This species dilfors from the type only in having flowers of a saffron colour, shaded with purple. Native of the mountains of Greece. f. T. s. var. tnrkcslanica. — This looks very like a small-lcavod dwarf variety of T. s. Biebersteiniana, but the bulb-scales arc covered with weaker and longer hairs on the inside at the top, all the other parts being quite smooth. Rather common in Turkestan. b. Bulb-scales covered on the ivhole of the inside with a cobweb-like pubescence. 2. Tulipa biflora. — Plants of this species are sometimes dwarf, and sometimes grow to IJ feet high. The flower-stem is smooth, and generally bears two flowers (seldom one, or more than two). The flowers are at first bell-shaped, but, afterwards, the segments stand apart ; the colour is white or bright yellow on the inside, the outsido being greenish or reddish. Leaves, linear, or narrowly linear-lance- shaped, and usually roflexed (seldom erect). This species is very like T. s. tricolor, and is chiefly distinguished from it by mostly bearing its flowers in pairs, and by the woolly inside surface of its bulb-scales. Native of South Russia, the Steppes of the Caspian, Soongorie, and Aral, Turkestan, the Caucasus, and Persia. T. b. var. Buhseana. — Flowers, bright yellow, reddish on the outside. c, Bulb-scales smooth on the inside. 3. Tulipa Celsiana, Redoute. — This species is entirely smooth, and, in its growth and characteristics, resembles T. s. Biebersteiniana. The flowers are yellow, edged with red or white, and are red on the outside. Its distinctive peculiarity is that the inner surface of the bulb. scales is quite smooth. Native of South-western Europe. ** Lower leaves oval, or elongated oval. 4. Tulipa saxatilis, Sieber. — Sieber collected two different kinds of Tulip at Cape Maleoa, in Crete, and distributed both under the name of T. saxatilis. Of these, the dwarfer, small-leaved kind, which various authors have described under the name of T. saxatilis, should properly be referred to T. s. Biebersteiniana. The other approaches more nearly to the typical form of T. sylvestris, but is distinguished from it by its considerably broader leaves, by its stamens being brown at the base and covered with woolly hairs, and by its more deeply divided trifid stigma. We have retained the name of T. saxatilis, in the case of the latter form, as we have not yet seen the bulbs, and as the yellowish flowers are marked with a darker colour at the base. It is possible, however, that it may, here- after, have to be referred to T. sylvestris. B. Inner perianth-segments and the stamens smooth at the base, or, the latter, in ons spiecies (T. SibthorpianaJ furnished with decid- uous wealt hairs, and the former in one species (T. SoogdianaJ ciliated at the base. * Perianth-segments, marked at the base with a blackish or hlackish- blue spot. a. Perianth-segments, oval or elliptical, lance-shaped, blunt or shortly pointed. f. Flower-stem smooth. a. a. Lower leaves oi'al, or oval-lance-shaped, or lance-shaped, or linear-lance-sliaped ; upper leaves 7iarrower. 5. Tulipa Oculus-solis. — Bulb-scales tomentoso on the inner surface. Flowers, funnel-shaped ; segments, shortly pointed and covered with indistinct weak hairs at tho point ; colour, scarlet, paler on the outside ; inside of each division marked at the base with a large, longish, oval, blackish spot, surrounded with a yellow zone. Native of France, Switzerland, Italy, and the east. a. T. O.-s. var. maleolens. — Flowers, bell-shaped, purple (seldom streaked with yellow), tho outer segments shortly pointed, the inner ones blunt ; all slightly bearded on the points, each segment having a round dark yellow spot at the base. Lower leaves lance-shapcd, generally ciliated at the margin. b. T. O.-s. var.pnvcox. — Flowers, bell-shaped ; segments, all shortly pointed and bearded at the points ; colour, orange-red or purple, lu all other respects like the preceding variety. c. T. O.-s. var. Straiujwaysi. — Flowers, ovtil bell-shaped ; segments all blunt ; colour purple, with an indistinct yellow spot at the base of each segment. Leaves lance-shaped. 6. Tulipa Diclieri, Jord.— Bulb-scales thickly boarded on the inner surface towards tho top. Flowers purple or reddish-yellow or yellow; segments shortly pointed, and covered with indistinct short hairs at the points. Stigma largo, trifid, exceeding the ovary in diameter. Leaves bluish. green, mostly ciliated on the margin. It approaches very nearly to tho form of tho preceding species. Native of Franco and Persia. 7. Tulipa Borszczowi, Rgl. — Bulb-scales covered thickly ou the inner surface with long, thin, brown, silky hairs. Flowers yellow or orange-rod, with a dark blue spot at the base of each segment. Segments oboval - wedge - shaped, blunt or abruptly pointed. Stigma slightly trifid. Flower-stem from 8 to 16 inches high, one-flowered, bearing three or four loaves, and covered as far as the middle, or higher, with the withered leaf-shenths of the preceding year. Leaves dark green, very much undulated, and edged Jax. 17, 1874] THE GAEDEN. 49 with a transparent cartilaginous margin. Native of the Aral Steppes and Turkestan. 8. Tulipa Julia, C. Koch.— Bulb-scales, as in the preceding species. Flowers, broadly bell-shaped ; segments, oboval-wedge- shaped, blnnt, or rounded, or abruptly short-pointed ; colour, purple, with a blackish-blne spot at the base of each segment, often marked with several darker coloured dots ; stigma, slightly trifld ; flower- stem, from 2 1 to 4 inches high, one-flowered, and bearing three or four leaves ; leaves, lance-shaped, or narrowly lance-shaped, mostly undulated; upper leaves narrower ; plant entirely smooth. Native of tho Caucasus and Turkestan. b. b. Leaves linear. 9. Tulipa Boissieri, Rgl.— Flowers, purple : outer segments, oval, shortly pointed ; inner ones, oboval-wedge-shaped, margined in front with small points ; each segment marked at the base with a dark-blue spot ; flower-stem, one-flowered, bearing three leaves ; leaves erect, ciliated, longer than the flower-stem. Native ' of Palcstiuc. 1 1 FJower.staJk more or less hairy. 10. Tulipa G-reigi, Rgl. — Bulb-scales, bearded on the inner surface at the top. Flowers, broadly bell-shaped, scarlet, or purple, or, more rarely, yellow; segments, reflesed, ovate, or obovate wedge- shaped, shortly pointed, or obtuse, or apiculate from the rounded apex, each segment marked at the base with an oblong blackish spot ; Hower-stem from 21- to 8 inches high, one-flowered, bearing three or four leaves. Lower leaves, ovate or ovate lance-shaped ; upper ones, narrower, all smooth, undulated, edged with a cartilaginous margin, j^nd marked thickly with oblong tawny spots. A vei'y handsome species. Native of Turkestan. b. Perianth. segments oval, the outer ones ohovate-liijulate, pointed. 11. Tulipa Eunanthiae, Orpli.— Bulb-scales, thickly bearded on tho inner surface. Flowers, purple ; segments, oval, with a long blackish spot at the base ; the inner ones shortly pointed. Flower- stem, covered with short hairs, oue-flovvored, bearing three leaves. Lower leaves, oval. lance-shaped, or lance-shaped, all undulated and scarcely margined. Native of Greece. c. Perianih.segments lance-shaped, the outer ones narrowed into apoint. 12. Tulipa aleppensis, Boiss. — Flowers, purple ; segments, narrowed at the sides, and mostly ending in a point, marked at the base with a longish, linear, blackish spot. Flower. stalk, smooth ; stem, one. flowered, bearing three or four leaves ; leaves, flat, not margined, tho lower ones lance-shaped, or narrowly lance-shaped. Native of Syria, near Aleppo. 13. Tulipa beeotica, Boiss. and Heldr. — This species very much resembles the preceding, but is distinguished from it by its undulated leaves, its flower. stalk covered with short hairs, and its lisrianth-segments bearded in front. Native of Greece. * * Perianth-segments, without any blackish spot at the base. a Perianth-segments, blunt or shortly pointed. f Flower.stalk, smooth. Flowers, erect. a. a. Leaves, not margined; the loiuer ones oval, or oval lance-shaped, or lance-shaped ; upper leaves, narrower. o. Bulb-scales, smooth on the inner surface. 14. Tulipa Gesneriana, L. — This species is tho parent of the well-known late-flowering garden Tulips. It appears in an immense variety of forms, with red, yellow, and variegated flowers, single and double; and with slashed flower-segmeuts, in the so-called Parrot Tulips. Native of Southern Europe and the East. o. 0. Bulb-scales thickhj bearded on the inner surface toivards the top. 15. Tulipa Selireiiki, Rgl.— Flowers, broadly bell-shaped, yellow, or, more frequently, purple, somewhat smaller than those of tho common Tulip ; segments, blunt or shortly pointed, slightly bearded at the apex. Stem, 9 or 10 inches high, one-flowered, bearing three or four undulated leaves. Plant entirely smooth. Native of Soongorei, Ili.Plussgebiet, and Turkestan. b. b. Leaves, with a transparent cartilaginous margin ; lower leaves, elongated lance-shaped ; upper leaves, narrower. 16. Tulipa Lehmanniana, Merckl.— Flowers, bell-shaped, j'ellow ; segments, longish-oval, pointed or shortly so. Stem, one- ilowercd, bearing four leaves; leaves very much undulated or curled, and redexed ; bulb unknown. This species is closely allied to the l)recediug one. Native of the Steppes of Bokhara. c. c. Leaves not margined ; lower leaves, linear lance-shaped ; upper leaves, linear ; sometimes all the leaves linear. 17. Tulipa Soogdiana, Bunge. — Bulb-scales, densely covered with hairs on tho inner surface. Flowers, broadly bell. shaped, .apparently yellowish ; segments, elongated-oval, blunt or pointed, very shortly bearded in front; inner segments ciliated at the base. Stem, from 3 to 5 inches high, one-flowered, bearing two leaves; leaves reflexed, flat at the margin. This species is nearly allied to T. biflora, but is distinguished from it by the stamens being quite smooth at the base. Native of the Steppes of Bokhara. 18. Tulipa armena, Boiss.— Bnlb-soales, thickly set on tho inner surface with long stiff hairs. Flowers, yellow ; segments, oboval, blunt, or the outer ones with a small point ; stem, 3 to 4 inches high, one-flowered, usually bearing four leaves ; loaves reflexed, undulated at the margin. Native of Armenia. 19. Tulipa Clusiaua, Vent. — Bulb-scales, tomentoso on the inner surface. Flowers, almost funnel-shaped ; segments, lance- shaped, narrowed towards the base ; outer ones pointed, white on the inside, and violet-coloured on the outside, near the point ; inner segments, blunt, white. Stem, from 8 to 16 inches high, one-flowered, bearing from three to five leaves. Leaves, erect, far apart, flat at the margin. Plant entirely smooth. Native of South Europe, North Africa, and the East. a. T. C. var. stellata. — This variety has the outer segments violet- coloured on the point only. 20. Tulipa montana, Lindl.— Bulb-scales, tomentose on tho inner surface. Flowers, purple, bell-shaped, or broadly so ; seg- ments, all oval, pointed, and yellowish at the base. Stem, 9 inches high, or shorter, one-flowered, bearing three or four leaves. Loaves, reflexed, far apart, undulated at the margin. Plant entirely smooth. Native of Persia. a. T. m. var. maculata. — This variety has the purple flower- segments marked with a small blackish spot at the base inside ; outer segments, shortly pointed ; inner ones, blunt. b. T. m. var. chrysantha. — Flowers, of a golden-yellow colour; outer segments, pointed ; inner ones, bluut. ft Flower-stnlh, smootli ; fowers, nodding. 21. Tulipa Sibthorpiana, Sm. — Up to the present, this species is only known from Sibthorp's drawing, and, perhaps, should not be referred to tho genus Tulipa at all, but to the genus Orithyia. Flowers, bell-shaped, yellow ; segments, longish-spathulate, bluntish ; stamens, covered with hairs their entire length. Stem, one-flowered, bearing two leaves. Leaves, erect, flat, not margined ; the lower ones, elliptical-lance-shaped. Native of Greece. ttt Flower-stalk, covered xvith short hairs. 22. Tulipa suaveolens, Roth. — Outer bulb-scales, covered with hairs on the inner sm'face ; inner scales, quite smooih. Flowers, broadly bell-shaped, erect, generally purple (seldom entirely yellow), with a golden-yellow margin round each of the segments, which vai-y in shape from oboval to lance-shaped, and are blunt, or shortly pointed. Stem, from 9 to 12 inches high, one.flowered, bearing from three to six leaves. Leaves, erect, not margined, rather flat, the lower onss elliptioal-lance-shaped. Native of S. Europe. In gardens it occurs with both double and single flowers, and with stems of various heights. 23. Tulipa strangulata, Beboul. — Flowers, pitcher-shaped and of various colours, yellow, purple, &c. Leaves, smooth or hairy, not margined. In all other respects similar to T. suaveolens. This and the preceding species aro the parents of the numerous varieties of the early or forcing Tulips of our gardens, such as Due Van Thol, &c. Native of Italy. 24. Tulipa altaica, Pall.— Bulb-scales, thickly covered with hairs on the inner surface. Flowers, broadly bell-shaped, yellow inside, greenish or lightpurple outside; segments, elongated-elliptical, pointed, or rounded, with a small projecting point. Stem, from 9 to 12 inches high, one-fiovpered, bearing two or three leaves. Leaves, bluish-green,°erect or reflexed, covered with short hairs or smooth, curled at the edges, and surrounded with a transparent cartilaginous margin; the lower leaves longish-oval, or longish-lance-shapod. Native of the Steppes of Soongorei, Ili-gebiet, and Turkestan. b. Perianth-segments elongated into a long tail-like point. 25. TuUpa turcica. Roth.— Bulb.scales, covered on the inner surface with long, brown, shaggy, silky hairs. Flowers, bell-shaped, erect, light purple, white, or yellowish ; segments, narrowly lance- shaped, ending m a long bearded point. Flower.stalk, smooth. Stem, from 1 to Ih feet high, one.flowered, bearing from three to five leaves. Leaves, linear.lance-shaped, erect, rather flat, not margined. Native of Persia and Turkey. a. T. t. var. inecjta.- The flowers of this variety are of a deep scarlet, chequered on the outside with white ; the segments also aro not bearded at the point. 26. Tulipa undulatifolia, Boiss.— Flowers, broadly bell- shaped; segments, oval, long-pointed, with short hairs on the point and also on the flower-stalk. Stem, one-flowered, bearing several leaves. Leaves, lance-shaped, reflexed, undulated and curled at the marc'in. Native of Asia Minor, near Smyrna. I havo not seen this plant either in a dried or living state ; the description here given is that of Boissier, Diagn. ser. 1, faso. V. page 57. 60 THE GARDEN. [Jan. 17, 1874. NOTES OF THE WEEK. Winter Pears are behaving curiously this season. Kinds on which the Covent Garden fruiterers usually depend in March are not only ripe, but, in too many cases, rotten now. This is generally trae of all winter Pears, both English and French. There has been much loss, and, it is supposed, there will be a great scarcity of Pears by-and-byo. Does the mild season help to explain this ? At a meeting, held the other day, of the Botanical Society of Edinburgh, Mr. M'Nab laid on the table 138 species of flowers picked in the Botanic Garden on the 1st of January this year. Of these thirty-five might, be said, be considered as winter and spring flowers, while the remaining 103 might be looked upon as summer and autumn plants still flowering. The Early Mount Lebanon Iris (I. Histrio), a near relative of I. reticulata, is just now in flower on a border in the herbaceous grounds at Kew. It bears beautiful blue flowers, spotted with deep purple, its fresh flowers just peeping through the surface of the soil. It is new to our gardens, and deserves general cultivation. It differs from I. reticulata in its smaller size, and much fewer, shorter, and broader leaves, and differently-shaped inner perianth-segments. One of the prettiest bouquet combinations now in Covent Garden Market consists of the pure white flowers of Camellias, Azaleas, Bouvardias, Lily of the Valley, and Tea-scented Roses, spotted here and there with blooms of the bright blue Nemophila. This common blue flower, now produced in hothouses, has quite as good an effect set in white ground-work as a blue Cineraria. We have just received from Messrs. Hooper, of Covent Garden, some tasteful wreaths of artificial foliage and flowers made of metal, and carefully coloured after nature. It is considered that they will be much more suitable for the ornamentation of tombs than the wreaths of gaily coloured Immortelles, now so generally used for that purpose, as they will be more durable. Wreaths of this kind will also be found useful on festive occasions, for wall decorations not too near the eye. ■ We this week give an illustration of the seed-vessela of the Gladwin (Iris foetidissima), sometimes, also, called the Roast-beef plant, accompanied with a description by Miss Ilassard. It is only this season that this very old plant has come into use for indoor decoration. We have long admired it for the sake of its brilliant seeds in winter, so useful in the wild garden. It may be well to mention that the variegated form of this is one of the most popular and most effective plants grown in rooms on the Continent. It thrives in the dry air of rooms ; its white variegation is effective by artificial light, and it is suflaciently graceful in habit to associate well with the various plants used for room-decoration. At Nassau, in the Bahamas, an establishment for cannino- Pine-apples has been put into operation this season, at a cost oi £200,000. Si.T hundred hands are employed in preparing and packing the fruit. A million Pine-apples have been purchased this season, which were grown upon these islands, and were, therefore, procured in their greatest state of perfection, and over a million cans liavo been packed. The Pine.apples are purchased at from 18 to 40 cents, a dozen, and the cans cost on importacion thither 4 dollars 50 cents a dozen. In a recent number of the Gartenfiom, Dr. Regel describes a new species of Tulip, from Turkestan, which flowered last year iu the Botanic Gardens at St. Petersburgh, and which, he says, is so beautiful that he considers it the Queen of Tulips. The flowers are of a brilliant scarlet (in some varieties, purple, or, more rarely, yellow), from IJ to 2i inches long, and from 1 to U inches broad' broadly bell-shaped, the points of the divisions of tho" corolla \>e\n is bright rosy- red, bordered on each side by a band of white, which is finished off by an outer border of dark sliining green. It is a truly lovely ])lant, a worthy subject for tho amateur's skill in endeavouring to cultivate it. Must be grown in the tropical Fernery. East Indies. P. serrulata variegata. — A somewhat robust form of serrulata. marked in a similar manner to P. cretica albo-lineata, but narrower in the pinuas, and these are slightly serrate at the edges ; it is a free- growing pretty plant. P. nem.oraIis variegata. — This is a very pretty plant, somewhat resembling a small form of P. argyrea, but the white in the pinnte is beautifully suffused with rose ; it may be grown in the temperate Fernery. — ViUa Ganlejier. THE DOUM PALM OF EGYPT. (UTPHCENE TUEBAICA.) In Europe and America the food of the people consists principally of cereals, farinaceous roots, and meat of various sorts ; but in Upper Egypt and in places extending to the centre of Africa the fruit of the Doum Palm forms for the poor their principal food, and its infusion with Dates both a pleasant and daily drink and an agreeable and reli. able cure for fever. The Doum Palm yields neither resin nor gum, but its leaves furnish roofing andmaterial for the construction of dwellings. The trunk split and freed from pith, forms the uprights, and all other wood used in constructing the house. It also makes water-tronghs and palisades for enclosing houses and gardens. The down which is attached to the young leaves serves for filling mattresses and pillows. The ribs of the leaves and fibres of the root-stalk form baskets and brooms. In the year there are two harvests of the- fruit, which is the size of an Orange, but of an irregular shape. The outer skin, which is red, is peeled off, and around a kernel is a spongy dry sub. stance, which is the food of the poorer population of Upper Egypt. In the Thebais, the Doum Palm forms extensive forests, the roots sijreading over the deeply-buried ruins of one of the largest and most splendid cities of the ancient world. The Thebais is a district situate in the south of Upper Egypt, on which stood the magnificent city of Thebes, erected, it is said, fifteen centuries B.C. When at its greatest splendour, Thebes extended over more than thirty-three miles. This magnificent city was constructed with gigantic blocks of stone, so calculated to withstand the ravages of time that until now it might have stood for the admiration of the world. But man destroys as well as creates, and Thebes was ruined by Cambyses, King of Persia, B.C. 521. Few traces of the city were to be found in the second century of the Christian era ; but the remains of other cities on the Thebais — Luxor and Karnak on the eastern side of the Nile, and the Memnonium and Medinet Habou on the western side, with other ruins — extend now over an area of nearly twenty square miles. Ruins of palaces and temples, colossal statues, pillars, and obelisks are still standing, or cover the ground in confusion, the sand drifting here and there, and occasionally covering some of them. These grand remains astonish the beholder by their size and magnifi. ceuce, and among them the wandering Arabs, or the very poorest class, to whom the Doum Palm is food and drink, find shelter. Gournou, in Thebais, was for centuries the burial-place of the Pharaohs. In these sepulchral tombs hollowed out of the rocks the poorer Egyp- tians have taken up their abode. Their once occupants, buried with all the pomp of a royal race, have had their remains long since scattered. The Pharaohs, the grandest rulers of Egypt, whose number was legion, and the conquerors of Egypt, of whatever nation — whether Persian, Babylonian, Greek, or Soman — have all passed into oblivion, and their works have followed them ; while the bread of life for man flourishes above the ruins and lends its charm to a desolated region. [Of this Palm an illustration will be found at page 173 of oar first volume.] MOTES AND QUESTIONS ON THE INDOOR GARDEN. "Winter Covering.— I fiuti a dozen or two good mats to be of gyeab servicQ during the winter mouths inprotocfcing greenhouses from frost, especially from tho white frosts so peculiar to oar winters. In bright clear days, when the Kun emits a little warmth, it is well toutihso this by closing the houses early, and whilst tho warmth-giving rays are upon it. This heat will prove of great service in the event of frost at night, if, as the daylight begins to wane, a few good dry mats are carefully placed securely over the roof and ridges of the greenhouse ; then several degrees of frost may be safely excluded, and, should cold, dull, frosty days prevail, the mats could remain on tho glass, as a little extra darkness can "scarcely injure them in a cool tomperaturo and a state of rest. When the mats aro removed it is well to have a convenient rail over which to throw them. — A. D. Linum trigynnm. — I am, pleased to see in your account of Chatsworth (p, 7) favourablo mention made of this useful winter-blooming plaut, of which WG have several in our conservatory, strong, healthy, and flowering profusely. My plants occupy a narrow bonier alongside the pathway, where they aro a Ht'tlc warmer than they would be in an ordinary greenhouse. They receive nc) attention beyond a little pruning in March after they have done blooming, and before they begin to grow, and, throughout the summer, plenty of water, which I a]>p]y overhead through a fine rose as a preventive of red spider, to which this Li'num is very subject. The sod in tho border is a light turfy loam, in which most plantssecm to thrive. I also grow these Linums in pots placed on yholves in tho same house, and, although they grow and flower freely in pots, the preference is decidedly in favour of those in borders.— J. C. L., Aigburthf Liverj'ool. Jan. 17, 187-i.] THE GAEDBN. 63 THE FLOWER GARDEN. THE WELSH POLYPODY. (POLYPODIUII VULGARE VAR. CAIIBRICUM.) There are several varieties of P. vulgare, amongst which that here figured is, perhaps, the best and most distinct for ordinary decorative purposes. It is a very old variety, having been first described by Linna3ns, and is easily distingnished from P. vulgare by its having broader fronds, of a light or golden- green colour, and its pinnre are also much more divided tlian are those of the normal form, which is one of onr commonest British Ferns. It is very ornamental when planted out in a sheltered part of the outdoor or hardy Fernery ; or it can be cultivated in a cool Fernery indoors, where its fronds come fresher and clearer than when planted outside. When well grown, it is very effective, often producing fronds 1.5 or 16 inches long, and about one-third that breadth. It grows well when planted in a compost of turfy loam and peat, with the addition of a little leaf-mould and coarse sand. Its bright green fronds are very handy for arranging with choice flowers in the drawing- room vase, or for dinner-table decorations, and they are also very useful for variety in dishing up Grapes, Poaches, and other choice fruits. A remarkable fact connected with this plant is, that it never produces fertile fronds, it being always barren. In the latter respect it differs from P. vai'. hibernicum, the The Welsli Polypody. Irish Polypody, which also has broad bi- or tri-pinnate fronds. This last was discovered in the Dargle, county Wicklow, by Mr. Mackay, and is a fine and distinct form, deserving more extended cultivation. P. vulgare var. serratum differs from the normal form in its deeper and more marked serratures, and P. vulgare var. bifidum has its lobes or pinnas bifurcate at their apices, the apex of the frond itself being also so divided, although not invariably. Those above named are the most distinct of the varieties of P. vulgare ; but between them there exist other less distinctly marked forms. B. FLOWERS AT ZERMATT. I HAVK read Mr. Inchbald's letter on this subject with much pleasui-e, and, having paid a visit to the same locality myself last year, at an earlier season than he appears to have chosen, I can say that the numerous lovely plants he mentions are only a few of the choice things to be found in the neighbour- hood of Zermatt. The plant, which in my opinion is the most beautiful of all, namely, Aquilegia alpina, I found growing in abundance in one spot only, in a wood near the village ; but, though I took up several roots with groat care, only one seems at present to be alive. The seed, however, which is abun- dantly produced in August, will be the means, I hope, of introducing this gem into many English gai-dens, where, I believe, the true plant is very rare. It grows in dry stony ground under Fir trees, and has a long' woody root stock. stems from 18 inches to 2^ feet high, and very lai-ge purple flowers with pale blue centre and white stamens. Another choice plant is Primula longiflora. This I found abundantly on a dry hillside, about three miles north-east of Zermatt, at an elevation of 6,000 or 7,000 feet. None of the plants had more than a single crown, and, though not so bril- liant in colour, the flowers are much larger than those of Primula farinosa, to which it is nearly allied. Near the same place was growing a beautiful pale yellow Crucifer, which I believe to be an Erysimum, the flowers of which formed dense masses of bloom, about 6 inches high. A little further on, by the moraines of the Frndelen glacier, Seneoio uniflorus was abundant. This plant has silvery-grey leaves in close tufts, and large bright yellow flowers. It was growing in dry gravel at an elevation of about 8,000 feet. The Riflelberg and the Schwartz-see are, however, the best localities for plants near Zermatt. Primulas, Gentians, Soldanellas, and Drabas abso- lutely cover the ground in many places, while several species of Ranunculus (among which R. rntajfolius and R. pyreuaiciis are especially beautiful) flower abundantly on the edge of the melting snow. Near the top of the Goomer Grat, early in July, Androsace glacialis and Draba rotundifolia were in full beauty, growing in a mass of grit, through which the melting snow was constantly trickling. The magenta flowers of the latter, almost hiding the plant, surpass anything I have seen, but I fear the plant would be an extremely difficult one to grow in this country. Of Orchids I found but few, 0. nigra being the only non-British one at all abundant, but the minute Ophrys alpina is also found near the Schwartz-see. It would be easy to go on writing of the beauties of the Alpine flora, but, now that the journey is so short and easy, there are few who cannot go and see for themselves. Two hints I may offer to intending visitors to Zermatt — First, try the Hotel des Alpes, the proprietor of which, Ignatz Biner, is the most obliging and attentive host I ever met, and the charges are extremely moderate. Secondly, use the collecting boxes invented by Mr. Atkins of Painswick, which, for bringing home Alpine plants, are admirable. They are nothing but a flat box 4 or 5 inches deep, with the sides cut away sufficiently to admit air, the lid resting on the corners. Plants taken up with a good ball, tightly pressed together and watered now and tlien, will keep for weeks in these boxes. H. J. Eltves. NEW BEDDING PLANTS. FoEEJiosT amongst plants suitable for carpet bedding or scroll work, is Stellaria graminea aurea, a beautifnl dwarf-growing, yellow-leaved Chickweed, which rivals the now well-known Golden Feverfew for that purpose, as it does not want tho pinching and stopping which that plant requires to keep it within bounds. In Victoria Park, it is used for scroll work, and for clipped edgings. It is perfectly hardy, and easily propagated either by means of cuttings or division. Being a fine. stemmed plant, it dislikes being confined in a warm tempera- ture, in which it gets weak and straggling, and takes a long time to recover itself. Golden Fleece Thyme. — This is another valuable acquisition for purposes such as have just been described. It grows a little taller than T. citriodora aurea, but is still very uniform in growth ; it is much more hardy in constitution than that variety, and is con- sequently more easily wintered. Its leaves are also twice the size of those of the last-named variety. The time whenit is in itsfuU beauty is from the middle to the end of summer. It is easily and readily increased by means of cuttings struck in heat in spring, or in a cool frame in autumn ; or it may be divided into tufts and kept close for a few days until they get established. Abutilon niveum aureo-maculatum. — This is a fine plant for mixing with Coleus refulgens or Emperor Napoleon in beds. Ita leaves are much larger than those of A. Thompsoni, and more richly mottled and blotched with golden-yellow, cream-colour, white and green, these colours being beautifully blended together. It also has a fine effect planted in a circular bed, and belted round with Cineraria asplenifolia ^or C. mai'itima compaota, which is one of tho whitest- leaved varieties that is in cultivation, having a compact habit. The old C. niaritima would not do for this work, as it grows tall, and, if cut back, appears ragged and dirty -looking ; whereas, the newer and dwarfer varieties with their young tops are always in good order, and are very often taken for Centaurca ragnsina compacta. Cineraria eeratophylla. — This is the finest of all the white. 54 THE GARDEN. [Jan. 17, 1874 leaved varieties of Cineraria ; it is beautiful as an edging.plant, as it does not grow more than from 9 inches to 1 foot in height. Its leaves are very finely cut, and of silvery whiteness. It also makes an elegant small specimen plant, planted out singly in small round b3ds on Grass, with a ground-work of yellow, consisting either of Thymus citriodora aurea or of Stellaria graminea aurea, both of which are dwaif bright yellow-leaved plants. Sedum acre elegans. — This is a beautiful addition to carpet, bedding or scroll-work plants, especially when associated with Golden Fleece Thyme, Alternanthera amcena, and centre blocks of the beauti. ful Coleus Verschaffelti splendens. It differs in tint from Mesembry- anthemum cordifoliumvariegatum, inasmuch as it has more of a pale green hue about it, and meets the eye at once. It is perfectly hardy and easily multiplied by division, as every little piece will grow ; it must become a standard plant for carpet-bedding or for scroll-work. Alternanthera amcena spectabilis. — -This, when planted out, will become a very useful plant, as it is in every respect much more robust than A. amcena. Its colour is equal to that of that variety, but owing to its being much stronger and about the same style of growth as A. magnifica, it will be better to winter, and more easy to produce in quantity in a shorter space of time than these kinds. It is easily propagated in the months of March and April, by means of cuttings struck in a brisk bottom-heat. Alternanthera paronychioides major. — This is a pretty sport from the older variety, and it comes in useful where a beautiful orange tint of colouring is required. In growth, it is stronger than the old variety. Coleus Verschafifelti splendens. — This is a fine high-coloured sport from the good old C. Verschaffelti. It is several shades paler, and consequently produces a brighter eifect than that kind. When this becomes generally known, it will be grown in quantity for bedding purposes in place of Verschaffelti. Euonymus flavescens. — This, I am of opinion, will become a favourite. I saw it in excellent condition in Hyde Park, pegged down as an edging. Its bright shining yellow self-coloured leaves had a fine appearance as a marginal belt round a raised bed of the dark, leaved Canna (rubra superbissima), which is one of the very best of dark Cannas for a sub-tropical bed. Lobelias. — Two of the speciosa type, with an upright kind of growth, have been very good this season, viz., Mazarine Gem and Blue Stone. The first of these has dark blue flowers with a tinge or shade of purple, and a small, but clear, white eye. Blue Stone is very dark violet-blue, blooms profusely, and has a nice upright growth. I like it very much and expect to see it used largely next summer. Zonal Pelargoniums. — Of these I have only chosen such as are really first-class as regards habit, fineness of truss, good colour, and free blooming ; strictly speaking, first-rate for bedding pur- poses, viz. : — Belle Esquermoise, pure white; centi'e, very large, and salmon colour. Beau Villageois, centre bright salmon, with white mai'gin ; very showy. Blue Gem, rose, with purple shade ; fine, and free. blooming. Corsair, scarlet, a fine bedding variety, in the style of Lord Derby, but with finer fiowers. Crimson King, truss good ; a free bloomer, and fine bedder. Florence Durand, in the way of Blue Bell, but more rosy in colour; a beautiful free-flowering variety for bedding. Mrs. Qnilter, fine bright pink, extra large truss. Mrs. Lowe, fine bright j)iuk ; an improvement upon Lady Louisa Egerton. Mary Flower, deep red ; .a very fine bedder. Mr. Hole, magenta shaded crimson ; very dwarf and free. Mrs. Holden, trusses of flowers, rosy-pink ; a very free bloomer, and fine bedder. Mrs. S. Musters, lilac pink ; distinct and beautiful. Sa3ur Bazille, bright deep pink or magenta, clear white eye, extra large truss ; a splendid variety. Sparkler, rich plum-crimson ; a very fine bedding variety. Triomphe de Stella, leaves small, dark green, flowers of a peculiar yellow colour; n very distinct and beautiful variety, approaching in colour what the late Mr. Donald Beaton described as Indian yellow. Shakespeare, a fine bright scarlet, with a pip and truss of extra fine quality ; this I saw in the dell near the end of the Ser- pentine, in Hyde Park, and I thought it the finest variety I ever saw. Among silvcr-edged varieties of Pelargoniums I noticed two very fine kinds, viz. : — Bridal Bouquet and Miss King.sbury. The leaves of the first-named are quite equal to those of Princess Alexandra, and the flowers are pure white, bold, and freely produced, as in Madame Vaucher. This is really a gem, with white-margined leaves, and fine trusses of while flowers. Mi.ss Kingsbury has been one of the best of the season ; a bed of it on the Park Lane side of Ilyde Park has been very fine indeed this season, both on account of its whiteness of leaf and uniform habit. Among bronze varieties of Pelargoniums, I noted three very fine, viz. : — Marechal MacMahon ; this has a broad dark zone, bolted with yellow colour, and excellent leaf, beautifully formed. Black Douglas, zone dark chocolate, with narrow yellow margin. Bronze Qneen, zone very large, reddish-chocolate, with a small yellow centre and margin ; a distinct variety. Amoi\g silver tricolor Pelargoniums there are three varieties which I wish to recommend, viz. : — Fair Oriana; this has a broad white belt, small green centre, and a very narrow dark zone, habit free and robust, flowers bright pink ; very attractive, and a good bedder. The Graphic, border white, zone rosy, carmine ; good for bedding purposes. Sabella, margins white, zone broad, rose flamed ; free and very effective. Lantanas, — These, in favourable seasons, are good plants for bedding purposes, for which the following four splendid varieties are very suitable, viz. : — Reine des Fleurs, which, when at its best, is a large bright crimson, with a good medium habit of growth. MacMahon, flowers very fine yellow, changing to scarlet ; habit free. Jacques Minot, yellow and scarlet-crimson ; flower, very large ; habit, dwarf ; a beautiful variety. Flambeau, scarlet aud orange, dwarf and free- blooming One-year old plants of these are best for planting out. Heliotropes. — Of these I can recommend Heloiae Delesalle, because it has two good points ; one is, that it has a stiff upright habit, and very large trusses or corymbs of lavender flowers, and the other is, that its odour is, I think, all that, is required in this class of plants. Cannas. — Amongst these, the new varieties of the past two years cannot be recommended for foliage so much as for their blooming qualities. The flowers of some of the kinds are now fast approaching in beauty those of the Gladioli. The finest are — Prince Imperial, a green-leaved kind, having fine rich crimson flowers. Michel Bonnet, also a green-leaved kind, with fine bright crimson flowers. Compactnm, leaves green, flowers yellow, spotted with red. Bihorelli splendens, leaves dark bronzy-green flowers, bright crimson. Gigantea flori- bnnda, leaves broad, green, flowers orange-buff. Rotundifolia rubra, leaves dark green, flowers orange. Senateur Chereau, leaves green, flowers yellow, spotted with red. These are all magnificent free- flowering varieties, of which I hope to see some fine beds at no distant date. Wigandias. — These are also fine plants, but although Caracasana urens and Mexicana are good, they are surpassed by two newer varieties, viz., imperialis and latifolia. Of these the first has a sturdy kind of growth, with large thick leathery leaves, and is by far the best to stand against strong winds. The next grows larger than any of the other varieties ; the leaves, which are of great size, are long and majestic, and are ornamented with a white mid-rib, which sets off the plant to much advantage. Ornamental Kinds of Beet.— Beta Cicla or braziliensis, these, with their different-coloured leaf-stalks,are very beautiful for surround, ing beds of sub-tropical plants, or for borders in front of shrubs. The finest collection of ornamental Beets which I have seen was in the Zoological Gardens, Regent's Park ; it comprised scarlet, red, purple, yellow, cream, and white, as well as several possessing other shades of colour. These, besides making a fine show in summer, are in- valuable in winter, if taken up from the ground, potted, and placed in a warm greenhouse. The new leaves which they push ujj are satiny and ribbon-like, some of them having two or three shades of colour in one leaf-stalk. If these which I saw in the gardens in question had been potted and placed indoors in a warm house, they would have had a charming effect. Beets are easily raised from seed sown in March, pricked off as soon as they are up, then potted singly, and gradually hai-dened off before being planted out. When potted, they should have a liberal supply of water every day. R. H. B. DOUBLE PRIMROSE CULTURE. If your coiTespondent, " J. N. H." (see p. 30), is growing only the common double kinds of Primroses, such as the white, the lilac, and the sulphur, ho ought not to experience any difiicnlty in rapidly increasing them in any ordinary well-worked garden soil, especially if it has a sub-stratum of clay. I grew these freely quite in the opeu ground, exposed to the full heat of the summer's sun, on such a soil as I have here mentioned. The plauta are lifted annually in October, cut into as many separate crowns as possible, and then planted afresh in another spot, to which a light dressing of rotten manure has been given. These bloom abundantly in spring and grow into several strong crowns during the summer. Advantage should be taken of a soaking rain to give the plants a top-dressing of old pot-soil, and occasionally, during July and August, if drought prevails, a good soaking of watoi may be given with benefit. All Primroses are somewhat impatient of annual removal, and, therefore, where that practice is adopted, a little additional nurture, such as is here mentioned, should be given. With the choicer and less robust dark-coloured kinds more care is requisite, as these only thrive freely in an atmosphere that is moister than our southern summers usually are. Thus they appear to thrive well in some parts of Ireland and in North Britain, but their comparative scarcity further south is, doubtless, chiefly attributable to the heat and drought of Jan. 17, 1874.] THE GAEDBM. 65 onr summer months. They may be cultivated with fair success on a cool north border during summer, but, if the stocks of these should be limited, it is best to lift them, soon after the blooming period is over, and to pot them up singly either into large 60-sized pots, or into small 48-sized pots, and then to plunge them in ashes under a shady wall, care being taken to have a slate or tile bottom for the pots to stand on, iti order that worms may not get into them. In such a position, a soaking of water about once a week will suffice, and, if it consists of weak liquid -manure, so much the better. It is important that the plants should be kept growing all through the summer, and that the foliage should be green and vigorous ; the blooming crowns for the succeeding spring will bo all the stronger for it. About the end of September, if the pot plants have done well, they should be again re-potted, a division of the crowns being made. The plants should then remain either in a cool house or in a frame until the middle of February, when they may bo turned out into their blooming quarters. This is the safest and surest mode of culture I can advise your correspondent to pursue. A. D. THE GARDEN IN THE HOUSE. Bulbous Plants from Seed. — Can any of your readers give me a few hints on the raising of bulbous plants from seed .' I great difficulty with the seeds of Lili- acea^ and others, which require a long time to germinate, as, if sown in pots or frames, and constantly kept moist by watering, a thin crust forms on the surface and prevents the water from penetrating the soil. If placed in a moist shady place, the pots soon got covered with Moss and monld, and, if sown in the open gi-ound, the seedlings are generally destroyed by wood-lice, slugs, and worms. I have tried soot, lime, and other plans to keep them off, without success — the worms being particularly troublesome, as they work up even through 8 inches of ashes. If the soil could be kept in a proper state for a year, I should not niind, as most seeds will come in less time; but some, such as Polygonatum and Trillium, will lie even longer. Has anyone succeeded in raising hardy Orchids from seed, and, if so, how ? I believe it is the natural way to in- crease them, and the only one. I see the seed of several species is sold by the ounce in Germany, as though they were commonly grown, but they must be put in principally to swell the catalogues, like many other things. What a marvellous publica- tion is the seed list of a great German firm ! I am sure there are more than 10,000 species and varieties in one I received latelj'. Where do they all come from, and what becomes of them all ? Sixty distinct classes of Asters, and other florists' flowers in like pro- portion ! 1,500 species of hardy perennials, many of which I venture to say are not to be found in five gardens in Europe, if in any. How many of these are worth growing, even in the largest gardens; and how many of them represent nothing but a name? These questions no one can answer, though they may lead to some interesting reflections. — H. J. E. Sced-iiods of the Gladwin (Iris foetidissima; NOTES AND QUESTIONS ON THE FLOWER GARDEN. Agathsea coelestis variegata.— I bave found this a very valuable addition to tbc llfjwor garden cither for lines or masses, forminj^, as it does, a compact growth from 1 to h inches in height, and being capable of being kept to any desired height with little trouble. It strikes freely in sand or soil, and, from one plant, many hundreds may be raised in this way in a season. I strike it in spring, m shallow boxes filled with sharp sand, on a gentle hot-bed, and winter it in a cold house. It will stand 5" or 6^ of frost, but a greater degree of cold will kill it.— JoHir Nantcawen, Suicklei/ Hurst. A New AUinm.— A recent number of the Oarlnt/lora contains a description and coloured figure of a new Allium (A. oreophijum), which Howered last season m the botanic garden at St. Petersburg. It was discovered by the Russian botanist Kornlkow in the mountains of Akt-Tau in Turkestan.' The flowers, which are borne in a moderate-sized umbel, are (as represented in the the figure) of a charming crimson colour, with a depth and decision of tone very unusual in the dowers of the Allium family, .and are far more striking and effective than those of any other species with'which we are acipiainted. THE GLADWIN AS AN INDOOR ORNAMENT. Until this season, this singular species of Iris seems to have been overlooked in this country, as far as its decorative pro- perties are coucerued. I never before used it myself for pur- poses of ornamentation; but I shall not lose an oppDrtunifcy of doing so whenever I can obtain any of its bright and effective seed-pods. Arranged amongst evergreens, in stands of any description, it is very ornamental. For Christmas decorations, it should take a leading place amongst berry-bearing plants. Its brilliant orange shade of scarlet, and its graceful drooping habit, make it highly effective in garkxnds and large decora- tions formed of evergreens, such as are often used at that period of the year. The seed-pods are sold in bunches iu Covent Garden Market at Si very cheap rate, which makes them come within the means of all classes. I myself have had some spikes of this Iris, or Gladwin, as it is often called, iu use iu a stand amongst evergreens more thau a mouth ; and, with the exception of the berries having shrunk a little, they appear quite as fresh as when first placed there, and their colour quite as bright. These seed-pods also look very well if employed in connection with fruit ; but they must be mi,\ed with Fern-fronds, or some other foliage. I have placed the pods in the Moss that covers the soil of pot-plants, selecting those which were opened out to their fullest extent, and, placing them so as to rest flat on the Moss ; used in this way, they have a very pretty effect. If used in church decorations, they will form, I am sure, a very important ad- junct. In " Pratt's Flowering Plants of Great Britain," this Iris is described as having leaves sword-shaped; perianth, beardless ; its inner segments about as long as the stigmas ; root, perennial. It is not nearly so showy a flower as the Yellow Iris, for its petals are of a dull blue, or, iu some in- stances, a dingy yellow. The plant has a singular odour ; but, while it is untouched, this is not disa- greeable; but, if we break the stem or crush a leaf, its scent becomes extremely unpleasant. This Iris generally grows a foot or a foot-and-a-half high ; and, though a local plant, is commou in the west and south-west of Eng- land. It is abundant in the woods and thickets of Devonshire, and grows in several parts of Kent in dry hedges, or.asintheneighourhoodof Hythe,along the cliff- coast, and on banks near Dover. It bears its flowers from June to August. Its seeds arc very beautiful in winter, when their capsule shrivels, and displays them in all the lustre of brilliant scarlet. They are numerous, and most powerfully acrid. Mr. Sowerby, iu " Our Useful Wild Flowers," after speaking of Iris Pseud-acorus, says :— " The only other British Iris (Iris footid- issima), remarkable forits verypeculiar scent, has been applied to the same medicinal ]5urposes as the common species. It is abun- dant iu some parts of the west of England ; but it is local elsewhere. The leaves arc shorter, narrower, and of a darker green than those of the other kind. The flowers arc purple, and are followed by the triangular seed-vessels, which, when ripe, open, disclosing the beautiful orange-coloured seeds, and rendering the plant very ornamental iu the autumn." Most of those exhibited iu Covent Garden Market for sale come, I believe, from Essex, where, I should suppose, they are culti- vated for that purpose ; but Iris fcetidissima is to be found iu a wild state abundantly in many parts of southern England and Ireland, as well as in the localities above-mentioned. 56 THE GARDEN. [Jan. 17, 1874. There is also a variegated form of this plant, suitable for the garden or conservatory, where, during autumn, it forms a very ornamental addition, its handsome scarlet berries being well set off by the surrounding foliage. A. Hassard. Upper Norwood, OLEANDERS AS WINDOW PLANTS. Visitors to Paris must have noticed the profuse manner in which this plant is cultivated for the decoration of windows, balconies, and the fronts of places of public resort, and, with a little management, it may easily be used for the same purposes in this country. Here at home, it does not flower so well or so generally as could be desired, and this is, doubtless, owing to the wood not becoming well ripened in the autumn. Of late years, some fine varieties of this plant have been raised on the Contment, where the hot dry summer climate suits it admirably. In this country it is rarely grown, although there is no reason why it should not prove a valuable decorative plant under good cultivation. It is readily propagated from cuttings of the last yeai-'s wood, which can either be inserted in sand round the rim of the pot, or they will root freely in water. After the cuttings are rooted, pot them otf carefully in a compost of sandy loam and leaf-mould, using small pots. The newly-potted plants may now be placed on a shelf in the greenhouse, near the light, and must be liberally supplied with water at the root. When the pots become full of roots, set them in pans of water, adding a little liquid-manure ooca- sionally to strengthen their growth. Cuttings struck in the summer make nice little flowering plants in a couple of years, and go on blooming every season afterwards. Where the older plants are set outside during the summer months, select the hottest corner for them, where full exposure to the sun will ripen their growth thoroughly for next year's bloom. It is no use expecting this or any other hai'd-wooded plant to flower well, unless thoroughly ripened in the autumn. When the old plants get too large or leggy, they may be cut back, and will soon throw out young wood, and form bushy speci- mens. The bright, rosy, sweet-scented flowers are nicely adapted for cutting, although their odour is by some con- sidered rather too powerful to bo pleasant ; still, if the apart- ment is well ventilated, a moderate supply of these flowers may be agi-eeable. The plant grows vigorously out of doors on the Continent, and doubtless, like the common and double- flowered varieties of the Pomegranate, it would grow and Hower well in this country, if trained along a warm sunny wall and sheltered from cold cutting frosts. F. W. A BEAUTIFUL BASKET. A CHEENHOUSE ig a place for all kinds of half-hardy plants, but a Bitting.room is designed for other purposes, and no plants should be kept in it except such as are highly ornamental. A room should not be subservient to ornaments of any sort, and a table of plants occupy, ing the best place for sitting at the window can be tolerated only if the collection is very beautiful, free from dust, and the arrangement unexceptionable. Anything which interferes witb the convenience and comfort of the fauiily, anything which detracts from the order, tidiness, and beauty of the sitting-room should be regarded as a nuisance that ought to be abated. " But what shall I do with all my nice plants ? " says the mistress of the house, " I have no other place for them." I will tell yon what my neighbour did, and those who choose can do likewise. Sho made what she calls a basket of a very deep wooden bowl, painted it a delicate colour, and used wire for handles. Sho threw away her sickly plants, carried her Fuchsias and Geraniums into the cellar, leaving the former in their pots, and hanging tho latter up by their roots. Then taking a hint from the way llorista fill garden vases in the spring — crowding in .a great variety — sho transferred the remainder of her stock, consisting of about twenty plants, to her basket, being careful not to break the ball of earth of the most choice kinds, and using a rich compost to lill the interstices. In the centre sho placed one or two Callas, around them blooming Begonias, rich foliage-plants, and Geraniums like Mrs. Pollock and Mountain of Snow, disposing each so as to show its linost qualities. To run over tho handles and droop from the sides so as to cover tho bowl, she planted Ivy, Vinos, Ivy-leaved Goraniumri, Perns, Maurandya, and whatever she happened to have. This proximity was favourable; perhaps the roots found their bed a little warmer than before ; some- thing seemed to stimulate the whole collection into active growth, and not many weeks had passed before the basket claimed special attention, and delighted every beholder. It was graceful, airy, ex. quisite in colours and shadings, and, were it seen behind plate-glass and between lace curtains, it would be thought in harmony with the appointments of the most elegant drawing-room. Perhaps some of us would have less taste iu arrangement ; we are not all blessed with an artist's eye, and do not appreciate the grace and poetry of climbing floating Vines, and the varying hues of rich foliage, but I am quite sure that measurable success would crown any effort of this kind ; and the basket, bowl, vase, or whatever might be used, with its wealth of tender greenery falling from its edge, would look far better than twenty individual, ugly, earthen pots. In arranging cut flowers, we resort to many devices, so with growing plants we can combine them, harmonise their colours, and produce the finest results, and, if our work shows design, much thought, or what art critics call originality, all the better. J. E. J. A Niohe or Bracket Vase. — A fine figure for a niche, or corner bracket, is a large vase filled with a tall bouquet. Flower, stalks of Gladioli are especially effective in such positions ; also branches of Lilies, or individual Lilies of the larger sorts, together with panicles or spikes of medium or more minute inflorescence ; Canna, Spiraja, Deutzia, and Delphinium, are always desirable, while boughs of pendent blossoms — Laburnum, Acacia, Dielytra, Salvia, &o., and all papilionaceous flowers, whether drooping or erect, add much grace to such collections. In filling the vase, it is well to select one elegant blossom or cluster for the centre, the remainder of the group diminishing gradually in size, the stems also of slightly lessening length, so that the bouquet shaU present a pyramidal form. Fronds of the larger Ferns, branches of slender lanceolate leaves, and long ribbons of Grass, particularly of the variegated sorts, are the proper foliage. Long pieces of Convolvulus, Tropseolum, and other blooming trailers (only one or two handsome branches, and those of the same plant), should fall from among the group, over the edge of the vase, and wind carelessly around it, and about its support, thus giving an air of lightness and ease to what would otherwise appear stiff and formal. Stateliness is the idea to be conveyed by this grouping, hence the vase must not be crowded. Only a few stalks, and not more than two or three of a species, are required, while one splendid Lily, Peony, or cluster of Roses, is sufficient for the centre. For indoor decoration on a smaller scale, the most suitable flowers are Roses, always, if possible. Camellias, Carnations, Tuberoses, Fuchsias, Azaleas, or Balsams, Lilies of the Valley, and Hyacinths (in their season) , with Heliotrope, 'Sweet Alyssum, and Mignonette; and feathery foliage, of the gentlest green, fringing the dish (a pendent spray or blossom breaking the outline here and there), and slightly pointing the collection at intervals. These flowers are equally suitable for the festive board, or the centre, or pier- table. When there is a large collection of plants, others, of a similar character to the above, will suggest themselves as appropriate subjects for arrangement in vases. — Hortic ulturist. NOTES AND QUESTIONS ON THE GARDEN IN THE HOUSE. Tree and Cliinliin^ Carnations.— I shall be much obliged if you will give mc some advice about these Carnations, of which I have read so much. I am aii invalid, I love Ilowers cunstantly in my room, and paiticularly in the winter. I am anxious to know whether the Tree Carnation or the climbing kinds are the most continuous bloomers, and, as I want three to bloom from November to April, which kind had I better buy ?— K. B. [Climljing Carnations are merely a slender-stemmed kind of tree Carnations, and, like them, are continuous Ijloomers. For winter flowering, we would select La Belle, white, a kind that ))looms profusely from November till April ; Vulcan, a scai'let- flowered variety, Ijlooming at the same time as La Belle, and having a habit similar to it ; and Miss JoUilf, a dwarfish pale salmon-coloured Carnation, and a most profuse ■winter-bloomer.] Dracsenas in Sitting-rooms.— f shall be glad to know if Dractena inilivisa, D. terminalis, and D. australis will be hardy enough to stand the winter in a llower-staud in the drawing-room, where there is generally a fh-e. — K. B. [The three Dracaenas named may be grown in a sitting-room window in summer, but during severe frosts in winter they would, we fear, sufl"er. If set, however, in a Wardian ease they will keep fresh and healthy, and, if gas is used for illumina- tion, they will thus be protected from its deleterious influences. Plants in rooms have aridity and dust to contend with, as well as extreme temperatures, and in order to keep Dracienas, Palnii^, and similar plants in health, they must be i-cgularly sponged over with clean water at least once a week.] Eupatorium ageratoides a Bouquet-plant.— The Montgomery Horti- cultural Society recomineiids tho White bnako Root (Eupatorium agera- toides) for bouquets and lloral ornaments. It combines the qualities of a profuse bloomer, is hardy, and effective in masses, and thus forms au attractive object for garden culture. Tho large compound corymbs of white misty-looking flowers are precisely what our professional florists desire, and we wonder its merits have so long been overlooked. It is quite common in the North, and continues in bloom for a considerable time during the months of August and September. A botanical friend, who has been in the practice for eevernl years of gathering into his garden our finest native jflants, says this is one of the beat of all. It is readily propagated by division of the roots, and is never injured by the cold of winter or the droughts of summer. JAN. 17, 1874] THE GARDEN. 57 THE COLOURS OF FLOWERS. At a meeting of the Croydon Microscopical Club, held on the 17th ult., the following interesting paper on " The Colour of Flowers of Temperate as compared with those of Tropical Climates," was read by Charles Jeeks, Esq. : — Mr. Wallace has stated in his " Malay Archipelago," that the colour of the flowers, and indeed of vege- tation generally, is not so brilliant in tropical as in more temperate climates, and we also find it stated in a book on " The Chinese Seas," by Dr. CoUingswood (if I remember rightly), that the same rule holds good with respect to sea-weeds. Now, it is true that these statements are quite at variance with those generally believed concerning the flora of tropical climes ; but, coming from the source they do, we can scarcely, I think, dispute their accuracy. Indeed, when we consider the subject, we shall find that such a result might naturally be expected, for amid the dense gloom of a tropical forest but little light can penetrate, and it is, as we all know, light which gives colour. Even in oiir own climate the colour of flowers is not so brilliant crHeris paribus in a dense wood as in an open plain. The idea of brilliant colour especially appertaining to tropical flowers seems, as Mr. Wallace remarks, to have arisen partly from the ' accounts of travellers, and partly from the fact that in this country tropical plants are generally grown in conservatories, where they are exposed to abnormal conditions of light. It would seem, perhaps, indeed, that while the tropical regions are far richer in the production of vegetable forms, so far as concerns brilliancy of colour, we have the advantage, that is, the vegetation of temperate latitudes is more brilliant in hue than that of tropical regions. How are we to account for this .'' Partly, I think, as regards vegetation and the colour of flowers, by the following considerations, or, perhaps more properly, suggestions. We know that the colour of flo\vers depends in some measure, at least, upon the amount of radiation of light. Now, there are three distinct classes of rays from the sun ; rays cf light, rays of heat, and what are called actinic or chemical rays, which, combined with the others, are probably effective in the production of those chemical changes which all plants more or less undergo. It is then by the absorption and radiation of these rays of light that the colour of the flower is produced, and as in temperate climates, these rays seem to bo in excess, while those of heat and actinism are subsidiary, especially, perhaps the former, the result seems to be that in such regions the colour of flowers is comparatively more brilliant than in tropical climates, where, besides the larger amount of heat and actinic rays, and the smaller proportion of rays of light, the effect of these latter is possibly much counteracted by the greater amount of moisture present in the air. It also seems possible that the greater richness of soil which generally prevails in tropical climates may be another reason of the comparative want of brilliancy in the flowers ; for, wherever the soil is light and dry, indeed, even arid under the conditions of a clear blue sky and bright sun, we find the colour of flowers in proportion more brilliant, as in certain tropical regions is the case. Coming to our own climate, we shall, I think, find that these suggestions are in some measure borne out ; as, for instance, in the generally brilliant colour of our wild flowers. It would seem, then, that a richer soil, combined with a damp atmos- phere, and a larger proportionate amount of heat and actinic rays, has the effect of, as it were, deepening, and, perhaps, to a certain extent, fixing the colour of flowers. To refer to our practical expe- rience in sach matters, is it not generally true that a dry warm season, with plenty of sunlight and clear blue sky, is accompanied by a more brilliant colour in our flowers, which are also more abundant and true ? Owing to the effect of these conditions, the seed is more plentiful ; while, under the contrary conditions, the reverse is generally the case. It is true that the deeper colour generally accompanying a mountain flora may seem an exception to this ; but it should be remembered that here we generally have the presence to a certain extent, especially on the lower slopes of the mountains, of more tropical conditions as regards a greater amount of moisture. Coming down to foliage, I think we shall find that the conditions above named as probably affecting the colour of flowers have here also a proportionate effect, for the foliage of tropical climates is generally of a deeper colour than that of temperate regions, that of the latter being of lighter hue ; and, indeed, the further north we go within the temperate zone, the more, as a general rule, do we find this to be the case, the comparatively greater amount of light rays being accompanied by a correspondingly lighter colour of the leaves. There is, however, one exception to this, and, so far as I know, but one— that of New Zealand — where the foliage is of a lighter colour, more approaching that of our own vegetation ; but the climate of New Zealand is one nearly similar to our own in character, in the free access and circulation of air admitting more readily the rays of light, while it naturally increases the extent of evaporation, and also tends to check the superabundant presence of that moisture, which. as a rule, in tropical climates, owing to the denser character of the foliage, which also helps to produce it, tends to perpetuate the con. dition of things which we find there, the prevalence of a deeper hue in the foliage. Again, it is, I believe, a fact that dnll-coloured flowers generally have the sweetest scent, while bright and brilliant coloured ones have either no scent at all, or a disagreeable one. In our own country, for instance, we find those of brilliant colour, which is perhaps predominant, being comparatively scentless, and that this rule is generally borne out among wild flowers. I think the cultivated flowers are scarcely a fair test, as the colour, and, perhaps, scent too, can be modified to almost any extent. There are, doubtless, many exceptions to this rule, but still I think our own experience estab- lishes it as generally correct. Now, may it not be suggested that the same causes, whatever they may be, which tend to produce more brilliant colour, tend also to lessen sweetness of scent, and vice versa ? and in tropical regions we know the scent of the comparatively dull- coloured flowers is particularly powerful. The, perhaps, greater number of brilliant coloured scentless flowers found in a state of nature in our own climate, at least, I think, may be in part accounted for by the visits of butterflies, &o. ; for as soon as any flower exhibits any teudency to variation in the direction of brilliancy of colour, it is probably visited by these insects, and its propagation thus ensured, the tendency to brilliancy of colour being increased by the law of heredity, and further confirmed by suitable conditions of growth; and it is true that to a certain extent this may take place with regard to dark-coloured flowers (by reason, perhaps, of their sweeter scent) ; but owing possibly to colour being generally more attractive to insects, and other causes, these latter seem to fail in the competition with their more favoured rivals. It is interesting to consider the rationale of this transportation of a germ from a plant of more or less brilliant colour to another, by the ultimate efllects of which the stock is, as it were, established. Now, it is probable that flowers owe their colour to the fact of the existence of a very delicate tissue, which has the property of absorbing some rays, and rejecting others (for all flowers are natur. ally colourless before exposure to light), but in some cases, owing perhaps to various causes, this tissue absorbs rays of light of a different hue to those which we are accustomed to consider as belonging to the flower in question, and the result is a variation in colour. As soon then as this variation (however slight it be) appears, it is taken advantage of by butterflies, which, attracted, perhaps, by the difference in hue, visit the flower and transmit the germs to another flower in which, in course of time, the variation in colour becomes fixed, partly by the transmission of the germ having taken place at the proper time and under favourable conditions, and partly also from the action of the law of heredity, by which any variation in a plant is, under favourable circumstances, liable not only to be again produced, but absolutely increased in amount with each ease of re-productiou, so that the variation is now developed in an ever.increasing rate, until it becomes more or less con- firmed. In connection with this subject, the question suggests itself— do cultivated plants come under the same law as domesticated in contradistinction to wild animals ? We know that the former, at least sometimes, are not so fertile as the latter, so that it would seem that by confinement or domestication, a certain degree of change is produced in the reproductive organs inducing partial sterility. Now, there seems reason to believe that, in proportion as a plant tends to vary, so does it suffer in its fertility. It is the domestication or cultivation of plants which often produces variation, and this probably means with cultivated plants, an increase in brilliancy of colour of the flowers, which would seem probably by inference to be attended (at least to some extent) by infertility. The same suggestion may, I think, also be applied to wild flowers, the brilliant colour of which we have seen, to be often caused by variation, but the tendency thus produced to decrease in fertility may be here, perhaps, in some measure counteracted by the con. tiuual intermixture or crossing of different species by means of tho visits of butterflies, which possibly tends to prevent any excess in variation. Again, as our wild flowers seem to be generally noted for brilliancy of colour (in this respect possibly excelling cultivated ones), it may be suggested that this also is accounted for in part by the greater range of intermixture of different germs. Besides, supposing it to be true that bright-colourcd flowers are less sweet scented as a rule than duller coloured ones, it would seem possible that as a flower becomes more brilliant in colour, it also generally becomes less sweet-scented, and it may not be an object with gardeners to produce a predominance of brilliant colour at tho expense of sweetness of scent. Now, if the above theory of colour in flowers be correct, it would seem to follow that we have some reason for the supposition that, as in a comparatively equable, warm, and damp climate (the latter word implying the pro. bable absence to some extent, at least, of the light rays of the sun) 68 THE aARDBN. [Jan. 17, 1874 brilliant colour in flowers and vegetation is rather the exception than the rule, so, as our own climate partakes more of these conditions, and becomes more equable and damp, and therefore probably more dull as regards light rays, will brilliant-coloured flowers, at least in a state of nature, become more and more rare. There would also seem some reason for the suggestion (supposing the laws of nature now in action around us to be the same in character as those of long by-gone ages) that, as the climate of the Carboniferous era is now generally believed to have been rather of a damp and equable than of a tropical character (somewhat, perhaps, resembling that of New Zealand, but probably more humid) the flora of that period was of comparatively dull colour, and possibly more sweet-scented than that of the present day, while the foliage was probably of a deeper green than now. As an example of this, we know that the principal part of the vegetation of that time consisted of various forms of Coniferso, Cryptogamia, and Tree-Ferns (the two latter possibly of a darker hue than those now living, owing to excess of moisture, &c.) Now we find at the present time that Mosses and Ferns flourish most luxuriantly in damp situa- tions and sheltered from the sun, so that, upon the theory I have advanced, we are thus enabled to suggest the probable effects of that dim uncertain light and atmosphere upon the piimasval vegetation of the great humid coal formation. And now, in conclasion, I cannot but feel that the theories I have advanced must seem to many as somewhat wild, crude, and undigested ; but I trust they will remem- ber that they are only theories, or rather, perhaps, suggestions. I hope, however, that I have said nothing in any way of a dogmatic character ; if it seem so, I trust it will be understood that any such utterance was quite unintentional. I have tried rather to suggest than to assert, and if I have been fortunate enough to throw out any fresh material for thought, I shall be amply repaid if it serves to stimulate anyone to further enquiry. An interesting discussion followed the reading of the paper, in which the president, Mr. Cooper, Mr. Morland, Dr. Carpenter, Mr. P. Crowley, Mr. Perry, Mr. Taylor, and Mr. Haddock took part. The chief point touched upon was the action of light with regard to the formation of colour in flowers. Dr. Carpenter pointed out that flowers having different hues was evidence that they decomposed light, and fixed a certain portion of that light in their tissues. Certain chemical agents would produce a change in a flower ; but without light, so lar as lateral flowers were concerned, it would be impossible to get a variety of colours. He had not an acquaintance with foreign countries, but he had been under the impression that tropical climates certainly produced the most brilliant flowers, as they did birds of the most brilliant plumage. The possession of scent in a flower was generally accompauied with less brilliant hues ; but this was notalways the case. He did not think that much light was wanted for the production of colour, because some of the Fungi on which he had remarked at a former meeting, which grew in the deepest glades of the forest, yet had the most brilliant hues possible, and generally the darker the glade the brighter the hue of the Fungus that grew there. Dr. Carpenter also referred to the brilliant colours that could be obtained from gaa-tar, showing that, although ages ago, when the vegetation of the coal formation flourished, brilliant colours were not produced, still the colouring matter was there, and could be obtained. He considered Mr. Jecks' paper a most suggestive one, and he highly commended it. Mr. Taylor expressed an opinion that light had but little to do with determining the colour of flowers. He mentioned that he once planted some Crocuses the wrong way upwards, and, as they did not appear above the surface cf the soil, he made an examination, and found they had bloomed in the ground in their usual colours. This, ho considered, disposed effectually of the Light theory. Blackbirds as Garden Destroyers. — My garden is infested with hundreds of blackbirds. In summer, fully half the fruit falls to their share ; I have literally found a White Currant bush full of fruit cleared in two days, nothing but stalks remaining; and Goose- berries the same, nought but skins loft in place of berries. In winter they give me also much annoyance, uprooting my spring beds of Daisies and other short-rooted plants. I wish some of your correspondents, who are so fond of the " small birds," had to suffer what I have from them. By comparing notes, I find none of my neighbours are as umch troubled with them as I am. I am willing to preserve thrushes, sparrows, robins, tits (destructive as these .are), and the finches, except, perhaps, the bulltinch; but the black- birds must be destroyed. Can any of your readers give me a good plan of effecting this without the gun ? I am a very bad shot and seldom hit them. Tliere are many large trees in which they take refuge, especially on the other side of a river, where they fly when disturbed, returning again dii-octly the coast is clear. — Bad Snor. MODERN EGYPTIATSr GARDENS. Only those who have visited Egypt during the winter months can form any idea of the calm repose that almost invariably pervades that wonderful country at that period of the year. The clear blue sky and quiescent atmosphere cause such a dreaminess to overspread, as it were, the whole country, that, except near the cities, one may easily imagine onc's-self in a land of spectre palaces, villas, and mosques. The graceful heads of the Date Palm, poised calm and motionless in the air, relieve the towers of the country mansions of much of their monotony. It i§ winter, yet the Orange-trees are laden with golden fruit, the Jessamine, Rose, and Geranium are still in bloom. The leaves of the Vine and other deciduous trees have just begun to turn red and brown, and to prepare to fall. Our illustration is a good representation of a modern Egyptian villa and garden of the Mameluke period. The square basin and stately Cypress, the Vine-embowered path, producing shade and Grapes in abundance, and the little summer-house or kiosque in which the owner and his family enjoy the grateful weed and aromatic coffee, are faithful delineations of Egyptian garden-life. Daring the past thirteen years, gardening has made rapid pro-, gress in Egypt, the frequent visits of the Pashas, princes, and Kedhive to Europe having given the Egyptians of high rank quite a taste for European horticulture ; and gardeners from England, France, and Italy have been employed in various localities, but more especially in the neighbourhood of Cairo and Alexandria, to carry it out. Ismail Pasha, previous to his becoming ruler of Egypt, began to garden in a very spirited manner at Gezira, au island in the Nile, and theimpi-ovements then contemplated have since been completed by the late M. Barillet, a French landscape-gardener, who was the Kedhive's chief commissioner for carrying out that kind of work. The Gezira garden is the best imitation of an English establishment in Egypt, and it has been created at an enor- mous expense. Artificial mounds, embankments, rock-work, and water are all very naturally introduced ; good breadths of lawn, dotted with trees, shrubs, and parterres of flowers, produce, in this land of sunshine, a more pleasing eilect than in our own country, on account of the rarity of Grass in Egypt. To achieve this desideratum, large tanks or reservoirs have been constructed of sufficient height to serve the fountains and to force water to every part of the garden, which, during summer, has to be kept in a state of perpetual irrigation. In the Gezira Garden is a magnificent collection of tropical trees — Palms of many kinds, Paudanus, Ficus, Cathartocarpus, Musas, Cycads, Acacias, and other things too numerous to mention. Among the vast variety of climbing plants in this garden, the most notable is Bougainvillea speotabilis, which grows with all the wild luxuriance of a Wistaria in our own country, and is annually covered with thousands of spikes of its lovely mauve-coloured bracts. In few countries is vege- tation more rapid or luxuriant than in Egypt; /'.(?., where irrigation is attended to, consequently it takes but a few years to have a perfect garden. The old swampy puljlic garden in the Esbequia, at Cairo, has undergone a complete renovation under the Kedhive's rule. It was several feet below the high Nile level, and during full tide, if it may be so called, a great portion of it used to be under water. This garden has been raised above the high Nile level, fenced in with a suitable iron palisading, and is entered on the north and sovith sides by massive carriage gateways, and on the other sides by two smaller gates for pedestrians. It is divided into four compartments by the main drive and walks, having a, large circular fountain in the centre. In one of the divisions is a good rock-garden. Trees are planted thickly to produce shade, and a portion is devoted to flowers, as is usual in French town garden-squares. All that could be left of the fine old trees were spared. The Esbequia garden was first planted by a Greek gardener, under Mehemet Ali, after the model of some of the old Dutch gardens, but it was much neglected under the rule of Abbas and Said Pashas. In 1862, Halim Pasha, the youngest son of Mehemet Ali, who was at that time the proprietor of the celebrated Shubra Gardens, engaged Mr. Chapman, from the Royal Horticultural Gardens at South Kensington, to re-construct and make additions to this truly splendid garden, which had been the pride of Mehemet Ah. Ic consisted of about 00 acres JA>r. 17, 1874] THfi GAUDEN. 59 A UODEEN EGYPIIAN QARDEN. 60 THE GAEDEN. [Jan. 17, 1874. devoted, with few esceptious, to shady aveuues and fruit- trees, fringed with ifyrtle hedges and flowering shrubs. A large portion of the garden was devoted to Orange and other trees of the Citron family, and it contained the greatest variety of this useful and interesting class of plants ever seen, perhaps, in Egypt. The accounts given of the quantity of Oranges of every kind. Citrons, Shaddocks, sweet and sour Limes or Lemons, produced in this garden, seemed fabulous. This garden (as were all the gardens in Egypt that were made and planted at the time Shubra was formed) was laid out in square compartments, formed by means of straight and rect- angular paths, broken by eqiai-distant circular groves of shade- trees, such as Acacia Sedbeck, Ficus indica, and F. elastica. Halim Pasha had completed a new palace at Shnbra in 1862, round which Mr. Chapman formed some interesting terrace and other gardens, into which were introduced many fine trees and shrubs from Europe ; yet a large portion of the Shubra Garden remains as it was in Mehemet All's time. The Orange and Lemon gardens are still there, and the beautiful marble kiosque, with its lions and fountains. This kiosque was a favourite lounge of the patriarchal Pasha, and consists of a raised square court, the parts seen from the garden being merely blank walls. In the interior, is a large marble basin, nearly an acre in extent, into which lions and griffins jet water. In the four corners of the building are a billiard- room, breakfast-room, bed-room, and library, a covered promenade connecting the whole, which is lighted by gas. Shubra is about four miles from Cairo, from which it is approached by a fine avenue of Fig trees. Peter Wallace. THE FRUIT GARDEN. INFLUENCE OF THE STOCK ON THE SCION, AND VICE VERSA* Both theory and practice teach us that the relationship existing between the root and the top of a tree cannot be impaired, to any great extent, by any artificial intervention of man. The very moment that an inserted bud or graft commences to granulate and then unite, that moment the two parts of the embryo tree struggle, as it were, for the mastery. That is, certain idiosyncrasies, inherent either in the branches of the one or the roots of the other, will form a leading feature in the mature plant. Abundant proof of this is afforded by examining the roots of nursery-grown Apple trees, whether budded orgrafted. Takefor instance some well-known variety, as tlie Bcllefleur, and the roots will be found uniformly long, slender, and very fibrous ; other kinds will prove exactly the opposite. If we place a graft of some well-marked variety upon any ordinary stock, say 5 or 6 feet high, in a few years certain peculiarities of the bark will bo found extending down from the branches to the body of the tree ; as is instanced in the Newtown Pippin Apple and Van Mons Leon le Clerc Pear. Another curious feature respecting the influence of the scion upon the stock, is noticeable in some of the so-called " sports," or variegated-leaved plants. During the past season, a Mountain Ash, upon whioli was budded a variety with variegated leaves, commenced to push forth young shoots from the main body of the tree, below the point were the bud was inserted. In every case these had variegated leaves. Now, in view of the fact, that these adventitious buds were there in advance of the original varioga- ted bud, the presumption is, that they were created green, and their normal condition yielding to the controlling influence ol: the new branches, caused the change to occur by the flow of .sap from above. A still more remarkable case than the one above cited, was related by a correspondent of The Londox Gaeden. He states that he procured scions of a diseased Horse Chesnut with yellow loaves, and worked them upon strong, healthy young trees. Some time there- after, upon examining the stocks whore the scions had failed, young shoots were found down the body, bearing the identical yellow-hued fob'ago; and yet, where the buds originally inserted had "taken," they produced perfectly healthy green leaves. This disease, for I liold that all variegation is in some manner unhealthy, had evidently been comnmnicated from the bud or scion to tlio stock before the death of the former, and for a short time, during its vain struggle for existence, contaminated the parts below. The Scientific Com. mittco of the Koyal Horticultural Society of Kugland, also records a like case with a yellow-leavcd Laburnum. After the inserted bud had died, variegated shoots were noticed issuing from the stock, both below and above the inserted point. And Dr. Masters • Read by Jo»iah Hoopcs to the American Pomological Society. has stated that an Abutilon had thrown out variegated shoots after grafting with a variegated variety, but ceased to do so after the inserted graft died. But, in some instances the stock exerts a marked influence upon the scion, thus showing the co-operative system in use between them. An instance is mentioned of a couple of Muscat Vines worked on the Black Hamburgh, in the same house with a Muscat on its own roots. Those worked on the Hamburgh start fully five or six days in advance of the one on its own roots, although they are nearly a fortnight behind the Hamburghs they are worked on. It is a curious fact that there has never been seen any difference in the ripening season, nor any effect on the fruit. As we stated in the com. mencement, certain marked peculiarities will sooner or later always make themselves known ; sometimes it will be one thing, and again another and totally different feature assumes the superiority. The governing cause, involved in mystery, as it is, to a certain extent, affords us a clue by means of which we may study a very useful lesson in plant life. We know that all vegetable growth arises from a cell, and what are termed young shoots, leaves, blossoms, &c., are, in fact, but an accumulation of cells, which, in time develop woody fibre and other organs. The propagator of new varieties knows that a single bud, or a section of a young branch, may be inserted in a different tree, and these will unite and produoe fruits and flowers similar to the kind from which said bud or graft was taken. Now, let us inquire into the changes that occur during this growing pro- cess, or, as horticulturists term it, " taking." Between the wood and bark is where active growth takes place, and the layer of young cells foimd here is known as the Cambium layer. All growth, of whatever nature, is by cells, the origin of which is, however, at present unknown. But this cell-growth is accomplished by small protuber. ances, making their appearances on the walls of the older cells, and these rapidly increase, and again, in turn, assist in the formation of others, and this is carried on so long as growth takes place. Without going into a long dissertation upon the subject of cell-growth, which would form a long essay in itself, I will merely state that the question has been asked in relation to a budded tree — Can the cells at the point of union, be partly of one variety and a part belong to another ? My theory is, that a cell, singly, is entirely a component part of the variety from which it originates, either from the scion or stock, and is invested with all the powers and principles inherent in that part. A single cell cannot be of two varieties, but a collection of cells, as, for instance, the cellular tissue, may be formed partly of both. The vascular or fibrous tissue is governed by the same laws, each separate, but the little bundles of woody tissue uniting by their outside covering or walls, thus form a compact mass of wood, and the bud or graft has taken, which ultimately forms the future tree. A bud is, in fact, an embryo tree. It contains within its protective covering all the elements of tree growth, with all the organs of vegetation and reproduction intact. Therefore, when a bud is inserted beneath the bark of another plant, the cellular growth at once takes place on both sides, these unite by their outside walls, and the so-called sap commences to circulate in the inter-cellular passages from one to the other. It is, therefore, no wonder that certain peculiarities embraced in the root may be found developing in the scion or top, and vice versil. That the scion is enabled to re-produce its kind, is due to the fact that its young growth is merely an increase of cells already formed, and the variations alluded to at the commencement of this paper are the result of constant currents of saji flowing between the two remote portions of the tree, and at the same timo imbuing the one with certain marked characters, contained previously in the other. Thus, in a somewhat hurried, and, I fear, very imperfect maimer, I have alluded to the influence of the stock upon the scion, and vice versA. This interesting subject is by no means all theory, as many suppose, but is the result, for the most part, of close examination by means of the powerful lens. Future investigation will, undoubtedly, reveal many novel features which we now know not of, and, to accomplish this fully, the patient student of horticulture is asked to join the botanist in the pleasant task. But there is another and more popular aspect to this subject — the relative advan. tages of certain stocks for particular species of plants. Under this heading, we may take for example tho Plum worked on the Peach. Prejudice and distrust, on the part of many cultivators, have done this operation great injustice. By tho owner of a heavy soil, whero the Plum root thrives luxuriantly. Peaches should be planted with caution ; bnt, on the other hand, in the great Peach districts, with a light mellow soil, the Peach root will succeed far better than the Plum. Peaches always make a large number of strong fibrous roots, and return to the top a vast amount of nutrition. The junction in certain varieties of Plum on Peach roots is perfect, and the tree is long-lived and healthy. The testimony of some of our most noted pomologists goes to show that the practice is correct, and a careful examination plainly indicates that the theory is faultless as well. Jan. 17, 1874] THE GAEDEN. 61 Tho subject of dwarfing frait-trees is not properly understood. The Pear worked on Quince roots certainly dwarfs the tree to a certain extent, and for a few years, but is the process caused by some inherent property contained in the Quince ? We think not. Once allow the Pear to throw oat a few roots above the point of junction, and the tree becomes a standard. The abundance of sap or nourish- ment gathered up by the roots and forwarded to the top, causes in most cases a larger and finer growth of fruit, thus showing that tho Quince i^ adapted to these kinds ; but take an uncongenial variety, and mark the result. The fruit is often iu such cases worthless. Years ago we were told that budding Cherries on the Jlahaleb stock would cause the trees to become dwarf. Little did these pi'opaga- tors know that when they annually pruned their trees, this was what dwaifed them, and not the root. The junction in this case is always perfect, and it is a well-known scientific fact that excessive pruning causes debility in a plant, and that, when vitality is checked, the tree becomes dwarfed, as a matter of course. Excessive growth and productiveness seem to be generally antagonistic. A dwarf tree, after the first vigorous growth is over, will, if healthy, produce good crops and mature a reasonable amount of new wood. Some certain varieties of Pears, as, for instance, the Bartlett, never unite properly on the Quince stock — the cellular tissue of each never seems to make a perfect union. Very many trees that we have examined under a strong leus reveal a marked line between the cell-growth of the two, and not, as is the case with other kinds, a lengthening of both cell- growths, one up, and the other down, so that it is very diflicult to determine where the exact point of insertion really is. There are causes, over which we have no control, that debar ns from dwarfing some varieties, but science has not yet solved the mystery. THE ASHTON COURT GRAPE PRESERVER. The accompanying is au illnstration of a useful Tvayof keep- ing Grapes iu water after they are cut from the Vine. , Any plumber can make the tins for 6d. each, exclusive of the copper wire by which they are suspended. The Grapes keep well in these preservers hung up m a Vinery ; but what I should really like to have would be a small house so situated that by turning a valvo one could have heat when required, such house to be properlj^ venti- lated ; it could be used in the summer months for young Vines in pots, Cucumbers or Melons. Such a place could be kept perfectly free from dust or damp. — William Dodds. Fruit Culture in Nebraska.— At the annual exhibition of tho American Pomological Association, held in 1873, at Boston, Mass., the first premium for fruits was awarded to Nebraska. This was the second occasion on which this honour had fallen to that State, a similar premium having been awarded at the Richmond, Virginia, exhibition of the society, in 1871. The Burlington and Missouri River Railroad Company, wliich owns a large tract of laud iu Nebraska, exhibited, at the 1873 American Institute Fail-, at New York, a large variety of the fruits of the country, and has received three diplomas from tho Institute for fruits and other kinds of produce. The same company, as our readers will remember, also exhibited a beautiful collection of fruits at the late Smithfield Club Show. NOTES AND QUESTIONS ON THE FRUIT GARDEN. Apples for Northumberland.— Will any of your readers tell me from experience what first-class dessert and kitchen Apples I may plant with confidence m this part oE tho country? They must thi-ive as standards I am ahout formmg what I hope will prove a good orchard.— J. H., Northnmherland. Pears hy the Sea.— Passing by the shore from Nowhaven to Eastbourne the other day, .and not expecting the least interest in tho way of gardenin"- along that exposed garden-leis and tree-less walk, we were surpriled to sel some noble Pear trees tramed agamst the side of the lar^e tide mills near Newhaven. They are as fine examples of training as wo have ever seen and run from 20 to 30 feet high. They havo borne many good crops Some years ago, a gutter was put over them to prevent the water falhng from the roof' on the flowers. Since this has been done the crops have never been nearlv so good. The roots having only a restricted road-way to feed in tho trees Buffered from want of the roof-water. The fact is instructive — E ' SOILS, FERTI USERS, &c. THE DIFFERENT MODES OF PREPARING SEWAGE MANURE. OuK readers will, no doubt, be interested by the following excellent summary of information relative to processes for the utilisation of town sewage. It is from one of the able articles included in the "Companion to the British Almanac." Dirt was defined by Lord Palmerston to be matter in the wrong place. The sewage filth, which in our large cities is one of the most dangerous enemies of , public health, a constant source of annoyance and fear, would in its proper place be a valuable fertiliser of tho soil, and aid in increasing the quantity and quality of the fruits of the earth for the food of man. Amidst the contending claims of the numerous sewage systems there is perhaps some danger of the public growing weary of the subject, and regarding it as a matter for the judgment of experts alone, and without any interest for anyone else. Such a result would be greatly to bo deplored. The nation has a very vital interest in the sewage problem, and a just appreciation of this fact must precede any successful attempt towards its solution. The problem is, first, how to dispose of sewage in such a manner as to be harmless in its effects on public health ; and, secondly, how to realise the vast potential wealth which is now thrown into the sewers. Our rivers are polluted to an almost incredible extent. The Thames receives the sewage of 880,000 persons before it comes into the hands of tho water companies. " This water contains a larger amount of impurity derived from fcecal matter than filtered sewage." The influence of this matter may be clearly traced in the epidemics of typhoid fever, and there can be no reason to doubt that the double contamination of air and water has a most deleterious effect on public health. Bat this matter, so offensive and detnmental when mis- applied, has a very high potential value. We will now briefly mention the plans proposed for getting rid of this noxious waste, and utilising its valuable properties. For the removal of the excreta of the human body, and the refuse of the household, there are two essentially different plans, each having violent partisans. Whether the system should be based on earth or water is the primary con. tention. Dry Earth System.— Experience has shown that earth care- fully dried until it has become a powder absorbs and renders inodorous offensive substances, if applied iu suiEcient quantities to absorb all the fluid matter. The dry ash of hard coal or anthracite may be used instead of earth. This plan is impracticable in large and densely populated cities and towns, i or 5 lbs. of dry earth would be required daily for each individual. A city of 100,000 people will involve bringing in 250 tons daily from the surrounding country, and distri- buting it to, perhaps, 15,000 different houses. In the country, and iu many establishments situated where there is plenty of land from which to take the earth, and to which the manure might be returned, the system could be advantageously adopted. Water Carriage System.— All towns are obliged to havo sewers and drains to carry off the surface-water falling as rain, and to drain the soil of its too abundant moisture. The houses are con- nected with the sewers by water-closets, &c., and the sewer gases seek a passage by these channels into the interior of the houses. Sewer air is not fetid, nor pungent, nor ammoniacal; it has no marked characteristic of its own. If it were foul-smelling, its presence would excite greater attention than it now receives. When it escapes from the sewer into the dwelling, it carries with it a virulent poison, and the air is filled with the seeds of disease. A storm of rain, or even a change of temperature, may cause it to rise through any unlucky leak and quickly spread throughout the dwelling. It has'been pro- posed to have a continuation of the soil pipe carried up the roof, and so subject the contents of the drains to tho purifying influence of currents of air. Tho water-carriage system being that for the most part in use, we now turn to the proposals for the utilisation of sewage. The Lime Process. — In this, the sen age is mixed with cream of milk or cream of lime and violently agitated. When allowed to subside, highly putrescible mud is precipitated, while the liquor flows off in a tolerably elear condition. Drying the mud is a very offensive operation and much of its valuable constituents escapes. The manure has sold for one-third the money it costs. The Phosphate Process is based on the fact that certain mineral phosphates, when freshly precipitated, eagerly combine with the organic matter in the sewage. Fetid sewage may be deprived of odour and colour if they are agitated in it. Phosphate of magnesia combines with the ammonia contained in the sewage, and precipitates it as double phosphate of ammonia aud magnesia. The amount of ammonia is very small, and the plan does not appear to be capable of being worked profitably. Morfit's Process replaces the natural phosphate of alumina by 62 THE GAEDBN. [Jan. 11, 1874. a new artificial material, the " mother water," as produced by Dr. Slorfit's process for obtaining pure phosphates of lime by precipita- tion from hydrochloric solutions of mineral phcrsphates of lime. The result is, in the opinion of the inventor, a valuable special manure for clay soils. Blyth's Process is an attempt to obtain the ammonia contained iu the sewage, and consists in treating it with super-phosphate of lime and a salt of magnesia. Very little success appears to have attended this plan. In Holden's Process, the sewage is mixed with sulphate of iron, lime, and coal-dust. It yields only three per cent, phosphoric acid, -QO-i per cent, ammonia, andOSSS per cent, of organic nitrogen. As a manure, it has, therefore, little value. The ABC Process is a plan of precipitating by sulphate of alumina the valuable constituents of sewage, and purifying it with charcoal and clay. Its name is derived from the initial letters of the principal constituents employed, alum, blood, clay, and charcoal. Alumina, when in contact with sewage, is separated, and each particle seizes hold of, and drags down with it, a corresponding particle of nitrogenous impurity. All blood is charged with albumen, which coagulates in contact with alum. The treatment with blood precipi- tates a light hydrate of alumina which ultimately settles, leaving a clear liquid above it, although a slight agitation causes it to float up again. Clay finely ground with water forma a creamy emulsion which takes days to settle, but, in contact with sulphate of alumina, coagulates like albumen. It will be seen that there are three preci- pitations which occur simultaneously, and result in a dense mass which settles at the bottom of the tank. The charcoal is intended to correct whatever impurities may still remain. It is claimed for this system that it deodorises and disinfects sewage, leaves the effluent water fit for drinking purposes, and produces, at a cost of £2 per ton, a " native guano," having considerable manurial value, and selling at £3 lOs. per ton. The reports as to this proceBS are very contradictory. One authority tells us that the effluent water contains as much putrescent matter injurious to health as the sewage itself, whilst another tells us that fish have been kept alive in it ! Irrigation. — Perhaps the most important test that the system of sewage irrigation has yet received has been at Merthyr Tydfil, where Mr. Bailey Denton and Dr. Frankland condacted experiments under the authority of the Court of Chancery. Proceedings had been taken against the town authorities, for allowing sewage to enter the river Taff, and the Board of Health had determined to experiment on 393 acres of land, but, not having been expeditious enough, the gentlemen named were sent armed with full powers. The plan they adopted is thus described :— " About 20 acres of land, immediately adjoining the road on which the tanks are placed, have been arranged into filtering acres or beds on a plan devised by Mr. J. Bailey Denton. The land is a loamy soil, 18 inches thick, over, lying a bed of grevel. The whole of these 20 acres has been under-drained to a depth of from 5 to 7 feet. The lateral drains are placed at regular distances from each other, and run towards the main or efllucnt drain. This is everywhere 6 feet deep. The surface of the land is formed into beds ; these have been made to slope towards the main drain by a fall of 1 in 150. The surface is ploughed in ridges ; on these, vegetables are planted or seeds sown ; the lino of the ridged furrow is in the direction of the under drain. Along the raised margin of each bed iu each area delivering carriers are placed, one edge being slightly depressed. The strained sewage passes from the conduits into the delivering carriers, and, as it overfiows the depressed edges, runs gently into and along the furrows down to the lowest and most distant parts of the plot. The sewage continues to be so delivered for six hours ; then an interval of rest of eighteen hours takes place, and again the land is thoroughly charged with the fertilising stream. The water percolates through the G feet of earth, and reaches the lateral drains, which convey it to the main eHlnent drain." The result is that the water is purer than the Thames water drunk in London, and is used by the workmen on the sewage farm. The ridges have yielded large crops of kitchen vegetables, snilicient to compensate for the total outlay, whilst portions devoted to Italian Grass gave a profit of £21. per acre, and a plot of Onions realised .CGI per acre. These results appear to bo higlily satisfactory. What would Dickens have said to tho spectacle of tho Court of Chancery stepping in to repair the delay of a Board of Health ? Smoke Drainage. — In connection with these sewage schemes, we may notice a Bug'jeslion tiiado by Mr. Peter Spence, F.C.S., who advocates carrying tho smoke of house fires, &c., through the dram.s, with tho twofold olijeet of purifying the air and sewage. Mr. Spence estiujates that, in Manchester alone, 20,000 tons of sulphate of ammonia, which is now thrown into the atmosphere, would be deposited in the smoke. drain. T H E H OUSE HOLD. EXTRACT OF APPLES. New processes of utilising Apples have been put in operation in Ohio which place its culture upon an entirely new basis. One process is that of making Apple-jelly, and another that of making "Apple- butter." The jelly is a condensed pi'oduet, requiring a lai'ge quantity of Apples for a corresponding small amount of Jelly, and it must, of consequence, be dear, and perhaps it is neither as profitable nor as popular an industry as the other, which uses the whole of the Apples with little condensation. Apple-butter differs from the Apple-sauce of New England only in the manufacture. Apple-sauce is made, or it used to be made, by boiling down cider, that of sweet Ajiples usually preferred, and of adding pared and quartered Apples when the whole was boiled just enough to make the Apples soft, but not enough to break down the structure. In making Apple-butter the boiling is continued much longer, and the whole mass is thoroughly mixed together by constantly stirring it, and the more thoroughly this process is performed the better is the quality, particularly iu regai'd to keeping. Both preparations are kept in jars, and often in barrels made for the purpose. The chief defect of Apple-sauce is, that when warm weather comes in the spring it is apt to ferment and become sour, when it is necessary to re-boil it. Apple-butter seldom ferments, and, if kept in a cool place, it remains good for years. The commercial Apple-butter factories provide first a cider-mill of improved structure and copper boilers, with tanks for storage and additional treatment, all of sufficient capacity to work up 1,000 barrels of Apples a day. The product is packed in barrels, when it is ready for shipment to any part of the world, and, if properly made, it will keep as well as flour, pork, or molasses, and it is as much of a cash article as either. — New York Trihime. Keeping Apples. — At tho West Grove Farmers' Club, T. M. Harvey and Dr. Bush both stated that they had been very successful in keeping Apples packed in barrels with dry forest leaves, placing them in apartments with a temperature just above freezing. Others had succeeded by packing them in sawdust, dry tan, and plaster of Paris. It will be observed that all these modes not only protect the fruit from freezing when any cold weather occurs, but prevent the active currents of air, for it is not only important to keep the fruit cool, but to preserve a perfectly uniform temperature. We have found that merely wrapping the specimens in tissue paper, when kept on shelves, preserved them longer than when exposed, for the same reason — and hence also the advantage of heading up in barrels so long as fermentation and the bad effects of confined air are pre- vented by a cool temperature and not confining them too long. — • CnltivatoY. Teas of Home Growth. — Somebody, professing to speak from long experience, avers that tho leaves of the Raspberry, if properly treated, make finer tea than any that finds its way to Mincing Lane. The French peasants make an aromatic drink from the leaves of the Black Currant tree, and believe it to be a specific for indigestion. Thanks to M. Raspail, they have also learned to appreciate the flavour, aroma, and virtue of Borage tea. Our dietetic philosopher and friend. Fin Bee, would like to do in England what M. Raspail did in France, but, knowing the inveterate suspicion the poorer classes at home have of anything to which they are iraaccustomed, especially if it costs little, discreetly declines making the experiment himself. " Let any social doctor," says he, " who may be anxious to test the pliability of the English agricultural labourer as a pupil, accost him with the following proposition : ' My good man, I have, I assure j'ou, from the bottom of my heart, the liveliest interest in your welfare. Now, the tea you drink is detestable, adulterated, and very dear stuff. It does you no good ; now take my advice — grow Borage, which will cost you nothing, and drink Borage tea. It helps digestion, is a sudorific, has a delightful aroma, and will have no bad effect on your nerves, or the nerves of your wife.' I am lost in conjectures as to the fate that would befall the doctor. He might bo bonneted, elbowed into a Thorn hedge, reminded that the horse- pond was near, or recommended to confine his attentions to his own teacu|i. But tho unlikoliest result of all would be thanks for his suggestion. No, tho unlikeliest would bo the trial of it." — Chambers's Jo arnal. Apple Marmalade. — Peel, core, and boil the Apples— Spitzeuliergs arc tho Iiost. — with only sulllcicnt water to keep them frnm buraiug; bent them to a pulp ; to every pound allow three-quarters of a pound of lump sun^ar; dip the uuupR into Wiiter, put these into a saucepan and boil until the syrup is thick and ctui lie well skimmed ; add tbia syrup to tho Apple with half a tea-spoonful of luiiH'rd Lemon peel to each pound, and stir over a (juick firo till the Apjjle ceases to stick to the bottom of the p.an. Dip jelly moulds into w.iter and lay in tho bottoms — fiH they are inverted — a few strips of Citron and some blanched Aliiit)iiils, ttien piiui- Ml tho marmalade, and when colli it will turn out easily. Jan. 17, 1874.] THE GAEDBN. 63 THE ARBORETUM. old The now .sac- AN ANCIENT PLANE-TEEE. Our illustratiou represents the present state of an historical Plaue-tree standing in the Temple Gardens. Thames formerly flowed close to its roots, and it is pointed out as marking the site of the old river wall, cessive embankments having now shut out the river 50 or 60 yards further to the south. Apart from its interest as a land- mark, both Goldsmith and Johnson are reputed to have spent many an hour in "sweet converse" beneath its shade; nor is this improbable, as it has evidently been a stately tree in its time. When the river wall was removed further south, the ground around it was raised to a height of 15 feet, and, probably, this hastened its death by depriving its roots of their due amount of aeration. It has been dead since 1835, and shows little of its former greatness. The branches are rotten and broken, and in a few years' time, if not better protected than it is, it will be among the things of the past. A neat label, giving a short account of its history, would be appreciated by visitors to the Temple Gar- dens, many of whom are, in all probability, quite unaware of its existence or of its historical interest. The Yardley Oak. — Tlie most complete account of Cowper'a Oak (see p. 22) will be found in Loudon's " Arbore. turn," Vol. III., p. 1,765, 1838, at which time he had it measured. Ho gives the girth, at 1 foot above the ground, as 30 feet 6 inches. The stem then leant so much to the south as almost to admit of a person walk- ing up it with very little aid from the hands. It had three huge bi-anches wholly devoid of bark, and had formerly been much injured by pel', sons carrying away small blocks or slices of the wood as relics, or to manufacture snuff- boxes, &c., from. Cow- per's Ouk was called Judith, from an old legend that it had been plauted by the Con. queror's niece Judith, Countess of Northumberland. She held eighty.eight manors in Northamptonshire, including a portion of Yardley. There is a large engraving of it in Hayley's " Cowper," Vol. III., 1806, supplement. The two Oaks figured by Strutt, and known as Gog and Magog, are quite distinct from " Cowper's Oak." — Edward Solly, in Notes and Queries. [The title to the engraving of this Oak is " Judith or Cowper's Oak, a portrait from Nature, drawn by Mrs. Meen, 1801, engraved by CaroUne Watson, engraver to her Majesty, 1805."] Destruction of Seedling Ash.— Mr. Ale.iander Bnchau read a paper the other day before the Botanical Society of Edinburgh " On the destruction by frost of seedling Ash trees, in Mr. Robert, son's Nursery Ground, near Pettes College, on the 7th April, 1873." At the outset Mr. Buohan explained that, as a precaution against frost, Mr. Robertson spread an old fishing net over a plot of young Ash seedlings, which had all appeared above ground within the previous ten days. He entered into mintue details as to the manner in which Mr. Robertson laid out the net, and went on to mention that the loss of young plants was considerable— the extent of it being represented by the fact that only about 400 plants per square yard were now growing in those parts in which the destruction of the seedlings took place, whereas elsewhere in the plot the number was 2,00(f to the Old Plane-tree in the Temple Gardens. square yard. The explanation of the facts adduced by Mr. Buchau was thus stated : — " The steady blowing light wind was sufficient to disturb the air cooled by contact with the ground, and mix it with the stratum of air lying immediately over it, in all jjlaces where the wind was felt. Over the beds, unprotected by the net, the wind passed freely and unchecked ; and there, consequently, the temperature did not fall lower than was just sufficient to brown, without destroying, the young seedlings. But to the beds protected by the net, the wind had no access, owing to the intervention of the net, and there, conse. quently, the air strata not mixing, the temperature fell so much lower than over the beds adjoining as to destroy the seedlings, which happened at the time to be just at that stage of their growth when they are most susceptible of injury. From the illustrations which he gave, Mr. Buchan stated that it would be evident that the air enclosed under the net which was spread over the Ash seedlings was practi. cally still, and the cold produced by radiation was thus allowed to accumulate close to the surface over the seedling plants. Thus, then, the destruction of the young Ash plants was due to the net being of too flimsy a texture to offer a sufficient obstruction to terrestrial radiation, whilst at the same time it afforded a complete obstruction to the winds, and thus prevented a circulation of air around the young plants j the destruction, be it observed, being most complete on the borders of the trenches in which the coldest air settled, and over which the stratum of air imprisoned under the net was less in thick, ness." Evergreen Ber- berries.— I do not find in your interesting des. criptive list of Berberries (see p. 31), B. Bealei mentioned. I have had one under that name for many years, but it may be a synonym of another variety. It is much like B. japonica in char, aeter, and flowers as freely every spring, but being, until now, under the drip of a large Lam. bert's Cypress, it has not fruited. I may mention that, in warm, dry sum- mers, my plants of B. aristata are thickly covered with purple fruit, with as fine a bloom as that of a Sloe, but, this year, like many others, owing to con. tiuual dripping, and absence of sun, the loug racemes of berries are a shabby red and unripe looking colour. I may add, that I have Prim- roses, in some numbers, in flower on the banks here (in Cornwall) ; also some Narcissi in flower, and only a few days ago I cut a beautiful Devoniensis Rose, and in a few days I hope to gather a bud or two of the Tea Rose Goubault. — The Colo.vel. NOTES AND QUESTIONS ON TREES AND SHRUBS. Prunus myrobalana.— Can any of your readers inform me if this tree will grow from cuttings ? If so, what is the proper time to lalje them and what treatment should they receive ?~J. M. Mistletoe on the Acacia.— A large globular plant of Mistletoe, hi^h up on the tree, may be seen m the garden ol the vicarage, Godnestone Kent.— Johit Maiitf.x. The Mistletoe may be seen growing luxuriantly on the Acacia in several places in the neighbourhood of Bristol, among which may be meutioneil Blaize Castle, and Hulmwood, Westbury.on-Trym. It is, however, somewhat remarkable that it does not, so far as lam aware, grow on any of the Coniferre in this country, whereas in the neighbourhood of Gabas, in the Pyrenees, many of the Pine trees (Pinus pyrenaica) are hterally covered with it.— Alfeki) Smi'LET,JJ'e.itbiiy!/-oii-Ti-!/m, near Bristol. London Plane-Trees.— Are the Plane-trees which do so well in London squares Flatanus orientalis or P. occideutalis ? Some of the young trees sent me by nurserymen as the Plane of the London squares, turn out to be some sort of Maple.— W. Y. [All the largo Plane-trees in the London squares are Platanus occidentalis, or the American Plane. In Scotland and the north of England, Acer Pseudo-Platanus or Sycamore is known by the name of Plane- tree.] 64 THE GARDEN. [Jan. 17, 1874. THE KITCHEN GARDEN. CONDITION OF SUCCESS IN THE GREAT POTATO TRIAL. With reference to the great Potato trial] in America, which was reported in The G.vbdex some time ago, some readers may desire to know the causes of such marked success, and the following trust- worthy document explains it. This report is the production of Messrs. Thnrber, Hexamer, and Quinn, three of the most able and experienced of American horticulturists. It should be borne in mind that the prizes were offered for the largest crop raised from one pound of seed, and that a good many competitors grew from 300 to 600 lbs. of Potatoes from this quantity of seed. The committee then condense the leading features of the modes and conditions under which these large crops were produced, justly accounting them of great value to all Potato growers. Localities. — The largest yield — 609 pounds from one of seed — comes from the Far West ; but, in proportion to the number of the largest products, a much smaller proportion comes from the Western States than from the east — the very wet summer there, and the ravages of the beetle having, no doubt, caused this deficiency. The geographical distribution of the largest yields gives, from New York, 24 per cent. ; Pennsylvania, 16 ; Vermont, 10 ; Ohio, 8 ; Massa- chusetts, 8 ; Minnesota, 6 ; Wisconsin, 5 j New Jersey, 4 ; New Hampshire, 3 ; Indiana, 3 ; California, 2 ; and 11 per cent, from as many different States and territories. Soils. — The largest product, that of Mr. Salter, was grown " on a very rich sandy loam, rich in decayed vegetable matter to the depth of between 2 and 3 feet, and lying upon a compact formation known as hardpan, which has never been underdrained." Mr. A. Robinson's soil likewise was " a sandy loam, clay snb-soil, where he broke up and raised Potatoes last year." jir. F. A. Smith planted his Potatoes " in gravel soil with yellow clay aub-soil." Most crops, however, were raised on deep alluvial lands underlaid with gravel j others on light loam with clay or gravelly snb-soil, and in a few eases on heavy clay, highly manured. In but very few instances was the land artificially underdrained, which seems to be a note- worthy fact, as most writers consider drained soil indispensable for the production of good crops. Manures. — Of fertilisers and mixtures an almost endless variety was used, but the one substance almost invariably applied was wood-ashes. There seems to be no doubt left that ashes are the special manure for Potatoes, and that even very large quantities of them occasioned no injurious effects. In a few oases, as much as one pint of ashes was applied to each hill as top-dressing, and in one instance the sets were actually planted on, and covered with, ashes. Plaster, lime, and salt were also extensively employed, and with great advantage. Strong nitrogenous manures have generally been considered as detrimental to the Potato, but here we find that many successful growers have used large quantities of blood, fish, and Peruvian guano, and hen-manure; also barn-yard manure, at the rate of fifty loads per acre, to the greatest advantage and without producing diseased Potatoes. Whether older and less vigorous varieties would have withstood disease equally well under such a treatment seems, however, somewhat doubtful. Planting'. — The time of planting was, in nearly all oases, during the month of May, and more than one-half of the competitors seem to have considered the 15th of May as the lucky date. In no case 'were larger sets than of one eye used, and in a majority of instances these were again divided into smaller pieces, so as to give from fifty to one hundred sets from one pound of seed. There appeared to be no difference in the yield between hills with whole eyes and sections of eyes. The hills were invariably placed a considerable distance apart, rarely less than 3 feet each way, and oftener further. As a rule, but one set was planted in a hill, and covered about 4 inches deep. Cultivation. — It will be hardly necessary to state that, in many cases, tlie cultivation and care these growing Potatoes received was unremitting and indefatigable. In no case were weeds to be seen in the patch ; some of the plantations received semi. weekly hoeings, and all were kept scrupulously clean, and tlie soil loose and mellow ; yet many large crops were grown with but ordinary care. Mr. J. I. Salter states " that the cultivation, manuring, &c., was the same he has given to his general crop of Potatoes for the last five years, and in no respect had there been extra caro and labour bestowed." Mr. H. C. Pearson certifies " that these Potatoes were grown with the most ordinary farm culture, being hoed only twice, and receiving no extra treatment in any respect." Nearly all growers adopted the hilling system, and in only two cases were large crops obtained by level culture. Yield. — Although the Early Vermont gave the largest crop from one pound of seed, the average productiveness of Compton's Surprise is shown to have been greater than that of the Early Vermont. In explanation of this, Mr. Salter says : — " The Compton's Surprise will, and did with me, with the same culture and soil, yield from one- third to double the amount of the Early Vermont ; still, I obtained a much greater yield of the latter than of the former from one pound of seed. The reasons with me are many. In the first place, the number of eyes in the Early Vermont was nearlj' double that of the Surprise originally, and, in digging, the number was still further reduced b}' an ugly gash in one of the Potatoes, destroying four eyes. Then, again, I lost five hills by the extreme wet which followed the planting of the Surprise ; and then the Vermont, being a very early Potato, matured rapidly, and I was enabled to keep the Colorado beetle in check until its ravages were comparatively harmless on it ; while the Surprise, being of slower growth, after the Early Vermont had ripened, required constant attention to prevent their ravages. This time I could not spare, and was forced to let them have it their own way until it was too late ; then came an early frost, Sept. 7, vrhich killed the vines of the Surprise, while the Vermont had been ont of harm's way from the middle of August." Several reports contain accurate statistics of the yield of different varieties, the result of careful experiments. Taking the yield of Comjiton's Surprise as 100, the comparative yields average as follows : — Compton's Surprise, 100; Early Vermont, 78 ; Harrison, 73 ; Peerless, 72; Late Rose, 70 ; Early Rose, 62; Campbell's Late Rose, 56; King of the Earlies, 40 ; Early Goodrich, 35. Compton's Surprise and the Early Vermont.— The com. mittee conclnde, from all the foregoing, that few new varieties have ever before been subjected to so manifold and varied a trial as these two, concerning which the following estimate is made : — "Compton's Surprise has received the unanimous verdict for the most prolific Potato cultivated at present. Yields of from 12 to 20 lbs. per hill are reported by the hundreds, and in one instance 282 lbs. were dug from one hill. As a rule, the most prolific varieties are not of the best eating quality, but to this Compton's Surprise is an exception. Thousands have testified that they never ate a better Potato. Its uniform mealiness of grain, combined with the purest flavour, and its snowy whiteness of flesh, which is not in the least affected by its blue skin, cannot fail to make it highly valued as a family Potato. This variety shows a peculiar tendency to i^roduce a ' surface crop ' not found in other kinds. Its rampant growing vines lying on the ground will frequently take root, and establish a new centre of pro. duction. Subterranean branches will also likewise grow above the surface, and form self-supporting plants which produce an additional crop of tubers. The Early Vermont has, as proved by the numerous reports before us, more than sustained its previous reputation. Nearly all competitors declare it from one to two weeks earlier than the Early Rose, and many even more. Its uniform and large size is recognised by everyone." Mr. McLeod says : " There are more than 100 in the amount I raised that would weigh from 1 to 2 lbs. each," and Mr. Salter raised one tuber weighing 3 lbs. 12 oz. Its superior cooking and eating qualities are unanimously commended, as well as its compact growth in the hill and its freedom from disease ; and with the thousands of cultivators who have grown it alongside of the Early Rose, there seems to be no doubt left that in quality, hardiness, earliness, and yield, it far surpasses that celebrated variety. Cropping a Garden. — I have a large garden, which I have just changed from a wilderness of noxious weeds to a clean well-picked trenched ground. I have it for two-and-a-half years, so do not want to go to expense beyond what will remunerate my own time. I have little knowledge of gardening. Can any of your correspon- dents kindly give me a few directions about stocking my gai'den ? I have had a fine set of Raspberries set, and well mannred. I have just planted some Seakale, too late, I imagine, for use this season. I sowed early Peas and Mazagan Beans ; how far apart ought the latter to be between seed and seed and each row ? I re-planted some Globe Artichokes the other day. I was told it would answer to do so. Can I do anything more in the vegetable way ? I have also planted Potatoes, Onions, and Leeks. How deep ought they to be covered ? and how far apart, in what sized beds — 3 feet ? I intend sowing and planting the following in their proper time, viz., Cabb.ige, French Beans, Scarlet Runners, Cauliflowers, Beet, Salad, Celery, herbs, Spinach, Parsley — in a bed or in a border ? — C. J. Long. Bones as Manure. — it is found cheaper to dissolve or grind bones than to fiuarry liiiiostonc, crush it and carry it to the land as a fertiliser ; hence the enormous commerce in Ijoncs, of which we often import 100,000 tons per annum, valued at -CliOO.OOO, whilst those collected at home are computed at nearly as much more. Bones of almost all animals are now impoited as arliclcs of commovco ; whether wild or domesticated animals, they .are made to yield parts of their skeletons for some useful purpose; and w© import the bones of the giraffe, elephant, horse, cattle, and whale. Jan. 17, 1874.] THE GARDEN. 65 THE GARDENS OF ENGLAND. ESLINGTON PARK. Tins, the scat of Lord Kavenswortli, like many charming retreats in the North o£ England, lies at a distance from any of the main thoroughfares to the North, and, nestling under the skirts of the Cheviots, is little kuowii to tourists. It is approached through the lovely vale of Whittingham, which can hardly be surpassed for picturesque and natural beauty ; about a mile beyond the village that has given its name to the vale, one enters the park, and the first object that attracts attention are its noble trees, conspicuous amongst which, and towering aloft like giants, are various Silver Firs, one of them being about 130 feet in height, and measuring at 5 feet from the ground 15 feet 8 inches round the bole. Proceeding west- ward along the drive, an opening on the right enables one to get a glimpse of the hall standing upon the left bank of the Aln, which is crossed by a tastefully designed iron bridge of recent construction. It is a plain building in the English style, and in fine keeping with the situation and surrounding scenery. The Aln, which is only a small stream here, and which threads its way round the bottom of a green terrace a few yards distant from the house, formed at one time a lake, but, owing to damp arising from it so near the house, it was drained off, and the little stream now issuing from between the greenest of ^anks falls over a wear at the farther end of the flower garden. The most attractive feature of this place, however, is its flower- garden, which is both compact and artistic in its arrangement ; it occupies an oblong space equal in breadth to the south- eastern front of the building ; a terrace, crowned with beautiful Evergreens, runs parallel to it on the right, and divides it from the stream, and along the left side runs another terrace covered with flowering shrubs, while on the top is a broad promenade. The flower-beds, which are upon the grass, are of considerable size, and very effective in autumn ; foliage-plants, too, of the hardier kinds are used extensively in connection with flowering subjects ; the Golden Thyme acquires a tint here that deepens as the autumn advances, and is really lovely. It seems to prove, in fact, that soil and situation have mucli to do in bringing out the lovely tints of this charming plant ; a remark which holds good with regard to many other plants here that display a depth of colour and profusion of bloom not often seen in the warmer and lighter soils of our southern counties. A shady walk leads from the flower to the kitchen garden, the latter being somewhat distant from the former, and the intervening space, which is considerable, is laid out in a way that is both pleasing and natural. Some of our earliest imported varieties of Pinus are growing here with a vigour and freshness that show them to have found a congenial home, and not the least interesting thing about them is, I believe, that they were all planted by the venerable gardener, Mr. Oliver, who has been head gardener here for the long space of forty -nine years. "We were fortunate in seeing a fine Yucca gloriosa in full bloom growing upon the Grass ; on the right hand side of the door opening into the kitchen garden, stands a lean-to greenhouse, in which were some really fine pots of Liliums of various kinds. The garden wall here forms the boundary to the pleasure- gi-ound in this dh-ection ; it is covered with fruit-trees, but the border along the base of it is filled with choice bedding material, laid out with great taste. We also observed some fine coloured black Grapes in a small house placed against this wall. On entering the kitchen garden, the first thing that attracted attention was the luxuriance and profusion of vege- tables within it. Mr. Oliver seems to have carried this branch of his profession to the highest perfection, and his system of training and pruning fruit bushes deserves to be more generally adopted than it is ; by careful and constant summer pinching they are kept low, open, and regular in the arrangement of the branches ; by this means they acquirea robustness of habit, very different from the long scrambling bushes, too often seen, sometimes even in the best of gardens ; dwarf fruit-trees are also treated here upon this principle, and with the same result. Like many old gardeners, Mr. Oliver's forte seems to lie in the frame-ground. He grows his Melons principally upon dung-beds; there are not many kinds of Melons or Oucumljers that he has not had through his hands, and he can tell you their merits and demerits better than any man with whom I am acquainted ; the same may be said of the different Celeries that have l^een in the market. A large square in the kitchen garden is devoted to the growth of Dahlias. As we wend our way through avenues of Hollyhocks, Gladioli, Stocks, and Asters, the fact is forced upon us, that florists' flowers are not only grown here, but well grown. Until very recently, no fruit was grown under glass here— Eavensworth, another seat of this family, having one of the best fruit gardens in the county — now, however, two houses occupied with Grapes here, f ui-uish proof that this branch of gardening receives due attention. A combination of natural objects, assisted by art, has made Eslington one of those charming places that one leaves with reluctance. The fine old house, partly covered with Creepers of different tints, the Aln murmuring past, the deer browshig up to the entrance, the park abounding in fine old trees, each in the varied colours of autumn, all make up a picture surely worth painting by either pen or pencil. J. T. GLEN ETEE, BASSETT, SOUTHAMPTON. This is one of the most unique and charming spots in the county of Hants, and, although quite a modern place, yet so luxuriant has been the growth of the trees and shrubs by which it is encompassed, that it is now well wooded and secluded. The house is situated at the head of a pleasant dell looking eastward, and commanding charming views of the surrounding country. Immediately in front of it is a series of terrace-gardens, the banks of which are clothed with a rich verdure of evergreen shrubs, among which Pernettyas and Berberis Darwinii luxuriate, and the flower-beds are filled with diverse-coloured bulbous flowers, and edged or carpeted with hardy flowering plants in so tasteful a fashion that the floral bedding display will, early in April, form a most beau- tiful picture ; when to this, too, are added the blooms of all kinds of flowering trees and shrubs, varied and pleasant walks, and a constant succession of gardenesque effects, one is com- pelled to ack:iowledge that Glen Byre is emphatically a place worthy of the taste and wealth of its excellent owner — Mrs. Eyre Crabbe. In the gardens at Glen Eyre, Camellias thrive apace in the open ground, and, of the old double striped variety, there is probably one of the largest of outdoor unprotected Camellias in the kingdom ; it is in the highest state of health, and about 9 feet in height and 10 feet through. In all direc- tions, where the Camellia is planted out, it thrives well, and, indeed, it is one of our hardiest and most beautiful of border shrubs. Except a small patch of croquet lawn, there is scarcely a rod of level Grass plat in the place. So steep are the inclines, that levels are only obtained by a series of terraces, and, on the Grassy sides of the slopes, superb speci- mens of Conifers are growing ; of these there may be larger trees of the various kinds throughout the country, but certainly none handsomer or more compact in growth than are those growing on the Glen Eyre slopes. Of Wellingtonia there is a splendid tree, with a trunk some 2 feet in diameter, having a grip of the soil like some vegetable giant, and of Picea Nordmanniana there is also a superb specimen. In one nook has been constructed a large interest- ing hardy Fernery, planted with fine and rare kinds ; it lies low, and is overhung with trees, and, being sheltered on all sides with shrubs, the Ferns thi'ive admiraWy in it. This is as it should be, for it is contrary to nature to construct a Fernery where the winds can rack the vegetation, or the hot sun scorch it. At the extremity of the pleasure-grounds stands the cottage ofMr. Stewart, the gardener, with its broad front of red brick, its old-fashioned porch, and its warm covering of thatch, literally covered with Ivy and chmbing Eoses. The glass houses are richly filled with all sorts of Orchids, Ferns, flowering and fine-foliaged stove-plants, hard-wooded flowering plants of kinds innumerable, and a large mass of bedding plants. One of the best private collections of Primulas in the country is grown here, including the double sorts with self and flaked flowers. The double forms are exceedingly tender, and very difficult to propagate, hence the reason why good double forms are so scarce. In the conservatory just now are some fine specimens of Solanum Psuedo-Capsicum, about 3 feet in height and as much through, covered with their bright scarlet bei-ries. A. D. 66 THE GARDEN. [Jan. 17, 1874. THE WATEE SHIELD. Is the many interesting collections of aquatic plants we have seen in the botanical and private gardens of this country we do not remember to have met with this curious and hardy North American plant. Its oval leaves are centrally attached to the foot-stalks, and are always noticeable and rather pretty as they float upon the water. They have their use as forming a shade and covert for fish, as anglers are well aware. The flowers are of a dull purple, and come to the surface to perfect themselves, but make little show. This aquatic plant has a remarkably wide distribution, it being found not only in North America, includiugtbenorth-west coast, but in Japan, Australia, and India. Our figure, from the American Agricidtuyist, gives but a feeble notion of the pla7\t. THE AMATEUR'S GARDEN.* COOL-HOUSE ORCHIDS AND FERNS. Your ai-ticle on Orchids, in The Garden of December 20th, si"-ned " J.," exactly suits my wants. I have a small green- house, 15 feet by 10 feet, now occupied with a few Heaths, .^»rS!rr- Chrysanthemums, and other little flowers, which look pretty enough ; but a collec- tion of Orchids and Perns, such as you describe, must be far preferable. It is heated by a flue under the floor, with iron grates to admit the heat ; has a west aspect ; three sides glass, and stone wall at the back, and is about 6 feet high in front and about 10 or 12 at the back. In such a house, will you kindly suggest how to make a rockery, what soil to put in amongst the stones (as I am as fond of Ferns almost as Orchids), andwhere I can obtain some plants of suitable kinds of each at a small cost ? I see you give the names of some Orchids, will you please tell me which are the best for one to begin with, and also give me the names of some half-hardy exotic Fenis ? In fact, I have little knowledge about such plants, but I am very anxious to have some, so any hints you may give me will be most thankfully accepted. Derhy. R. H. [Upon submitting your letter to our correspondent, " J.," he has favoured us with the following reply :— As your house is heated by moans of a flue, I imagine the atmosphere in it must be somewhat unsuited to the requirements of such moisture-loving plants as Ferns and Orchids ; still, if you really like these plants better than any others, do not let that deter you from attempting their culture. A rockery will do much towards keeping the atmosphere humid, and a few flat pans of zinc or earthenware kept constantly full of water and placed on the flue itself will do the rest. As your b.ack wall is 10 feet high, your rookery need not much exceed half that height, and should be formed of large rocks or boulders, those being the best, and, no doubt, plentiful in your locality. Arrange them as artistically as possil)le, taking care to leave holes or pockets for your plants, and fill up the inter- stices with smaller stones and good fresh soil as the woi'k proceeds. If you can obtain Moss-covered boulders so much the better, as these look prettier than the bare stones, and their surface is more suitable for the roots of the Ferns and • This department in written exclusively by amateurs distin^shcd for skill in various branches of Kardening. The Water Shield (Brasenia peltata) Selaginellas. In arranging the stones, place them so that the water will drain inwards and not run ofl! in front as is frequently the case. The soil best suited for Ferns is half loam and half peat, with the addition of some coarse well-washed river or road sand. The ordinary white sand commonly used is too fine for the purpose. Do not sift your compost, but break it up roughly into lumps, and fill in the pockets or interstices at the top of the rockery with this before planting, while the stones and rough soil below will act as drainage for Ferns ; indeed, all plants, although they like moisture, soon succumb if there is any stagnant dampness at the roots. Having finished the rockery, proceed to plant it, the present being an excellent season for the operation. Many of the North American and Japanese Ferns do well in a moderate tempera- ture, as also do our own species, and their, in many cases, beautifully crested or tasseled varieties. The following are nearly hardy, and will suit your purpose : Osmunda cinna- momea, O. regalis, LastrEea atrata, Polypodium cambricum, P. appendiculatum, Athyriam Pilix-foemina, and its many fine forms, Scolopendrium vulgare and its fine wavy or crested varie- ties, Cyrtomium falcatum, 0. caryotideum, Onoclea sensibilis, Nephrodium molle, Poly- stichum mucronatum, P. Lon- chitis, Lomaria chilensis, and the Killarney Fern, Tricho- manes radicans. The British Maiden-hair, Adiantum Capil- lus-Veneris,also does well in a moderate temperature. The names of other species and varieties equally suitable may be readily found in any trade list of Ferns, and I should think there are nurserymen in your neighbourhood who could supply plants of the above, or others, at a reason- able rate. The back wall of your house, if bare, should be covered with fresh vegetation, as this assists in keeping the air moist, as well as adding much to the appearance of any structure. The pretty little Ficus (repens) stipulata grows very freely and clings to the barest of walls without any support, especially if they are moisteiied once or twice a-day with the syringe ; and com- mon Ivy also grows well, and always has a fresh and cheer- ful appearance. The rocks can 1)0 planted with Selaginella denticulataor S.hortensis,and this will soon form a fresh green carpet to the gently arching Fern-fronds above. Tradescantia zebrina or T. viridis may also be used for the last-named purpose, and these form a nice fresh back- ground for pots of Hyacinths, Crocuses, or other spring- flowers that do not require much heat and yet come fresher and more beautiful when protected in a cool house. The Orchids should be placed on a stage or bench in the front of the house, as they are then near the light and more convenient for watering and other cultural details. These benches may be made either of wood or slate, the latter being yjreferable ; and, if covered with about half an inch of small Cannel coal, Derbyshire spar, or fine gravel, so much the better for the plants, as the stages will then absorb sufficient water to keep them continually moist. Begin with tho commoner free-growing kinds first, and, if these succeed (as they will, if real interest is taken in them), others and rarer kinds can be added afterwards. The following are best for a beginner, or any others mentioned in our list, see p. .512, Vol. IV. :— Odontoglossum grande, O. bictonense, O. Uro-Skinneri, O. Aloxandrse, Phajus grandifolia, Calanthe vestita, Dendrobium nobile. — J., Whalley Banrje.'] Jan. 17, 1874.] THE GARDEN. (S7 WORK FOR THE WEEK. PRIVATE GARDENS. Fines. — Many plants willnowhave started, gome are starting, and others showing fruit, therefore great care and attention will be required in every stage of Pine-apple culture for the nest six weeks, to be successful with the plants when in blossom, and with fruit that is up, in order to prevent any kind of abortion in the pips or the uneven swelling so easily produced at this season. There must be no check to, or attempt to drive or hurry on, those fruits that are in any stage of swelling. Nothing but time, patience, and per- severing attention will succeed in kindly starting, blooming, and swelling Pines to perfection in the short and dark days of winter, and we must allow from two to four -weeks longer for winter fruit, according to variety, to .swell, than those that will start into fruit in February and March. If hurriedly forced, they will push up weak, long stalks, productive of weak and irregular blossoms and abortive and small fruit (with some pips swelled imperfectly), light in weight, black iuside, and bearing overgrown crowns. From 65° to 70° should be maintained in the pits, with a genial humidity during night, according to the light and sun by day ; the interior atmosphere and humidity being in proportion to the sun and light. For all growing succession-plants, maintaia a kindly bottom and inside atmospheric heat, advancing it as the days lengthen, and light increases. Pot on plants in every stage that require it, never allowing their progress to be arrested for want of pot-room at any season of the year. Vines. — Those started in December will now be breaking, »and they should have air on all favourable opportunities ; but the giving air to Vines during severe frosts in January and February requires much attention, especially if the weather is windy. A tem. perature of G0° during the night, and a rise to 75° in the day, when the Vines are in bloom, will keep all safe. Peel the rough bark oft Vines lately pruned, and dress them with some strong composition, to keep mildew and insects in check. The following mixture is very efficient for the purpose, namely, 4 ounces of soft-soap and G ounces of snlphur to a gallon of water, and as much quicklime and clay as will bring the mixture to the consistency of thick paint. The water must be hot, so as to melt the soap ; the other ingredients should be stirred in, and the mixture used when cold. When it is used for Peach or Nectarine trees, more water and clay must be added to it, as the young bark and flower-buds of these trees are liable to injury when it is used too strong. Home-made brushes of bast mat- ting, tied on short pieces of stick, are quite good enough for painting the mixture on the trees, and, to make safe, every crevice must bo filled up ; and when the first coat is dried, a second application should be made on places missed in the first dressing. If the Vineries are heated by pipes with troughs in them, all the snlphur and lime of last year's dressing should be scraped or washed off, for fear of rust. ing the tender berries after the Vines are out of bloom. When the Vines are forced early, the outside border should be protected by some slightly fermenting materials, such as litter, or tree-leaves, and covered on the top with wooden shutters, tiles, tarpaulin, or glass sashes. Maintain a temperature of 65° at night in mild weather in houses where the fruit is set, ventilate moderately and principally in the earlier part of the day, and do not fire strongly in cold weather. Ventilate freely, but avoid cold currents in houses where the Grapes are in bloom. Thin the bunches when they have well set, leavin"" one on each lateral, and also the berries. Muscats require a higher temperature for setting them than Hamburghs do. Water the inside borders freely with tepid water, and mulch them with a thin layer of short manure. Stop the 3'oung shoots at two joints beyond the fruit, and rub off all superfluous shoots. Start succession houses, beginning with a night temperature of 45° or 50°, and syringe the rods daily until their bunches are formed ; then desist, and maintain suflicieut atmospheric moisture by spilling water on the floors and using evaporating troughs. In late houses, where the Grapes are nnout, use a little fire-heat and ventilation at the same time, to preserve a dry atmosphere at about 45° and prevent monldiuess, which is very prevalent in dull and damp winters. Examine the hanging bunches weekly, and remove from them every mouldy berry, otherwise the disease will soon spread extensively. Prune and dress late Vines as soon as the fruit is cut from them, and swing the rods to cause them to break evenly at starting time. Peaches and Nectarines. — Be cautious in the application of fire-heat in orchard-houses other than where the trees are in bloom, especially in dull weather. Where the trees are in flower, however, the night temperature may be kept at 55°, and throughout the day it may be raised, with sun-heat, to 65° or 70° ; but, at this stage, a free circulation of air amongst the plants is of the utmost import, ance. Assist the setting of the crop by dispersing the pollen with a camel-hair brush, a feather, or by shaking the trees a little. Cease syringing the trees from the time they begin to expand till the fruit basset; but, at the same time, continue to maintain a little moisture in the atmosphere, by sprinkling the floors daily with water. Disbud sparingly at first, removing only evidently superfluous growths. In starting Peaches and Nectarines, begin with a low temperature, say 40° at night ; syringe with tepid water, and keep up a moist atmos- phere by sprinkling the floors with water. See, also, that the borders are thoroughly damp to the bottom ; and, in order to accomplish this, they must be well soaked before forcing begins. Prune the trees in the later houses, paint them with a prepared mixture, tie them up to the trellises, and freely ventilate the houses night and day. If the borders require renovating, they should be attended to in that respect whilst the trees are in a dormant condition, removing most of the old surface-soil, and replacing it with good fresh turfy calcareous loam. Figs. — See that the borders in which the trees are growing are thoroughly moistened to the bottom, and begin forcing with a tem- perature of 50' at night, syringing the trees freely with tepid water, and maintaining a moist atmosphere. As the trees begin to grow, gradually increase the temperature, and rigidly attend to stopping the shoots at the third or fourth joint by squeezing the points. For starting pot Pigs, no heat is so genial as that contributed by fermenting manure, and for this purpose a bed of manure inside the pits, and in which the pots could be plnnged so as to have a bottom- heat of 75° or 80°, is of material benefit to the plants. Attend to re-potting plants requiring shifting, and mulch over the surface of the soil in the pots with horse-droppings, or other short and rich manure. Cherries. — When Cherries are forced early, the temperature must be kept low, never allowing it to rise above 50° at night, until the fruit is set. When they are in flower, the temperature may be raised a little, and a little fire-heat and ventilation given at the same time. Strawberries. — For early forcing, plants with good plump crowns ought to be selected ; and those potted in rather small pots, with good matted roots, always set their fruit the best. Introduce them, according to demand, space, and convenience for forcing them, into a pit. Peach-house, or Vinery, having at first a tempera- ture of 45° to 50° at night, and keep them on shelves near the glass. If in a pit, a little bottom-heat, about 60°, tends to produce abundance of roots. When they are in bloom, and when the fruit is set, increase the temperature about 10°, and always keep them in airy positions, and well attended to as regards watering. Melons. — Sow some early Melons in small pots plunged in the Cucumber-house ; the Scarlet Gem and Egyptian Green-flesh are good flavoured and early sorts, and may be snccessfully grown in boxes in a Pine-stove. Prepare beds or pits for their reception, and plant them out before they get pot-bound. Should fermenting material be the heating agency, see that it has been well turned and sweetened, and that it is uniformly moist and not heating too ■ violently. Cucumbers. — At this time, Cacumber plants are frequently infested by thrips and red spider, so that repeated fumigations must be resorted to, as well as sj'ringings, to keep them down. A sowing of both Cucumber and Melon seed ought now to be made for succession crops. Maintain a night temperature of about 70° in bearing pits, and rather than use too much fire-heat in cold nights, cover the glass, if practicable, with mats. Avoid over-cropping, and keep up a healthy supply of wood and leaves, which thin a little to prevent over-crowding. Ventilate in fine weather sufiici- ently to dry the leaves once a day, and water moderately with tepid water. VEGETABLE FORCING. Asparagus. — Continue to cut all shoots as they attain a length of about 6 or 8 inches, and, if the soil gets dry, gently sprinkle it with tepid water. If necessary, make up another bed for succession. Those beds maybe formed of dung or leaves above the ground, or trenches may be cast out about 'i\ feet deep, and as wide as the frames, and filled with the fermenting materials, the frame being set on a level with the ground, and a lining of hot dung built all round it. A few inches deep of light soil should then be placed iuside to plant the roots in. Cover over the roots sparingly with light mould, and keep all pretty close until the Asparagus begins to grow, when a little ventilation greatly improves the quality of the "grass." Those who prefer blanched Asparagus should darken the frames by a covering of mats or litter, but in all cases be particular that neither the bottom nor top-heat rises above 70°, whilst 5° or 10" less is much more conducive to the well-being of the plants. Carrots. — Sow some of the early Horn on a slight hot-bod, together with Lettuces, and keep those previously sown dry and clean. Celery. — Sow a small quantity of some good, solid-stalked, early 68 THE GARDEN. [Jan. 17, 1874 sort, in a pan of light rich earth, in a hod-bed or pit, for the earliest crop. Chicory and Dandelion. — Introduce roots of these into the Mashroom-bouse, arches under Cucnmber-beds, under boxes in Yiaeries, Pine-stoves, or, in fact, any place where they may bo kept dark and in a temperature of about 60°. Endive. — Lift some plants of these with good balls and plant them in frames, where, as soon as they have grown enough, cover them with pots or boxes to blanch. A few seeds may be sown in the eveut of very early Endive being required. French Beans. — Make successional sowhiga of these in pots half filled with rich loamy soil, and grow them in front shelves in the forcing houses, or in pits built expressly tor them. Earth them up before they begin to flower, and syringo them regularly to keep red f pider in chock. Newington Wonder, Syon House, Fulmer's Forcing, and Osborn's, are good sorts for forcing. Lettuces. — Young plants of these in frames should have the sashes tilted at back and front, in favourable weather, if wet ; but if dry, they should be' removed entirely thronghout the day, and replaced ut night. Tie up a few old plants of the Brown Cos, as required. Mint, Pennyroyal, and Tarragon. — Plant some roots of these in boxes or pots, using light soil, and introduce them into some heated house or pit. A portion of a hot-bed may be devoted to them. Mushrooms. — Maintain au atmospheric temperature of 55° or GO", and gently charge it with humidity ; the beds may rise 5° abovo the heat of the house. Attend to the prevention of draughts in the houses, as they are productive of severe chocks to the crop. Obtain simie fresh horse-droppings, as free from strawy litter as possible, for the succession beds. It is a good plan to turn and prepare this material in winter on the floor of the Mushroom-house, a practice that produces, by gentle fermentation, just the natural, geutle ammonia-charged atmosiAere, in which the Mushroom luxuriates. Mustard and Cress. — Sow these, in boxes or patches, in moderate heat, weekly or fortnightly, as required. Onions, — Sow some of the Tripoli variety in a slightly heated frame, for drawing whilst young, for salading, or for transplanting. Potatoes. — Plant some of the Early Ashleaf sort in gently- heated frames, and sow some Radishes on the surface of the soil. Ventilate on favourable occasions, and do not over-water. Rhubarb and Seakale. — Lift some roots every three weeks, and introduce them into the Mushroom-house, or other heated struc- ture. Some crowns may also be covered, where they are growing, with pots, over which place some litter or leaves. To blanch it, the Seakale should always be kept dark. Tomatoes. — Sow a few seeds of these, if early plants are required. ARCHITECTS VERSUS LANDSCAPE GARDENERS. I BEG to thank Mr. Nivcn (see p. 25) for liis timely and ex- cellent reply to " Civis " (see p. 21), whoso strictures on land- scape gardeners show in what light they are held by architects. Admitting, as " Civis "' has stated, that some landscape gar- deners, like many architects, do trespass upon the domain of their professional rivals in creative art, is that any proof that cither or both arc wrong .■' I trow not. In the battle of life every man does the best he can for himself, and whether the ]icrcontage-paid architect, or the premium-paid landscape gardener, is the most worthy of the confidence of employers, is for tlie latter to decide. Taking the three heads, heating, ventilation, and sanitary arrangements, architects, if not ill- informed, are certainly very unfortunate in their practice ; for, to meet with a place which is in any way perfect in these respects, is the exception rather than the rule. Go again to farm buildings. Gentlemen, whose whole lives have been devoted to rural occupations, must, as a rule, be better informed than those who have necessarily nothing but a theoretical knowledge in snch matters. In fact, if the architect insists upon drawing a hard and fast line of demarcation, I see nothing for it but that ho must conlino himself to the mansion and its surroundings, and that the landscape gardener must be content with outdoor ornamentation. 1 grant that the architect should have a voice in the forma- tion of terrace gardens, the landscape gardener watching that he does not convert them, as is customary with some, into stone-yards ; but, beyond that the architect has no right to go. " Civis," however, would doubtless grasji at every part of an estate, and would, no doubt, feel himself quite competent to furnish designs for plant and fi'uit houses, though he might bo ignorant of the names, habits, or peculiarities of the plants intended to occupy them. Of course, architects, in their own estimation, are well up in such matters ; but, judged from a practical point of view, hot-houses and architectural conser- vatories are found unsuitable for the purposes intended ; and it is the same with farm homestead arrangements. Therefore, how practical men do wrong in accepting employment which they understand, I cannot imagine. Indeed, we gardeners, in matters of taste, can hold our own ; and, though we do not wish to inaugurate an aggressive warfare, we are prepared to defend our position if assailed. Among the original architectural thinkers of the last half-century, the late J. C. Loudon cannot pass without remark; while the bold conception of Paxton, in the exhibition building of 1851, sliook both architecture and engineering to its centre, and has been the land-mark of progress ever since. Go we then to Mentmore, Baron Rothschild's beautiful residence in Buckinghamshire ; to the chateau of another of the Rothschilds, near Paris ; to his bijou and exquisitely-finished villa in the garden at Chats- worth ; to the model village at Edensor ; and to scores of improvements upon the Duke of Devonshire's property in all parts of the country, and wo have proof that a man may have originality of conception in a line of lite to which he was not brought up, and develop it so as to command the admira- tion of the world. This Sir Joseph Paxton did ; and scores of others, with the same appliances, could do the same; but some men strive hard for a niche in the temple of fame, while others have greatness thrust upon them. Therefore, let not " Civis " and others imagine that they are unrivalled. The leading landscape and horticultural architects are in a position to hold their own, even against architects themselves ; and there are not a few of the latter, who make it a rule, wherever they go, to open a feud with the landscape gardener, if not with the ordinary gardener employed on the place. X. P. Y. THE NEW SUBSTITUTE FOR COAL. We (Gali'jnani) stated a short time ago that a Belgian peasant had made the extraordinary discovery that earth, coal, and soda, mixed together, would burn as well and better than any other combustible, and the fact has since been proved beyond a doubt. The way in which he found this out is curious: — He had been scraping the floor of his cellar with a shovel, in order to bring all the pieces of coal lying about into a heap, which, mixed as it was with earth and other impurities, he put into his stove. To his astonishment, he found that this accidental compound burnt better instead of worse than he expected, and emitted much greater heat. Being an intelli- gent man, he endeavoured to discover the cause, and discovered that a good deal of soda, probably the remnant of the last wash, lay about the floor of the cellar, and that some of it must have got into his heap. He then made a few experiments, and at length improved his compound sufficiently to render it practical. The publicity giveu in Belgium to this discovery caused trials to be made everywhere, and it has now been ascertained that threo parts of earth and oue of coal-dust, watered with a concentrated solution of soda, will burn well .and emit great heat. Many Parisian papers talked of it, but only oue — the Moniteur — ^went so far as to make the experiment at its printing office. A certain quantity of friable and slightly sandy earth was mixed with the quantum of coal-dust prescribed ; the two ingredients were well incorporated with each other, and then made into a paste with the solution above mentioned. The fire-place of one of the boilers had been previously lighted with coal, and the fire was kept up with shovelst'ul of the mixture. The latter, in a few seconds, was transferred into a dry brown crust, which soon afterwards became rod-hot, and then burnt brightly, but without being very rapidly consumed. Tho fact of the combustion is, there- fore, well ascertained ; but before the system can be universally adopted, there are some important points to be considered, such as the calorific power of tho mixture compared to that of pure coal, its price, and, above all, a remedy for tho great drawback attaching to it — its fouling tho fire-grate considerably. Lightning Kods. — The Journal of the Franklin Instituie has published a series of articles by Mr. John M. Mott on lightning. Tho writer comes to the following among other conclusions : — " Lightning rods, as usually erected, do not afford much protection." " The conducting power of lightning rods is proportional to their solid contents, and not to their surfaces." " Insulators are of no use in any ease." " The rod must bo attached directly to tho building, the closer the better." " Sharp points for the upper terminations of rods are necessary; rods are of but little value without thom." Jan. 24, 1871.] THE GAEDBN. 69 THE GARDEN. " This is an art Which does mend nature : change it rather : but The Am itself is Natube." — Sliakespeare. THE LION'S TAIL. (leonotis leonurus.) This Is one of the representatives of the Labiate family, from the Cape of Good Hope, and one that is rarely met with in cultivation, much rarer, indeed, than its peculiar merits deserve. Its introduction into Britain dates back for considerably over a century, and in some of our old works it is alluded to as a subject of pretty general cultivation ; in fact, it is one of onr old friends that ought not to be lost sight of. What, then, are its special claims P and what are the reasons why it has passed into this state of neglect ? As to claims : when I say that its flowers and flower-buds, including the smaller bracts, are of an intense orange scar- let, and that these, in a welt-grown plant, rise tier above tier, interspersed liere and there with a sprinkling of narrow leaves, to a height of 2 feet or more, it will be obvious that its colour alone is a strong recommenda- tion in its favour, added to which, it possesses a nice branching liabit of growth, the lower part of the plant being clothed with leaves of an ex- ceedingly delicate tint of green, and, like many of the Labiate group, the whole plant yields an agreeable aromatic odour. Why, then, seeing that it has such claims, is it rarely met with in the gardens of this country ? So rarely, indeed, that few of the present generation of gar- deners are aware of its existence. In replying to this inquiry we must study its peculiar constitutional cha- racteristics, and in these, if I mistake not, we will obtain a solution of the mystery. As has just been stated, the Lion's Tail is a Cape plant, or rather, is indigenous to a district some 150 miles north of the Cape, consequently, it is not sufficiently hardy to stand our climate during the winter, even supplemented by the protection of a cold frame ; possibly this statement should be modified as to the extreme south of England, but of its growth in such localities' I have had no experience. We must, I thmk, look upon this plant as essen- tially a tender greenhouse-loving plant during winter, in fact, one that should be favoured with a similar treatment to what the great majority of our tender bedding-plants require. As the beauty of the Leonotis chiefly rests in its brilliant BrodurHoTf" "^ ''^ *^' '"°'^'= '^"^^^''^"1 ^y tl^<^"- abundant St™ ^ ' . ™"f* •'''y "" ^"'■'^ °^ t^o °n tte circum- S o,i, rr^ ™"^"°7« '° the attainment of this result, an 1 noHpH ff '^ bedding-plants, cuttings struck in autumn decorattn the fnl?. 'P"°^ ^"'^ ''^'^Me for flower-garden Tail fnrr, *^f ./°"°^i"g Summer, but to this rule the Lion's result Z,Ji ""^ "^f option. Under such treatment the result would be an abundant growth, culminatin<^ late in autumn mto a vigorous character, and exactly in proportion o loItTZ'2TZ' r'^'Pf''^ ."f f i"ry from eariyLtumnal of ntp Z 1/ ^' l^ ''°* "" '"S'^ ^°'"'^' ^^°i- even the sign ,°Ln !' T rf""? '*' appearance. How, then, is the all- important result to be attamed ? Merely by giving the plants The Lion's Tail. a prehmmary growth for a twelve-month in 7 or 8-inoh pots under exactly similar treatment as regards liquid-manure and exposure as we give to our Chrysanthemums ; then winterino- them in the greenhouse in a comparatively dry and quiescent condition, exciting them to make a moderately free growth in the spring gradually hardening them off, and ultimately planting them out in the middle of May. In this operation judgment is necessary, as, if the soil in which they are to be planted is of a heavy character, it will be better to plunge than to plant ; but, if of a hght sandy nature, plant out ; but do not, under any circumstances, disturb the pot-bound ball of roots • leave the rest to a bright summer's sunshine, and I will warrant tlie result will far more than counterbalance the extra trouble m obtaining it. My first acquaintance with this plant was made some twenty-five years ago at Kew, where an old plant, that had stood sponsor for a label (if I may use a somewhat left-handed expres- sion) for a number of years, was consigned to my care, with a lot of other Cape and New Zealand plants, to utilise on a considerable extent of wall and wall-borders we had just then acquired ; and the said old plant, after the somewhat rough surgical operation of cutting the potsherd portion of the ball off square with the spade, and planting it at the foot of the wall, was one of the most brilliant plants during the autumn, only rivalled by the now familiar Tritoma Uvaria, which then, and under similar circumstances, minus the sur- gical part just alluded to, for the first time obtained its true status in Eng- lish gardens. The roots of the latter were amenable to some reasonable disentanglement, which resulted in a vigorous growth, and an equally vigorous floral display, whereas those of the former were so matted together as^ to defy separation, and, in my opinion, to this very fact we were indebted for the satisfactory result ; hence, my advice as to the non- disturbance of the ball in the pro- cess of planting out. Why the term "Lion's Ear," as indicated by its generic title of Leonotis, or " Lion's Tail," as its specific title Leonurus would imply, has been given to this plant, was, I well remember at the somewhat remote time I speak of, a mystery to me, and, I must admit, it is so still. The genus is closely allied to Phlomis, to which it was originally referred by old botanists. Cuttings strike freely in spring, iu a slight bottom-heat, by merely removing the young shoots from a growing plant, much more so than they do in the autumn, and will be found to answer all purposes for the mode of culture I have already described. The subject of our notice is common in most Continental gardens, where its flower-producing properties are naturally developed, whereas, in our moist climate, we must have resort to such artificial means as experience and practice may dictate. Botanic Gardens, Hull. Jas. 0. Niven. [This very fine plant deserves to be more frequently grown in our gardens. In warm light soils, in the southern j^arts of the country, we have observed it thrive well, grown as Mr. Niven advises ; and, in districts where it would not bloom out of doors, it is well worthy of a place as a cool greenhouse plant. About Paris, established plants placed out for the summer flower profusely. Wherever it can be grown well in the open air, it would form a valuable plant for association with the finer bedding and sub-tropical plants.] 70 THE GARDEN. [Jan. 24, 1874. NOTES OP THE WEEK. Messes. Bakk & Sugden have received, from India, a large consignment of the very fine Liliam Wallichianam, which is the best of the longiflorum section, and is very rare in this country. • The famous collection of plants, long grown by our able cor. respondent, Mr. Baines, formerly at Bowden and now at Southgate, is to be sold by auction at Stevens's in April. Two or three species of Ferula, on account of their freshly- tinted and fine feathery foliage, are still interesting objects in ths herbaceous grounds at Kcw. Mk. William Bull has a fine golden-flowered Odontoglossum, in the way of 0. triumphans, now in blossom. It bears great, branched, many-flowered spikes, fully a yard long, the blossoms being from 2 to 3 inches across, and very striking in appearance. We have received from Mr. G. F. Wilson, F.E.S., a pamphlet, " The Eoyal Horticultural Society ; as it is and as it might be." This is published by Mr. T. S. Gilbert, of Moorgate Street. We shall allude to it at greater length next week. We may, however, state at once that it embodies the views, as regards the future of the Society, for which Mr. Wilson has lately so ably contended. TnE Count d'Esterno advocates the destruction of wood. peckers on the ground that they injure trees, by boinng after insects, more than the insects themselves do. In this opinion he is opposed by Dr. Turrel. M. Carriore seems perplexed by the disagreement of such high authorities, and asks the question whether it has been plainly proved that woodpeckers never bore Into trees which contain no insects. Our own conviction is that the instinct of the woodpecker in its search for food does not mislead it into the useless labour of boring into sound trees. The Count de Lambertye has recently published an inter- esting hrochure of 128 pages, the subject of which is the history of the Strawberry from the sixteenth century down to the present time. The Count has evidently entered into his work con amore, and has aptly divided his pages into three sections, the first con. taining a general account of the genus, with descriptions of some of the most important varieties. The second part is occupied with historical notes on the diiierent modes of culture which have been employed from the year 1570 down to 1873; while the concluding pages are devoted to an exhaustive account of the most approved methods of Strawberry culture, as at present practised in France. The work is published, at a franc, by A. Goin, 62, Rue des Ecoles, Paris. A GENERAL meeting of the'Linngean Society of London was held on Thursday evening, Jan. 15, in the new Government rooms, at Burlington House, when certain very important alterations in the bye-laws, recently made by a majority of the council of the society were discussed. These consisted of a repeal of those bye-laws which prevent fellows from holding any paid oflices in the society, and provide for the election of the paid librarian (who, of course, is not a fellow) by the society at large, and of a proposal to place all appointments to salaried posts entirely in the hands of the council. Unfortunately, no special notice of these proposed changes had been sent to the fellows, or, as they are distasteful to many, there would have been a, larger gathering than the sixty-six who voted upon the question. A majority of two-thirds is required to pass alterations in the bye-laws, and this number exactly, forty-four, voted for the council's alterations. The result is, that by the barest possible majority changes havo been made in the constitution of the society which, in the opinion of many of its fellows, must very seriously lower its hitherto high character, and will place undue and excessive power in the hands of the council. At a meeting of the Royal Horticultural Society, which took place on Wednesday last, two dozen beautiful potf uls of Lily of the Valley were shownby Messrs Standish & Co., of Ascot. There wore also a few red and white-flowered Chinese Primulas of a good " strain " from Messrs. Dobaon & Son, of Isleworth ; a Cineraria, with large showy violot-purplo flowers, from G. F. Wilson, Esq. ; Odontoglossum angustatum from Mr. W. Denning ; and a specimen of Cypiipedlam Boezlii, to which a first-class certificate was awarded, from Messrs. Veitch & Sons ; from Mr. R. Dean, Ealing, came some plants of White Swan bedding Viola, and, also, a few Primroses, beautifully bloomed, including Rosy Morn, Yellow Queen, and Violet Gem ; Mr. Wm. Paul, Waltham Cross, exhibited some very fine cut flowers of Camellias ; and Mr. Bennet, of Hatfield, furnished some very fine Early Prolific Tomatoes, ripe Guavas, and tho edible fruits of the Tacsonia Van Volxemii ; Messrs. Masters & Kinmont, Canterbury, sent a dish of pretty little seedling Apples, named Duchess of Edinburgh, a cross between Court of Wick and King of tho Pippins ; and from Mr. Wm. Hooley, Toddington, Beds., came another handsome seedling Apple ; Mr. R. Dean, exhibited a dish of Brownell's Vermont Beauty Potatoes, a red-coloured, large, fiattish variety, and Extra Early Ver. mont, a white sort, said to be a fortnight earlier than the American Rose. Hardy Cyclamens are finely in flower in the neighbourhood of London. In Mr. Wilson's garden, at Weybridge Heath, C. Coum vernum, and C. Atkinsii are now beautifully in bloom. A MEETING was held at Bath the other day, under the presi- dency of the Mayor, to consider the project of a winter garden for that city. All present were unanimous in favour of its erection ac- cording to plans then shown, and advised that subscriptions should be solicited for that purpose. Messrs. Hoopek, of the Central Row, Covent Garden, who pay much attention to dried Grasses and everlasting flowers, have sent us a specimen of some ornamental Grasses prepared in a new way. Instead of being dyed, as now so common, they are slightly bleached, as described by M. Wermig in our columns (see p. 419, Vol. IV.). This gives them a charmingly silvery appearance. They are the best things we have seen in the way of ornamental Grasses in the market. We observe a discussion in the Irish Farmers' Qazette on the respective merits of the eastern and western Planes as trees for town planting. We regret to learn that the former species has been selected for planting in Sackville Street. The Planes in the London parks and squares, as well as those planted along the Thames Em- bankment, are all varieties of the western Plane (Platanus occiden. talis). This we have on the authority of Mr. Gordon, who certainly knows more about the trees in question than the now old authorities, who once condemned the western Plane for Loudon planting. The second part of the " Flora of British India," which is being prepared at Kew, under the supervision of Dr. Hooker, is, we under, stand, ready for publication. This important undertaking is likely to occupy the attention of the botanists engaged upon it for some years to come. It involves the critical examination and description of the whole of the flowering plants of our Indian possessions, numbering some thirteen to fourteen thousand distinct species. The new instalment continues the Polygalaoese, and proceeds as far as the Geraniaceaj. That doctors diiier is well illustrated by a little discussion now going on in Nature between two gentleman well-known in the gardening and botanical world. Mr. Berkeley says — " In Nature, vol. ix., p. 161, it is stated by Mr. Worthington G. Smith that the bodies referred to by Dr. Montague to Artotrogus are possibly no other than Volutella cillata. Nothing can be more common on decay, ing Potatoes than V. ciliata, but I can state most positively that Montague's Fungus, whatever its nature may really be, had nothing to do with V. ciliata. A reference to the figures in the Journal of the Hortictdtural Society (vol. i., tab. 4, figs. 27, 28, 29), and the charac- ters of Artotrogus, apart from the specimens submitted to myself, and the occurrence within the cellular tissue, ought to be quite sufficient." Mr. Doudleday, of Epping, reminds us that in the list of mild winters given last week (see p. 50), mention is made of the winter of 1816-47, which was a very severe one. December, he says, was very cold. On the 14th, the thermometer, 4 feet above the ground, indicated 15° of frost at 8 o'clock a.m., on the 15th, 17°; on the 18th and 31st, 19° ; and there were only five or six days on which the temperature was above tho freezing point at 8 o'clock a.m. January and February were also very cold. On the 10th of February the temperature on the ground was 71°. The date, he suspects, is a misprint for 1815-46, which was a very mild winter. In January, 1846, tho thermometer was only twice below the freezing point at 8 o'clock a.m., and four times in February. On the 2 ith, the maximum in the shade was 58°. Mr. Doubleday adds that he gathered some ripe British Queen Strawberries from the open ground the last week in May, 1846. Mk. Eastlake has (says the Pall Mall Qazette) very oppor- tunely called attention to the fact that the chapel of the old town, house of the Bishops of Ely — the house in Holborn, the Strawberries in whose gardens Shakspearo has made famous — is about to be sold by auction. For some time past it has been used as a Welsh church ; why tho Britons have to give up their right in it is not explained. Though the chapel alone of the ancient house is left, it is, like Northumberland House, also soon to vanish — a trace of a past state of things. It is a trace of the days when tho suburb between the cities of London and Westminster was largely filled up by tho houses and gardens of earls, bishops, and other great men, who, thenas now, needed a dwelling-place when they came to attend Courts and Par- liaments. The Bishop of Ely's house in Holborn, with its gardens and fields, in the days of its grandeur, covered twenty acres. The estate was first given to tho see by William de Luda, bishop from 1290 to 1297. John Hotham, bishop from 1316 to 1336, famous for rebuilding tho presbytery of his cathedral after the fall of the great tower, gave his convent of Ely a "fair Vineyard in Holborn, a suburb of London." Jan. 24, 1874.] THE GARDEN. 71 THE FRUIT GARDEN. GEAPE-G ROWING AT MESSRS. LANES'. Out of the Berkhempstead Nnrsevies have come, of late years, some of the best collections of Grapes exhiljited at our metro- politan and provincial shows. Through cultural skill, good and substantial soil, and abundance of water, the Vines under Messrs. Lanes' care grow strongly and bear freely, producing both heavy crops and large bunches. Their principal Vinery is a spacious span-roofed structure, 13-5 feet long and Q-^ feet wide, glazed with large panes, and heated with two rows of 4- inch hot-water pipes, that surround the house inside. It is built on the side of a gentle slope ; the Vines are planted on the sunny side only, and are trained under the span, down to the upright sashes on the other side. It is now twenty years since this structure was erected in the form of a span- roofed glazed shed, open at the sides, and supported on wooden posts, for the purpose of protecting fruit-trees in pots, choice Conifers, Roses, and a few other plants, in winter. At that time there was no intention of convert- Mug it into a Vinery ; it was, however, thought expedient to plant Vines against the posts and to train them inside, so that they might afford shade in summer, and, per- haps, a few Grapes for Messrs. Lanes' table. No border, in the ordinary sense of the term, was made, but, at plant- ing-time, a little mound of prepared soil, consisting of chopped turfy loam from the common and decayed manure, was got together for each Vine, and, after a year or two, the interval between the mounds was filled with a similarly prepared compost. TheVines, after being planted, made such excellent progress that it was thought the house would be improved if the up- right sides were glazed, and if it was made entirely a Vinery ; accordingly it was enclosed, and the result is one of the most fruitful Vineries in the country. The Vines were originally planted about 3 feet apart, but it was subse- quently found necessary to thin out a few of them in order to give those left more room ; therefore, they now stand at distances of from 3 to 6 feet apart. They are all pruned on the close-spurred principle, each Vme being confined to a single rod ; yet, notwithstanding the severe pruning to which they are annually subjected, they are in the best of health and vigour, and have formed trunks from 2i to 3i inches in diameter. A great many varieties are grown in this house, and amongst them the following are the most noteworthy, viz. :— Black Ham- burgh, Poster's Seedling, and Royal Ascot; these three ripening earliest, the last being a very early kind, and one which has small bunches of beautifully coloured and well-bloomed berries. The Bnokland Sweetwater and Muscat Hamburgh succeed these, the remaining kinds being West's St. Peter's, Trebbiano, Madresfield Court, Pope's Hamburgh, Frauken- thal. Mill Hill Hamburgh (which produces berries of very large size, the surface of which has the appearance of being hammered), Lady Downes.Barbarossa (agross grower and great Fine Bunch of Muscat of Alexandria Grapes, bearer, producing very large bunches), Mrs. Pince, Golden Champion, Alicante, Gros Colman, and several others. This Vinery is also used as a trial-place for all new sorts of Grape Vines, which are inarched on the side-shoots that rise from near the root. Should the variety prove good, it is retained ; but, if it turns out inferior, after a fair trial, it is removed and discarded. Here the Muscat Hamburgh is held in high estima- tion. In one instance it is grown on its own roots ; and, in other cases, it has been gi-afted on the Trentbam Black and Morocco ; but none of these stocks seems to have any influence over the scion— all grow equally well, and set and ripen heavy crops of fruit, each cluster weighing from 1 to 41b. Neither the Golden Champion nor the Madresfield Court Grapes d6 well at Berkhempstead, the berries of the former invariably spotting, and those of the latter cracking and becoming mouldy before they are ripe. Messrs. Lane, however, con- sider these two sorts to be ex- cellent under special culti- vation and care. In this Vinery Peach-trees are win- tered ; Figs and Vmes in pots are plunged in sawdust. Another span-roofed house of the same description, and running up and down hill like the last, but situated farther up the slope, is also devoted to Grape culture, and is divided into three compart- ments, each 45 feet long. The compartment farthest up the hill is filled with late- fruiting Vines, such as Ali- cante, Lady Downes, Mrs. Pince, Trebbiano, and two plants of Black Hamburgh. The second division contains Hamburghs only, and the third includes the Muscat of Alexandria and Bowood Mus- cat; it is from this latter division that the fine bunch of Muscat of Alexandria Grapes, of which we give an illustra- tion, was cut. The divisions are in the form of terraces, one a little higher than the other, and are ventilated on a simple and effective prin- ciple. The whole of the side- sashes of each compartment are opened on the lever-and- rod system at the same time ; but, in the event of all not being required open .it the same time, those wanted to be kept shut may bo un- fastened from the rod by merely unhooking the little chain that binds them to it. Top ventilation is furnished on the same principle, but, in this case, the ventilators are only in every alternate sash, and a rope is used to open and shut them instead of an iron rod. The rain-water from the roof is collected in cement-lined sunk tanks in the several compartments, but, when rain-water fails, ordinary wa,ter is pumped into them. Water here is plentiful, there being many hill-side springs, one of which runs continually summer and winter, close to the Vineries, and it never varies in temperature beyond a degree or so, the usual temperature being 51° or .52°. By digging into the ground to a depth of about 2 or 3 feet, in any part of the home nursery, water is sure to be reached, and to this is attributed, to some extent, the excellence of the Berkhempstead Grapes. At the lower ends of both the ranges of Vineries to which we have just adverted, the Vines produce by far the finest Grapes and the heaviest biiuches, a circumstance attributable to the additional 72 THE GARDEN. [Jan. 24, 1874. light afforded by the gable ends o£ the house, and to the enlarged supply of water that must necessarily percolate down hill to that portion of the border. As regards the formation of Vine borders, Messrs. Lane consider that some- times needless attention is paid to that matter. They are of opinion, however, that all borders should be on a well-drained sub-stratum, and that they should be composed at first of some substantial open soil for a space of 8 or 10 feet wide. The Vine roots in their large Vinery extend far out into the nursery ; but, in the last-erected range, the Vines in which are only six years old, a 4-feet wide inside-border has been made, and to this, and a narrow outside border, their roots are confined, for the convenience of early forcing. When they require more nourishment, it will be given in the shape of additions to the outside border. The soil used both for borders and also for Vines in pots, is the surface turves oif Berkhempstead Common, which con- sist of a strong, very fibrous, yellow loam, not too tenacious, chopped roughly and mixed with some well-deca3'ed manure. That Vines may be successfully grown for a long time in a comparatively small bulk of soil, is exemplified here in a little span-roofed house, which is now being entirely cleared out, to make room for growing pot Vines, for which there is always a great demand. Along both sides of this house, next the walls, were built brick pits, 3 feet deep and 20 inches wide, Bomewhat similar to what we occasionally see Melons grown in. Afoot deep, beyond the measurement of the box-like pits just spoken of, bad been filled with brickbats, over which the rest of the space was filled with the already mentioned soil. A Vine was then planted to every 4-feet-wide sash ten years ago, and ever since has borne good crops of well-coloured fruit. Pot Vines were formerly grown in this house, but as the swelling and ripening fruit required a drier atmosphere than that for young Vines, the latter had to be removed. Of pot Vines there are over 2,000 saleable plants grown here every season, besides a large number for permanent transplantation, as well as some fruiting specimen plants. The latter are mostly all grown in No. 1 pots, which is the largest size ; they consist of Foster's Seedling, Black Hamburgh, and Alicante, which are considered to be the best sorts for pot culture. The Madresfield Court Grape, too, was tried here last year, as a pot Vine, and was found to succeed. In the growth of pot Vines the main point of success consists in the early and thorough ripening of the wood. When the specimens here are started into growth, the rods are trained along the I'afters of the houses like those of permanent Vines, and treated accordingly. When the Grapes are ripe, the rods are trained around a trellis fixed to the pots, or some strong stakes are inserted in the soil in the pots. In this way each Vine will produce from two to four dozen bunches of fruit, averaging nearly Jib. The Nurseries. These nurseries, which consist of upwards of a hundred acres, have long been famous for Grapes, Hoses, Azaleas, Rhododendrons, Ivies, Conifers, fruit trees, and other plants equally interesting. In that portion of them which lies high, on the breezy Berkhempstead Common, Cypresses and other Conifers grow with wonderful luxuriance, and even such peat- loving plants as Rhododendrons bloom beautifully here, and succeed satisfactorily where not a particle of peat exists. This is greatly in their favour, for when they are moved to sheltered places, where they can have a little peat, they take tothe'r new situations .it once, thus obviiiting all risk of failure. The Rhododendrons, of which some .5,000 to 10,000 are raised in these nurseries every year, are now as thickly set with flower- buds as they possibly can be, and the wood being hard and solid, even the finest hybrids winter safely. Laurels are grown here by the acre in the form of bushes and standards, but preference is given to the variety called caucasioa, as it grows into a dense pyramidal form, finishes growing and ripens its wood early, whereas the common Bay, which it most resem- bles, continues to grow late in the season. Wellingtonias, too, arc grown here in thousands, and pretty little plants they arc, densely furnished with branches to the very ground, and averaging in height from a few inches to 8 feet ; after they attain a height of 4 feet many of them become laden with cones. We noticed a large bed containing a great variety of seedling variegated Yews, raised from one batch of seed, and embracing the habits of the English, Irish, and intervening types, the variegation being mostly golden. Amongst Pinuses P. Nordmanniana is the most remarkable ; indeed, we never remember having seen so many of these fine trees growing together at one place ; there are literally thousands of them, varying from a foot to 11 feet in height. Cupressus Law- soniana may also be counted by thousands, of all sizes, the largest being symmetrical well-furnished specimens. Of Thujopsis dolobrata we observed a large plantation raised from seeds saved in these nurseries, but, perhaps, the most attrac- tive plant in the ground was Cryptomeria elegans, of which there is a lai-ge quarter containing young trees from 1 to over 4 feet in height. These beautiful little Conifers assume a bronzy hue in winter, but regain their fresh green appearance in spring, and, than these, few plants are better adapted for centres to flower beds. Amongst other Coniferous plants those of AraucRria imbricata were the most remarkable. Of these there are thousands, varying from young seedlings to plants 12 feet in height, all densely furnished with bi'anohes to the very ground. These consist chiefly of a strong dense-growing variety of this tree, many of which have borne and some are now bearing cones. Two of these Araucarias, each about 8 feet high, ripened seeds last year. These were saved, and sown in boxes of light soil, set in cold frames, and, notwithstanding their number being much reduced by mice — who are particularly fond of Araucaria seeds, 200 of them were left untouched, .ind these have pro- duced as many healthy young plants. Ivies are largely grown here in pots, some as specimens, others in every stage between that and the cutting form. The specimens of them are trained on sharply attenuated pyi-amidal trellises, and are chiefly grown for purposes of exhibition, for which Caenwoodiana, maculata, albo-lutescens, canariensis latifolia maculata, argentea rubra, gold-blotched, himalaica, argentea, rhom- boidea obovata, digitata, and the Irish Ivy, are the best suited. For house decoration, nothing is more useful or ornamental than Ivies, especially in winter, and in order to meet the demand for them, several ranges of pits are filled with small plants of them in 60-sized pots ; therefore, when a window-box is to be filled, or a suspended basket to be made up, a few of these young plants are turned out of their pots, planted as required, and their shoots, that formerly were stiffly tied to stakes, are unfastened and permitted to hang down in elegant festoons over the sides of the boxes. Frost scarcely hurts even the finest of them, and during the dullest winter mouths they are almost as bright as in summer. All strong- growing sorts, for covering walls, are kept in pots in the open ground, and one of the finest of all Ivies for that purpose is Hedera Rfegneriana or the Irish Ivy (H. hibernica.) CULTURE OF THE RASPBERRY. . The Raspberry delights in a deep, rich, moist soil ; still it may be profitably grown in any good ordinary land, if deeply culti- vated and well manured. Under good cultivation, the Raspberry is capable of yielding a better result than is generally attained. It is too often the practice to allow it to remain too long on one plot oE ground ; thus not only causing a deterioration in both the quantity and quality of the fruit, but also curtailing the space at command for the necessary rotation of other crops. I have never found it advisable to allow Raspberries to occupy the same ground longer than five or six years, and the new plantation should always be made one year before the old one is destroyed, in order to avoid any falling off in the supply. Raspberries are jjlanted at various distances apart, but the most profitable plan to adopt, especially in inferior soils, is to plant in rows from 6 to 8 feet apart (I prefer the latter distance), and 1 foot apart in the rows ; this gives both roots and branches more room for development, and the soil is not so soon ex- hausted as when the canes are bundled together in the old- fashioned way. The spaces between the rows can be cropped with low-growing] vegetables — such as Turnips, Spinach, Cauliflowers, Lettuce, &.g. — and in hot weather the Raspberry-canes furnish a grateful shade, beneficial to such crops, and in a measure prevent their bolting prematm'cly. Whenever it is desirable to make a new plantation, let the ground be trenched at least Jan. 24, 1874.] THE GARDEN. 73 two feet deep, and at the same time well manured, burjdng the manure at least a foot deep, as the surface can easily be enriched by the necessary annual top-dressings. Ilasp1)errios may be planted any time up to Feliruary, but autumn planting is best. In planting, first mai'k out the rows at the re- quired distance from each other with the line and spade; then begin at one end of the first row by opening a hole for the first plant, laying the soil taken out ready to finish oil the second row coming back. Any handy spadesman will work backwards along the mark previously made, expeditiously planting the canes at equal distances in a straight lino as he proceeds. I like this plan better than opening a trench with a straight face to plant against, as the roots can be placed in a more natural position ; and, as the soil has only to be moved once, the work is more expeditiously performed. The roots should not be exposed to the drying influence of the atmo- sphere longer than is absolutely necessary, and care should be taken that the buds or eyes at the base of the canes are not injured, as iipon their free and vigorous growth depends the future crop. After all the rows are planted, cut down the canes to within 6 inches of the ground, and lay a mulch of half-decayed manure, about 9 inches wide, on each side of the rows. There will be no fruit the first season, therefore no stakes nor any kind of training will be required ; and, as I have before stated, the ground may bo cropped with low-growing vegetables • — always watching, however, that the growth of the young i canes is not impeded in any way by any overhanging or rampant-growiug crop. All weak canes should be thinned, or out away, as the growth progresses during summer, and the following winter they should receive their final thinning to about 8 or 9 inches apart. At this time some provision must be made for supporting and training, to prevent the fruit from receiving injury by winds. The following is the plan we adopt : — Stout stakes are procured, and are pointed round at the lower ends (not angular), and the ends afterwards charred in the fire to preserve them. They are then driven in at 10 feet intervals in a straight line along each row, and the tops sawed off at 4 feet from the ground ; this will be high enough for most kinds of Raspberries ; but if the canes are very strong they may be left 6 inches higher, as Raspberries usually Ijear best at the ends if the wood is well matured. Drive a nail in the top of each stake, and stretch a galvanised wire along the top, giving it a twist round each nail to tighten it, and secure it firmly at each end. Another wire may also be run in the same manner about 2 feet from the ground. When the canes are neatly tied to the wire with small twigs of the Golden Willow, the whole quarter will have a neat and dressy appear- ance. Raspberries should always have a good top-dressing of old hot-bed manure every autumn, but not to be dug in deeply close up to the roots ; and in summer — in dry, hot weather — they should be mulched with Grass, litter, or something similar, as a precaution against the effects of drought. With proper means and space there is no difficulty in having a constant supply of Raspberries in succession from July till October, or, if the autumn is mild, till November ; and this, too, may be accomplished without growing many kinds — one or two good old kinds, such as the red Antwerp and Barnet, Cox's Honey, or some other good yellow, and Rivers's large-fruited monthly for autumn bearing. It early in May, the young bearing shoots of a portion of the Antwerp or Barnet are cut off ; a second growth will be produced that will bear a good late crop, and succeed those of the same kinds that have not been cut back, and produce fruit of better quality than the usual autumn-bearing kinds; and I need not say how desirable it is to have a supply of fresh Raspberries through the summer and autumn months. The autumn-bearing sorts should be cut close down every winter, and all the weakly growths well thinned out during spring and early sumvner ; they will then bear well in September and October, and I have, in some seasons in Norfolk, gathered fruit partly through November. Raspberries are usually propagated by suckers or offsets; they may also be increased by pegging down some of the strong shoots in March, and, treating them as layers, all the buds will push up canes and strike root. Raspberries are easily forced; and, when early fruit is desired, four or five strong canes each may be planted into as many 11-inch pots as there is room for. The potting should be done early in autumn ; or, better still, grow them in pots for one season, plunged in the open air. Forcing should not begin too early — not before the first week in February. E. Hobday. Apples for Northumberland. — The followiug list of first, class kitcheu and dessert Apples may be of use to your correspondent "J. H.," Noi-thumberland (see p. 61). They are what I have selected from an orchard planted here abont ten years ago, the situation being vciy exposed, the soil strong loam, with a red clay sub. soil, but well drained. Kitcheu Apples — Lord Suffield, Septem- ber and October, great and stive bearer ; Cox's Pomona, October to December, fine colour and good beaver: Cellini, October and Novem. ber, large and handsome, good bearer ; New Hawthornden, October to January, great beaver; Duchess of Oldenburgh (Russian), sets well in frosty springs, and not so liable to the American blight as others ; Blenheim Orange, good for kitchen or dessert, great bearer ; Tower of Glammis, vabiable as a sauce Apple, great bearer, November to February ; Northern Greening, November to April, excellent keeper ; Norfolk Beanfin, December to April, good bearer ; Eymer, December to April, good sauce Apple ; Dumelow's Seedling, or Nor- manton Wonder, the best sauce Apple, keeps till April ; Sturmer Pippin, keeps till June or July, great bearer. Dessert Apples — Irish Peach, the best, verj' early Apple, July to August ; Kerry Pippin, August to September, good bearer ; Red Astraohan, July to August, good bearer ; Mavgil, fine flavour, like Ribston Pippin, great bearer, September to October ; Cox's Orange Pippin, fine flavour, October to November ; King of the Pippins, great bearer, October to November ; Golden Reinetto, great bearer, October to November ; Sykehouse Russet, good beaver, January to Mavch ; Lamb Abbey Peavmaiu, good keeper and bearer, January to Mavch ; Keddleston Pippin, fine flavour, January to March ; Lord Burleigh, fine flavour, April to June ; Stuvmer Pippin, for keeping the latest, April to July. — William Tilleky. Wintering Vines in China. — In the north of China, on the approacb of winter, the Vines are taken down irom the trellis-work to which during summer and autumn they had been attached ; long pits of from 2 to 3 feet in depth being dug, the stems and branches avo first trimmed, then laid longitudinally in them, and the whole covered up with soil. Thus they remain protected fvom the severe cold of winter until the following spring, when they are once again brought to light, are ranged upon the framework newly erected for them, and otherwise prepared for bearing their luscious fruit, several varieties of which are cultivated for the table, but as yet none for the purpose of yielding wine. During the latter part of 1860 and the greater part of 1861, it was my daily habit to take my walks and rides in the vicinity of Tientsin, in ovder to observe the botany and natural history of the locality ; in the latter half of Mavch I have seen the process of disinterving the Vines, and avranging them for bearing, as the temperature of spring increased ; and it did so vevy rapidly ; tendrils, that but a few days before appeared like so many dry and sapless twigs, sent forth their buds ; a few days more the buds had developed into leaves, and, ere a month was past, the rich green foliage was such as to yield refreshing shade from the heat, which, by the latter end of spving, had become unpleasant during the three hours after mid.day.— G. A. Goitnox. NOTES AND QUESTIONS ON THE FRUIT (JARDEN. Pear-trees in Bloom, — Owing to the mildness of the season, I have Pear- trees nefii'ly iu full bloom, and, in order to try au experiment, I have potted and placed them in the orchard-house with my Peaches and Nectarines. Common China Uoses are also tliickly in blossom in this neighbourhood. — Teovil, Blackberries. — Cauanyof your readers tell mo how it is that the Blackberry is not among our cultivated fruits ? If it were improveable in anything like tho same proportion as the wild Raspberry or Gooseberry, to say nothing of the Strawberry, it would well repay the care bestowed on it. and the idea is so obvious thixt one would suppose there must be some insuperable difficulty in the way of carrying it out. Where can I get any information on the subject ? — B. W. S. New Early Plum. — The current number oE the Revue Hortieole contains a coloured plate and a description of a new early Plum, the Normande pri5coce, which ripens from the middle to the end of July. The tree is said to bo of very vigorous growth, with long and thick branches. Tho fruit, which is usually produced in twos and thi-ees, is of a light purple colour, large size, and first-rate quality. This variety is a seedling from Eeinette pr^cooe, raised about ten years 'since, and fruiting for the flrst time iu 1871. Apples Kept Two Years.— At an entertainment given to the members of the Massachusetts Board of Airriculture, at the house of Captain E. T. Miles, dirring tlielatemeetin"-at Fitchburg, among other rare and choice fruits were several baskets of Roxbury Russets, of the crop of 1872, in a remarkable state of pre- servation, being soimd and quite plump, .and retaining a fair proportion of their original flavour. Captain Miles's foreman informed the editor of The N. E. Farmer that he considered it no wonderful feat to keep Apples in good condUion two years. He keeps them in barrels in a cold cellar, has the barrels as nearly air-tight as possible, heads them up after they are entirely past all sweating stages, and does notlook them over till wanted for use. 74 THE GARDEN. [Jan. 24, 1874. GARDEN DESTROYERS. THRIPS. TiiEse may be classed with the worst insects with which we have to contend, especially iu the indoor department. They do not increase so fast as the aphides, yet in some cases, as when they attack Vines, they are more difficult to destroy. The black thrips are most destructive to Azaleas, Vines, and Perns under glass, and to such things as Dahlias, Phloxes, and Verbenas out of doors. In some localities they attack late Peas in such numbers as) to almost destroy the crops. The means required for their destruction vary with the different plants, and the conditions and situations in which the plants exist. Azaleas are more liable to theu* ravages than any other plants, and, unless means are taken to destroy them as soon as they make their appearance, they do irreparable mischief by destroying the vitality of the leaves, causing them to fall off prematurely, and correspondingly weakening the root power. They require a higher temperature than aphides to bring them into life ; but, in the stove, the eggs hatch in about three weeks. Except in houses that are kept warm through the winter, the female deposits and seals over her last eggs late in the autumn, and dies, unable to withstand the cold. The small black varnish-like spots, most generally found on the backs of the leaves (and which are often mistaken for the excrement of the insects), are the sealed-up eggs, ready to come into life as soon as the plants are subjected to artificial heat, or naturally by the increase of solar heat in the spring. If this last batch of eggs is thoroughly destroyed in the autumn, the plants stand a reasonable chance of escaping their attacks the follow- ing summer. Fumigation, no matter how strong the applica- tion, is of no use for the destruction of the eggs ; consequently, it becomes necessary to employ other means. The best method for small plants is dipping them in moderately strong tobacco- water, to which has been added 2 oz. to the gallon of Gishursf, which softens the tobacco-water, and counteracts the injurious effects that the oil which it sometimes contains has upon the leaves of plants. For large plants that cannot be dipped, it is necessary to lay them down on their sides and syringe them all over,turningtheplantsduring the operation, so as to thoroughly wet every leaf on both its upper and under surface. Not a single leaf should be missed, or the chances are that the dressing will not be effectual. Allow the mixture to dry on, and it will destroy the vitality of the eggs effectually. In the operation of washing it is necessary to use a trough, over which to lay the plants whilst being syringed, otherwise serious waste will occur. Every garden where plants are grown ought to bo provided with a trough of this description ; it should be made of strong galvanised iron, (j feet square and 10 inches deep, strengthened in the rim and across the bottom with stout iron wire. After syringing, allow the plants to lie on their sides until the liquid is c[uito dry upon them, as it is not desirable that it should run down in any considerable quantity amongst the roots. Plants that have been much affected with the insect should be washed iu this manner twice, at an interval of a fortnight, iu the autumn ; and, if it is thoroughly well done, very few will be attacked with the insects the following summer, unless some affected plant is introduced amongst them. During the growing season, the plants should l)e frequently examined, and, as soon as any of the thrips are discovered, they should bo at once washed with the mixture, not allowing them time to spread. Thrips may be destroyed by tobacco-smoke, but I do not approve of fumigating Azaleas, as I never saw a sufficiently strong application of the smoke to kill the insects without injuring the leaves, causing them to fall off prematurely ; consequently it is much safer to destroy them by the application of tobacco-water. In the stove, Ixoras, Dipladcnias, Francisceas, Crotons, with numbers of other plants, are subject to their attacks. I find the best remedy is to wash the affected plants with " Fowler's Inseoti- oidc," used 4oz. to the gallon, dipping and syringing the plants in a simikir way to that described for the Azaleas. Where these insects get amongst Vines, they do serious mischief. After the crop is cut, the living insects can be killed by repeated smokings ; not so their eggs, wliich are deposited thickly on the young wood ready to come to life when there is sufficient beat to hatch them. The usual winter dressing of sulphur, clay, and soft-soap, thoroughly applied, is sufficient to destroy them ; but if they attack the Vines early in the season, or before the crop is cut, fumigation will not answer, for the Grapes will taste of the smoke to an extent that will spoil them. Sulphur mixed with clay and a little fresh lime, applied to the pipes in the same way as for red spider, will kill the mature insects, and the application must be repeated three times at intervals of eight- teen or twenty days, so as to kill the young brood as they are hatched, before they have had time to breed. When they make their appearance upon Cucumbers or Melons grown in houses or moderately large pits, the best plan is to fumigate repeatedly, but not too severely, or the plants will be so far injured as to make them useless ; and, even iu houses of this description, if they get established upon the plants in winter or early spring, the plants are rarely able to withstand suffi- cient smoke to kill the insects. Careful syringing with tobacco- water, using a very fine Rose, is the best and safest remedy ; but, for these plants, there must be no Gishurst added to the tobacco-water, or it will kill all the points of the young shoots. When they make their appearance on these plants, in small pits or garden frames, they may be destroyed if taken iu time by sponging the under-side of the leaves with tobacco-water. Dahlias, Phloxes,&c.,are very subject to them iu some localities; nothing here can be done but frequent use of syringe or garden- engine, as they cannot bear repeated immersion in water. Iu the greenhouse, Fuchsias, Cytisus, Statices, Hydrangeas, Camellias, Vallotas, Cyclamens, and Cinerarias, are afew of the plants which they attack ; here fumigation, repeated until they are destroyed, is the best remedy. In some localities, generally in dry situations, they are very destructive out-of- doors. About July, in a dry season, they generally make their appearance upon Peas, scores of the insects getting into every flower as soon as it is open, and causing a malformation of the young pods, so that they frequently do not contain more than one or two Peas. A liberal use of the garden-engine two or three times a week will keep them in check, so as to prevent their doing serious harm. The small yellow thrips is a more difficult insect to deal with than the black one. The plants they attack are somewhat different, and not so numerous. Fumigation of this insect is almoss useless, from its habit of establishing itself dowu in the bottom of the young leaves as they unfold. Here there appears to be sufficient stagnant air to supply their breathing until the fumes escape from the house without injuring them in the least. In the stove, Allamandas, Crotons, Francisceas, and winter Cucumbers, suffer much from their attacks ; for the latter, careful and repeated use of clean tepid water, applied wih a fine-rose syringe all over the plants, but more especially the under surface of the leaves, is the best remedy. Allamandas, Crotous,or any plants of similar description should be regularly well syringed with clean water, and an occasional washing with a weak solution of Fowler's Insecticide at 2 oz. or 3 oz. to the gallon. But it is to Orchids that this insect does the the most mischief. Amongst East Indian species, such as Phalasnopsis, Saocolabiums, Aerides, and Vandas (getting down into the heart of the plants, disfiguring the young unfolding leaves, and, if left unchecked, entirely destroying them), Cattleyas, Dendrobiums, Oncidiums, Odontoglots — in fact, on almost any species of Orchid — they appear to be at home. Fumi- gation here would be of little avail, even if all Orchids would boar it. All insecticides with which I am acquainted do harm to the plants. I have seen soft fleshy-leaved plants like PhaUcnopsis killed outright by the use of Gishurst and similar compounds ; consequently, they should never be used. I have seen tobacco or ordinary snuff blown into the crown of the plants ; this partially destroys the thrips, but it is objection- able ; if water gets along with it into the hearts of the plants it fi-equently rots them. By the continued use of a very small bit of sponge tied on the point of a stick, so that it can be got down into the young unfolding leaves, or a small camel's-hair brush just damped with clean water, they may be kept under; but it is a slow process, and, unless where there are few plants, it is scarcely possible by this means to completely eradicate them. Continued application of clean tepid water, syringed over-head every other day during the growing season will soon completely destroy them. Care must be taken that Jan. 24, 1&?4.] THE GAUDBN. ?5 the water gets right into the crown of the plants, otherwise it will not be effectual. Some growers object to this syringing overhead, alleging that it frequently rots the young growth. Such will be the case where Orchids are grown on the coddling system, with too much heat, too much atmospheric moisture, too much shade, too far from the glass, insufficient air, not enough rest in the winter ; and these are the conditions under which the greatest number of Orchids in the country exist, entailing four-fifths of that fatal disease, the spot, and render- ing these naturally strong-constitutioned plants unable to withstand that necessary, as well as most natural, way of applying water overhead. Winter Cucumbers are frequently attaclvcd by these insects ; here they arc more difficult to deal with, as at this season the plants do not well bear the amount of syringing overhead required to keep the insects down. A syringe with a very fine rose should be used, so as to wet the whole surface of the plants with as small a quantity of water as possible. They are some- times troublesome on Peaches and Nectarines under glass, as well as on open walls ; this generally happens where an insuffici- ency of water has been used overhead. Here they do the most mischief in the last stages of ripening, congre- gating by hundreds upon the ripe fruit, and much damaging its appearance. Nothing can be done here except to use the syringe or garden-engine, and too much water overhead at this time injures the flavour of the fruit. The best practice is prevention by a liberal use of the syringe or engine all through the early stages of growth. This insect is a continual source of annoy- ance through the summer to the Auricula-grower, seriously injuring the youug leaves as they unfold, and, if left undisturbed, will cjuickly destroy the plants. I once had charge of a col- lection of these plants, and soon found that the time re- quired to catch the insects singly by the old method of employing a flat-pointed stickjwetting the point so as to cause them to adhere to it, and then crushing them by hand, was more than could be spared ; so I tried fumi- gation, and found that the plants would stand it, ap- plied sufficiently strong to kill the insects, matting the frames well up to retain the smoke. T. Baines. THE FLOWER GARDEN. Ricinus sanguineus, NOTES AND QUESTIONS ON GARDEN DESTROYERS. Destroying Snails.— Snails may be enticed to harbour in and feed on bran, if placed in ham If uts where they are numerous. Every morning the places should be examined and the snails destroyed. Quick-lime, if dusted on the rows of early Peas, and other early vegetables, in spring, when the dew is on them, is a certain cure for snails, if persevered in. — W. Wire-worms.— These are found in the greatest r|uaulities in fresh new loam, just brought from the fields, aud such soil, when used for valuable plants, should be carefully examined, and the wire-worms crushed; their brownish-red bodies are easdy seen. Slices of Potatoes or Lettuce stems will likewise entice them where they are numerous. The slices should be placed under ground, and then frequently examined. This year I saved a bed of seedling Gladioluses that were planted in some new loam, which I found afterwards swarmed with wire-worms, by placing slices of Potatoes and Lettuce stalks in the ground, after I found that some of the plants were flagging. By this means I saved the rest from being attacked so much afterwards.— W. Tillehx CASTOR-OIL PLANTS. These very ornamental foliage-plants are said by M. Mueller (who has studied the genus very attentively) to belong to a single species, Ricinus communis, of which he considers all the kinds in cultivation to be mere varieties. In his mono- graph on the Euphorbiaocffi, M. Mueller states that, up to the year 1866, he had established sixteen leading varieties and twenty sub-varieties of Ricinus. Like the Caunas, these plants manifest a remarkable tendency to natural hybridisa- tion, and M. Andre states that, m raising them from seed, so many varieties are produced that in two generations it is difficult to find a seedling resembling the original type. The following are descriptions of the type and twenty of the principal varieties grown by M. Andre : — Ricinus communis. — A native of the East Indies, but growing freely in the open air in this country in the summer months. Planted out in some of the London parks, it attains a height of nearly 12 feet, and produces leaves nearly 3 feet across. The stem is jointed, of a purplish-red colour, covered with a glaucous bloom. The leaves are palmate, deeply divided into five, seven, or nine oval-lance-shaped seg- ments, which are unequally toothed at the margin. The flowers are borne in spikes, but are insignificant in ap- pearance, as the corolla is wanting. The fruit is a tolerably large three-celled capsule, covered on the out- side with prickles, like the fruit of the Horse Chestnut. Each cell contains one seed about the size and shape of a French Bean. From these seeds the castor-oil of com- merce is extracted ; the seeds being first boiled, and afterwards submitted to pressure inahydraulic press. This plant is largely grown in Algeria, where it often attains a height of from 22 to 26 feet. "Varieties. 1. R. PUKPUREUS MONS- TROSUS. — Grows about 10^ feet high. Stem, simple, as thick as a man's arm, of a deep reddish-brown colour suffused with rose, as are also the long and stout leaf-stalks; leaves, large, deeply lobcd, of a deep green colour, with bright red nerves or veins ; flower- spikes, very large, p5'ramidal in shape ; flower-stalks, red ; capsules, large, deep green, with reddish prickles. A magnifi- cent plant. 2. R. ArRicANUS ALBIDUS.— Grows about 8 feet high ; moder- ately vigorous. Entire plant of a pale yellowish glaucescent green colour. Stem and leaf-stalks of a hoary yellowish colour, tinged with very deep green ; leaves, small, of a lively green colour, with yellow nerves or veins ; flower-spikes, small, hoary or frosted green ; capsules of medium size, with pale yellow prickles. 3. R. BORBONiENsis RUBRlCAULis.— A Very stroHg-growmg variety, about 8 feet high. Stem, violet-green at the base, hoary purplish-violet at the top ; leaves, large, flat, not much diviced, deep green, centre starred with rose-colour ; nerves or 76 THE GARDEN. [Jan. 24, 1874. veins, rose-colour ; leaf-stalks, long aud slender ; flower-spikes, of medium size, on rose-coloured stalks, marbled with green. Capsules, large, of a deep green colour, with a bluish iridescence. •i. E. ELEGANTissiuus.— Grows about 5g feet high. Stem, slender, with long internodes or joints, of a reddish-purple colour; leaf -stalks of the same colour, long, slender, erect ; leaves, deeply cut, of a lively green colour, with bright rosy veins or nerves. Capsules of a uniform ashy-green tinge. 5. R. BORBONiENSis. — A Variety with very few branches, growing nearly 10 feet high ; stem, very stout ; leaf-stalks, long, stout, much swollen at the base, streaked (as is also the stem) with fine red and green longitudinal lines ; both covered thickly with a bluish rose-coloured bloom ; leaves, very large, of elegant shape, divided to the middle, standing far apart, and of a fine green colour ; flower-spikes, short ; capsules, large, of a bluish-green colour, with stout prickles. A very handsome variety. 6. R. COJIPACIUS. — A very branching plant, about 8 feet high; stem and leaf -stalks of a deep reddish-purple colour, like those of No. 1 ; leaf-stalks, long and slender ; leaves, very deeply cut, and margined with very lai-gc unequal teeth ; veins or nerves of a lively rose-colour; flower-spikes, long, dense, and erect ; capsules, of medium size, blackish green, with stout prickles. 7. R. AFRICANUS unuuDUS.— A vigorous-growingplant, nearly 10 feet high ; stem, thick, with long joints or internodes, of a deep violet-purple colour ; leaves, broad, of a deep brilliant green colour, with bluish reflections, and bright red veins or nerves ; capsules, of medium size, deep green, on long stalks, and with long yellow-pointed prickles, standing far apart. 8. R. SANGUiNEU.'j GLAUCUs. — A short-brauchcd plant,, about (j feet high; stem, of alight violet-purple colour; leaves, firm, with short ill-defined lobes, of a dull deep green, tinged with reddish; veins or nerves, forming a central red star; leaf-stalks, slender, streaked with purple and green, and covered with an ash-coloured bloom (as is also the stem) ; flower-spikes, short ; capsules, large, white and red, with strong twisted prickles of a delicate rose-colour. 9. R. SANGUINEUS MINOR. — A plant of small or medium-sized dimensions, about 6 feet high ; stem, of a very deep reddish- purple colour; leaf-stalks, of a lighter shade; leaves, deeply lobed, and edged with broad teeth, of a handsome deep green, shaded with violet whenyoung, nerves or veins, very prominent, and of a deep crimson colour ; flower-spikes, short ; capsules, purplish-green ; points of the prickles, deep red. 10. R. NANUS MiCKosPERMUs. — A branching plant, about 6j feet high ; stem, stout, of a deep purple streaked with rose- colour ; leaf-stalks, long and stout ; leaves, large and hand- some, with very broad large-toothed lobes, orbicular in outline, and resembling those of R. viridis; nerves or veins, prominent, rose-coloured, well-marked, and radiating regulai-ly ; flower- spikes, large ; capsules, numerous, closely set, of a very deep green colour, relieved with bluish and purple tints ; prickles, short, green. 11. R. AFRICANU.S. — A plant of weak growth, and of branch- ing and bushy habit, about 6i- feet high, with a prevailing tint of glaucous green or ashy-yellow, owing to the presence of an abundant light-coloured bloom on the branches and stem; flower-stalks, long and slender; leaves, small, not deeply cut, of an ashy-green colour, with pale yellow nerves or veins ; flower-spikes, short, numerous, unequal in size ; capsules, of medium size, drooping, of a uniform glaucous-green colour. (I suspect this to be no other than R. africanus viridis, and not the true africanus, which is the same as the R. major, or Giant Ricinus, of the gardens.) 12. R. (spEciKs FROM THE PiiiLirri.NE Islands ?)— A plant of an entirely yellowish-green aspect, something like the pre- ceding variety, but less glaucoiis, and growing about dl feet high ; Icaf-stalks, long, slender, and of a marbled-green colour ; leaves, with broad undulated linely-toothed lobes, and yellow nerves or veins; flower-spikes, stout, sliort, and compact; capsules, large, of a uniform ashy or glaucous green, on short stalks ; prickles, short and green. l:!. R. SANGiiiNoi.ENTus.— This is, undoubtedly, the handsomest of the whole collection, as regards colour; grows C. feet, or more, high ; stem, simple, of a very deep reddish-purple, with a shining surface ; leaf-stalks, long and stout, of the same colour, mixed with green, somewhat erect, and close together; leaves, very large, neatly out (the lobes not extending to the middle, and of a lance-shaped acute form), of a general reddish-purple and violet colour, with metallic reflec- tions, like those on the neck-feathers of some pigeons ; nerves or veins, very prominent, of a bright blood-red colour, which remains when the leaves become old and change their colour to a deep green, with purple reflections ; flower-spikes, large, pyramidal, dense ; capsules, large, blood-red, with long deep - red prickles. This variety ripens its fruit very slowly. 1-1. R. Guianensis. — A branching variety, of moderately vigorous growth, about 65 feet high; stem, of a mingled reddish and light violet-green colour, covered with an abundant whitish ash-coloured bloom ; leaf-stalks, slightly reflexed ; leaves, large, well-formed, deeply and elegantly cut into pointed lobes, of a deep glistening green colour, with red veins or nerves ; flower-spikes, thinly set with flowers ; capsules, large, of a pale ashy-green colour ; prickles, rose-coloured. 15. R. MACROPHi'LLUS ATROPURPUiiEUS. — This Variety resem- bles the preceding, but is more vigorous in growth, and has a moi'e erect habit; grows about 5j feet high; leaves, broad, handsome, deep green, with a large central star of red nerves or veins ; capsules, like those of the preceding kind. 16. R. MACiiocAiiPUs. — About Si feet high ; stem, green, streaked and marbled with rose-colour, slightly glaucescent ; flower-stalks, slender, deflected, then recurved and standing erect ; leaves, very large, orbicular in outline, with very broad short lobes, of a uniform brilliant green colour, with stout bright yellow nerves or veins ; flower-spikes, depressed ; capsules, bluish-green, on short stalks ; prickles, short and thick, of a pale green colour. 17. R. iNsiGNis sPECTABiLis. — This plant hardly beai-s out the promise of its high-sounding title. It is very like the pre- ceding variety, but smaller aud more glaucous ; the leaves are deeply toothed ; the nerves arc of a paler hue ; the capsules have a bluer tinge ; and the prickles are curved and longer. 18. R. SANGUINEUS TRICOLOR. — The spcoific name of this variety is also not well applied. It grows about 65 feet high; stem, simple, stout, of a deep blood-red colour, and handsome appearance ; leaf-stalks, long, growing at right angles to the stem ; leaves, neatly cut into lance-shaped pointed lobes ; nerves or veins', broad and equal, of a delicate rose-colour; flower-spikes, pyramidal, dense ; capsules, of a blood-red colour. 19. R. ruiiPUREUs MAJOR. — Grows about 6j feet high; stem and leaf-stalks, deep reddish-purple. In habit and foliage this variety resembles the preceding one, but the leaves are broader, and the nerves or veins are of a lively red colour ; flower- spikes, of medium size ; capsules, large, green, with reddish prickles. 20. R. PURPUREUS. — A vigorous-growing variety, about 65 feet high ; stem, stout, of a violet-red colour, covered with a hoary bloom; leaf-stalks, slender, marbled with rose-colour, white, and green ; leaves, neatly cut into lance-shaped pointed lobes, of a brilliant green colour; nerves or veins, rose-coloured, not prominent ; flowei'-spikes, short, bluish-green ; prickles, short, with rose-coloured points. Of the foregoing varieties, Nos. 1, 3, 5, 10, and 13 should be selected by those who prefer cultivating a few fine sorts to the possession of a large indiscriminate collection. RARE LILIES. For years past, Japan has been pouring in upon us her horti- cultui;al treasui'es in many forms, but notably so in the abund- ance of her rare and beautiful Lilies, giving to this family a first-class place amongst decorative plants, and bidding fair to revive that enthusiastic spirit amongst amateurs which our modern style of gardening has much tended to extinguish. North America, especially California, promises to run Japan close in the r.ace of Lily introductions, and to show that her mineral wealth is but one of her excellencies; for, while she has been fertile in tlie precious metals, she has been develop- ing a superb flora, and her recently-found Lilies are amongst the most magnificent in cultivation. At the head of the list conspicuously stands L. Humboldti, the grandest of all Lilies, and one that, from its constitution, bids fair to make a Jax. 24, 1874.] THE GAUDBN. 11 permanent residence amongst us. India, in its temperate regions, has a Lily flora second to none in beauty, stateliness, and fragrance. Our knowledge of the species is, however, limited. Prom time to time one or other has been introduced, but Giganteum alone remains ; the others have been lost, it is supposed, from over-coddling, treating them as stove plants, ■whereas they come from regions where the frost in wiiiter is severe, though the temperature in summer is high; but this may be said of the native habitats of almost all our Lilies which lay pretensions to the title of beautitiil ; for example, the Caucasus, North America, Japan, and Southern Europe ; these are the places from which our Lilies mostly come, and, while I cannot precisely imitate soil, situation, and climate, I can do much to adapt them ; and it is with this object I have prepared this article, some important notes having come to me from an Indian correspondent, accompanied by the two rare Lilies, Wallichianum and polyphyllum. •' L. Wallichiaxuii," says Baker in his " Synopsis," " stem reaching 4 to G feet high, half an inch thick at the base ; leaves, thirty to forty, always narrow, linear, ascending, the lower reaching 8 to 9 inches long, 3 to 6 lines broad below the middle, narrowed very gradually to an acuminated point ; flowers, two to three, ascending or horizontal ; perianth, 7 to 9 inches long; the neck of the lannel, 3 to o\ inches long." This might fairly be placed as a species of full rank ; for in the height of its stem, size and fragrance of the flowers : it is the prince of the Longiflorum series. " L. POLYPHYLLUir. — Stom, 2 to 3 feet high, moderately stout, glabrous, terete ; leaves, all scattered, thirty to forty to a stem at the flowernig time, much ascending, linear, lanceo- late, the lower ones 4 to 6 inches long, 6 to 8 lines broad above the middle, narrowed gradually to the base and an acute point, similar to those of the Martagon, and much thinner than those of Carniolicum in texture ; the veins, fine and anastomosing, both sides glabrous, the edge not at all scabrous or ciliated, the upper ones ceasing several inches below the inflorescence ; flowers, four to sis in wild specimens, on a lax raceme; perianth, 18 to 21 'lines deep, reflexed from below the middle when expanded, drooping, as in the other Martagons. It has never been in cultivation; colour of the flowers unknown." My Indian correspondent from Mussoorie writes of L. Walli- chianum thus :—'■' Flowers in August, but more usually in September. It is a hardy plant, and here defies both heat and cold. I find it growing, at an elevation of 5,500 feet, on the open grassy hills, with a slope often of 45°, not under forest sheltei', but in the open tracks ; the soil full of bits of lime- stone pebbles, and the matrix composed of lime, clay, and vegetable mould. From the great slope of the hill, it is thoroughly free from surplus water, the tempei'ature of the summer sun being from 120° to 130°. From June to the end of September it grows in a perfect deluge, and often enshrouded in mist for days together, that being our rainy season. From September co December it gradually dies down in a fine warm temperature by day, with hoar-frost at night in November. Little rain falls during these months. Some- times there is but little snow in winter, say 3 to 4 inches, with hard frost ; at other times, the snow lies over them 2 feet in depth, but this is unusual. The bulbs lie at a depth of 6 to 9 inches, and are uninjured. The plant seldom or never pro- duces seed, but is propagated by suckers or by bulblets from some part of a long root, so that the flowering plants are surrounded by numerous young ones of various ages." Another correspondent writes : — " Wallichianum is certainly a magnificent Lily. I have seen it in the Himalayas 8 feet high." Of L. polyphyllum, my Indian correspondent says : — " It is one of the Turk's-cap group ; grows in good tolerably moist vegetable mould, on a slope in thick shrubbery ; and flowers here in June, at an elevation of 6,500 feet." And he adds : — " I have sent you an Amaryllis, now for the first time pro- cured. I have not seen the flower ; but the lad who found it says it throws up a smooth stalk, bearing Blue-bell-shaped flowers, disposed on alternate sides like L. giganteum and L. roseum. It was found on the margin of a stream, at about 5,000 feet of elevation, at the bottom of a deep wide valley. This is the first Amaryllis I have yet found on these hills." Pjster Barr. BEDDINa OALCEOLAEIAS. We cannot as yet dispense with the Calceolaria as a bedding plant so long as the present system of massing in colours continues, and especially is this true of the yellow bedding varieties ; for, notwith- standing that several yellow-flowering plants have been suggested as substitutes, snch as tho Pansy, Tagetes signata pumila, dwarf Nasturtiums, dwarf Marigolds, &c., yet there is not much probability of their becoming so generally employed as the Calceolaria. The bedding Calceolarias have fallen into much disrepute with flower gardeners of late, owing to their fatal tendency to show the possession of disease. Whether this is an epidemic like the Potato disease, or whether it is owing to mismanagement, has not been clearly demon, strated. Certain it is that in cases where particular attention has been turned to the treatment of bedding Calceolarias during the winter, the ravages of the so-called disease have been much lessened ; in some instances it has been stamped out altogether. Eoughly stated, the common treatment is as follows : — Cuttings are taken of£ at the end of July or during August and put into store pots, in which they root. They are frequently neglected at this stage, and become dry, scrubby, and infested with greenfly. In the spring, the cuttings are potted off singly into small 60-pots and pushed on into growth, and then allowed to become pot-bound, and to suffer from want of water. Then iu May or June, they are turned out of tho pots with their hard balls of roots into the open ground in a some, what unhealthy state through neglect, and the result is the certain loss of many of the plants. A mysterious disease, inexplicable in cause and action, is credited with the destruction, and it is concluded the bedding Calceolaria cannot be grown. The plants are kept in a hot dry atmosphere for a great part of the winter. They suffer from confinement at the roots at the time when they should have the fullest liberty to develop themselves ; the plants become weakened and scrubby when they should be strong and robust ; and what wonder is it that they succumb to hostile influences ? A much more sensible and safer course is to take the cuttings at the usual season of the year, and dip them for a few minutes in a solution made of 3 oz. of Gishurst's compound, dissolved in a gallon of soft water, and allowed to stand for twenty -four hours before being used ; then the cuttings should be dried in the sun, and pricked out into shallow boxes, or in a bed in a cold frame. The sif tings of the refuse of the potting truck can be turned to good account in this way. There is nothing like a bed in a cold frame, and here the cuttings speedily root. After being kept close for a few days, air should be given on all suitable occasions ; but, if hard frost sets in, some protecting material should be thrown over the frame. In February or early in March, cut a trench across an unused part of the kitchen garden 3 feet in width by 18 inches in depth, and fill it with about 6 inches of any light soil, such as the refuse of the potting truck; and, about the middle of March, plant out the rooted cuttings of Calceolaria in lines about 6 inches apart each way. When the trench is filled, bend over it some stout sticks to form a rough framework on which mats can be laid to give shelter when necessary. On all occasions air should be given, and water when needed. Plants treated in this way will be certain to do well when transferred to the flower-beds ; and very seldom indeed is it that any loss takes place. The great thing is not to put out plants that have had their roots confined in pots during the winter till they have become Httle better than a dried half-decayed ball. Plants lifted from the trench, as directed above, at once lay hold of the soil ; for, the roots, having been perfectly free and unoonfined, are in the highest stage of development. Perhaps there is no flower garden where more Calceolarias are bedded out and flourish better when planted than at Hatfield House, the Hertfordshire seat of the Marquis of Salisbury. The plants are treated in the manner just indicated. The growth is luxuriant, the bloom most profuse ; and yet the Hatfield Terrace flower-gardens are as much exposed to the action of the sun as gardens can well be. Plant out, if possible, when a shower is imminent ; it settles the soil nicely about the roots, and root-growth is made at once. The fine old aurea floribunda still holds its own as a good dwarf yellow bedding Calceolaria, compact in habit, and free and continuous in bloom. Golden Gem is a newer variety, and is considered to be the best of all the yellow Calceolarias in use, even more hardy and compact in growth than aurea floribunda, of a deeper yellow hue, and less affected by weather. Some beds and lines of this variety formed a leading feature in the effective flower garden at Auckland Castle, the residence of the Bishop of Durham, during the past summer. The old amplexicaulis is still much grown for its clear pale straw-yellow colour and general effec- tiveness. A new dwarf sulphur-yellow bedding variety, named Princess Louise, is highly spoken of by many growers. Another, named clegans, has clear golden-yellow flowers, and it does well. Of amber-coloured flowers, Beauty of Herts stands pre-eminent ; it has a fine dwarf, robust, free-branching habit, and blooms profusely. 78 TEtE aARDB^. [JaU. 24, 1874. This is largely grown at Hatfield. The old Prince of Orange and Princess Alexandra, having striking orange.bu£E flowers, also come into the group. Then, of red and crimson flowers we have Bijou, beautiful brilliant crimson ; Crimson Dwarf, dense compact habit, very free and profuse of bloom ; and Victor Emmanuel, reddish- scarlet, distinctly spotted with crimson, makes a fine bedder also. ^- ^• MR. ATKINS'S PLANT-COLLECTORS' BOXES. The favourable allusion made by our correspondent, Mr. Elwes (see p. 53,) to the kind of boxes used by Mr. Atkins, of Painswick, when collecting plants, induced us to write to that gentleman for further information respecting them, and he has kindly furnished us with the following reply : — " My collecting boxes or trays are very simple, but effective. I have for many years used them when far from home, on the Alps and other localities, and, by taking every opportunity of removing the lids to expose the plants to light and air, with an ooca- sional sprinkling with water all over the plants, especially in the evening, I have travelled with them tor many weeks, and found my plants at the end of the journey in the best of health, and grown together into one mass, so as to require a knife to separate them. I use shallow boxes or trays ; a convenient size I have found to be about 18 to 20 inches long by 13 to 11 inches wide, and 3 inches deep in the clear (inside measure), but, of course, the size and depth must be somewhat guided by the description of plants they are in- tended for. The above I have found ample for such as Gentians, Soldanellas, Myosotis, Androsaces, Saxifrages, and such like. If top large, they are cumbersome to move about, and more apt to get damaged in transit. Let them be well made of seasoned J deal, or they will be apt to warp and give way with the damp from the plants. On the four corners of each tray, or box, nail a block of wood about -J inch in depth, on which the loose lid will rest, thus allowing that space all round for the entrance of air to the plants. These, as collected, with sods of earth to the roots, should, from time to time, on return from each excursion, be firmly pressed, with their balls of earth, close together into the box, the top of the plants being nearly, or quite, level with the sides of the box or tray. If more than one be required, they should be all made of the same size, so that when placed one on the other, the bottom of the one above would form a top, or lid, for the one underneath, and, by being provided with two or three stout leather straps, they are very readily fixed together, and opened when at one's quarters (or when passing Custom-houses), with very little trouble or disturbance. When small plants are placed in one of these boxes, a slight division, or a rod, run down the middle of the box longitudinally, is of advantage in preventing their shifting, or being displaced by being thrown about in transit. The new additions of plants, when placed in the box, should have a mode- rate watering to more effectually unite them with those previously placed therein ; and then, in an hour or two, by tipping the box on one edge, you may effectually drain them to prevent soddening. Drain- holes in the bottom of the boxes being objectionable for packing with other baggage, the vacant space in each box is best filled with tightly-pressed Sphagnum, or Moss, until required. 1 never found any difficulty in getting additional trays made in any of the Swiss villages, neatly, and also cheaply. NOTES AND QUESTIONS ON THE FLOWER GAEDEN. Winter Flowers. — Crocus Impcrati, fawn-colour, striped with black, inside of petals violet, in 1873 and 187i was in flower January -1 and 11 respectivel.v. EranthuB byemalis, bright yellow, was in flower .January 11. Colchicum autnmiiale iilbura plenum, casual blooms on .January 11. This has been flower- ing, ofl'and on, over two months in my trial ground. — P. Barr. Ivy-leaved Geraniums for Rose Stems.— Mr. Dean tells, in the Flm-itt, o£ a KTaceful way of training those plants up ^he stems of Rose-bushes. I saw a country flower t,'arden not long since with its inevitable lines of Standard Hoses planted in the turf by the sides of the grave! walk, but with a small circular bed at the base of each. In these beds had been planted various- c jloured Ivy-leaved PeLargoniums, which were trained up the stems of the Rf^ses, and so furnished them with pillars of leaves and flowers. The associa- tion of the Ivy-leaved Pelargonium with the Roses in this fashion quite hid the naked stems from view ; and I failed to perceive that the Roses sulTered in a-iy way from the companionship of the Pelargoniums, as the heads were of vigorous growth and blooming freely. This combination is worked out every j'ear without inflicting any perceptible injury to the Roses. The Species of Tulips.— I send a few notes taken from Tchihatcheff's " Asie Miueurc," vol. ii., to supplement Dr. Regel's paper on Tuliijs, published in TnR GiBDEN last week (seep. 4H). Tulipa armena gi'ows at an elevation of (1,000 f jet ; T. montana found in the Troad, Mysia, at Erzerroum, and on Mount Ararat, at elevations of from 6,000 to 0,000 feet; T. Gesneriaua, found in Armenia at from 6,000 to 7,000 feet; T, .Julia, also found in Armenia; T. undnlatifolia is found in rich pastures near the top of Mount Tahtaln, near Smyrna ; T. Sib- thorpiana is found at Makri, on the Lycian coast, and at Porto Cavaliere. Two species not noticed by Dr. Rogcl, are also mentioned, namely, Tulipa pul- chella, found by ICotschy, in the Cilician Bulgardagh, at an elevation of 6.O1JO to 7,000 feet (Ky. Reiso in Cilic. Tanr. p. 379), and Tulipa Thirkiana, 0. Koch, (T. tricolor, 0. Koch, in Linn, xix., non Lideb.) [«;<•. in TchihatcheO'], found near Jiroussa.- II. J. Elwes, BOLD VARIETY IN GARDEN SCENERY. There are two ways of obtaining good effects in planting, as in painting, the one being gained by a judicious combination of forms and colours, tlie other by skillul contrast. Both these plans have their advantages when put into practice, and we not unfrequently see them blended together in happy union, for, it must be remembered that we can contrast forms while we harmonise colours, and vice versa; in many cases, indeed, it is best to do so. To plant well, we must have the height, form, and colour-changes of every tree or plant employed in our mind's eye; then some definite result can be worked out from the beginning. Every one interested in planting for landscape effect should pay particular attention to the kind of forms they employ for that purpose, if they would be successful. The columnar Lombardy Poplar, the, spreading Oak, the round-topped Ash, the silvery-stemmed drooping Birch, the massive cone-shaped Limes and Chestnuts, or the straight tapering Larch or Firs all assist us, if their forms are judiciously combined with those of trees of a different contour. These may be taken as types, as far as form is concerned, but we must also consider colour, either in harmony or by way of contrast. Here we may have either a soft blending of greens, such as is afforded by Acacias, Limes', Elms, Chestnuts, and sombre Conifers ; or contrasts, such as those afforded by silvery Willows, Negundos, purple-leaved Beeches, and golden-foliaged Yews, Maples, or the crimson autumnal foliage of the Oaks and Vines. Our illustration shows the good effects which result from striking contrasts in the way of ornamental planting. The noble round-headed tree ia the centre of the annexed illustration is in itself a study, apart from the pleasing types of vegetation with which it is surrounded. The whole picture, in short, teaches us a valuable lesson as regards the grand effects we may produce by boldly varying the garden-landscape, instead of following the nearly universal plan of planting in solid clumps and formal masses. We frequently see planting, in which all the tall and striking subjects are so surrounded by others that their indi- viduality is lost. Mr. Marnock, whom, in matters of taste in landscape gardening, we may now consider our best authority, usually follows a different plan from the common one; instead of placing trees of bold or peculiar habit in the centre of clumps, groups, or masses, he usually plants them on their outer and most prominent edge, or point. Good examples of this may be seen at Montague House, and many other gardens designed by him. In due time, these trees, instead of forming an almost unnoticed unit, in a more or less formal mass, stand forth boldly. But, even if we did not possess these peculiar and strikiug forms of trees, weeping or otherwise, our commonest round-headed forms would well repay us for the fullest attention we could bestow on their effective group- ing. The Horse Chestnut groves at Versailles areas monotonous in their serried level ranks as so much groundsel, but a well- developed tree is one of the finest objects in the vegetable kingdom. So it is of a number of other inhabitants of our gardens. It is, indeed, odd to think that, notwithstand- ing the number of fine pltxnts and trees in our gardens, we should be so successful in producing the eternal monotony of form that is everywhere seen. As to variety of forms, we can probably grow a greater number at present in the open air than any other country. In tropical and sub-tropical kinds, we can never be so rich in them as warmer countries may become ; but, recently, we have developed this type to a large extent ; and in deciduous, evergreen, and Conifei-ous trees and shrubs — all classes strikingly diverse in form — our collections are the fullest ever made. We have a good many Yuccas as hardy as our native shrubs ; we have the hardy Palms ; we have a host of Cannas with noble foliage, and various other types developed in the sub-tropical garden ; we have a goodly number of hardy trees, like the Ailantus and Paulownia, of which, when young, the foliage is large and striking ; in fact, wo have all that the most fastidious could desire. One type shown well in the illustration is the Umbelliferous — a form rarely seen in garden scenery, e-xcept as represented by the coarse and not fragrant Cow-Parsnips. We know of no plants which are likely to be more useful to the garden-artist than the Giant Fennels and their allies, now too much confined to good botanical collections, F. W. B. Jan. 24, 1874.] THE aAEDEN. 79 VARIOUS TYPES OF TREE ASD PLANT FORil. 80 THE GARDEN. [JAN. 24, 1874. SOILS, FERTILISERS, &c. PEOPER TREATMENT OP YARD MANURE. Few subjects are of more importance to the gardener, or have led to the expression of more opposing views from different writers, both practical and scientific. One class recommend vehemently that manure should be thoroughly rotted in the yard before putting it out on the land, and support their position by arguing that manure is not food for the plant until it is decomposed ; also that, when manure is rotted, it requires less labour to haul and spread it, in consequence of the great diminution in its bulk. This latter argn. ment can only count on the supposition that, although the bulk be so greatly diminished, the virtue of the manure all remains, which is most certainly a mistake. Another party advocate putting out the manure while quite fresh or " green," and immediately spreading it on the land. Advocates of both measures point triumphantly to results as conclusive evidence that they are right. It is not to bo denied, of course, that a marked effect will follow either course alluded to, especially if sufficient manure be applied ; and yet both of these plans are greatly wrong, though partly right. It is quite true that manure is not food for the plant until it is decomposed or " rotted." But, the fatal objection to rotting in the yard is that, by so doing, wo lose, say one half, of a valuable commodity. On the other hand, it is true that patting out green manure puts all the constituent elements on the land ; yet the following grave objections exist against the plan : — 1. It does not increase the manure. 2. It does not improve the quality. 3. It seeds the land with weeds. 4. It does not save labour or time, and may cut the ground up objectionably. But, can a process be suggested which possesses all those advantages without the drawbacks .' Yes, I am confident that the following process will meet all objection^, and will also increase the bulk of manure ; will improve the quality ; will kill the weed seeds, without increasing the labour, and will throw much of that work into seasons of the year which are not so precious as that in which yards are usually emptied. The process is as follows i^-On the ground where it is desired to have the mannre, select an elevated position, and, with the aid of the plough and shovel, make a long, shallow trench, say 6 or 7 inches deep and 2 or 3 feet wide ; throw the earth out on the upper side of the trench. This trench may be made at any time, but one must always be prepared just before winter, say in the early part of November. Next, in cleaning the stables, always shovel immediately into the cart or waggon and haul at once to the trench, where it may be dropped in a manner most convenient for covering. Then cover the manure as soon as possible with earth taken from either side of the trench, until the manure is covered with twice its bulk of earth. The drier the earth and the more pulverised the better. Let the earth cover all the manure as effectually as possible, to arrest the gases arising from the decomposing manure. In this state it may stand as long as desired without loss, if the weeds are not allowed to grow on top of it. A month before using it should be examined, and, if not thoroughly rotted, the heap should be lightened up and stirred, to admit air and moisture. When ready for use, the manure has almost disappeared, and the earth having absorbed all the gases evolved in the act of decomposition, has become mannre. But, inasmuch as we doubled the bulk of earth to the manure, we have twice as much manure as we had, and moreover wo have two loads on the high part of the field for the haul, ing of one, thus lessening greatly the labour of drawing to the field. Hence it follows that this process pays best where you have to haul farthest and highest ; the spreading, being down hill, is easier. The main principle of this process is the well-known quality which earth possesses of " fixing " or holding and retaining gases, a quality now applied beneficially in earth closets, &o. The earth retains these gases, whicli arc the vital fertilising properties, until the plant root comes in contact with it. This fertilising earth is very durable, as " nothing is lost," indeed, its effects have been plainly visible on the spot where it had been spread twenty-nine years before. By this process I conceive that every possible objection in the treatment of manure is obviated, every leak stopped, and every advantage gained. When the compost is thoroughly " cooked " or rotted, the weed seeds must bo killed, and tho manure is fit food for the plant. It is a manure fit for any or all crops. For ploughing under and top- dressing wc have tho high authority of Professor Johnston for s.aying that when a compost is made of more than one constituent, the mass is equal or superior to its beat p.art. From this it would follow that tho whole of tho compost heap is at least as good as the best in- gredient which came out of the stable, and that the quality of the whole is improved. The writer was induced to "work up" this subject many years ago — before earth closets had been heard of — by the great difficulty of procuring sufficient manure to improve his land.— r/ie Cultivator. THE INDOOR GARDEN. THE PUCHSIA TRIAL AT CHISWIGK. The following were considered to be the best Fuchsias at the trial of these plants which took place at Chiswick last year : — Alpha (G. Smith). — Habit, free and good, very free-flowering; bright carmine tube and sepals, the tubes short and slender, tho sepals very broad and short ; corolla of immense size, very double, clear violet ; one of the very best. Avalanche (G. Smith). — Habit, rather sparse and not very free ; tubes, small ; sepals, very shoi-t and broad for the size of the flower, light rosy-red ; corolla, white, exceedingly double and large, and of fine form. Avalanche (E. G. Henderson). — Habit, good and free; tube, slender; sepals, broad, deflexed, scarlet; corolla, deep, full, and even, dark violet-purple ; a fine bold variety. Blue Beauty (Jervis). — Habit, good, compact, free-flowering; tube, short ; sepals, broad and short, reflexed, light red ; corolla, large, very double, clear purple. Ckown Pkince op PitussiA (Veitch). — Habit, dwarf and free, and a free bloomber ; flowers, large, the tube bulged, the sepals broad, scarlet ; corolla, prominent, dark violet-purple, reddish at the base. Delight (Smith). — Habit, excellent, and a free bloomer, of first- class merit for decorative or exhibition purposes ; tube and sepals, clear crimson, the latter sufficiently reflexed ; corolla, very large, pure white, with a few rosy streaks Bear the base. A really good variety ; the best of its class. La Favokite (Veitch). — Habit, first-class ; tube and sepals, well proportioned, the latter reflexed, scarlet ; corolla, large and of good substance, well expanded, light violet. A very free-flowering and good variety. L'Empereuk (Cannell). — Habit, dwarf and fioriferous ; tube and sepals, scarlet; corolla, single, white. LusTKE (Downie & Co.). — Not of free habit; flowers, with blush recurved sepals, and deep-red compact corolla. Approved for its colour. NoiiLESSE (Veitch). — Habit, good and free; flowers, with bright crimson-scarlet tube and sepals, the former slender, the latter spread- ing ; corolla, deep maroon. The darkest-coloured in the collection, and of first-class quality. Bhoderick Dhu (E. G. Hendex-son). — Habit, good; tube and sepals, bright scarlet, the latter well reflexed; corolla, expanded, lavender-blue. ScniLLER. — Habit, somewhat loose ; flowers, large; the tube and broad-spreading sepals, white-green at the tip ; corolla, clear rosy- purple, with white feathers at the base. Staulight (G. Smith). — A fine variety, not sufficiently known. It has the same habit and the same free-flowering character as Lady Heytesbury, but the corolla is of a bright crimson-lake. It is really a first-class Fuchsia. Victor (Bull). — Habit, strong and compact; very bright scarlet tube and sepals, the latter not much reflexed ; corolla of immense size, but coarse and irregular, pale purple, changing to reddish- purple. Not a very desirable Fuchsia. Wave of Life (Veitch). — Habit, compact and good; leaves, pale yellow at the points ; tube and sepals, bright scarlet, broad and reflexed ; corolla, prominent, intense violet, o£ good substance. A distinct and really good Fuchsia. Weeping Beauty (Veitch). — Habit, dwarf, free, and good; flowers, medium-sized ; tube, rather bulged ; sepals, broadish ; bright crimson-scarlet ; corolla, moderately expanded, rich deep purple. A very fine Fuchsia. White Perfection (E. G. Henderson). — Habit, good, fioriferous, and drooping ; tube and sepals, long and narrow, blush-white ; corolla large, lake-crimson and rose. Tho following is a selection of good and distinct varieties made by Mr. W. Spinks, while foreman at Chiswick and in charge of the plants above described : — Sepals and tuiie white ; Corolla contrastino. — Arabella, Lady Heytesbury, Starlight, free (all dissimilar). May Queen, late. Minnie Banks, distinct. Water Nymph, for colour. Sepals and tube scarlet ; Corolla white. — Delight, largo single and best. Conspicua, free good single. Puritani, for habit and f roe-flowering. Alexandrina, extra bright tube and sepals. Aval, anche (double, very large), and Enchantress, (double, free-flower, ing), not of good habit. Sepals and tube scarlet ; Corolla dark. — Killiecrankle, tho most perfect form. Noblesse, the darkest. Weeping Beauty, dark and very fine. Wave of Life, distinct in foliage and good. Sedan, tho best-formed red-purple. Monarch, very large and long, distinct. — Tnos. Moore, ™j/ie/o(tr»aZ n/ t/ie Royal Horticultural Societij. Jan. 24, 1874.] THE GARDEN. 81 CATTLEYA MOSSI^. Tuis is one of the most showy of all Orchids, and, as it is tolerably reasonable in price as compared with rarer, but less beautiful kinds, it ought to be cultivated as generally as the old Dendrobiuni nobilc. It may be grown either in a warm greenhouse or plant-stove, and will grow best in a compost of fibrous Peat and living Sphagnum, to -which add sufficient coarse well-washed sand to keep the whole fresh and porous. Drainage is an important point,andthepotsmust beat least half full of clean crocks, over which place a thin layer of Sphagnum Moss to keep the sand and peat from washing down, and so preventing the superfluous water from passing away freely. As shown in the illustration, the plant should be elevated- above the rim of the pot, and, if the Sphagnum is induced to grow freely, so much the better. For exhibition purposes, or for cut flowers, this superb plant is very useful, good speci- mens bearing from fifty to sixty great broad-petalled flowers, of a deep, rich, rosy tint, the lips being suffused with golden- yellow in the throat, and streaked and veined with dark velvety crimson. This plant is found in almost innumerable varieties in its native habitats, each varying from the other in either size, colour, or markings. If half-a-dozen imported CatUeya Mossiffl. plants are oljtaincd, it is a great chance if any two of them prove to be alike when they flower, and this fact excites an agreeable curiosity on the part of some amateurs to purchase only imported plants, or plants that have not yet flowered in this country. Some forms are very pale in colour, the sepals and petals being nearly white or pale lilac, while others are of the richest rose-colour, and the lip reminds one of a broad bit of crimson velvet. When in flower, it may bo removed to a warm room for a week or two without any fear of injury, and, if the plant is of moderate size, it should be placed under a glass shade, which will not only protect the blooms from dust, but will also cause them to last in beauty much longer by pro- tecting them from the dryness of the atmosphere of the apart- ment. This last precaution is specially necessary if the room is heated by gas. The plant flowers during the summer months, and generally lasts from two to four weeks in beauty. F. W. B. A BLUE PELAEGONIUM (?). " Can you hybridise Geranium pratensc with your Zonal varieties?" I asked Mr. Pearson, the famous Zonal Pelar- gonium-grower. "I think not; but my neighbour, Mr. Lowe, of Highfield House, thinks he can. We will go there and see for ourselves." So off we went next day, and saw Mr. Lowe's wonderful repository for all kinds of curiosities ; saw his hybrid seedlings from Lilium auratum, which had not yet flowered ; saw the yard filled with valuable Lilies, all to be or being hybridised ; and last, not least, his collection of seedling Ferns, which is perfectly wonderful. I believe there are here not less than 15,000 different varieties of English Ferns, nearly all raised from seed, many of them being varieties only in a connoisseur's eyes. There are Ferns lovely. Ferns tigly, Ferns like fairy dreams, and Ferns like grim nightmares ; Ferns tall, crested, broad, narrow, long, short, curled, straight, twisted like Mosses, or split up into fronds as delicate as ihe Maiden- hair, and as unlike their normal form as anything oan be. There are few horticultui'al sensations so great as the variety of Mr. Lowe's Ferns. He is certain that he has succeeded in raising crosses between different Ferns by sowing the spores mixed together, and sorce of the odd seedlings which he showed us seemed to confirm his statement. " My friend wants to see," said Mr. Pearson, " if you have hybridised the blue Geranium of the fields with the Zonal. Have you done so ? " " Undoubtedly. Come and look." And we saw a great number of seedlings raised from the blue Geranium crossed with Madame Vauclier, a well-known white Zonal. Most of these in no way differed from the female parent, with one striking exception, which was a small plant with little leaves, almost like those of a show Pelargonium, and with flowers having the narrowest petals imaginable, which were of a bluish- pink tint. The whole plant resembled somewhat the old pink bedder, Lady Cullum, except that its petals were very much smaller than I have ever seen in any Pelargonium, seedling or otherwise. Of the seedlings i-aised from the Zonal for the female fertilised with the blue G. pratense there was a large frameful, nearly all of which showed more or less inclination to the deeply-cut leaf of the male parent. One plant in par- ticular differed but little from G. pratense, and most of the flowers showed traces of blue ; some, however, were red, a curious fact, as the female parent was again Madame Vauchei'. Nearly all the flowers were very small, and generally extraor- dinarily uarrow-petalled. In the end, both Mr. Pearson and myself came away convinced that these were true hybrids, for, as Mr. Pearson remarked, " there can be no other way of raising such extraordinary varieties." My reasons for wanting to know how Mr. Lowe's experiments had succeeded are these. I have been trying for three years, quite independently of any one else, to raise a cross between these two plants. My first year was quite unsuccessful. The year befox'e last I crossed, as I fully believe, a Zonal, with a bluish tinge in it, named Lawrence Heywood, with G. pratense. Only four seeds ripened, which came up when I was away, as I generally am, and, I suppose, consequently damped off. So, last summer, I set to work again, and crossed several Zonals with G. pratense ; every cross took, and I waited for the store of seeds to ripen, which they did with a vengeance ; for one sad morning 1 found all my seeds had scattered themselves, and been irretrievably lost ; luckily three were still discoverable ; these I sowed, and, after six months' waiting, one seedling is jjutting in, or rather out, an appearance in a small saucer in my greenhouse. It has cotyledons similar to those of G. pratense, and promises soon to exhibit its first leaf. I am aware that many of our great horticulturists. Major Trevor Clarke for example, have said that there can be no true hybrid as I have described. I know little of botany ; nevertheless, I believe, after my second experiment, that it could be done, and in this I am confirmed by Mr. Pearson, who is one of our best hybridisers. Whether we shall ever have a blue Zonal Pelargonium or not is another matter, and on which some of your readers can possibly throw some light. Fkancis Miles. liinrjliain, Notts. CLEMATISES IN POTS FOR EARLY FLOWERING. The Clematis has been produced of late in so many new, varied, and beautiful forms, that those having only a superficial knowledge of them find it very difficult indeed to make a selection. The various types have recently been grouped under several divisions or sections, but each of these contains so many varieties constantly receiving accessions of new ones, that the difficulty of selecting remains as great as ever. The Clematis deserves to be, and should be, as common in our gardens as the Rose, which may be taken as the typical popular flower. It is as hardy as the queen of flowers, and as easily managed. The main purpose of this paper is to show that the varieties of two of the sections of Clematises— viz., the patens type and the lanuginosa 82 THE GARDEN. [Jan. 24, 1874. type — are specially adapted for early flowering in pots ; and there is no glass structure that will grow plants, however homely in design and rude in character, but can be made very gay by means of freely-bloomed Clematis in pots during the early summer months. In cold, late districts, where the vegetation is apt to suffer from the late spring frosts, it is scarcely safe to plant in the open air the early- flowering Clematises of the patens type, as they are very apt to be in- jured by frost. It has frequently happened that in late districts these early Clematises will develop their flowers, and then in one night a catting frost will work them irretrievable injury. Granting that such an instance as this maybe exceptional, yet it may frequently occur, and, therefore, it is wise to grow a few plants under shelter, especially of the newer and rarer varieties. Of the patens group, that is, those Clematises which flower from the old or ripened wood, the following can be recommended for their great beauty, distinctness, and decora- tive value ; Albert Victor, deep lavender, with a pale bar along each sepal ; Lady Londesborough, silver grey, with pale bar ; Lord Londes- boroiigh, delicate mauve, with pale claret bar ; Patens, delicate mauve- lilac, very free and effective ; Miss Bateman, white, with chocolate-red anthers — the best white Clematis in cultivation — Sophia plena, lilac- purple, double ; and Standishii, light mauve. All the foregoing pro- duce large finely-formed flowers, with considerable freedom, and, ■when cultivated under glass, the flowers are prolonged for a length- ened period, as they are preserved from the effects of wet and frosty weather, and from the ravages of the wind. The varieties of the patens section just enumerated will come into bloom before the varieties of the lanuginosa section, because the latter flower from the young growth of the same year, and are, in consequence, later. Of the lanuginosa group, which now includes some very fine and valuable varieties, the following should be grown — Aureliana, porcelain blue ; Gem, deep lavender blue ; lanuginosa, pale lavender ; lanuginosa nivea, pure white; and Otto Frobel, greyish-white, very large, and finely formed. According to the size of the plants should be the pots in which they are placed; but 24'a for the small plauts, and 12's for the large ones will be found amply suflicient. Let it always be borne in mind in planting the Clematis, whether in pots or in the open ground, that it develops a large number of strong succulent roots that are strong feeders, and require liberal nutriment from which to draw the needful supplies for the plant. These succulent roots go down to the bottom of the pot, and form a dense mass ; therefore, it is absolutely necessary that some very rich soil be used at potting time. Equal quantities of good loam and thoroughly rotten manure will suit the Clematis well ; and, when potting, plant nearly up to the rim of the pots, leaving room for water. The flowers are thrown out on shortish stems, producing two, or three, or more from the buds, which are put forth from the old or ripened wood ; and, at the same time, there will come up from the base of the plant sturdy young shoots, which will form the flowering-wood of the following year. It will be necessary to provide some appliance to which the blooming wood can be tied out and the young growth trained. There is nothing like wire frames, of oval or rounded shape ; but, failing these, a stout stake placed in the middle of the pot to support the plant, or some slighter stakes placed round the pot, will do equally well. The growing wood should be kept tied to the main stake, so as not to impede or hide the expanding flowers. In the ease of lanuginosa and its varieties, the young growth should be trained so as to become equally distributed, and afford a good surface of flower. There must be no lack of water, for the Clematis likes and should have plenty of it, and especially manure-water when the plants are in bloom. As soon as the plants have done flowering, remove them from the house, and plunge them in a shady border up to the rims of the pots, or stand them away under a hedge where they can ripen their wood, and remain till they are wanted for re-potting in Novem- ber and December, when the plants should be pruned. In the case of the patens section, cut away only the weak, straggling, or over- crowded branches. All the strong wood of the previous summer should be left, in so far as it has become thoroughly ripened, beyond which it may be cut away. In the case of the varieties of the lanuginosa section, but comparatively slight pruning is required. In Mooro and .Jackman's book on the Clematis, it is stated that " the type itself, and those varieties which come nearest to it in habit, indeed, die back almost sufficiently to render pruning unnecessary ; but, in those instances whore a mixture of blood has led to a more extended growth, it will be necessary to cut so as to remove the weakly and ill-ripened portions of the year-old wood. Under favour- able conditions, the plants will make an annual growth of from 8 to 10 feet in length, and of this, the unripened extremities, together with the weak or superfluous shoots and the dead wood, are the only parts which ought to be removed." Lastly, during the time the Clematis is making its growth, give abundance of air on all suitable occasions, and syringe the plants freely in bright weather. 11. D. Coelogyne cristata. — Mr. Tanton has stated (see p. 10) that Coelogyne cristata is a native of Guatemala, and that it was intro- duced by Hartweg. I had always understood that it was discovered by Dr. Wallich, about 1832, in Nepaul, and afterwards by Dr. Hooker, in Sikkim, growing on mossy rocks and trees, at an altitude of from 5,000 to 8,000 feet ; consequently it comes from a very cool temperature, though exposed to a hot sun. Having been a long and considerable grower of this Coelogyne I have been frequently asked from whence it was brought, and the invariable reply has been in accordance with the facts just stated. I was, therefore, astounded at Mr. Tanton's statement that it came from Guatemala. If he will refer to Warner and William's folio work on Orchids ho will there find the authentic references, Lindley, Wallich, Hooker, and others. Mr. Gibson, if I am not mistaken, informed me, when he was at Chatsworth, that, during his three years' exploration of upper or northern India, he collected and brought over, amongst other priceless discoveries, a number of bulbs of this useful Orchid, which he him- self had gathered in Nepaul. If Mr. Tanton will consult his gazetteer he will find that Guatemala is not a province of, nor in, Mexico, but an independent republic of central America, lat. 13 to 18 N., climate hot and unhealthy in the valleys. Nepaul and Sikkim are from 5,000 to 8,000 feet above the sea-level, lat. 26° to 80' N., climate, cool and moist. — Richard S. Yates, Clieshire. Pitcher Plants. — From the peculiar habit of these plants they are exceedingly susceptible of injury from the slightest touch of the hand, a circumstance worth remembering by those who have them under their care. No Pitcher plant will long remain in a healthy state if the foliage be allowed to be frequently handled. The Nepen. thes distillatoria, or common Pitcher plant, succeeds best in Moss chopped rather fine, mixed with white sand and a little peat ; and it will be found of great assistance in promoting the vigour of the plant, if a little additional Moss be added to the surface from time to time, as the plant advances. The roots of the Nepenthes never run deep, whatever the compost may be in which they are planted, but invariably spread themselves over and about the surface of the Moss. They require to be kept moist, but, unless when the plants are growing very vigorously indeed, setting them in feeders of water is injurious to them. This plant is far from tender. In the Edinburgh garden a plant was exposed to 8° of frost ; it was afterwards removed to the stove, without suffering any injury from the frost to which it had been exposed. It, how- ever, usually succeeds best when kept in a heat ranging from 60' to 80' of Fahrenheit. It is not difficult of increase by cuttings. — J. H. NOTES AND QUESTIONS ON THE INDOOR OARDEN. Lapa^^eria rosea. — Will any of your correspondents who have had experi- ence in asimilar case tell me' it it will answer to cut down a large plant oE Lapageria roaca, on a trellis, which is getting rather naked at bottom ? The plantain question grows strongly enough from the top, but has not pushed a shoot from the bottom for four "or live yeais, though there are six or seven strong, long shoots buried in the soil curled round the inside of the tub.— K. W. Green "flowered" Pelargonium.— A very singular Pelargonium was raised in 1870 by IM. Pescatore, of Villafranca, and named by him P. zonale lyo'opodioides. Its peculiarity consists in the circumstance of all the flowers being transformed into dense lonaish tufts of narrow green bracts, presenting the appearance of the extremities of the branches or shoots of a Lycopodium. In folian-e aud other respects, the plant does not differ from an ordinary Zonal Pelar- gonium. This monstrosity is described, and well shown in a wood engraving, in the last number of the Bei-iie Hoytkole. Venus's Fly-trap.— No. 117 of the Proceedings of the Soi/al Sociel;/ contains Professor liurdon Sanderson's note on the Electrical Phenomena exhibited by Venus's Ply-trap (Dion!«a). The blade of the leaf is found to jjossess a current proceeding from base to apex, but what is very remarkable is that the stalk contains one which proceeds in the opposite direction. The result of snipping off successive i)ortions of the stalk is to increase the effect upon a galvanometer of the current in the blade. When the blade is irritated, the blade-current aiipears to be diminished, at first momentarily (but afterwards to be sUghtly angmentod) ; correspondingly the stalk-current appears to be intensified.— Aciulcmif. Odontoglosstim coronarinm.— This flne Orchid first flowered in this country in Lord Londesborough's collection at Grimston Park, where it bore ei"hteen Uovvcrs on a spike, and shortly afterwards it bloomed in Mr. W. Bull's collection at Chelsea, where it bore between thirty and forty blooms on a spike More recently, a plant of it has borne two flower-spikes m Mr. Wri^ley's fine collection, at Bridge Hall, where the smallest spike bore twelve andlho larger one twenty-tour blooms. This last is the best bloomed speci- men in this country of which we have any record. Mr. Wrigloy has kmdiy sent us a photograph of his plant taken while in bloom, and which shows it to have been very elTectivc, the noble spike of flowers stauiling perfectly perpen- dicular, well lip al)ove the foliage. Packing Plants to Travel long Distances.— In packing plants for trans- mission to distant place.<, there is more (ganger from too much than from too little moisture The best packing material is Sphagnum, or bog Moss, and this should be just so damn only as to be elastic to the touch. Plants packed in this, if not too damp will remain tor weeks uninjured; thatis, if the plantsaro at rest. Another thini' 'is to pack close. It sending by post, take a piece of strong brown paper ; lav the just damp, not wet. Moss upon it ; put the plants upon the Moss, and more Moss over the plants. Then begin at one end of the paper and roll up hard, secure with it strin" and then put another paper over for directions. So, m packmgin bo.M* use the Moasjust damp, aud have the box full .and crammed down hard, so that tiiero can be no possibility of moving or shaking in transit.— Dii. Tuukbeii. Jan. 24, 1874] THE GARDEN. 83 T H E A R BOR E T U M. HAEDT TREES AND SHRUBS. By GEORGE GORDON, A.L.S. THE ATHENIAN MAPLE (ACER ATIIESTIENSE). This kind forms a tree 30 feet bigh, with the main stem risuig straight up and regularly furnished on all sides with rather stout, open, and somewhat ascending branches, covered with a smooth ash-coloured bark. It is said to be found in the neigh- bourhood of Athens, and was first introduced in 184VI from the nursery of M. Van Houtte, in Belgium. The leaves are pal- mately five-lobed, nearly square or very slightly cordate at the base, quite smooth on both surfaces, on very long and rather slender foot-stalks, light green above, pallid beneath, and just before they fall off iii the autumn turn to a pale yellow or light brown colour. The lobes are ovate-pointed with angular recesses, the three outer ones being the largest and nearly equal in size, and, with the exception of a pair of short angular blunt semi-lobes on each, quite entire on the edges. The flowers are rather small and in loose racemes. The fruit or keys are rather large, with widely diverging wings. Length of the leaf, 8 inches, in- cluding the foot-stalk (which is from 4 to .5 inches long), 'and the breadth 5 inches. THE REDWOOD. (sequoia sempeuvirens.) Many of onr readers are fami- liar with youDg specimens ol: Sequoia or Taxodium semper- virens, the Redwood of Cali- fornia, but few b.aTe any idea of the enormous importance and great size of the tree. These facts may not be without impor- tance to us, even from a com- mercial point of view, as the tree does very well in sea-shore districts in the southern parts of England and Ireland. The most notable fact about the tree is, that it is quite as great in stature as the " Big tree," or Wellingtouia. And, though not so large in the bole, it is nevertheless a large tree. One peculiarity of the the tree is, that its wood may be made into planks without the aid of the saw — split, in fact, by means of wedges. One of the best recent additions to our knowledge of this tree is from the pen of Mr. Charles Nordhoff, who contri- butes a good deal of interesting to Harper's Magazine. In the Leaf of the Athenian Maple. matter about northern California coast counties of this region he finds the famous Redwood forests, " whose trees are unequalled in size, except by the gigantic Sequoias ; " " and on this coast saw-mills and logging-camps, where the immense Redwood forests are reduced to useful lumber, with a prodigious waste of wood." The saw-mill country begins at the mouth of Russian River, and they are placed at the mouths of all these streams, and wherever a river-mouth offers the slightest shelter to vessels loading; for the Redwood forests line the coast up to, and beyond, Humboldt Bay. There are even mills which offer no lee to vessels loading ; and here the adventurous schooner watches her opportunity, hauls under a perpendicular cliff, receives her lading in the shortest possible time, and her crew think themselves fortunate if they get safely off. It is in the logging camps that a stranger will be most interested on this coast ; for there he will see and feel the bigness of the Redwoods. A man in Humboldt County got out of one tree lumber enough to make his house and barn, and to fence in 2 acres of ground. A schooner was filled with shingles made from a single tree. One tree in Mendocino, whose remains were shown to me, made a mile of railroad ties. Trees 14 feet in diameter have been frequently found and cut down ; the saw-logs are often split apart with wedges, because the entire mass is too large to fioat in the narrow and shallow streams, and I have even seen them blow a log apart with gunpowder. A tree 4 feet in diameter is called under- sized in these woods ; and so skilful are the wood-choppers that they can make the largest giant of the forest fall just where they want it, or, as they say, they " drive a stake with the tree." The choppers do not stand on the ground, but on stages raised to such a height as to enable the axe to strike in where the tree attains its fair and regular thickness ; for the Redwood, like the Sequoia, swells at the base, near the ground. These trees prefer steep hill, sides, and grow in an extremely rou^h and broken country, and their great height makes it necessary to fell them carefully, lest they should, falling with such an enormous weight, break to pieces. This constantly happens, in spite of every precaution, and there is little doubt that in these forests and at the mills 2 feet of wood are w.asted for every foot of lumber sent to market. To mark the direction line in which the tree is to fall, the choppers usually drive a stake into the ground 100 or 150 feet from the base of the tree, and it actually is common to make the tree fall upon this stake, so straight do these Redwoods stand, and so accurate is the skill of the cutters. To fell a tree 8 feet in diameter, is counted a day's work for a man. When such a tree begius to totter, it gives at first a sharp crack ; the cutter labours with his axe usually about fifteen minutes after this pre- monitory crack, when at last the huge mass begins to go over. Then you may hear one of the grandest sounds of the forest. The fall of a great Redwood is startling, like a prolonged thundercrash, and is really a terrible sound. The Government has lately become very strict in presei'ving the timber on Congress land, which was formerly cut at ran- dom, and by anybody who chose. Government agents watch'the loggers, and, if these are anywhere caught cutting timber on Congress land, their rafts are seized and sold. At pi-esent prices it pays to haul logs in the Redwood country, only about half a mile to water; all trees more distant than this from a river are not cut ; but the rivers are in many places near each other, and the belt of timber left standing, though considerable, is not so great as one would think. Redwood lumber has one singular pro. perty — it shrinks endwise, so that where it is used for weather-boarding a house, one is apt to see the butts shrunk apart. I am told that across the grain it does not shrink per- ceptibly. Accidents are frequent in a logging-camp, and good surgeons are in demand in all the saw-mill ports, for there is much more occa- sion for surgery than for physic. Men are cut with axes, jammed by logs, and otherwise hurt, one of the most serious dangers arising from the fall of limbs torn from standing trees by a falling one. Often such a limb lodges or sticks in the high top of a tree until the wind blows it down, or the concussion of the wood-cutter's axe, cutting down the tree, loosens it. Falling from such a height as 200 feet or 250 feet, even a light branch is dangerous, and men sometimes have their brains dashed out by such a falling limb. When you leave the coast for the interior, you ride through mile after mile of Redwood forests. Unlike the Firs of Oregon and Paget Sound, this tree does not occupy the whole land. It rears its tall head from a jangle of Laurel, Madronai, Oak, and other trees ; and I doubt if so many as fifty large Redwoods often stand upon a single acre. I was told that an average tree would turn out about 15,000 feet of lumber, and thus, even thirty such trees to the acre would yield nearly half a million feet. The Beech. Blight. — A Beech-tree here, on high ground look, ing over the " Downs," has, for the last two years, been covered with a snow-white down, extending from the trunk to some of the branches. 84 THE GAEDEN. [Jan. 24, 1874. I see in your last number (112) , a paragraph headed " A New Blight." which corresponds very much with the one which has attacked our tree. Beech.trees, as a rule, grow very well, and the one mentioned is the only one attacked, although there are more close by. I should feel much obliged if you would give me any hint as to the destruction of this blight. " The tree in question has not shown any symptoms of decay. J. H. Monius. [The snow-white downy secretion on his Beech trees which your correspondent ("J. H. Monins") has sent for examination, and which, as ho suggests, is, no doubt, the so-called " New Blight " qr.oted in last number of The G.^EnEX, as attacking the Beech trees, in Westphalia, is neither new nor (unhappily) rare, nor have we any difficulty in saying how it got there. It is the excretion with which a species of the Coccus family, named Adelges fa"!, covers itself, sometimes in such quantity as to cause the stems ot°t'he trees to look as if whitewashed. Foresters are familiar with two other species of the same genus, which, like this, covers the stems of two other trees with a similar white excretion, tho one the Silver Fir, and the other the Weymouth Pine. I remember, some twentv years ago, consulting the late Mr. Charles Macintosh, author of the " Book of tho Garden," as to the best mode of dealing with one of these. It was that which attacks the Silver Fir, but it does not matter which species it was, for all have the same habits, and whatever is good or bad for one will be so for all. His advice was to cut down every tree that was attacked, or it would spread, and, if it once established itself, it would destroy all the Silvers round about. I unwisely, and too credulously, acted upon his advice, all the trees were carefully examined, and wherever one was found with the Adelges on it, down it went ; fresh researches produced fresh victims, until I awoke to the conviction that if I went ou at that rate I would have to cut down all my trees to preserve them ; and, as if they were to go, it mattered little whether they were cut off by disease or the axe, I came to the conclusion that I had better let them die by the slower process of natural death, and, at least, enjoy their beauty so long as it lasted. Unhappily I had been rather long in coming to ' my senses, and the Silvers about the place had been reduced by the stamping-out process to a very few. Few as they are, however, there they still remain, and, to all appearance, not a whit the worse of the Adelges. It still sticks to them, but in smaller numbers, and the antidote seems to have followed the disease without any trouble on my part. The last time I looked at them I was not surprised, but interested, to see great numbers of the larvre of the lady. bird (Coccinella) so like tho bark of the tree that the eye could scarcely distinguish them until they moved, busy promenading about among the Adelges pouncing upon them 'and sucking the life blood out of "hundreds, if not thousands, every day. The result of this would, no doubt, be to keep them in check, and the proof that they had done so was that the Adelges are in smaller numbers and the trees more healthy than they were for twenty years. Year correspon- dent will see that he has no reason to be very anxious about his trees, but I would recommend his rubbing the stems, where they are infested, with a coarse nail-brush made ot cocoa-nut fibre (to be had for 3d.) He may wash them at the same time with Gishurst com. pound, or any other sulphur.soap, but the rough friction is the thing, and the olijoct is to kill tho insects by crushing them through rough- liaiidling. They are soft and tender, and ohiedy (although by nc 7nean3 entirely) congregate on the stems, which makes it easier to get at and rid of them.— Andrew Murray.] mellowing influence of frost, a good large sowing should be made ; at least, large in proportion to the demand, as it is always best to err on the right side. And, as Parsley is wanted daily, let it be sown in some spot that is easily accessible. Sow thinly in drills a foot apart, covering the seeds about half an inch deep. In heavy soils there is sometimes a difficulty in getting small seeds to vegetate quickly iu ungcnial seasons, and in such cases I have found a great advantage in covering seeds in drills, with half an inch of the sifted ashes from the bottoms of heaps, vrhere fruit-tree and other prunings or, cuttings and rubbish generally have been burned. When regu- lating the rubbish-yard it is easy to lay a heap of this kind of material on one side, and there is always a lot of cuttings and other matters in every garden, that are best smother- burned, if I may so term it ; to burn all up to fine a-shes is a wasteful method. Commence by making a fire with the sticks and other inflammable matters, and, when well established, gradually place on it Cabbage-stalks, weeds, &c., and, if the sub-soil is of a clayey nature, di-y lumps of that may be piled up round and over the heap. Care must, however, be taken not to load it too heavily, or the draught will be stopped, and the fire put out. This not only makes a capital compost for covering seeds, but also for renovating an exhausted soil, or rendering a heavy one more workable. As soon as the young plants are up, run the Dutch hoe through them, and, when two inches high, thin them out to six inches apart, to be ultimately, early iu July, thinned further to one foot apart, and the plants so thinned out ought to have all tho large leaves cut olf and be planted iu a warm sheltered corner for late autumn and winter supply, whore they may be easily covered up in bad weather. I have always found Parsley transplanted in July, after having most of the leaves cut off, stand the winter better. It is, however, not wise to depend altogether upon the outdoor supply. It is always best, in addition, to have some in reserve under glass, for very severe weather; it may be in pots or boxes, if a whole frame cannot be spared for it. A few roots lifted in September will come in very usefully during severe frost. Another small sowing should be made towards the end of July. This latter sowing will be found especially useful during the following summer, as it will not run to seed so soon as the earlier-sown crops. E. Hobday. THE KITCHEN GARDEN. CULTURE OP PARSLEY. Parsley will grow in almost any kind ot soil ; nevertheless, there are tew plants that will pay better tor a little extra care and attention being bestowed upon them. The greatest mistake committed in reg.ard to its culture is thick sowing and want of timely thinning. Give it room enough, -and plenty of fine curled leaves will bo the result. Even a really good curled Parsley, if grown too thickly, will, in a measure, lose its improved character. Let any one notice tho diltcreucc between the development ot a chance stray seedling where it has had plenty ot room to grow, and tho puny weakly gi'owth ot the thickly- sown unthinned bod, and the truth of this statement will be at once apparent. If there is likely to be any scarcity ot Parsley during the spring months, a box of it may now be sown and placed in any warm hou.se or frame near the glass, in due course to be hardened olf and transplanted at the foot of a south wall, 0 inches apart; this will come in for early picking. In February, when the ground is iu nice working condition, having been manured and deeply stirred, and exposed to the Cauliflower and Broccoli.- — These are always in demand, and, happily, either one or the other may be had in season the whole year round — i.e., whei'e anything like proper attention ia paid to succession-cropping. For all early crops of Cauliflowers to furnish the summer supply, the soil can scarcely be too rich or highly culti- vated ; but, for all late crops of Cauliflowers and all Broccoli crops, a groat saving of labour with good results may bo effected by proceed- ing as follows: — As the early Peas, Potatoes, &c., are cleared off, do not either dig or fork the ground, as tho firmer it is the better. My system, if the weather is very dry, is to draw drills deeply, and to fill them with water until the ground is thoroughly soaked. Then plant immediately ; give another good watering, and draw some dusty soil over tho portion wetted, in order to prevent evaporation. The advantages of this plan over that of digging the ground first are, that the plants will be rooted and growing in much less time ; scarcely any go blind, the growth will be sturdier, and better able to resist extremes of temperature, and the flower will keep far longer in a fit condition for table than in the case of plants treated otherwise, while the labour thus saved can be more profitably employed ; and last, but not least, the best roots of choice fruit-trees growing near will not be disturbed. — James Groom, Henhain Qardens, Suffolk. NOTES AND QUESTIONS ON THE KITCHEN GARDEN. Seeds and Mice.— To keop seods from the depreflations of mice, mix soma pieces of camphor-Kum with the seeds. Camphor placed in drawers or trunks will prevent mice fi-om doing tlieni injury. — 0. Protecting Endive. — I have at this momeTit some hundreds of heads of tliis useful winter salad plant ])UinKed under slieds and walls koepinj? admirably, by the simple process of plunp:inj:r their roots in sawdust and aslics, with a siifiht sprinkling of powdered charcoal. The tops outside are covered with dry Fern, kept on the plants by small pieces ot old rails.— Q. Red Celery. — I have last year tried Major Clarke's Vanity, Leicester Red, Cole's and Wyatt's Red Celery! aprainst my old tried friend Williams's Matchless, supplied by Messrs. ISarr & Snt'dcn, and find it still the best ot them all. I shall this year, unless, perhaps, a row or two for trial, grow only Williams's Matchless.— II. Gildeut, BnrgliU'n. Jan. 24, 1874.] THE GARDEN. S5 THE AMATEUR'S GARDEN.* HINTS ON HYBRIDISING. New flowers produce an indescribable pleasure, and it is one which anyone with a gardeu, or even a few pot plants in a window or eool frame, may enjoy. In some parts of Lanca- shire and the north of England, Auriculas, Tulips, Pansios, Hollyhocks, and other hardy flowers are much grown by working men or artisans, and some of the flnest show varieties of these flowers have originated in cottage gardens. Even the colliers in many of the midland districts grow enthusiastic when dilating on the properties of some new florists' flowers which they have raised, while the numerous skilled artisans iu towns, such as Coventry or Nottingham, arc well known as most excellent cultivators of nearly all kinds of hardy vegetables as well as florists' flowers. In the raising of new varieties, there are a few leading principles which must be borne in mind ; for example, species or varieties of the same genus can only be crossed with each other with advantage ; and, if possible, always make the best-habited plant the seed- bearing parent. A plant of bad general habit or weak con- stitution often bears a richly-coloured or finely-formed flower, and by crossing this with another variety, perhaps possessing poor flowers but a robust constitution, an improvement on both parents may be looked for among the seedlings. The operation of crossing, or, more properly speaking, fertilising, ,. one flower with another, is simple enough, all that is recpiired, * as a rule, being two parent plants in such a condition as to enable the operator to convey the pollen of one flower, or Pig. 1. Portion of the style and stigma magnified, showing pollen tubes forcing their way down the style. 2. Pollen grain magnified, emitting tube. 3. Stamens and stigma of Wallflower, magnified, -i. Magnified anther of same, showing the pollen grains at p. variety, to the tip of the style or scigma of the other. This opei'ation can be effected readily by means of a moist camel's- hair brush or pencil. Some plants cannot be fertilised with pollen from their own flowers ; but there are others that are much too susceptible of fertilisation, and this often puzzles amateurs, who imagine that they have crossed flowers with the pollen of another form, when the same have been fertilised with their own pollen days before, and, consequently, the result is disappointing. In order to prevent this, it is well to clip off the anthers or little cases that contain the pollen of the seed-beariug plant directly the flowers expand, taking care not to cut or bruise the stigma when so doing. Eor the latter process, a pair of small sharp-pointed scissors is the best. The action of the pollen on the stigma is very singular and interesting, and is well illustrated in our engrav- ings. The pollen grains, soon after being placed on the glutinous apex of the style, throw out slender tubes, which pass down the loose cellular tissue of the style until they reach the embrj'o ovules, or seeds, contained in the ovary or seed-vessel below. Having reached these, and fertilised them by emitting the fluid contents of the pollen grain above, their use ceases, and they soon become dried up, together with the snperflnous end of the style, while the young seeds, or such of them as have come in contact with the pollen tubes begin to swell and ripen. In some oases only one or two out of the twenty or thirty embryo seeds in each seed-vessel become fertilised and swell off, while the others come to nothing. A • This department is written exclusively by amateurs distinguished for skill in various branches of gardening. very little practical experience will enable any one to fertilise and raise seedlings from their favourite flowers, while researches in this way may lead to valuable results. Com- paratively few horticulturists have as yet devoted themselves to hybridisation, and yet the results obtained are very remarkable. We have only to look at the new Peas of Laxton or Dr. M'Lean, the Orchids of Dominy, or the many beautiful varieties of Cyclamen, Pelargonium, Gladioli, Asters, and other florists' flowers now common in our gardens, in order to fully recognise the beneflcial results which are to bo obtained by studying and working out this subject as far as means will permit. To be able to render a flower more beautiful, or to enhance the excellence, or ameliorate the flavour of a new fruic or vegetable, is something worth attempting, as such a result not only Ijenefits its producer, but is the means of handing down to posterity a great and lasting good. J. W. FERNS FOR A COOL HOUSE. Surely your Manchester correspondent (see p. 06) must have been led into some mistake when he recommends the hardy Osmunda regalis, Filix-foemina, Onoclea sensibilis, Polypodium cambricum, Scolopendrium vulgare, or even the grand Cyrto- mium falcatum, to be grown in a heat in which Dendrobium nobile can exist. I venture to add the names of a few Ferns that appear to me more worthy of culture in heat, all of which ought to thrive in the house described by " R. H.," viz., Adiantum assimile, A. concinnum, A. concinnum latum, A. chilensc, A. cuneatnm, A. rubellum, A. pedatum, A. tenerum, A. trapeziforme, A. macrophyllurrt, Asplenium marinum, A. vivi- parum, Cheilanthes elegans, C. hirta, Lygodium scandens, Pteris tricolor. Several of the hardier Davallias and some of the Todeas would also thrive, with many others whose names do not at the moment occur to me. W. 0. M. WORK FOR THE WEEK. PRIVATE GARDENS. Conservatories. — Arrange fine-leaved plants, such as greenhouse Dracasnas, Yuccas, Beaucarneas, Grevilleas, Tree-Ferns, and other foliage and flowering ones together effectively and harmoniously. Remove plants done flowering, and introduce a fresh supply from the forcing pit. Give a little weak manure-water to Cyclamens. Keep late ones close to the glass in frames free from drip, and sow some seeds of Cyclamens in an intermediate house, if not previously done. Prick off October and November sowings into pots, or pans, filled with light soil, putting several plants in each, and allowing them to remain there until their leaves meet one another, when they should be potted singly into 60-sized pots. Sow also a few seeds of East Lothian Stock ; keep autumn-potted Stocks in cold frames, and pot off a few of them singly. Pot any Calceolarias or Cinerarias that may require it, using a rich compost for them, aurl keep them rather close for a short time, bat they should always be in cool houses or pits, and near the glass. Prune a few more pot Roses, and place them in a forcing house or early Peach-house to induce them to come into bloom. In early Fig-houses, or other fruit-houses, not too much shaded, many flowering plants may be brought into bloom, either for conservatory decorations or for cut flowers. Rhododendrons, Roses, Callas, Tree-Carnations, Eeliotropes, Mignonette, Lily of the Valley, Tulips, Hyacinths, Narcissi, Kalmias, Jasmines, Weigelas, Prunus sinensis, Lilacs, Glient and Indian Azaleas, Camellias, Fuchsias, Hip. peastrnms, Uiemanthuses, Violets, Pelargoniums, and several other plants might be brought to the flowering stage in early fruit-houses, and afterwards removed to the greenhouse. Such as are soft-wooded should be kept as near the glass as possible, and hard-wooded de- ciduous plants should be placed by themselves, so that they can be freely syringed. Violets, if planted out in frames on a bottom-heat, afford more flowers than under any other circumstances. Proceed with the staking and tying of specimen hard. wooded plants, such as Boronias, Croweas, &c. Keep Heaths iu the freest ventilated portion of conservatories, water them moderately, and neatly stake them. Remove plants of Solanum Capsicastrum when the berries begin to drop, or shrivel, and save a few of the best berries for seed. Remove all damping or decaying leaves, and use every means at command for keeping down insects. The old plants, too, may be saved for next year's blooming, by placing them under the stages, or in fr.ames, keeping them moderately dry for a time, then pruning them back pretty closely, and i^lanting them outside in a rich border in May, 86 THE GAEDEN. [Jan. 24, 1874. when they are permitted to grow, flower, and form their berries, and are then lifted, potted, and introduced into the frames or greenhouses. A few of the earliest-rested plants of Fuchsias, and Lemon-scented Verbenas may be pruned a little, and started in a genial warm tem. perature ; just give the others enough water to keep the soil from beino- dust-dry. A few plants of Lilium anratum may now be brought into an intermediate house to start ; great care being taken in water- iu", until the shoots have emerged some inches from the soil. Stoves. — AUamandas, Bougainvilleas, and Clerodendrons (climb, ing ones) should be cut back at once if not already done, and re- potted very firmly as soon as convenient, using good loamy soil, enriched with a little decayed manure, but not encouraged to make growth. Keep the soil pretty dry, even after potting, insert the principal stakes, and preserve the young growths from getting broken. Plants of Poinsettias and Euphorbia jacquiniocflora done blooming should be stored away on back shelves, under the stages, or iu any other place whore they can be kept dry in an intermediate house or the coolest end of the stove. Aphelandras done flowering may be treated in the same way, and those coming into bloom should have plenty of water, and a position near the glass. Do not allow any young plants to suffer from want of root room, but give them a shift as soon as they require it. Of stove bulbous plants at rest, start a few into growth, for early use, but it is too soon yet to start the general stock of these. A few Amaryllises should be introduced into a moist brisk temperature, to encourage them to bloom early. Attend to the eradication of all winter pests, and to the staking and tying up various sorts of plants. Orchids. — From amongst these the warmest nooks in our con- servatories are being supplied with their most showy flowers. Oncidiums, Odontoglossums, and Crelogynes are in great beauty, and these, together with Phalasaopsids, furnish masses of white flowers, orange and crimson and allied colours being furnished by Masde- vallias, Adas, Sophronitis, Epidendrums, Barkerias, &c., whilst Cattleyas, Vandas, Saccolabiums, LEelias, Dendrobiums, Phajus, Restrepias, &c., afford an immense variety of both colour and form. Prepare materials for a general potting next month and the succeed- ing one. Begin to pot, as soon as practicable, Odontoglossums, Mil- tonias, Masdevallias, &c., and those not requiring this at present should be top-dressed. Any bnlbons Calanthes— those of the vestita section — not yet placed at rest, should be laid on their sides and kept dry. As soon as any appearance of growth presents itself in the earliest rested plants, re-pot them, and place them under growing conditions. Give the terrestrial Calanthes plenty of water when they require it, and if they are in vigorous condition a little weak manure-water will be very beneficial to them. Dendrobium nobile being now, as a rule, well set with flower-buds, may be for- warded by introducing some plants of them into a brisk temperature, and others may be retarded by keeping in rather a cool house or pit. Attend to the destruction of all kinds of insects, as their numbers can be more easily and conveniently reduced than later on in the season. Scale, green fly, thrips, ants, mealy bug, red spider, wood- lice, and wire-worms require attention. Keep Pleiones in a nice growing state ; any of the varieties that have not finished blooming should be re-potted as soon as their last flowers are past. JIaintain a moderately moist atmosphere in all the Orchid houses, otherwise Phatenopsids and other long aerial-i-ooted species will suffer. Hot-beds. — Prepare materials at once, consisting of cleanly- collected leaves, and rank, bat well-moistened, stable litter, for the rnnstructiou of these. In making a hot-bed, have a good wide foundation marked by inserting some strong stakes in the corners, for by these stakes the plumb, and height of the beds, too, can be determined. The foundation should consist of a layer of brush-wood, over which Asparagus, Bean, and Pea haulm should be placed, and fermenting material firmly built over that, being careful to make it firm by beating with the fork in preference to much trampling, and leaving sufficient space on either side of the frames for the con- venience of linings. One made immediately of equal parts of stable litter and leaves will be found useful for starting a few early Glo.v. inias, Caladiums, Achimenes, and roots of Lilium auratum ; also for cuttings of different kinds ; and it will afterwards be useful for the raising of various kinds of seeds. Throw into a heap a mi.^iture of two or tlirce parts of leaves and one of litter, and turn it once or twice, applying some manure-water if dry ; the material may also be used for another bed in February. Besides hot.beds necessary for bringing plants into flower, several are required for vegetable forcing, especially where there are few hot-water-heated structures. In April and the two following months, these beds will be useful for soft.wooded greenhouse plants, such as Balsams, Cockscombs, some annuals, and various odds and ends. In others, Cucumbers, Chillies, &c., may be grown ; and those not required can be removed and used as manure, or turned for forming a compost for the potting bench. Their size must be in proportion to the amount and continuity of heat they are required to produce. If for starting stove-plants on, they may be built as high as 5 feet, but if for growing Potatoes, Carrots, Radishes, and other vegetables, 3 feet will be found suf- ficient. They sink considerably after being built, and, when the heat begins to fail, the best way of recruiting it is by adding fresh linings around the frames. Flower Garden. — In warm situations Violets, Daisies, Pansies, Snowdrops, Wallfiowers, Aubrietias, and Primulas have been tempted to expand, and to these may be added the Chimonanthus fragrans, Jas- minumnudifiorum, Christmas Roses, Cydoniajaponica, Arbutus, Winter Aconites, Berberis Darwiuii and Aquifolium, Arabis, and a few other miscellaneous plants. As a rule, however, flower-gardens are not over attractive at this time of the year ; therefore the lawns should be kept clean and well rolled, the walks swept, and the shrubbery borders and similar surroundings attended to, especially as regards the removal of withered leaves. Prune, train, and tie up all plants growing against walls and pillars. If bulbous plants are so far for. ward as to be injured by frost, should it come, top-dress the beds with leaves, ashes, cocoa-nut fibre, or other material of that kind. Transplant trees and shrubs, repair and make walks, renovate rock- eries, if necessary, re-lay turf, and energetically proceed with all operations that tend to forward spring work. Where flower-beds have to be altered in pattern, attention should be paid to them in that respect at once. Ivies, Periwinkles, and St. John's Wort may now be transplanted in shady borders and under trees. Keep the ci-ownsof Funkias, Cannas, and Dahlias in the ground protected with leaves or litter, and examine occasionally such as are indoors, pick, ing out all decaying portions, and rubbing over the incisions with powdered charcoal. A NEW LAWN-MOWER. Under the title of the " Royal Guinea Lawn-mower," Messrs. Green, of Leeds, have brought out a new lawn- New Lawn-Mower. mower, of the appearance of which the annexed illustra- tion gives a good idea. It is stated by Messrs. Green to possess the lollowing advantages. 1. It consists of a smaller numljer of parts than any other lawn-mower ; the frame-work is cast all in one piece, and, therefore, is not liable to bo twisted, or by any meansto get out of order. 2. The cutters are set in the cylinder, without wedging or wiring; and yet they are so firmly fixed that they cannot be shaken, or in any way become loose. 3. The fixings or caps of the cylinder are fitted together by two bolts and two screws only, and the cylinder itself can be adjusted or removed by the most inexperienced person in two or three minutes. 4. The motive-power is given by the travelling wheels, into which a pinion, fixed on the end of the cylinder shaft, is geared, giving revolving motion to the cutters ; and it will cut either short, long, wet, or dry Grass, Peat, &c. 5. The Grass-box is fixed behind the cuttei-s, so that the machine will cut Grass close up to trees, seats, walls, and underneath shrubs, without the box having to be removed. 6. It is eminently adapted for banks, slopes, flats, &c. 7. The handle of the machine will suit the height of the person using it at any angle. 8. From the fact that the royal guinea lawn- mower is of such simple construction, the manufacturers are enabled to offer it to the public at a price within the reach of everybody requiring a lawn-mower. Jan. 31, 18741 THE GARDEN. 87 THE GARDEN. " This is an art Which does mend nature : chanp;o it rather : but The Aet itself is Natuke." — Shakespeare. WINTER AND SPEING CUCUMBER GROWING. 'The accompanj'ing section represents one of the best forms of house for growing Cucumbers or Melons during the winter iirid spring. It is 7 feet wide, 10 feeb liigh at the back, and I. feet at the front. A house of these dimensions gives an iimple roof area, or traiiuug surface, for eitlicr Cucumbers or Melons. Throe rows of pipes are shown in the plan, and this quantity, though it may appear large, will not be found too much in severe winters, for it takes a large amount of heating surface to keep up high temperatures at such times, without making the pipes hotter than they ought to be. Each row of pipes should be furnished with a stop valve, and in mild weather the front row may bo turned off, as, being nearest to the plants, it is more likely to cause injury than the others, should the pipes get too hot at any time. The ventilation is effected as shown at A and B in the plan. The early Cucumber and Melon-house hero is built on the above plan, and is about 35 feet long. From this house we cut a large quantity of Melons in summer, and Cucumbers in winter. Indeed, I would not desire a better structure for such purposes. Culture of Winter and Spring Cucumbers. Though the house is used chiefly for eariy crops of Melons, the successive crops being grown in frames, still we keep the early plants going on al'l the summer, getting supplementary second and third crops of them; but by the middle of August, or the beginning of September, we get one division cleared and sow Cucumbers— perhaps a dozen good seeds, in a 6-inch pot, of Wilson's Trolific, the old Syon House, or others of that class. Long or large Cucumbers are very good for exhibition, but, for su])plying an establishment, short fruits, which are produced in quantity, are in every way the best. Economy is an important object with winter crops, and I have long since discovered that moderate-sized Cucumbers go furthest in the pantry. The seed-pot is plunged in a bottom-heat of 75°; a higher temperature is not neces- sary, and an atmospheric temperature of 70° by night, and from 75° to 85° by day, according to the weather, is given from the time the plants are sown, till they are thrown out, when they are done. Sometimes, when our boilers arc hard pushed, these figures cannot always be sustained, but we do not like to sec the top-heat below 66°, even in the coldest nights, at least, not many nights iu succession ; nor the bottom-heat below 10°. At the same time the above tcrapor.ituros should not be exceeded ; 85° top-heat should only be allowed on tine sunny days, rather than admit heavy draughts of cold air, but 80° is a good growing temperature, and our winter Cucumbers seldom experience a higher temperature all the winter, and for days together the thermometer is often not above 75°, while the bottom-heat generally ranges between 70° and 75°. I am quite certain that a lower or a higher bottom-heat than this is not attended with any good results. I am describing my own pi'actice exaotl3', at least, as our Cucumbers have been growing and bearing freely all the winter, and I expect they will go on doing so till May or June. After the seedlings have "made their rough leaves, they are potted off into -1-inch pots, burying the stems up to the leaves, and are watered thoroughly with tepid water and restored to their former quarters. While they are getting established in the pots, the bed is prepared foi- planting in the following manner. Bottom-heat being furnished from pipes, which are only covered with flags, as shown in the plan, a good thick sod is laid in the bottom of the bed (grassy side downward) and above this the soil, about 'J inches or i foot deep, which is about the depth of the pit. I am not fastidious about soil, seldom using anything but the refuse of the potting- bench, and such like, as Cucumbers will thrive well in any light ricli soil if they get proper attention otherwise. Those who can afford the best materials should use light turfy loam chopped fine and mixed with leaf-mould or decayed hot-bed manure in equal quantities. No better compost than this could be employed. When the bed is ready and warmed to the proper temperature, and before the plants get pot-bound, they ai'o turned carefully out of the pots and jilanted, 2 feet apart, along the centre of the bed and watered. The after treatment consists in carrying the leaders forward up the wires until the plants are about 3 feet high, wheu they are stopped. This causes them to send ont side-shoots all along the stem, which are also stopped at the second or third joint. These shoots always show fruit, but only one or two are left on each plant at first, and more as the plants get older and stronger. The stopping of the shoots is continued at every second or third joint from the last pinch, and they are also thmned out freely when needful. Crowding of the wood and foliage should always be avoided. The object of planting 2 feet apart at first is only to secure a good crop of Cucumbers early by taking one or two fruits off each plant as soon as possible, but this space is too little ultimately for each plant, and, when it becomes necessary, every alternate plant is removed to give the others more room. Watering musb be attended to regularly. The bed should be kept nice and moist, and, when water is given, it should be a thorough soaking till it runs out at the bottom of the bed. Syringing morning and afternoon must also be attended to, and air, more or less, should always be admitted, according to the weather. The roots should also be top-dressed every two or three weeks with a little fresh soil. If these simple directions are carried out, a supply of Cucumbers during whiter and spring will not be found a diffi- cult matter. The Cucumber is an easy plant to grow ; unlike the Melon, the fruit is not wanted ripe, but only when half swelled, and the secret of the matter is, to keep the plants in a continually growing state. Diseases. Mildew not unfrequently attacks the Cucumber, but, when it does, it is generally the result of insufficient ventilation, and too low a temperature. When it does appear, dusting thinly, but evenly, with flowers of sulphur through a piece of muslin cloth is the only cure. Thrips are the most terrible of the insect enemies which attack the Cucumber. For these and also for greenfly, which is sometimes troublesome on the young growths, smoking with tobacco is usually resorted to ; iDut the foliage of the Cucumber is so tender, especially when forced, that smoking, unless done very carefully, is a euro which is often worse than the disease, and one which I never use myself. For these pests, and also for red spider, I apply the " Antidote for Red Spider, Thrips, and Greenfly," by putting a little in the water with which the plants are syringed ; and our Cucumbers, which have been subjected to an autumn and winter's hard firing, are at present as green in the foliage as wheu first planted. J. Simpson. Wortley. 88 THE GARDEN. [Jan. 31, 187-J- NOTES OF THE WEEK. We understand that tho works at Alexandra Park are pro- gressing rapidly, and that the Palace will be opened early in June. The horticultural attractions will be even greater than before the fire took place. The varieties of Amaryllis raised from A. pardina are likely to form the most useful i-ace of all. They flower very freely, which is not the case with the older and better known forms ; and, better still, they flower freely in winter and early spring. There are a good many of them now in flower at Messrs. Henderson's, Wellington Nurseries. We learn that the following hardy plants are now in flower in the open air in Messrs. Backhouse's nursery at York : — Crocus Sieberi, C. Aucheri, C. Imperati, Muscari pallens (syn. botryoidcs), Cyclamen Coum vernnm, C. Atkinsii, Galanthus plioatus, Hepatica angnlosa, and its white variety. A NEW work by Mr. P. W. Burbidge on " Cool Orchids and How to Grow Them," is announced by Mr. Hardwicke, Piccadilly. It is illustrated by coloured plates and wood engravings, contains plain cultural directions, and is furnished with a copious list, in the shape of an index, of what are termed cool Orchids. • It is not only the late kinds of Grapes that may be preserved by inserting the shoots in bottles of water, as we have so often des- scribed and advocated. The season of choice early Grapes may be much prolonged in the same manner. Mr. Bennett has now a collec- tion of Grapes preserved in this way at Hatfield, and among them Sweetwater, slightly shrivelled now, but, in the opinion of many, improved, instead of deteriorated, in flavour. This is a noteworthy fact. The Cockatoo flower of Madagascar, Angrajcum EUisii, is now showing a strong spike, in the collection of Mr. John Day, of Tottenham. We believe there are only two specimens of this beautiful Orchid in this country. The flowers are pure white, and sweetly scented, being borne on a spike 18 inches long. It has tails 6 inches in length, and the flowers, when seen sidewaySj resem- bles an Australian parrot, whence its popular name. It is said that Grape clusters can be preserved until Easter, as fresh and palatable as when cut, by gathering them in small quantities on clear dry days, removing any decayed berries, fuming them with benzine, and laying them (not in contact, however) between Maize-leaves, in drawers or trays, carefully closed against air and dust. This is an Italian method of preserving Grapes. The fruiterers' shops in Covent Garden and other parts of London are now well supplied with white Almerian Grapes in fine condition. As regards quality, these cannot be compared with fruits of home growth, but they aiiord a treat to many who otherwise would never have an opportunity of tasting Grapes of any kind. These, and the red Grapes from Lisbon, are imported in boxes and barrels firmly packed in cork-dust, a light, dry, and spongy material well suited for the purpose. We have received, from M. H. Ortgies, the programme of tlie International Horticultural Exhibition, which will be held at Bremen from the 1.3th to the 21st of next June. The subjects for exhibition are classed as follows: — -Hardy jilants; carpet-beds; groups of flowering plants, ornamental arrangements, and cool. house jjlants ; hot-house plants; cut flowers, bouquets, &c. ; fruit-trees; Grapes, fresh fruit, and vegetables; preserved fruit, wines, machines, and implements. These are sub-divided into 139 sections, for cacli of which will be given a silver medal and prizes in money to the total amount of 9,580 marks (about £180). Special prizes of gold medals, silver cups, &o., will also be given by the Emperor, the Empress, and several of the German nobility. Intending exhibitors are requested to write to the oflfice of tho International Horticultural Exhibition, at Bremen. At a recent meeting of the Metropolitan Board of Works, the chairman announced that he had received a letter from the solicitors of Mr. Albert Grant, enclosing one from that gentleman offering Leicester Square to tlie board, and through it to the public, as a free gift. Mr. Grant stated that Mr. Gibson had prepared plans for laying out tho grounds. A fountain would bo placed in the centre, the square would be railed in, and seats provided for 200 persons. At tho fonr corners it was intended to place pedestals, on which would bo KOt busts of Hogarth, Sir Joshua Reynolds, Dr. Johnson, and Sir Isaac Newton — all celebrated persons, whoso history wns identified with that of tho square. Ouronly regret is that it is part of Mr. Grant's plan to place a fountain in the square, as a fountain, or any other object iu tho centre of such a piece of ground is sure to destroy any hripjiy cfEocts the designer may otherwise produce. Tho ceutro should be an open carpet of turf, like that of tho prettiest squares in Paris. Besides the bad effect of placing such an object ia the centre, a dripping fountain in a small square in this dripping climate is a decided mistake. In a sun-burnt region the refreshing splash of water is more agreeable; but we have always noticed that, in the very hottest as well as coldest countries, the best eilect in a square is obtained by having an open centre of turf. . We are informed that Alfred de Rothschild, Esq., has kindly consented to preside at the thirty-first anniversary festival of tho Gardeners' Royal Benevolent Institution, to be held in the ensuing summer. GnowEKS of winter flowers will now find a brilliant collection of Cyclamens and Chinese Primroses in the Wellington Nurseries, St. John's Wood. Both families are in charming variety, and both show considerable improvement in the way of novelties. We observe that iu this month's number of tho BuUetin cV Arboriculture, the Hon. Marshall P. Wilder appears to be known on the Continent as Le Marichal P. Wilder. He will, no doubt, be much flattered by the imputation of such high military rank. The prettiest Amaryllis we remember to have seen is a new species now in flower iu Mr. Wm. Bull's nursery at Chelsea. The divisions of the flower are pure white with two distinct carmine strijies in each. It is a most striking flower, is as yet unnamed, and comes from Peru. We learn, from Mr. Anthony Waterer, that the Planes now being planted in Sackville Street, Dublin, are of the Western variety (Platanus occiden talis), supplied from the nurseries at Knap Hill. The important task of superintending the planting has been entrusted to Mr. Moore, the editor of the Gardener' s Record. We understand that there is a project on foot for the con- struction of an aquarium, winter.garden, Fei'neries, and a recreation promenade, upon a large scale, at Margate. The work will be carried out by a limited liability company, the capital being £15,000 ; and it is expected that, in all probability, it will be commenced early iu tho spring. The aquarium itself is to be 250 feet by 100 feet. We have just received from Herr Max Leichtlin a neatly printed list of select plants and shrubs now growing in his garden at Baden-Baden. Among them we notice Galanthus Imperati, Tulipa Greigi, Dianthus alpinus flore pleno, a climbing species of Linariii, and many other rare and fine plants. Herr Max Leichtlin's collection of Lilies is, perhaps, the finest in the world, his list containing no fewer than 106 species and varieties of these plants. We understand that a meeting of gardeners is to be held at 11, Eden Quay, Dublin, on Tuesday next, for the purpose of appoint- ing a board of directors and a secretary for a new society, which is to be called " The Gardeners' Provident and Benevolent Society of Ireland," and is intended, by the subscriptions of its membei's and the donations of patrons of horticulture, to provide a fund for the support of gardeners in old age, in time ef sickness, and when out of employment, and, in the event of death, to defray funeral expenses. There is also to be a loan fund attached to the society. The great improvement admirably begun in Leicester Sqnarr, the most neglected spot iu London, will, we hope, together with Mr. Albert Grant's example, tend to spread. LincoIn's-inn-Pields is a scandal in another way. The huge houses all round have become offices, and the small park which fills the centre of the vast square is almost a voiceless solitude. Surrounding it is one of the densest populations in the metropolis, and crowds of children play on the pavements and the stones, only casting longing eyes at tho few children who, with their nursemaids, are occasionally to be scon taking the air on tho green sward under the trees. No residential damage would accrue to the offices all round this vast area if it wcro thrown open to the public. A large and handsome play-ground might be made there without injnry to any one, and with the greatest possible advantage to the hundreds of thousands of people who throng the close streets of central London, in the very midst of which this splendid breathing-place has been so long kept shut up. There were, in 1873, 210,000 allotments of land in Great Britain, of which 2 12,000 were iu England, 1,700 in AVales, and 2,100 In Scotland. Tho practice of letting land in small allotments detached from cottages is not so common in Wales and Scotland as iu England ; and, even in England, allotments are comparatively few in the northern districts. The total extent of land let in garden allotments in Great Britain in 1873 was 59,G31 acres, which shows almost exactly an average of one-quarterof an acre for each allotment; and tho average for England is the same. The average size of allotments varies, hon'- evcr, in the diiJorent English counties. In twenty. four counties, ii which there were altogether 122,000 allotments, the average size may be said to vary from one-eighth to one-quarter of an acre. Ineightecu counties, in which there were altogether 120,000 allotments, tho average size may bo said to vary from one-quarter to one-half of an acre. One-eighth of an acre is the quantity of land usually considered as nmch as can bo thoroughly cultivated by an employed labourer in his sparo time. Jan. si, 187-i.] THE GARDEN. 89 THE GARDEN IN THE HOUSE. MANTEL-PIECE DEOOEATION. This forms a very important an-angement in the decoration of the sitting-room, and one to which good attention should be given, as the vases on the mantel-shelE occupy a very prominent position, and, unless they form a good example of floral dressing, are better dispensed with altogether. Speci- men glasses, with Everlastings, E,ose-buds, Pelargonium blooms, or some other flowers, are seen on every chimney- piece, and, as a matter of course, seem invariably to have a one-sided arrangement, which faces towards the room, all that is reflected in the mirror being the back of the flower or leaf, in place of as good an arrangement as that exhibited in front, and which should be the case. The style of decoration which I shall now explain is for each end of the mantel-piece. The first thing to obtain is the stands in which the flowers are to be arranged, and these may be had of various shapes, but those best suited for this purpose are a pair of common zinc troughs, each about 10 or 12 inches long by 5 inches wide, and Sj inches deep ; painted green on the outside and white in the inside. When about to be filled with flowers, they should be filled with sand to within half an inch of the top ; the sand should be then damped, and planted over _^ with common Selaginella. ^-^i^I^-. If too much water bo put on the sand, the flower-stems will not re- main firm or upright. It is a good plan to have two pairs of these zinc troughs — one pair in use in the drawing-room, and the other pair, with the Selaginella gi'owing in them, in the greenhouse. By this means, as soon as the flowers in the pair in use have faded, that pair of troughs may be re- moved to the green- house, and the other pair introduced therefrom into the drawing-room, and arranged with fresh flowers. The care in the greenhouse will have quite revived the Selagi- nella in the first pair, which will again be quite fresh, and ready to take the place of the other pair when required, and so on. This will bo found a good plan for many other kinds of floral decorations, as well as the above, where zinc troughs or trays arc employed. Round the edges of the troughs. Fern-fronds should be used and arranged so as to droop over and hide the sides as much as possible. The best kind of Fern for this purpose is the Lady Pern, such as is sold at the florists' shojjs, in bundles ; and, should the fronds be found too long, they can be CT.it as short as necessary, and the tip-ends used. After the Ferns have been rightly placed, the flowers should next be arranged, iising rather largo and bold-looking varieties, such as Roses, Lilies, Clematises, &c. These should be placed so as to stand out well, one from the other, avoiding any tendency to their having a crowded appearance. Branches of Fuchsias look very effective mixed through such flowers as those mentioned, and plenty of foliage must also be placed through them. When the flowers have been arranged according to fancy, the troughs should be placed on the man' el-piece, one at each end, and close to the marghi of the ledge ; then some long sprays of trailing plants should be inserted in the soil and allowed to droop down at each side. Sprays of Lapageria rosea. Clematis, Hops, Passion- flower, Tacsonias, and such like, are admirably suited for this pui'pose. The different kinds of Ivies, too, claim our atten- tion for this purpose, being very light and graceful, and obtainable at all seasons of the year — a great point in their favour. Those who do not care for troughs of growino' Selaginella, can use instead a pair of those pretty small china pots sold at the glass shops for standing on brackets and holding cut flowers. I do not mean those similar to what are sold for dropping pot-plants into, as the latter have always a hole at the bottom for drainage ; but the pots I refer to are made on purpose to hold water in which to stand flowers, and in them very effective ari-angements can be made, in the same way as that described for the troughs, but they can never be made to look as suitable in shape as in the latter in which way the accompanying illustration is arranged. At nearly every season of the year we have flowers suitable for this style of decoration. In spring, we have Hyacinths, Tulips, Forget-me-nots, Snowdrops, Scillas, Lily of the Valley, Lilacs,' &c. In summer, Roses, Pelargoniums, Fuchsias, Water Lilies and Clematis. In autumn, Japanese Lilies, Roses, Lapaferias, and Pancratium fragrans. And, in winter, in the market, those who have no glass-houses of their own, can obtain Cape Heaths Chrysanthemums, Arums, Poinsettias, and such like. All the above-mentioned flowers are well adapted for this style of decoration. Specimen-glasses with a few flowers and Ferns look very well on the mantel-piece if dressed all round, but not to one face. A hand holding a vase in china is a pretty device for a _ few choice flowers, such =^=;==^^= as Orchids and Gloxinias ; and, as a rule, richly- coloured flowers are best suited for opaque vases, their deep tints being shown to much better advantage on that kind of surface than on any othei-. A. Hassaed. U^^por Norwood. Watering "Window Flowers. — Most people are fond of growing a few flowers at their windows ; but almost every one is pnzzled as to the number of times they should be watered in a day. Suppose one purchases a few flowers — say scarlet Tom Thumb Geraniums, Petunias, Helio- tropes, Fuchsias, and similar plants, one naturally in- quires how often they should be watered. The answer to this question will be " do not water them till they are dry," or " till they require it." The plants are sent home, placed in the window, or wherever tbey arc intended to stand ; and, although the drooping points of their branches soon indicate ariditj' at the roots, the balls of earth are not considered quite dry ; therefore, amidst considerable alarm, there is some hope entertained that the safety of the plants will be best ensured by a scrupulous adherence to the directions. Another day is allowed to j^ass, and tho soil at last is as dry as a crust. " Now," soliloquizes the anxious cultivator, " I surely may water them." The pots are accordingly charged with water-, which the dryness of the soil does not permit to percolate till after some considerable time. The shoots do not regain their firmness, the leaves turu no fresher, and everything testifies, in the most unmistakable manner, that the remedial measure has been withheld till it is " too late." Undoubtedly it is wrong to keep such plants as those mentioned continually soaking in water by means of saucers, but the soil in which plants grow should never be allowed to get quite dry. Tho safest condition for such plants is that of moisture, though in winter they require less water than in summer. Perns, even the deciduous species, I keep moist. Such treatment I have found to ensure success, aud if we look at tho kinds wo have growing in our own country, wo find they are moister at the root iuwinterthan in summer. Though the soil in which Fems are grown, however, should always be kept damp, great attention should be paid to the state of the drainage — K. 90 THE GARDEN. [Jan. 31, 1874. GARDEN DESTROYERS. SCALE ON PLANTS. The difEerent species of scale insects that are to be contended with, in both in and ont-door gardening, entail a serious amount of labour to keep them down, more especially the brown and white species that infest hot and green-houses. The brown species increases the fastest ; but is much easier to kill than the white, which more commonly infests the greenhouse, or plants that are grown in a similar temperature. Brown scale is an insect that will live on many soft-wooded and a still greater number of hai-d-wooded plants. Even a poisonous family, such as the Euphorbiaceas, are subject to them; but, on plants of this description, they do not increase so fast, and are so much smaller that they might be easily mistaken for a different species. In the stove, they require unremitted attention to keep them from doing serious mischief. Crotons and AUa- mandas are the only plants here which I have found exempt from their attacks. Ixoras, Dipladenias, Francisceas, Combre- tums, Kondeletias, Stephanotis, Euphorbias, Gardenias, Taber- najmontanas, and plants of similar description, possessing foliage sufficiently hard to withstand dressing with Steven- son's "Abyssinian Mixture," or Fowler's "Insecticide," at4oz. or 5oz, to the gallon, should be washed with one or other of these mixtures as often as they require it — laying the plants down on their side over the trough. In the case of small plants, the use of sponge and brush may suffice ; but, when the plants get large, it takes too much time to clear them in this way. These washings should be repeated as often as required, not allowing them to remain undisturbed until the plants are swarming with them, as is sometimes done ; but it is in the autumn and winter, when the plants are at rest, that an effort should be made to get the insects destroyed as Inuch as possible. Such plants as Clerodendron Balfourianum and Bougainvilleas, that when in full leaf and active growth will not bear the application of the mixture sufficiently strong to kill the insects, should receive two or three dressings whilst at rest during the winter : and any plants that are cut down, as Clerodendron Keempferi or O.fallax generally are in the winter, should, before they break, receive a dressing of the insecticide, at 6 oz. to the gallon. With Palms, and other large-foliage plants that are attacked by these insects, the safest method is sponging the leaves with clean water, as an application of the insecticide sufficiently strong to kill the insects is almost certain to disfigure the foliage. The insect will live upon Pines, but is comparatively small on these plants, and does not increase so fast, neither does it get so far down into the heart of the plant or into the base of the leaves, as white scale, and it can be kept down by the use of the sponge. Most thin- leaved Oi'chids, such as Lycaste Skinneri, Phajus, Poristerias, Honlletias, Auguloas, Ac, are subject to brown scale. Prom these they must be carefully removed with the sponge. On Vandas, Saccolabiums, and Aerides, they do serious harm if left undisturbed, although on these plants they do not get larger than the mussel scale on Apple or Pear trees ; on these Orchids they occupy both the upper and under surface of the leaves, quickly turning them yellow, after which they are certain to fall off prematurely, seriously weakening and disfiguring the plants. Exotic Ferns are much infested by them. When the plants are quite at rest, some of the harder-fronded kinds may be washed with Abyssinian mixture ; tender-leaved kinds, such as the Adianturas, must be cleaned with the sponge ; also Gleichenias, which are very difficult to keep clean if once they get affected with these insects. Heaths, as well as most hard- wooded greenhouse plants, are subject to them, although here they do not increase so fast; yet, if left undisturbed, they do serious harm by clogging up the joores of the leaves by the sticky excrement they cover them with, to which all the dust which comes in contact adheres, causing the leaves to turn yellow and fall off. With small-leaved plants of this descrip- tion little can be done with sponge or brush. Washing with Fowler's insecticide at 5 oz. to the gallon in water, when the plants arc at rest, is the only remedy I have found effectual ; it also removes the dirt from the shoots and leaves. With soft- wooded plants the best remedy is the use of sponge and soft brush, with clean water, as the plant will not bear the use of any insecticide strong enough to kill the insects. Crinums, Vallotas, and Amaryllis, affected with it must also be treated with the sponge. With Camellias, the insect is mostly on the leaves ; these plants will bear washing with the insectide, 5 oz. to the gallon, as soon as they have done flowering, before they begin to grow ; but it is dangerous to use the mixture when the buds are at all prominent, as it frequently causes them to drop. In the case of these and other pot plants, a good deal may be done in the way of preventing the spread of the diffe- rent species of scale by careful isolation. If plants that arc cpiite free from the insects are never allowed to touch or stand under any that are affected, they will not be attacked. The females being wingless, they cannot get from one plant to another unless the plants touch each other. A frequent source from which the different species of scale spread, is from roof climbers, that are infested, dropping them upon any plants placed under them. Where plants on the roofs of con- servatories and other houses are infested with these insects, they should either be removed altogether, or taken down, cut back into the haixl-wood, and thoroughly immersed in the washing-trough containing a sufficient quantity of the insecti- cide (6 oz. to the gallon) to cover the head of the plant, in which it may left for an hour ; for brown scale, one dressing in this way will generally be found sufficient. Peaches, both under glass and on the open walls, are sometimes infested with brown scale. As soon as the leaves are off, go over every branch with a brush, and remove the insects, loosing the trees from the trellis or wall, and give them a thorough dressing with sulphur, soot, and clay, made to the consistency of thick paint, to which add 2 oz. of soft-soap to the quart of the above mixture. This should be done as soon as the leaves are off, as, if the flower- buds are too prominent before the dressing is applied, they are liable to drop off. The White Scale. White scale does not increase so fast as the brown, neither does it infest so many species of plants ; but it is much harder to kill, requiring a stronger application of whatever insecticide is used than most plants will bear. It establishes itself moi'e on the old wood, down at the extreme base of the leaves, under the flower-buds, or in any secure crevice in the plant where it is difficult to clean. It is not so often met with in hard- wooded stove plants ; and, if a plant here happens to be infested with it, it should be placed so as not to touch any others, and should be repeatedly gone over with a sponge and stout brush, getting into every crevice in the bark right down to the collar as far as the soil, using " Abyssinian mixture," at from 6 to 8 oz. to the gallon, and brushing the mixture well in after removing every scale perceptible. If the plant can be cut back into the hard wood after it has completed its season's growth, all the better, as the old mature wood is more likely to withstand the application of the mixture at this strength. Orchids are very subject to it ; on them there is no safe method except the sponge and brush, getting right down to the bottom of the leaves and to the base of the bulbs, for there is no portion of the plant, roots included, that is above the soil, but where the insect will establish itself. If it is allowed to remain undisturbed until it exists in large numbers in the bottom of the leaves of Aerides, Saccolabiums, Vaudas, or Cattleyas, it turns them yellow, and they will fall off prema- turelj'. Use the brush dry, and with care, so as not to scratch the leaves, or serious injury will be done; finish with the sponge and clean water. When this insect makes its appear- ance upon an Orchid, the plant requires to bo gone over frequently and very carefully at short intervals, or there is not much chance of thoroughly eradicating the pest. Any insecti- cide that I have ever seen tried, sufficiently strong to destroy those insects, has either killed the plants outright, or seriously injured them. In the Orchid-house, infected plants should never be placed so as to touch such as are clean. I have never known the insect spread except by actual contact with plants affected. It is upon hard-wooded greenhouse plants, conservatory climbers. Camellias, and Heaths that they are most difficult to deal with, consequent upon the leaves and flower-buds of few plants being able to withstand the mixtui'e in a strong enough state to kill the insects. Such things as Acacias, Tacsonias, Maude villea suaveolens, Bignonias,Harden- bergias, Lapagerias, Rhynoospermum jasminoides, Staun- tonias, &c., may be cut back in the spring before any growth Jan. 31, 1874.] THE GARDEN. 91 commences, and dipped in "Abyssinian mixtnre," 8 or 10 oz' to the gallon, used at a temperature of 90°, in which allow them to remain for an hour ; repeat the dressing in ten days, or at all events before the buds begin to break, or the mixture at this strength will destroy them ; and if their first effort at growth after heading down is killed, it will most likely be death to the plant. Camellias are very subject to this insect ; there is only one season of the year that it is safe to dress them with the mixture ; that is, just when they have completed their growth and ai'e setting their flower-buds. The mixture is ineffectual at less than ti or 7 oz. to the gallon, and, if used after the plants have flowered, with their wood buds ready to burst, or afterwards while the leaves are tender, serious injury will follow. Just as the plants are setting their buds I have found the best time, as, if deferred until the buds get large, it will cause many to drop off. Previous to syringing with the mix- ture the whole of the plants should be gone over carefully with a tooth-brush, and as many of the insects as can be seen removed. In the case of very large plants, that cannot be laid down over the trough whilst being syringed, the best method is to apply the mixture with the brush, loosening all the insects as the work proceeds ; allow the mixture to dry on, and give a second application in the course of a fortnight. Where Pines are affected with this insect, it gets down into the axils of the leaves, so far as to be almost out of the reach of anything that will either kill or remove it. The best thiug that can he done is to burn all affected plants, for it costs more in labour to ex- terminate the insect than the plants are worth. There is a small black scale, white round the edge, sometimes met with on Orchids, as well as hard- wooded and other plants. Its habits are similar to those of the white scale, and it is equally diflfioult to kill, requiring to be dealt with in the same manner. Scale on Fruit Trees. Apple and Pear trees are subject to the attacks of mussel scale, which if left unmolested ultimately destroys them. The insect spreads slowly, and not without actual contact. Care should be taken in the selection of young trees that they are free from this insect. I have tried dressing with soft-soap and soot, " Gishurst " 8 oz. to the gallon, and numbers of other mixtures, but never found anything effectual except pure train oil. It is necessary to be careful in procuring this oil, as an article is sold under the name which is injurious to the trees. Train oil is, I believe, produced from the seal. Every portion of the trees must be thoroughly painted over with the oil, getting into every crevice. This should be done as soon as the leaves are off, for, if done late in the winter, the blossom-buds will suffer. I had a collection of some fifty trees dressed with the oil, and it was so far effectual as to not require repeating for a dozen years. The trees were over-vigorous, and the dressing checked their growth to something like what root- pruning would have done. They bore splendidly afterwards. It will at once be seen that a dressing of this description is only possible on trained trees of moderate size ; with large orchard trees it would be out of the question, for unless the whole surface of the bark is touched with the oil the results will only be partial. Pears on walls require un-nailing, so as to get thoroughly to the back of the trees, brushing the oil in as for the Apples. T. Baines. BLACKBIRDS AS GAEDEN DESTROYERS. Unless yonr correspondent, "Bad Shot," gets all his surrounding and sufiering neighbours to joiu him in a systematic raid upon the black- birds around, he will find that no individual effort will lessen their number. They are naturally a solitary bird, and breed by hundreds in the most unfrequented and lonely copses, and hedgerows, after the fruit season, return to their lonely haunts. When fishing in autumn, I have seen them by scores along the margin of reedy and unfre- quented streams in this county. If it is any consolation to "Bad Shot " to know that he is not alone in his sufferings, I can assure him that I could " a tale unfold " that would make him thankful that his case is no worse. The protection of fruit from birds, in many places in this neighbourhood, is a thing of absolute necessity. This we can accomplish by a little expense and time ; but large squares of autumn Peas are not easily protected, and, where this cannot be done, the crop is entirely eaten up by a little sharp-billed bird of tho titmouse species. As soon as the pods ai-e about half-filled, they begin their work of destruction, and never leave them until the Peas are cat down by frost. The little birds referred to are never seen near gardens here during the summer months ; but, like the blackbirds, they appear to be drawn to spots where their favourite food exists by a sort of instinct. There is one thing that experience has taught — namely, to cover all fruit before it is ripe. If blackbirds are pre. vented at the outset from getting a taste of it, they are not likely to cost the gardener so much trouble as they would otherwise do. They are voracious feeders, and it is not surprising to hear that they cleared your correspondent's Currant bushes in so short a space of time as he names. In autumn here, during severe weather, they often fell upon Apple-trees in, as it were, showers, and devoured great quantities of the fruit. They are, however, less destructive now that we grow our Apples upon dwarf trees. No doubt the cause of their rooting up your correspondent's beds is searching for worms, which are their natural food, and they never get tired in looking after it. Last year a neighbour discovered what was, for a time, an effectual scarecrow to blackbirds — namely, a stake, 7 feet long, stuck into the ground at an angle of about 45° ; from a string tied to the end of it there was attached an old hat ; the string was passed through the centre of the crown, and by this moans the hat appeared above the bushes, as if it were placed upon the head of a person amongst them. Every breath of wind stirred it, and for a time it was effectual in scaring off tho birds from the fruit. J. T. Shaicdon, Alnwick. Having suffered from blackbirds last year to a great extent I thinned their numbers in the following way, and I would advise " Bad Shot " (see p. 58) to try my method : — Take some small rat-traps and tie a small piece of Apple or Pear on the plate ; the best way of fastening the baits on the plate is to take a large needle and thread and run it through the middle of the piece of Pear, or a Gooseberry, and than tie it rouud the plate. This prevents the birds from drawing the baits off when pecking at them ; a bunch of Currants can be fastened on in the same way, by tying them round the middle of the plate. The traps may be placed on the surface of the ground, under the trees or bushes infested by the birds, and, if they get a little more wary by the beheadings going on, the traps may be sunk a little and covered over with mould. This is the most humane way of destroying black- birds, for they are invariably caught in the traps by the neck, and killed instantly. In shooting at them, if not killed they are tortured by broken wings or legs, or ily off, with shots in them, to die a lingering death. Last year, in the kitchen-garden here, after all the late Gooseberry and Currant bushes had been netted up, the black, birds turned their attention to some small standard trees of Doyenne d'Ete Pears just ripening. Three of these steel rat-traps were set under one of tho bushes baited with small pieces of the Pears, and seven blackbirds were caught in one day, and all by the necks. All through the autumn these traps were used and the blackbirds were considerably thinned, so, as I hope, to keep them under another year. The thrush is another great fruit eater, but it is worthy of its salt, being a great devourer of snails and slugs in the antnmn and spring months ; it is, likewise, not so daring as the blackbird, and is seldom caught in these steel traps like it. The blackbird will make its raids on all kinds of fruit, even getting under the nets, where a hole can be found, and the ripe Nectarines in the houses are not safe from it, when it finds the Ughts open. William Tilleey. Welheclc. Ants and Fruit Blossoms. — These little pests are often very troublesome and injurious to fruit when ripening in hothouses, and they sometimes do much injury to the blossoms of the earliest Peach and Nectarine trees in hunting for aphides and honey. I have used thick treacle spread on pieces of brown paper to catch them j they get entangled in the mass when sucking it, and their bodies may be swept off the edges at different times till the nest or nests are much thinned of them. They may likewise be poisoned by mixing half-an. ounce of arsenic in some brown sugar, but this is a dangerous remedy, and ought not to be tried unless in locked-up houses. The bodies of little dead birds, if placed in their runs, will entice them to feed on their flesh, when they may be destroyed in myriads by pouring boiling water over them when busy at their feast. — Wm. Tilleuy, Welheclc. Earwigs.— Theso can best be trapped by putting Bean-stalks or small garden-pots, half-fllled with Moss, on the top of short stakes. They are nocturiml in their feeding ou flowers and fruit, and they retire into these traps ill the day-time, when they may be cleared out and destroyed by blowing them into a pan of hot water. — T. Blackbirds i\ Fruit.— In reply to your correspondent, " Bad Shot," I would suggest that, it' in tlio approaching breeding season he could procure a pair of young kites or hawks, and place them in his garden, lookmg after their wings from time to time, he would drive off the blackbirds, &c. Of course he must feed the kites. A relative of mine tried this plan with great success.— J. L. H. S. 92 THE GAEDEN. [Jan. si, 1874. THE FRUIT GARDEN. GRAFTING FEUIT TREES. (fresh cut versus ketarded scions.) About the 2'2nd of October, 1872, 1 moved a young Apple tree into the place where I intended it to remain. From a dwarf bush it had been altered into an espalier, and had stood in its old place four years. Its name I know not, but its character resembles that of Cox's Pomona. It was in full leaf when moved to its new quarters, and several weeks elapsed before it shed all its leaves ; and, although its removal was not effected without considerable mutilation, or, rather, shortening of the roots, the tree did not appear to suffer, the leaves only turning a little black before they finally fell from it. I took ofi one of the shoots its entire length, about 2 feet, and stuck it upright in the open ground, at a short distance from the tree ; and I watched to see if there would be any difference' in the appearance of the two as winter approached. Both, of course, received the same amount of sunshine and cold, and I thought, if the removal was a success, it would be seen in the more healthy state of the foliage on the tree, owing to the supply of nourishment afforded by the roots. The severed shoot, however, appeared to follow the example of its parent, and, by dogi-ees, the leaves disappeared from it in like manner. This shoot remained in the same place till towards the end of March, 1873, when I selected two good Crab stocks ; on one I grafted the middle portion of this shoot, on the other, a scion cut from the removed tree. Both scions were of about the same size ; both made about the same amount of growth. I could see no difference between that which had been cut off at the time of grafting, and that which had stood up in the open border all the winter. About the same time, I grafted on a Quince stock a shoot taken from a Beun-e de I'Assomption. It was given me by a neighbour, and its appearance, at the time I received it, was anything biit jjromising. How long it had been severed from its parent I failed to ascertain, but it has made three shoots, each about a foot long, and, I doubt not, will, in time, make a healthy tree. I have two specimens of the Gratioli of Jersey, one on a Quince, the other on a Pear-stock, the scions of which were taken from the bead of a tree grown in France, but which was broken off" on its journey to England, and lay for some time apart in the purchaser's garden. My experience, though somewhat limited, extends over a period of more than thirty years, during which time I have never been able to dis- cover any decided advantage in removing the scions many days before they are attached to their stocks, as is generally recommended; indeed, I was once assured by an old jobbing gardener, that he always found the recently severed scion succeed, while others failed, in his hands. Apples and Pears do not seem to be particular with reference to the time of their insertion, but Plums I have found invariably to fail if the operation of grafting is delayed till the buds begin to show colour. Last year, all but one that I had put on failed, owing, pro- bably, to the buds being too forward ; whereas, from one long shoot of an Imperial Gage on a former occasion, at an earlier time of the year, I made six portions, rejecting the terminal one, but successfully grafting the others. A matter of more importance, perhaps, than the time for cutting off the scions, and their treatment generally, appears to be tha time when the stocks should be headed back. JSfo doubt it is a very safe plan to have this operation performed some weeks before the time for grafting, though here, again, I am unable to trace failure in any instance to having delayed this operation to the moment of joining the scion to the stock. The truth is, Nature is very patient, and not unfrcquently intei-posos to keep alive what the theories of the horticulturists, however correct in principle they may be, would have doomed to destruction. Nevertheless, it would Ije well for those who intend to graft, to prepare their stocks at once, cutting them back to within an inch, or so, of tlie ])lace where tlie grafts are to be inserted. There is no need to tamper with Natui-c, and it is not unreasonable to suppose that the sudden removal of about nine-tenths of a tree, after the terminal buds have opened, will injuriously affect any scion that, under such circumstances, has been attached to it. B. S. PEACHES IN BLOOM IN JANUARY. As SOME of our early Peach trees are now in bloom, perhaps a minute description of the way in which we treat them may bo of use to some of yonr readers. It is as follows : — The temperature of the Peaoh- houaes wherein the trees are now in bloom, we have raised from 50° to 55° at night, and it is not allowed to exceed the latter with fire heat, but throughout the day it is permitted to range from 60" to 65° with sun heat. Air is freely admitted on all favourable occasions, in order that the condensed moisture may evaporate, as a great many failures in setting result from the pollen being wet. Syringing is suspended, until the petals begin to fall off, after which time the operation will be carefully resumed twice a day. Although the trees at this stage are not syringed overhead, the house is never allowed to become dry, else an attack of red spider will be inevitable, and the trees and fruit crop impaired in consequence. The paths and borders are sprinkled with tepid water night and morning, and two or three times during the day, should the sun be sufficiently strong to dry the atmosphere. The pipes, too, are sprinkled in the mornings, as the blossoms are greatly refreshed by the fine dew thereby produced. Assuming that the borders have had a liberal supply of rather weak manure-water when the trees were started into growth, they will not, as a rule, require more heavy watering until the fruit has attained the size of Peas, when a limited quantity of pure water will be applied, and which will sufiice until the stoning is completed, after which period manure-water in abundance will he given. When tha blossoms have fully expanded, a camel-hair brush is used to disperse the pollen, and thus enable the fruit to set ; but, as the flowers are not all open at the same time, the operation is repeated two or three times. Some disbud the fruit-buds while the trees are in blossom, others when the petals have fallen off and the fruit is set, and others when the fruit has stoned, the latter practice being the one we adopt, and consider the most commendable in the case of early forced Peaches. The wood-buds are thinned when sufficiently large, and if the bearing wood has been well ripened, the fruit, too, are thinned a little, if thickly set, when well formed ; hut when the fruit has stoned, it may be done with more safety. Nothing can be more vexing to a gardener than, after he has finished thinning, to find two- thirds of those left fall off, but as opinions differ so much in the per- forming of this operation, it is best to study the strength and vigour of the plants, and act accordingly. Green fly sometimes mate their appearance in the case of neglected trees, when the wood.buda begin to grow, and they should be checked at first sight with syring. ing and fumigating, but the latter operation ought to he practised when the trees are dry, and when they are not in bloom. The fumigator we use is a very simple and effective one, and consists of a wire sieve inverted ; the tobacco or tobacco-paper, after being chopped and teased, is placed in a little heap on the middle of the sieve, and over it is inverted alO-inchpot with achip out of thesideat thehrim. The hole in the bottom of the pot is enlarged a little to admit a piece of a 2. inch drain tile, which is therein inserted, and acts as a vent, causing a suction or draught. The tobacco-paper being fired, a good volume of smoke is produced, and the fumigator can be readily moved about whilst in use, and fed by lifting off the pot and replacing it again. The man in attendance has always a can of water along with him in order to quench any flame, as the hot dry air therefrom is extremely detrimental to all sorts of plants, and it wastes the fumi- gating material as well. James Morrison. Wotton Gardens, AylesTiury. NOTES AND QUESTIONS ON THE FRUIT GARDEN. Out-door Grapes.— Would you kiudly name tlio best black and wliito Grapea fnr out-donr purposes ? — J. L. H. S. [lilack Hauiburgh and Esperione, black ; Royal Mudcadtne and Sweetwater, wbite.] Gum iu Peaclies and Nectarines. — I have been filling up vacant spaces in my I'eaclies and Nectarines by means of berbacoous approach. Can any of your readers inform mo what I should do to get rid of the gum which comes at parts where the grafting was done ?— H. S. Apricots as Standards.— I should be much obliged to any of yom* readers who would inform mo if if the Apricot perfects its fruit as a standard tree in any part of England, and if so, where. I have heard of good crops being giithcrcd from a tree in Worcestershire. — J. Wash, for Fruit-tree stems.— This is a good time to remove the green mould from the stems of young fruit-trees by the application of strong brine. I find that those done last year do not require any cleaning this. For small trees an old toothbrush is perhaps the best instrument to use. — B. S. Vines for a Hamburgh House. — Would some of your correspondents kindly furnish me witii the names of the best Vines to plant along with black Ilamijurghs, say throe white and three black sorts ? There are now so many Korts from which to select, that one is at a loss what to plant. Would the Duke of Bucclcuch do for a Hamburgh House ?— G. S. D. Bottoming for Vine-borders. — Will some of your correspondents say whether slates aro good things, or not, to use in the way in which they are put (l)]aced on the roof of a bouse) to keep decomposing soil from mixing with rubbish in a Vine-border ? Faggots I object to, because of Fungus, and turves quickly rot. Will the slates answer as well ? — G. W. Jax. 31, 1&74] THE GAEDEN. 93 THE FLOWER GARDEN. THE DOUBLE TIGER LILY. Our old friend the Tiger Lily is a very showy aud valuable plant, but it is surpassed in value by the splendid double form "which we this week figure. It is, of course, as hardy and as easily grown as the common Tiger Lily, but, being rarer, plant grows from 3 to 7 feet high, and its fine double flowers are well shown in the accompanying illustration. PELARGONIUM TEIAL AT CHISWICK IN 1873. As in former reports regardiDg the Pelargoniums grown at Chiswick, we have selected those kinds only to which First-class Certificates Flower of the Double Ti^er Lilj. deserves the best attention we can give it in the way of deep and rich soil. As the good plan of placing Lilies here and there among dwarf masses of Rhododendrons is now happily becoming fashionable, this kind will come in as a valuable aid to those already used for that purpose. It should be in every garden. It is one of the many fine Lilies which Mr. William Bull has introduced, aud of which he holds a large stock. The have been awarded, under the direction of the Floral Commiltce, or at least marks equivalent to that distinction. PELARGONIUMS AS BEDDING PLANTS. Golden-variegated Zonals (Golden Tricolors.) Of the older sorts. Amy Richards, Louisa Smith, and Macbeth proved to be varieties of first-class merit, and to be the three most distinct of the stronger-growing sorts, whilst Florence was the best 94 THE GARDEN. [Jan. 31, 1874 in the dwarfer group. The following sorta were tried for the first time as bedders : — Beautiful tok Evek. — Bright shining foliage, with broad very bright red zone, and very little green ; a very good variety. Cor,. Lloyd Lindsay. — Leaves, flat, rounded ; zone, bright rosy-red, of moderate breadth, with even golden margin ; moderately vigorous. Countess op Enniskillen. — Leaves, large, in the centre greyish ; the zone rosy-red, irregularly vandyked, with broad edge of creamy, yellow ; habit, vigorous. Madonna. — Leaves, with broad zone of deep bronzy-red, and narrow edge of yellow ; bold and good. Oriental. — Plat foliage, with broad zone of very bright red ; a moderate grower, and very effective. Petee Grieve. — Leaves, large, flat, with fiery orange-red zone, and broadish margin of yellow ; telling. Princess Louise. — Leaves, large, flat, with a medium edge of yellow, and a broad zone of orauge-red ; effective. The above were all contributed by Messrs. E. G. Henderson. Silver-variegated Zonals (Silver Tricolors). Circassian Beauty (Hodgsou). — Leaves, small, with very bright pink zone ; free and good ; covers tolerably well, being of close growth. Fair Rosamond (B. G. Henderson). — Leaves, well developed and of good colour. Lass o' Gowkie (E. G. Henderson^ . — Leaves of medium size, rather crumpled, with very broad and bright zone, and creamy-white edge ; very effective. Silver-margined. Among the older sorts, Albion's Cliffs was considered the best amongst the larger and stronger-growing varieties; and Flower of Spring the best of the dwarf, compact-growing, creamy-edged sorts. Miss Kingsbury and Silver Chain were also noted as varieties of the first order, the former with cerise. scarlet, and the latter with rosy- tinted flowers. The following were grown for the first time : — • Golden Brilliantissima (H.Park). — A form of the old Brilliant, of compact growth, with the leaves irregularly edged with yellow and creamy.white ; flowers, very freely produced, of a brilliant orange scarlet ; remarkable for its mixed gold and silver variegation. Laura (Bland) . — In the way of Albion's Cliffs, but more erect ; strong grower and rather coarse ; leaves with brownish.red zone and cream.coloured margin ; bears large trusses of pale scarlet flowers. In this group. White Lady and Waltham Bride, both dwarf sorts, were retained for their white flowers ; while the following were dis- carded:— Alma, Brilliant, Maltre d'Hotel, Mrs. Lennox, Mountain of Snow, Pearl, Princess Alexandra, Snowflake, Variegated Stella. Golden-leaved. In this section, the committee decided that both Creed's Seedling and Crystal Palace Gem retained the high character they had already received. The formed was subsequently noted as the best of the purely golden-leaved sorts. The Crystal Palace Gem is of spreading habit, and its golden-tinted leaves have a central green patch ; it is in the way of Cloth of Gold, but smoother. Bronze Zonals. A very useful group for bedding purposes, but amongst the varieties of which there is necessarily great similarity. Among the good sorts of older date, the committee specially approved Marechal MacMahon and Black Douglas, and Rev. C. C. Peach was noted as of strong and rather coarse habit. The novelties included the following: — Golden Hahrv Hieover (E. G. Henderson). — Dwarf spreading habit, with small cupped foliage of a bright greenish-yellow, with narrow dark zone ; very free and good ; flowers, pale scarlet. This is very distinct in habit from the ordinary Bronze Zonals, being much less vigorous, and altogether of smaller growth. Crown Pri.vce (Actou).— Leaves, even, bright yellow, with broad bright dark brown zone ; suiall pale scarlet flowers ; a favourite with the market florists; habit, neat. Emperor op Brazil (Downio & Co.) — Free grower, of compact habit; leaves, greenish.yellow, with broad dark brown zone and narrow margin ; the leaves are inclined to cup. Freeligiit (Carter & Co.)— Leaves of moderate size, even, clear yellow, with very broad bright reddish zone, and narrow even edge ; habit, very compact ; flowers, salmon.colour. A really first.class variety. Mrs. Ellioit (Downie&Co.) — Leaves, yellow, with bright bronzy zone. Heine Victoria (E. G. Henderson).— Leaves, large, flat, bright yellow, edge of medium width, and Ijroad bright red.brovvn zone ; the marking bold and effective. Pink-flowered. Several new varieties of this section Were tried, of which the following were apjn'ovod i — Amarantji (Pearson). — Free habit j leaves, grcon j flowers, deep rosy -pink, almost magenta, medium-sized ; large trusses on very long stalks. Bella (Carter). — Leaves, green; flowers, bright rose-pink, with white blotch on upper petals ; very pleasing and effective. Cleopatra (Barrett) . — Free spreading habit, and free-flowering ; leaves, green ; fiowers, bright rose pink, self-coloured, on long stalks, abundant. Evans's Seedling (Evans). — ^ Dwarf compact habit, with zoned leaves ; in the way of Welbeck Nosegay, but of closer and smaller growth ; flowers, bright rose-pink, with vrhite blotch on upper petals ; very free bloomer, and very bright-looking. Mrs. Haliburton (Bland). — Growth, free but compact; leaves, green ; flowers, rose-pink, self-coloured ; in the way of Christine, but an improvement on that fine old sort. Welbeck Nosegay (Tillery). — Compact free-growing habit; leaves, dark-zoned, slightly cupped ; flowers, abundant, large, bright, deep rosy-pink, with white blotch on the upper petals ; good. Scarlet and cerise-floTvered, &c. The follovring varieties were selected for approbation, namely : — Begere (Downie & Co.). — Habit, vigorous; leaves, with broad and moderately.dark zone ; flowers, bright scarlet, in very large trusses ; one of the nosegay race. Chunder Sen (E. G. Henderson). — Habit, vigorous; leaves, lobed, with narrow vandyked zone ; flowers, very bright orange- scarlet, fine. Dr. Livingstone (Carter). — Of moderately vigorous habit ; leaves, flat, broad, with a medium zone ; flowers, very bright scarlet, large, and of fine quality. Don Giovanni (W. Paul). — Of free habit; leaves, with broad, darkish zone ; flowers, scarlet with white eye, of fine form and high quality. Forest Hill Nosegay (Downie & Co.) — A most exquisite variety, of free, dwarfish, compact habit, with the leaves lobed and faintly zonate; flowers, abundant, in large trusses, rosy-salmon, paler down the centre of the petals. Of other sorts which were considered as meritorious, the following deserve to be particularly mentioned : — Warrior, Punch, Excellent, Vesuvius, Jean Sisley, Lucius, Bayard, Soleil, and Waltham Seedling, all well-known varieties, were regarded as standard sorts of their respective colours and habits. Marbled-leaved Zonals (Fancy Zonals). This group, distinguished by the marbled-green of its leaf -blades, and the pale stripings of its stems and flower-stalks, has received an addition of some merit, namely : — Kate Creed (Creed). — A free-blooming variety of good quality, the leaves marked, in addition to the marbling, with a very dark zone varied in hue, and the flowers being of a light reddish-scarlet. Ivy-leaved. About a dozen varieties of this group were bedded out with but partial success. Peltatum elegaus was very pretty, with deep rosy- lilac flowers of good form. Duke of Edinburgh and Ariosto were the same, or indistinguishable. Argus was of vigorous habit, and had dark-zoned leaves and rose-coloured flowers. Dolly Varden had golden-green leaves, marked with a bronzy zone. PELARGONIUMS FOR POT CULTURE. It having been found, after several years' experience, that the Pelargoniums of the salmon-coloured class especially. Were not adapted for bedding purposes, while they were known to be exceed, ingly ornamental as pot plants, the Floral Committee decided last year not to grow them and the allied kinds again in the open beds, but to institute a trial under glass. This was accordingly done, and, with the results indicated below, the whites and the ooellato varie. ties — those, that is, with pale colours spotted near the centre or eye — beiiig also included in the trial. Marks of merit wcro awarded to but one variety, which proved still more beautiful as a pot plant than it had as a bedder, namely : — Forest Hill Nosegay (Downie & Co.)— Remarkably free in growth, without the least coarseness ; leaves, lobed and slightly zonato ; flowers, very freely produced in largo trusses, of a bright orange-tinted salmon shading off, the centre of the petals being paler, with a bluish flush; very handsome. The following annotated sorts were selected as the best of the different shades of colour, the notes being made from the plants as grown under glass. Salmon-coloured and ooellata sorts. Belle EsquimoisE (Prasor). — Very largo flowers of fine shape ; white, with pink centre ; extra good. Dr. Newiiam (E. G. Ueudorson).— One of the marbled or fancy JAN. 31, 1874.] THE aAKDEN. 95 set ; habit, spreading ; leaves, with pale centre ; flowers, abundant, in neat trnases, of good shape, rosy-salmon ; good. Emily Licau (Bull). — Leaves, with dark zone ; flowers, in compact trusses, neat, deep orange-tinted salmon ; good. Eugene Mezakd (Veitch). — Leaves, zoned; flowers, in compact moderate-sized trusses, salmon-pink with white eye ; good. Gloire de CoKBENif (Eraser). — Leaves, with dark zone ; flowers, in long-stalked trusses, bright deep orange-salmon, pale at the edge. HoGAKxn (Bull). — Leaves, zoned; flowers, in close trusses, of a deep orange-salmon colour ; good. HoRTENSiA (Eraser). — Leaves, zonate ; flowers, very freely pro- duced, in large trusses, delicate pink, with paler centre, not unlike a Hydrangea in appearance ; good. La Eontaine (Low). — Leaves, zonate; flowers, free, in neat trusses, deep salmon-orange ; good, Le Prophete (Eraser). — Of dwarfish habit; the leaves zoned; flowers pink with deep salmon eye ; good. Madame Van Houtte (F. & A. Smith). — Leaves, zonate ; flowei's, veiny blush, with a conspicuous ring of scarlet around the eye ; good. Moxs. C. Rouillard (E. G. Henderson). — Leaves, zonate; flowers, flat, in neat trusses, finely-shaped, deep salmon with deeper eye. President Thiers (E. G. Henderson). — Leaves, zonate; flowers, large, in neat trusses, deep orange-salmon ; good. Princess Alice (Downie & Co.). — Of dwarf neat habit; the leaves zoned ; flowers, white with bright scarlet eye ; good. Polly King (G. Smith). — Leaves, zonate; flowers, large, in large compact trusses, salmon-pink with white eye. Queen of Beauties (F. & A. Smith). — Leaves, darkly zonate; ^' flowers large, in large close trusses, blush with deep salmon centre. Re-MUS (W. Paul). — Of neat habit, the leaves zonate ; flowers, in flne compact trusses, of excellent shape, white with salmon eye; very good. Renown (Bull). — -Leaves, darkly zonate ; flowers, in good compact trusses, deep orange-salmon ; good, better shaped than Emily Licau. WiLHELMiNA Weick (W. Paul). — Leaves, zonate ; flowers, large, in large bold trusses ; blush with pink centre ; good. White-flowered. Miss Collinowood (Pearson). — One of the marble-leaved or fancy group, and very effective ; leaves, zonate ; flowers, large, of good form, blush-white, growing in neat trusses. Purity (Bull). — Leaves, zonate; flowers, large, pure white; good. The Bride (Veitch). — Leaves, zonate; flowers, large and freely produced, of a faint blush-white ; good. Virgo Maria (Eraser). — Leaves, zonate; flowers, white; tall- growing. White Clipper (Eraser). — Leaves, zonate, bright green, with faint zone ; flowers, large, in good trusses, in the way of Virgo Maria, but of better shape, the lower petals being less open ; good. White Princess (E. G. Henderson). — Of dwarf habit, with the leaves zonate ; flowers, in neat compact trusses, pure white. White Swan (Downie & Co.). — Leaves, zonate; flowers, of good form, on long-stalked trusses, pure white. — Royal UoHicultural Socieb/s Proceedings. EAISING BULBOUS PLANTS FROM SEEDS. By HERE MAX LBIOHTLIN, Carlaruhe, Baden. I NOTICE, at page 55, of The Gakden, a query as to the way in whicli seedlings of Liliaceous plants should be grown, or, rather, what management is required to keep the seed-pans clear of Moss, and ensure germination of such seeds as lie a considerable time in the soil before they germinate. Those expei'ienced in such matters know that the different species of one and the same tribe, or genus, require oue and the same time to germinate ; this, however, is only a general rule, to which there are some exceptions, more especially in regard to Lilies; but,Caloohorti, Amaryllids, Gladioli,and Erythroniums, for instance, no matter of what species the seeds may be, will all start to grow about the same time. With respect to Lilies, all the rhizomatous-rooted ones, like L. superbum, and cana- dense — in fact, nearly the whole of the American species — take a whole year to show their first seed-leaf. The same holds good with all Martagons, with the Indian species, and the speoiosum section. L. Szovitzianura and monadelphum, Caucasian species, form, in from six weeks to two months after having been sown, little bulblets under ground without showing their seed-leaf. Seeds of Liliacea3, in most cases, are comparatively large, and are not particular as to the depth of soil which is put over them. I, therefore, rather like to sow them somewhat deep, but I always have the soil that is put over them finely sifted, in order that the first leaf may not find any difficulty in pushing through it, or even through the Moss, if there is any. If, in the course of a year, the Moss on the pans has formed itself into a hard crust, I carefully remove it, giving a little top-dressing of fresh sifted soil, and the seeds begin to germinate soon after this, that is to say, exactly at the time when the parent plants start into fresh growth. Gladioli, one and all, dislike having their seeds buried ; they must be sown on the surface, and covered only with a little Sphagnum Moss finely cut ; unless this precaution is taken, they come up sparingly. Of course, old Cocoa-nut refuse, or worn-out tan from a hot-bed, might answer the same purpose, and might even be useful as a preventive against the growth of Moss. If the seeds, as in the case of some kinds of bulbous plants, are large enough, I even like to entirely renew the soil in the seed-pan in which they are sown, taking out the stratum wherein the seeds are imbedded, and washing the soil clear away from them by gentle movements in a sieve under water, so as to loosen and dissolve the soil by degrees into small particles. By thus sifting under water, the seed is left unhurt, a matter of some importance, especially if it has begun to grow. As a rule, the best way is to sow seeds of bulbous plants at once when ripe ; but, if maturity takes place late in the year, say in October or November, it is preferable to wait until January before sowing, because, if sown so late in the season, the seedlings do not gain sufficient strength to with- stand the winter, but, on the contrary, are apt to perish in dull damp weather. I may add that, with care, seedlings of bulbous plants ma.y be transplanted safely even in the midst of their vegetating period. Variegated British. Ferns. — In the article on variegated Eerns (see p. 52), Scolopendrium vnlgare variegatum is described as a dwarf variety. You will see from the frond I enclose, which is from one of three distinct variegations of this species I have found myself, that it is of fair proportious. I have another quite large form, but the fronds are not at present in a fit state to send. While on this subject, I may add that I have found five distinct variegations, all constant, of Polysiichum angulare, and one of Polystichum acu- leatum ; my plant of the latter I believe to be unique. Of Lastrtca Pilix.mas, Blechnum Spicant, and Pteris aquilina, I possess variegated varieties. I forward for insijection specimens of Polystichum aculea- tum and some of the P. angulare variegations. I should observe, however, that the colours or markings are much brighter in the young growth than in the ripe state. — J. M., HawkcliUt'cli, A.cmiaster, Devon. [The variegations in question are distinct and beautiful, especially those of the common Hart's-tongue.] NOTES AND QUESTIONS ON THE FLOWER GARDEN. The Fuchsia Trial at Chiswick. — It should be remarked in reference to this trial that the names attached to the varieties, do not denote the names of the raisers, but of the growers who sent them. for trial. Of the kinds enumerated (see p. 80), four were raised by us. and one by Mr. Banks, and sent out hy us, viz, Crown Prince of Prussia, La Favorite, Wave of Life, Weeping Beauty, and Noblesse.— E. G. Hendersox & Son. Yucca Off-sets.— At what time may I cut ofT-sets from Yucca gloriosa? I want to increase my plants of it; but I am afraid of taking them from the parent-stem, not knowing the right season at which this may be done. — J. H.W. T. [Remove your o2-scts in March, cut' their bases clean \vith a sharp knife, and insert them firmly in a good yellow loamy soil. Neither sand nor leaf-soil need be mixed with the earth, and they may either toe rooted in pots or boxes, in frames, or in the open ground.] Lilies from Cuttings-— Mr. Barr increases his Lilies in some cases by means of cuttings, made of the tops taken off before flowering. Some taken off last year, and inserted in pots plunged in a gentle bottom-heat in frames, have rooted well and have now formed nice bulbs, about the size of marbles. Lilies may, therefore, now be increased in at least five dLff"erent ways, viz, by means of bulbs at the roots, scales of the old bulbs, bulbils found on the stems, cuttings, and seeds.— F, Plants in Bloom.— I'he following are now in bloom in the open air at Wey bridge Heath, viz .- — Cyclanicn Atkinsii, 0. Coum and its white variety, 0. ver" num., C. ibericum, Ilieris Gibraltarica, Arabia procumbens, Aubrietia deltoidesi Hepatica angulosa, II. single mauve, H. single pink, H, single blue; Primroses (including Primula denticulata), Lithospermuui prostratum, Erica carnea and Codonoides, Daisies, Yellow Crocus, Eranthis hyemalis, Christmas Roses, Colchi- cum autumnale flore pleno, Jasmiuum nudifiorum, Lonicerafragrantissima, and Czar and Roman Violets. — Geoege F. Wilson, Heatherhank. Argemone hispida. — The Prickly Poppies in common cultivation are of annual duration only. This species is perennial in its native habitat, the dry plains lying between the Mississippi and the Rocky Mountams ; but whether it will prove of the same duration in our climate remains to be tested. It is a most showy plant, growing to a height 'of 2\ to 3 feet, with glaucescent spiny foliage, and numerous large pure white flowers. It has, however, one defect, that of requiring, like so many other American perennials, to be sown as soon as ripe, otherwise the seed remains dormant some time before vegetating. It will probably prefer sandy soils to such as are of heavy nature.— W. S. 96 THE GARDEN. [JAN. 3l, 1874.. GARDEN STRUCTURES. Mr. and ME. LASCBLLES'S HOUSE-TOP GAEDEN. CnAULES Eeade, with his accustomed clearness vigour, has written a good deal to prove the house-top, as at present arranged, a death-trap ; and so it has proved to many. For some time past, an idea has obtained that the garret storey, now the least attrac- tive,might, without much extra expense, be made the pleasant- est in the house. Mr. Eead held that the roof itself should be as easy of approach as any other floor in the house, and that, with a flat properly- constructed roof, surrounded by an ornamental railing, the house-top would, in fine weather, prove an agreeable airing place for the house- hold. A step further, and we have the house-top car- den, or the house-top con- servatory. There can Ijc no doubt that the proper carry- ing_ out of this idea, in a variety of ways, would prove one of the most agreeable innovations ever made in gardening. To Mr. Lascelles, the horticultural builder, of BunhiU Eow, Finsbury, belongs the credit of first showing us what may be done in this way, even in the heart of Loudon. Ihe roof conservatory forms the roof-storey of Mr. Lascelles's offices ; the floor of the conservatory, which is on a level with the bottom of the cornice shown in our illustration, forms also the roof of the storey beneath, is well formed of concrete, with iron imbedded in it, to secure all the needed strength. Brick beds have been formed round the sides of the house, and these contain earth for Vines, which cover the roof. The surface of these beds forms a convenient standing-place for plants in pots. The house is of wood, bent by the aid of steam,aud well, but not expensively, constructed, and the effect from the street is very good. The glass is not bent, although it ii so in appear- ance. With dense shade overhead, a house of this kind would form a Fern- ery, and, without such shade, fruits that endure a dry atmosphere might fashion Mr, Lascellcs's Office Plant-case. JAS M COCK Section of Ollico I'lant-cafio. be grown after the orchard-house Abundance of water would, of course, be required in any case, but this would not lead to much inconvenience, as the ordinary supply to the house could be made available by the cistern Ijcing ])laced on the conservatory floor. The roofs of largo public buildings, such as theatres, would afford capital sites for winter gardens on a large scale ; wati^r in abundance .is required on such roofs, and that is the chief requirement of the plants. In such cases, the winter- garden would form a new and most attractive feature of the establishment. As regards business houses, a modification of the same plan might be desirable, where very good light was required in the upper storey. Such a pleasant innovation in the city naturally suggests many ways in which a like kind of glasshouse might be made to add to the comfort and elegance of private houses of every class, from those who could afford a well -furnished winter-garden to those who could only use the upper storey as a play- ground for children. We are assured that the archi- tectural difficulties (even in the present state of our know- ledge of the subject) are sur- mountable. The ordinary square type of glasshouse would, of course, be unen- durable over any handsome house. The fact, however, that Palms, and many other sub-tropical plants suited for decoration, thrive perfectly in a less brilliant light than that of a common green- house, would relieve the archioect from the necessity of making the roof a glass shed. If the approaches to the con- servatory floor were, as they should be, roomy and convenient, the difficulties of moving the soil, plants, &c., would not be so great, as they might, at first sight, appear. This, however, seems a case to which the principle of " co-operation " might bo advantageously applied, and we commend tlie suggestion, for what it is worth, to the attention of those who are interested in the matter. Suppose, for instance, a builder is about to erect a row of a dozen or so of good large houses, each of these might be furnished with its conservatory on the roof communi- cating with the conservatories of the houses on both sides, so that the whole woidd form one continuous greenhouse, uni- form in height and architecture, and so presenting a much more pleasing appear- ance, when viewed from the road or street, than if the conservatory of each house was de- tached and built in a different style. This would form a very fine winter- garden, common to all the inhabitants of the row or block of houses, much in the same way, as is at present the case with many London gardens now. One consideration in favour of the house-top con.servatory is the facility with which it might be heated; for temperate-clime plants the always ascending heat of the house would suffice. It could bo kept in excellent order by one gardener, paid by subscription from each family, w-ho would thus,_ at a trifling expense, enjoy all the advantages of an extensive first-class Mode oJ Heating Offlce and Case by Gas. JAN. 31, 1874] THE GARDEN. 97 winter-garden on their own premises, as it were. Another point gained would be that, by the use of one coftimon Hft (con- Btructcd while the houses are building), soil, plants, &c., for the entire row could be raised to the roof, and thus spare each family the trouble and inconvenience of having such things carried up through the house. Some persons, from a desire of complete privacy, might object to this arrangement ; but we believe that, considering the many advantages which it pos- sesses, others may be induced to give it a trial, and it is, at least, one deserving of some consideration. On our visit to the busy establishment, above alluded to, we were particularly struck with a Fernery or plant case which runs the whole length of the front windows, seven in number, and is heated by a small Ijoiler placed behind the fire-place, as shown in the accompanying sketch. From this a 2-inch flow and return pipe is taken through the case, so as to heat it when required. The space around the pipes can be filled with rarely being necessary except during severe weather. In the example now alluded to, gas is used as the heating agent, and is probably cheapest in the generality of cases. Our first illus- tration shows a portion of this case as seen from Mr. Lascelles's private office, and was very tastefully arranged at the time of our visit with choice Ferns, Selaginellas, Begonias, Picus, and other decorative plants, while more recently, we believe, several species of choice Orchids in hanging-baskets have been added. THE ARBORETUM. THE OAKS OF AMERICA. TuE cue great genua above all otliera in nsefuluesa is that of the Oak. No other in the flora of the world, perhaps, contains so many valuable species in point of durability, hardiness, rapidity of growth (for the Oaks are rapid gi-ovvera when once fully established), [llllllllll||||||| |IIIIHIIIIH|||| |. mil |lili.li Ill I .iiilil||| |lll«mUUIN| |lliiilllll||||| |liiuiiilli|||| |jiilillilllH|| |Mlliili||||| fill III! |»H mil |niiilHII||||| | liiiin||| |riii».iM|||| |iiiiimilll|||| | mii|p illllllllll{ll!l!!:i'lllll:lllllllilllll1lll1l{lll!illil:llllllllllllliiii|!1lllllllllllllllllllli!llllllllll illliiiiillllllillllilllliilllllllliiiiiillillillilllillllliiiilililllllllliliiiilHailiiHiSiiii^^ Mr. Lascelles's House-top Garden in the City. bark, or water, if desirable, so as to produce a moist and genial bottom-heat. The Perns, Mosses, and other decorative plants are arranged in flat square pans of zinc or earthenware, as shown in our sectional sketch, and the effect of the whole, especially when seen from the offices within, is very effective, and affords relief to the eye which would otherwise look out on a dismal prospect of blackened roofs and soot-begrimed chimney-pots. We look on this elegant innovation as a great improvement, and think, with its originator, that, if generally adopted, the appearance and comfort of our dwellings and offices in the town would be considerably enhanced. Everyone who has attempted growing choice plants in cases must have felt the want of having them heated efiiciently and at a slight cost. By placing the boiler— a very small one and of simple construc- tion will sufllce— behind the ordinary fire-grate, it may be he.ated at a very slight cost, the only extra expense incurred being the prime cost of the little apparatus required and the fuel necessary to keep up the lieat during the night, the latter freedom from insects and diseases, as well as pecuniary value in the market. Another item to be taken into account is their ready pro- pagation from seeds, thus enaijling us to reproduce them in unlimited numbers, at a comparatively trifling cost. Natural Groups. The grouping of these trees is generally well defined ; so well, indeed, that an acquaintance with a single member of most of the sub-genera, is apt to convey a very accurate impression of tho character of all the others belonging to it. The first of these is known as the White Oak group, and is composed of the well-known and valuable White Oak ((Juercus alba). Post Oak (Q. obtusiloba), its dwarf southern form (var. parvifoliii). Burr or Mossy-cup Oak (Q. maorocarpa), its western form (var. olivajtormis), and the true Over-cup Oak (Q. lyrata). Tho second is called the Chestnut Oak group, and is composed of the Swamp White Oak (Q. bicolor), Swamp Chestnut Oak (Q. prinus), its variety, tho Rock Chestnut Oak (var. monticola), the Yellow Chestnut Oak (var. acuminata), a sonthera form (var. Mlchau\ii"), and the Divarf Chestnut or Chiu. quapiu O.dv (y. pi'lnoidcs). We next have tthat might be termed 98 THE GARDEN. [Jau. 31, 1874. the Live Oak group, although consisting of but one true southern species and two other well-defined dwarf forms. The Live Oak (Q. virens) is considered to be the most valuable of the whole genus, owing to the indestructibility of its timber. The forms alluded to are the Seaside Oak (var. maritima) and the Tooth-leaved Oak (var. dentata). All of the fore, going are what is termed annual-fruiting species — that is, they perfect their Acorns during theatumun of the first year on the wood of the same season. The group which might be termed the Willow Oaks form the first of the biennial-fruited section, or those in which the Acorns arrive at a perfection during the autumn of the second year. This group embraces the Upland Willow Oak (Q. cinerea), its dwarf form (var. pumila), the true Willow Oak (Q. Phellos), its two southern forms (var. laurifolia and var. arenaria), the Laurel or Shingle Oak (Q. imbricaria), a probable hybrid. Lea's Oak (Q. Leana), and another of the same character, most likely a sport from the true Willow Oak, called Bartram's Oak (Q. heterophylla) . We next arrive at a small group, having thick, leathery, shining leaves, with from three to five lobes. The first is a true southern species, termed the Water Oak (Q. aquatica) ; it has also a form with longer leaves and smaller fruit (var. hybrida), the Black Jack Oak (Q. nigra) ; also two western forms called by Dr. Engelmann (var. tridentata and var. quinqueloba). Lastly, we have the largest group of all — the Black and Ked Oaks. Two species belonging to this are classed by them- selves, owing to the soft downy character of the underside of the leaves; these are the Bear or Scrub Oak (Q. ilicifolia), and the Spanish Oak (Q. falcata). With smooth leaves we have the southern Turkey Oak (Q. Catesbasi) , the Scarlet Oak (Q. coccinea) ; its variety, the well-known Black Oak (var. tinctoria) ; another form, the Gray Oak (var. ambigua) ; the Red Oak (Q. rubra), its western form with small fruit (var. runcinata), the Pin Oak (Q. palustris) ; and a little shrubby southern species, the Georgia Oak (Q. Georgiana), completes the list east of the Mississipjii. West of this great division the whole character of our flora appears to undergo a complete change, and the species of Oak bear a resemblance to those belonging to foreign countries. Useful Species. First, let us consider those of undoubted hardiness, such, for example, as will endure the climate of our northern and western States. Commencing with the well-known White Oak, it seems almost superfluous to attempt a description, so well it is known to every one in the country, even to the schoolboy, who eagerly gathers its nuts in lieu of a more palatable fruit. The timber is of the most durable character, firm and fine-grained ; hence it is largely in demand for innumerable uses in the mechanic arts, &c. To the farmer it is invaluable, and enters into all the routine of his daily duties ; his fencing material, his implements, his farm-buildings, and indeed, almost every article used in his vocation. In the market, its timber commands a high price, and is always of ready Bale. The bark, is, likewise, excellent as an astringent. The Post Oak grows, so slowly, and at best forms only a second-class tree, that I am in doubt about recommending it for cultivation, and yet its fine, close-grained, durable wood is, certainly, no mean incentive to the timber-grower who is looking to the future for fencing material. It is mostly found on high dry soils, but, like many other species, will succeed on the opposite extreme, as has been fully tested. As a general rule, the drier the soil the finer grained and more durable we find the wood. The Chestnut Oak cannot be recommended as furnishing the best quality of timber, although the Rock Chestnut Oak exceeds them all in this respect, possibly on account of its higher and dryer habitat. It is, also, the best species for fuel. The form known as the Swamp Chestnut Oak, grows to a large size, and is well worthy of cultivation. The timber of the Black Oak, Scarlet Oak, and true Spanish Oak, are neither of very excellent quality, but the bark of each are of more or less value for dyes or tanning ; and the latter is said to be the best of all Oaks for tanning hides. The Pin Oak ranks next to the White Oak in excellence. It is a rapid grower, makes a firm wood, which is eagerly sought after by mechanics, and thrives satisfactorily either on dry or moist lands. The Gray Oak is a true northern species, being frequently found in high latitudes, wliich may add an additional value to it for cultivation. The wood is reasonably durable, although not equal to must of the foregoing. The Shingle Oak, as its name implies, is used throughout the west, where it is well-known, for sawing into shingles, although its timber is not of best quality. We now reach a species that is, undoubtedly, the most valuable of tho genus ; but, unfortunately, it is too tender for tho North and West. We allude to the Live Oak of the South. Tho greatest drawback to its culture is its slowness of growth, honco the exceeding compactness of its wood. It is, also, emjjhatically a seaside tree, being rarely found many miles from the coast. Ornamental Species. For lawn planting, where suflicient space is allowed for perfect development, and where the surroundings are extensive enough to warrant the use of our largest sized trees, the Oaks are unsurpassed for this purpose. Nothing can surpass the White Oak, view it in any light we will, and although the entire genus are almost unexception. able for ornamental planting, still, this well-known species must take preference over all others. The Pin Oak will, perhaps, come next, having rapidity of growth, grace of outline, and beauty of foliage, as leading characteristics. The foreign writers on horticulture have pronounced this species to be the finest of the genus, but we prefer the White Oak. The Scarlet Oak has so many excellences to recom- mend it, that I cannot conceive why it is not more frequently used. The tree is perfection itself, added to which the foliage is always handsome, whether in the green garb of summer, or tinted with its scarlet autumnal hue. Its growth is moderately rapid, and it is well suited for dry locations. The Willow Oak, with its narrow leaves, is at once curious and attractive. It always forms a prominent feature in a collection, and may be classed as one of the most desirable native trees for ornament. The Burr Oak is perhaps more curious than handsome, owing to its corky bark. It forms a medium-sized tree, and should be more extensivelj' used. I have always felt a great partiality to the Black Jack Oak, rough and rugged-looking as it is frequently seen; its large wedge-shaped, shining, dark green leaves, contrast well in a collection. It is a small-sized tree, found mostly on dry sandy situations. Among the Chestnut Oaks, I prefer the Yellow Oak, or as some prefer to call it, the true Chestnut Oak. Its resemblance to the Chestnut tree is strikingly apparent, in fact, to the ordinary observer the two are scarcely distinguishable. It also forms a medium-sized tree, and looks well in a group on the lawn. The Red Oak, in good soil, grows to a large size, and is one of our most con- spicuous trees during the autumn months. The deep, almost pur- plish, crimson hue, makes an effect that cannot well be surpassed. It is at all times, however, a fine tree for ornament, and should receive due regard from planters. Several other species might be mentioned, whose claims entitle them to notice, but the foregoing comprise the best. Propagation. All the species are easily grown from seeds, provided we give them sufficient care. Acorns should be gathered as soon as ripe, which is determined by their hold on the tree. If readily shaken off, they must be collected at once, and placed in comparatively dry sand ; that is, with a very slight amount of moisture. They germinate easier than almost any of our native trees, and especially in some instances, where I have noticed them sprouting while attached to the limb of the parent tree. When the latter is the case, they must be cautiously dried somewhat before placing in sand. It does not matter about the end of the young root being either shrivelled or decayed, as the fibres will start out fresh from the base of the seed- leaves all right. In the spring, prepare level beds, say about i feet wide, and after sowing the seed thinly over the surface, cover slightly with sand, when a few warm days will bring the young plants through. They should be left in these beds for two years, keeping them meanwhile scrupulously clean. The first year they make but little top, but plenty of roots, and afterward the top grows rapidly. The rare forms not propagated from seed may be grown by means of grafting, as the Oak is not difficult to work. Side-grafting is pre- ferred close to the ground, and then the soil is drawn up and pressed around the whole, allowing only the top bud to be uncovered. [The above interesting article is by Mr. J. Hoopes (in the New York Tribune). Mr. Hoopes is the author of " The Book of Ever- greens," is well acquainted with the trees and shrubs of his country, and an able practical horticulturist, as proved by his extensive and richly-stoi'ed nurseries near the pleasant town of West Chester, in Pennsylvania. These nurseries are among the best we saw in America. Such information, coming from one who knows the trees so well, should prove useful to tree-lovers in this country, where these fine trees are too much neglected. We have observed that North American Oaks thrive well both in England and France, and regret that tho finer species are not more frequently grouped on lawns and in parks. Wo should be obliged to any of our readers who would send us the measurements of the largest specimens of American Oaks they know of in this country.] BEECH BLIGHT. I oiisERVED in The Garden (see p. 34) a note as to a disease or blight said to have attacked the Beech trees in Westphalia of late, and which is there described. A similar blight or disease showed itself on Beeches in my grounds at Hickleton, near Don- caster, nine or ten years ago. The soil is magnesian limestone. It has appeared on several trees, old and young. In the old trees the bark decays and comes away. One tree, attacked somo Jan. 31, 1874.] THE GAEDBN. 99 years ago, appears to be recovering. Half another very fine tree is dying. Yonug bark sometimes appears on the edge of the dead wood. Fanguses appear on the decaying wood. The young sprigs die. On the younger trees no apparent symptoms of decay have appeared. I have heard of similar symptoms having appeared on the property of a friend of mine, on Beeches, in Yorkshire, growing on chalk. No apparent cause for the disease has been discovered. The notice, to which I have referred, does not suggest any cause or any remedy. I shall, therefore, be grateful for any information as to the supposed cause, or any remedy for the disease. The oldest trees affected may be between one and two hundred years old, the youngest from fifty to sixty. — H.iLiFAX, Selgrave Square. [On submitting this communication to Mr. Murray, we have received the following reply: — "I have nothing to add to what I have already said regarding this ' blight ' in reply to Mr. Monius' inquiry, except, perhaps, to say that as to the amount of injury done by this insect, Lord Halifax's letter contains more information than any that I have hitherto met with. I remember in the year 1861 being consulted by the late Marquis of Salisbury as to the best mode of treatment of some Beech trees of his that were attacked by it (I think at Hatfield). The trees were on one side as white as snow (a block was sent to the Horticultural Society), and, perhaps, the present Marquis or some of his people may remember the trees, and could tell in what state they are now, so as to enable us to follow the progress of the mischief."] f"' The American liarch.. — This was introduced to us early in the eighteenth century ; but, even in the present, it is but rarely to be found in any plantation, wood, or forest, in this country. Compared with the European Larch, the American kind is inferior in quality of timber, and is a less beautiful tree ; but the common Larch, in its present diseased condition, cannot be depended upon to produce good, sound, and perfectly matured timber, and it can only be profitably cultivated with a view to quick returns in the shape of hop-poles, fencing-rails orpailings, pit-props, railway-sleepers, temporary build- ings, or other ordinary rural purposes ; therefore, until we can obtain a new and healthy progeny of the European Larch, I would recom- mend the American Larch as a useful and profitable, though coarse- wooded, tree, for the climate of Great Britain and Ireland. It is equally hardy, and of equally rapid growth, with the common kind, and quite as accommodating as to soil and situation, and would pro- duce equally quick returns in poles, &c. ; though, as I have stated, the wood is somewhat coarser. Its cones and foliage are smaller than those of the common Larch, and its branches longer and less regu- larly disposed. There are several forms or varieties of it, the whole of which are hardy and useful enough in elaborate ornamental planting. — J. K. NOTES AND QUESTIONS ON TREES AND SHRUBS. Elder V. Flies.— I liave heard it stated that common Elder, planted near dairy or larder windows, will prevent the ingress of flies. Will some of your corre- spondents, therefore,kindly saywhetherornot thatis thecase?— W. N. Picea Parsonsi.— This is, without doubt, one of the most beautiful, if no^ the most beautiful, of CaUfomian Firs ever introduced. The extraordinary length of the leaves, which are incurved in a peculiar manner, displaying' the silvery green of the under surface, the wonderful vigour, rapidity of growth, and beautiful regularity of the branches, which in most cases are arranged in whorls at the end of each year's growth, combine to render it one of the most lovely of its tribe. In hardihood it exceeds many of our indigenous trees, having withstood the frosts of 1860-1-4., and the extraordinary frust of the 1st of June, 1865 (when many Larches in the neighbourhood were completely killed), not one leaf being injured.— "W. Barron, Borroirask. Seedling Araucarias from Scotch-saved seed.— It is worthy of notice, that at Castle Witf, Wigtonshire, two Araucarias, male and female, were plenti- fully covered with cones in the summers of 1872 and 1S73. Mr. Fairgrieve, gar- dener to Licut.-Col. Hathorn, having carefully manipulated these, the seeds ripened. He sowed them under glass early in November, and, when I was there on the 10th inst., several strong young plants were showing above ground. I believe I am right in saying that these, if not the first raised from British saved seed, are, at all events, the first from Scotch seed. Will you give ycrur opinion in reference to this point? — Salmoniceps. [V^e are not aware of any other instance in which Araucarias have been raised from Scotch saved seed ; but Messrs. Lane have raised seedlings in abundance from seeds saved from trees in their nursery at Berkhempstead in Hertfordshire.] The Cherry Plum.— Cuttings of this are struck extensively in the nur- sery of Messrs. A. N. Baumann et fils, at BoUwiller (Alsace), where they arc used as stocks for diCTerent kinds of Plums to form dwarf trees, as espalier, cordons, &c., for which purpose this Prunus is well adapted, and much used in many large nurseries in France. The treatment they re'iuirc docs not differ in any way from that of other cuttings of deciduous trees ; that is, they are cut to about 1 foot long, having at the base au eye or knot, and arc inserted in good soil, so that about two or thi'cc eyes may be visible above the surface of the ground. As for the time, I would state that we used to cut them, as well as other cuttings, all through the winter ; using the wood of plants which had been budded during summer, and had been cut back over the inserted eye. I noticed that tho early-made cuttings struck more freely than the later ones, owing to the advantage the former had of becoming callused during the winter. — G. XJhih^e, Ealing. THE LIBRARY. THE LITTLE ELOWEE SEEKERS.* This is a rery elegantly got-up book. Paper, printing, binding, and illustrations, are all of the best, and the letter-press contents are agreeably written. The illustrations comprise twelve chromographs, representing flowers in their natural colours, and mostly of their actual dimensions. They are copies from originals, in water colours, by W. H. Fitch, W. French, and F. E. Hulme. It is a pretty present for children. THE AMATEUR'S GREENHOUSE AND CONSER- VATORY.f Tills is intended mainly for the use of amateur and villa gardeners who possess a greenhouse or conservatory in addition to their little outdoor gardens. It is written in a popular manner, and contains many valuable hints on the erection and heating, as well as on the after management of plain and ornamental conservatories, and moderately cool plant-houses. The different cultural details are set forth in a pleasing manner, each popular greenhouse or florist's flower having, in most cases, a separate little paragraph or chapter to itself. This renders the book handy for occasional reference, and we have but little doubt as to its proving useful to the hundreds of amatem-s who Love a garden and a greenhouse too. Propagation, suitable soils, and manures, find a place in it, as well as directions for potting, watering, and the other ordinary but needful operations of a garden which are required daily, and by which the amateur gardener is frequently puzzled. There is also a calendar of hints and operations arranged for each separate month of the year, which will doubtless prove acceptable to beginners. The book is illustrated by coloured plates and numerous wood engravings, the latter being very variable both as regards subject and general excellence. THE PREPARATION AST) MOUNTING OP MICROSCOPIC OBJECTS.! This useful little volume will be found to contain very full and plain instructions on the subjects of which it treats. It is a matter of no little importance to the investigator with the microscope to be able to prepare and mount his objects properly, as on this very much depends his power of examining them with accuracy and precision. In these matters he will find Mr. Davies's book an excellent guide. As an example of the manner in which the various subjects are treated of, we quote the following extract : — Somewhat approximating to the forementioned phenomenon [the circulation of the blood in reptiles, fishes, insects, &c.], is the rota- tion (or cyclosis) of fluid in the cells, or, as it is usually termed, the circulation of the sap, of plants. This is shown in certain vegetable growths as a constant stream of thick fluid, wherein small globules are seen ; which stream flows round the individual cells, or up the leaf, turning at the extremity, and down again by a different but parallel channel. There is little or no difiioulty in showing this in many plants; but some are, of course, better than others, and require a different treatment ; we will, therefore, notice a few of these. Perhaps the best of all is the Vallisneria spiralis, which is an aquatic plant, frequently grown in, but not really belonging to, this country. As it somewhat resembles Grass, the leaf is not used in its natural state, but a thin section cut lengthwise with a razor or other sharp instrument ; this section, however, is much better when the outer surface has been first removed. It should then be laid upon a slide with a drop or two of water, and covered with a piece of thin glass. Often the cutting of the section seems to be such a shock to tho leaf that no motion is visible for awhile, but in a short time the warmth of an ordinary sitting-room will revive it, and with a quarter-inch object-glass the currents will be rendered beautifully distinct. Where the stream is unusually obstinate, the warmth may be slightly increased, but too high a heat destroys the movement altogether. In the summer, any of the leaves shows this • " Tho Little Flower Seekers." By Rosa MulhoUand. With coloured illustra- tions. London : Marcus Ward & Co. t '* The Amateur's Greenhouse and Conservatory." By Shirley Hibberd, Pp. 273, illustrated. London : Groombridge & Sons. 5, Paternoster Row. t " The Preparation and Mounting of Microscopic Objects." By Tbomaa Davies. London : Robert Hardwicke, 193, Piccadilly. 160 THE aAilDBN. [Jan. 31, 1874. circulation very well ; but in the winter the slightly yellow ones are said to be the best. ^ The Vallisneria requires to be cut in sections to show this circnla- tiou ; but there are many plants of which it is but necessary to take a fragment and lay it upon the slide. The Anacharis alsinastrum is one of these ; it grows in water, having three leaves round the stem, then a bare portion, again another three leaves, and so on. One of these leaves must be plucked close to the stem, and Laid upon a slide with a drop of water. Thin glass should be placed upon it, and along the mid-rib of the leaves the circulation may be seen most beautifully when a good specimen has been chosen, but it requires rather more power than the Vallisneria. This plant is very common in many parts of the country, a great number of our ponds and streams being literally choked up by it. In the Chara vulgaris and two or three of the Nitella;, &c., this phenomenon may also be seen with no preparation except plucking a part from the stem and laying it upon a slide, as with the Anacharis. In using the Frog, bit, the outer part of the young leaf-buds must be taken to obtain the best specimens for this purpose, but a section of the stem will also show the circulation, though not so well. The plants before- mentioned are all aquatic, but the same movement of the globules has been observed in several kinds of land plants, as in the hairs upon the leaf-stalks of the common Groundsel ; but these do not show it so well, nor are they so easily managed as the preceding. THE TEEASUEY OP BOTANY.* ALxnoUGH botany, as a science jjcr se, is not brought forward in oui- pages, we arc always anxious to give prominence to those featm-es which bear upon the horticultural profession. Indeed, while fully admitting that a man may be a first-rate gardener, and yet know nothing of scientific botany, it is in every way desirable that science and practice should go hand in hand as far as possible. The botanist learns much from the gardener, and the gardener need not hesitate to ackuowledge a similar debt to the botanist. The work under notice is an admirable example of a book which, while strictly botanical, is nevertheless one which should be on the shelves of every gardener who has a library, however small. We know of no single work which gives so much compendious information as may be found in the '' Treasury of Botany;" nor do we know of any scientific publication which is at once so cheap and so thoroughly trustworthy. The horticulturist, who may wish to supplement his practical know- ledge with the botanical history of a genus will, in most cases, find a sufficient account of it in this book. In the present edition, a supplement is added of nearly a hundred pages, mainly contributed by_ Dr. Masters, Mr. Jackson of Kew, Mr. James Britten of the British Museum, and Professor Dyer ; and almost every page indi- cates, by the alterations which occur upon it, a conscientious and successful effort to bring the work up to date. The price of the two volumes, however, remains the same. The work is well illus- trated throughout with steel engravings and numerous woodcuts, which add considerably to the value of the descriptions given, and it moreover includes a very complete glossary of botanical terms. One of its njost peculiar and useful features is the ample and satisfactory list of the French names of plants, given in alphabetical crder, with their English equivalents. We have much pleasure in confidently recommending the " Treasury of Botany" to our readers. Garden Trespassers and their Punishment in Japan.— In a long list of new Japanese " Ordinances " directed against minor offences punishable either by fines or imprisonment, we find the following i)ertaining to gardens and other rural matters, viz. : — " Gathering Sea-weed, or other water plants, on the property of another person, without his permission ; stealing Bamboo or Mush- rooms out of another man's field ; doing damage to any dyke, or beach, excavate in any field or garden, &c., belonging to another j cultivat. ing vegetables by the road-side, or making a dust.heap, thereby causing an obstruction ; cutting Grass in a field or meadow belonging to another village or person ; cutting, breaking, or otherwise injury- lug any trees, or plants, in any public or private garden or ground ; leading a horse or ox across a garden or other place, thereby destroy- ing plants; causing any obstruction at the places used for drying edible Sea-weed ; damaging Bamboos or trees, or gathering fire or brush-wood on another's land ; damaging or destroying another person's fence ; damaging any trees or plants on any road ; allowing one s horse or oxen to trespass and damage any crops or garden ; setting fire to any wood, or Graaa, &c., on any mountain, plain, or field ; throwing stones, tiles, sods, sticks, or any other matter, into any field or garden ; picking any flowers or jilauts that are public property, or breaking or damaging any plants in any public garden." • " The Treasury of Botauy." Second Edition, with Suiiiilctncnt. LnncmaiiR & Co. 1371. THE GARDENS OF ENGLAND. ALNWICK CASTLE. This fine old baronial residence of the Dukes of Northumber- land has features and surroundings peculiar to itself. In approaching it from the railway station, we have to pass through the crooked and irregular streets of the ancient town of Alnwick, in which, on either hand, stand rude erections of the past, not the least conspicuous amongst them Ijeing the old gateway through which we pass on entering the town. It is the last remnant of the old wall that enclosed the place when the rude Northmen were more expert at the bow and spear than they were at the plough or pruning-knife. After wending our way along a short and narrow street, we find ourselves very unexpectedly in a large open space right in front of the castle. As we look upon it for the first time, our mind is carried back to a period when our modern ideas of a combmatiou of the arts of architecture and gardening were never dreamed of. As we look upon the time-worn battle- ments tbat surround both it and the ancient gateway through which the stout Earl of Northumberland With fifteen hundred how-men bold, all chosen men of might, Who knew full well in time of neede to ayme their shafts aright, went forth to kill the fallow deer upon the far-famed Chevy Chase, we experience a feeling of thankfulness that so grand a memorial of the past has been spared to us, and that no attempt has been made to introduce modern innovations, in the shape of flower-beds, upon the green sward that surrotmds the castle ; and it is with feelings of pleasure that we look down from the battlements upon a landscape every way in keeping with the noble building. Eight below, the river Alne (with numerous water-fowls floating upon its surface) winds its way eastward to the sea through a vale rich in the varied beauties of nature. A path from the castle leads down the steep incline to the river side, where it conducts us to what is called " the daij-y grounds." A more sylvan or enchanting spot than this is seldom seen, indeed the only place I know to compare with it is the far-famed woods of Hawthornden or Eoslin on the Eiver Esk, near Edinburgh. From the " dairy grounds " we cross, by a pretty bridge, to the north side of the stream, a shady walk leading us to the Abbey grounds. The tower and gateway of the building are still standing. At about 200 yards distance the old Abbey mills are still at work, doubtless occupying the very site of the mills tbat ground the corn of the monks, for many years after the foundation of the Abbey, in the year 1147. The monoto- nous splash of the ponderous water-wheel and the music made by the water falling over the weir, complete a pictm-e of romantic scenery rarely meet with. The Alnwick Horticultural Societj' have the privilege of holding their annual show on this charming spot ; the beautiful haugh or holm that stretches from their tents for half-a-mile up the left bank of the stream, makes a promenade for the numerous visitors that attend this annual gathering which they seemingly enjoy much. Many walks radiate from it that leads to all the objects of iu'ierest within the jiark, amongst the most notable are the fine itiins of Alne Abbey, a tradition exists that it was founded by a crusader who selected this spot as bearing a resemblance to Mount Carmel, the river Alne having a resemblance to the Kishion that runs under Carmel. Another interesting spot to visitors is that where Malcolm, King of Scotland, was slain when besieging Alnwick Castle in the year 109o, a cross marks this interesting spot, and it is with reluctance that we retrace our steps to seek the more modern gardens belong- ing to the castle, which, like the castle, unexpectedly appear before us in all their autumn glory. We soon see, from the very nature of the locality, that it has taken all the practical skill and ingenuity of the landscape- gardener to make the flower garden what it is. Hedged in on the western and north-western sides l)y the old town of Alnwick, from which the ground slopes irregularly to the cast — where it is enclosed by a Peach-wall, well covered with line young trees ju.st beginning to bear excellent crops — the broad border along the base of this wall is very striking and ell'ectivo, when filled, as it has been this season, with choice bedding plants. A lai'gc and lofty conservatory divides it mto Jan. 31, 1874] THE GARDEN. 101 nearly equal parts, the promenade along the border leads into the conservatory. At either end another noble promenade runs from it right up the whole length of the flower-garden, dividing it into nearly equal portions. Looking from the conservatory, the visitor obtains perhaps the best general view of the flower garden. From its arrangement and situa- tion the flower-beds have to be large to give them eli'ect, and, as the eye runs up the centre walk, which becomes rather steep at the higher end, it is arrested by the pleasing efi^ect produced by a chain of beds tilled with evergreens, and arranged in the form of drapery along the face of the steep green ten-ace that overhangs the garden. Looking down from the higher end of this centre walk, the whole of the flower garden is seen to good effect ; and, if the visitor is lucky enough to see it under such circumstances as we happened to do, upon a lovely afternoon in the last week of Sep- tember, he will carry away a mental photograph not easily effaced. Until Mr. Ingram undertook the management of the gardens here, about six years ago, no attempt had been made, I believe, in the way either of winter or spring flower gardening, nor had sub-tropical plants been used to any extent in the decoration of the flower gardens, and, considering _-s^y the short time that ._-rfj;^^Ki 8uch plants can be _,-,- grown in the open -- - air, in the north of England, the result has been, upon the whole, satisfactory, and a new and at- tractive feature has been added to the flower garden here. The same may be said of the spring garden ; indeed, it has been so pleas- ing and attractive that I believe Mr. Ingram is now de- vising ways and means to carry out his spring flower gardening upon an extended scale: Violas, Primroses, and all hardy bnl- bons plants, with a host of other spring flowers that might be named, thrive wonderfully here, and seem to acquire their brightest tints under a northern sky. Either from necessity, caused I presume by local circumstances, or from the idea that fruit and flowers ought to grow together, all the forcing-houses are within the flower garden. They are fine noble houses made of iron, curvilinear in shape, which makes them externally light and pleasing to the eye, and everything has been done to make them harmonise with their surroundings, so that the visitor, who threads his way through them upon an autumn day, will pronounce them not the least pleasing feature of the flower garden. Grapes, Peaches, and Pines, are all grown here to perfection, which will be noticed in a future number. Mr. Ingram began his operations in this department by lifting and renewing the whole of the Vine borders in succession, and the result has been most satis- factory. A seedling Grape raised here was pointed out to me which, I think, possesses points of merit suflicient to recom- mend it to the approval of a fruit committee. A Fernery and a long span-roofed stove and greenhouse filled to over-flowing, stand just outside the flower garden, and here one can see indications that Mr. Ingram has not forgotten his old favourites in the great number of fine young stove and orchidaceous plants which he cultivates. His Grace the Duke of Northum- berland kindly opens his grounds to the puljlic one day in the week, and I can assure any of your readers, who may wish to visit them, that they will find a day spent at Alnwick Castle both pleasing and instructive. J. T. NATURAL EOCKERY PRODUCED BY EXCAVATION. As a garden feature, natural rocks, in situ, produce an effect with which no building up of artifijial rockwork, however artistically managed, can ever compete. There is a breadth, and simplicity, and grandeur in pure nature, especially as regards masses of rock, that can scarcely Ije imitated ; but those compositions of artificial rockwork which approach natural models most closely are always the most successful. A natural rockery produced by excavation can scarcely compete with one in which masses of rock have assumed their grand natural forms above the surface ; but if acci- dental cleaveagcs are left undisturbed, and massive projec- tions sought for and carefully turned to account, the effect of a rocky valley may be very successfully attained. A very good example of rockwork, formed -■ by excavation in a '^'9ft=5ieS53r'-»>. rocky soil, is that "' which has been receatly brought I to light iu the Botanical Garden of Birmingham. I have incident- allymentioned this successful piece of rockwork in a pre- vious article on garden rockwork, but I did not state how extensive it Avas, nor how suc- cessfully it is clothing itself with vegetation of a suitable and pic- tnresquecharacter. The excavation was originally made for the purpose of get- ting out material for I'aising some of the lower portions of the gardens, and was subsequently used as a great rubbish-pit. The members of the garden committee eventually, and, in fact, quite recentlj-, conceived the idea of converting that portion of the garden, which had been "planted out " as an eyesore, into an attractive feature. The old red sandstone lies at only a few feet below the surface of that part of Warwickshire, so that the entire sides of the excavation are composed of great masses of the natural rock ; and as it has remained in a rough and untrimmed state, the main forms are very grand and picturesque ; and now, with the foliage of carefully planted trailing plants, drooping tufts of Ferns, and a variety of rock plants made to nestle iu snug nooks and along tiny ledges, the general effect begins to be very attractive. Drooping mantles of Ivy and Bramble drape a portion of the more bare and flat surfaces of the vertical rock, while on the more salient projections masses of Foxglove, Verbasoum, and some of the finer Thistles have been established with excellent effect; the flooring of tbe valley being enamelled with Primroses and Violets, which play their parts with their softly contrasted colours in the spring, along with Saxifrages and other early flowers ; while siimmer and autumn furnish an equally attractive and beautiful series of many beautiful kinds of alpine plants. H. N. H. Alnwick CastlG from the River Alnc. 102 THE GARDEN. [Jait. 31, 1874. T H E H OUSE HOLD. ME. BRIGHT ON INDIAN CORN. A irEKCHANT having addressed a letter to the Right Hon. John Bright, nrging the importance of introducing Indian Corn as an article of food for the people of this country, received the following reply : — " Dear Sir, — I duly received your interesting letter of 28fch April last, and I have submitted it to Mr. Backmaster, who has been giving lectures on cookery at South Kensington, and have asked him to consider how far anything can be done on the subject of the use of Indian Corn in this country. Hitherto nothing has been done, and there are difficulties in the way which it will take time to overcome. The greatest difficulty is that which attends all new things— the indisposition of the people to give a favourable, or even an impartial, attention to what is new. The chief hindrance to the use of Indian Com has always been the want of knowledge as to the various modes of cooking it. I speak now of those who are favourably disposed towards it. There must be men and women in this country who are familiar with this branch of cookery as practised with you, or, if not, it would not be difficult to engage some American man and woman cook who would undertake to instruct in it. I shall probably see Mr. Buckmaster again when I go up to London, and I shall urge him, and those with whom he is associated, to arrange for some provision by which all that is known in the States with respect to Indian Corn may be also known in this country. We have always to import a large portion of our food, and it seems very strange that an article of such great consumption with you should be so very little favoured or known among us. I cannot say more on the subject now, but I will not forget it, or your letter upon it. " John Bright." [A more important question still is, why do we not use the Indian Corn in a green state, as the Americans and Canadians do ? Though we seldom ripen the grain here, in all parts of the southern counties we might grow the " Corn " to the green state with ease. A more delicious vegetable food than " green Corn " we' are not acquainted with.] The Best Way to Cook Chestnuts. — Place the Chestnuts in a saucepan of cold water, and boil till they are soft ; then puncture the skin of each with a knife, and toss in a frying-pan till they be- come dry and mealy. To Prepare Haricot Beans. — Soak them four-and.twenty hours in luke-warm water, then put them in a saucepan with plenty of water, with a little salt and a piece of butter, lard, or dripping, and simmer gently (not boil) for three hours ; strain them, and place them in a Yorkshire-pudding tin under meat, so as to let the gravy drop on to them for a quarter of an hour. Medlar Jelly. — Take Medlars when they are quite ripe, wash them, and put them in a preserving pan, with as much water as will cover them ; let them simmer until they have become a pulp, then strain them through a jelly-bag, and to every pint of liquor add three-quarters of a pound of loaf-sugar, and boil an hour and a half. Or the jelly may be made thus : When the Medlars are quite ripe, bruise them and put them in a large stew-pan, cover with water, and boil half-an.hour, then strain through a flannel bag ; to a pint of juice add three-quarters of a pound of lump-sugar, boil the juice three-quarters of an hour, then pnt in the sugar and boil it twenty- five minutes. Another plan : Put the Medlars in a pan and cover them with water, boil to a pulp, then strain through a cloth, and to every pint of the liquor add one pound of lump sugar, and boil the same as Apple or Currant jelly. When Medlars are scarce, a second supply of water may be added. THE INDOOR GARDEN. NOTES AND QUESTIONS ON THE HOUSEHOLD. Worcester Sauce.— Can any of your correBpondents inform me how I can make a sauce resembling in flavour the Worcester sauce ? I have plenty of Shallots.— D. Preserve Jars.— Fruits and vegetables should never bo preserved in tin vesBols ; the acids attack the solder, and produce soluble lead salts, which are very poisonous. Glass vessels are the best for the purpose. — T. H, Good Coffee.— To produce this with certainty at all times has long been a desideratum witli m:iny. I have tried many ways of extracting the aromatic virtues (if tlio ('ofTeo berry, but never succeeded to my satisfaction so well as with Ash's Kafrcckunne (sold at 315, Oxford Street), and thi& little contrivance I heartily recnrameiid to lovers of good cofrce. — A. F. [Wo havo tried tlio con- trivance and find it invariably succcHsful in the production of good coffee.] The Potato as a Cleanser.— Br. Klsner states, according to the Journal of the Franklin InxtUuii-, that the accidental use in his household of the water which hiid been employed to boil Potatoes for cleaning silver-ware, led to the unexpected result that this wus much superior in its cleansing action to the polishing powder so generally employed. It was found that by simply nibbing the article with the fine deposit of Potato-flour, it took on an excellent polish, without the disagreeable necessity of subsequently using the brush to remove the material, as is necessary where powders are used iuatead. THE CULTUEE OP THE FUCHSIA. I FIND Fuchsias very useful in the form of small plants in 60 or 32- sized pots for purposes of decoration, but even large plants might be grown in smaller pots than they often are. I need hardly mention that Fuchsias look well planted out and trained to columns, pruned closely like Grape Vines. Another mode of training is what might be termed " bush " fashion, but, in my opinion, a naturally grown pyramid is the best. Beginning with my natural pyramids, I propagate them from cuttings in January or February, and, as soon as they have rooted, pot them off singly into 60-sized pots, keeping them in a temperature of about 60°. At the end of February or beginning of March I re-pot them into 32-sized pots, placing them in a greenhouse having a temperature of about 50° by night, the day temperature greatly depending upon the weather. As solar heat causes the house to get warm, ventilate freely on favourable occasions. I place a stake to each plant, train the centre shoot upright to it, and stop the side shoots equally, so as to form a pyramid. Some varieties branch more than others, and require more stopping. In May the plants are shifted again, and the shoots stopped. If I want to grow large specimens, I keep the blooms picked off until six or seven weeks before the plants are required for exhibition. I also place them out of doors about the first week in June, under a north -wall, on a bed of ashes. Syringe them on fine days, morning and evening. Manure, water, such as the drainings of piggeries, cow-houses, and stables, is given to them alternately with pure water without any dilution ; but care is taken to guard against its being too strong. If these plants grow as they ought to do, they are between 4 and 5 feet high in September, and proportionate at the base. If they are kept growing without flowering until the next May, by shifting them in October, and placing them in a temperature of 50° to 55° during the winter, they make grand plants. The central stake is supported by three small copper wires fastened to the top, and tied to a wire under the rim of the pot. The number of specimens to be grown depends upon circumstances. It is advisable to have a succession of young plants annually, so that in two years the old plants may be dispensed with. They are kept in an out-of-the-way place, where frost is excluded, and are potted in February or March, but it is advisable to get them to break before re-potting. After flowering our plants, supposing them to be at their best in June, in August they are removed from the conservatory to a somewhat shady place ont of doors, gradually dried off, and pruned some time about the end of the month. As soon as they begin to grow again, they are re-potted in the same pots they occupied, but the pots are only filled to within three inches of the rims, so as to allow for future top-dressing. As soon as frost is apprehended, they are removed into a temperature of about 50° to 55°, for their winter quarters, and syringed, in fine weather, with tepid water, which is also used in watering them. By spring, these plants ought to bo 7,to 8 feet high, and resembling in shape a well-grown Wellingtonia gigantea. The soil I use consists of equal parts of loam, peat, and leaf-mould, with the addition of some cow-dung and silver sand, used in a roughly-chopped condition, and sometimes enriched with a little bone-dust ; I use half-inch bones instead of crocks. The following are a few good varieties that are worth growing, viz., Triumphans, good and free ; True Blue, free ; Father Ignatius, good, slew-grow- ing, but bushy ; Avalanche ; Arabella, very free grower ; Purple Prince, fine double ; Rose of Castile, old, but good ; Guiding Star, Harry Williams, and Woman in White, which is one of the best double-white sorts for flowering in a small state. Court Garden, Great Marlon'. D. Gillett. THE PEA-PLOWEEBD LADY'S-SLIPPER. (CYPRIPEDIUM VEXELLARIUM). This pretty hybrid Lady's-Slipper was raised by Mr. Dominy ill the Royal Exotic Nursery, Oholsea, -where I recently saw it in flower, and took the opportunity of sketching it. It is a cross between C. Fairieanum, a beautiful and distinct species already figured in our columns, and the well-known 0. barbatum from Mount Ophir. In its habit of growth, as well as in the form and colouring of its flower.s, it is nearly exactly intermediate between its two parents. The foliage has a tendency to spread out horizontally, as in 0. Fairieanum, and it resembles that of C. barbatum in its dark markings. Tho peculiarly curved petals remind one of the former species, and the dorsal petal has the form and markings of the latter. It is a curious fact that all the hybrid Lady's-Slippers are inter- Jan. 31, 1874] THE GARDEN. 103 mediate between their parents in form, colour, and general habit — much more so than are the generality of crosses between different species. The top sepal is white at its apex, and heavily streaked with purple at the base, its margins, like those of the petals, being crisped or wavy, and closely set with short dark purplish hairs. The petals are tipped with purple, and streaked and spotted with the same colour towards the base. The slipper-shaped lip is intermediate in size and form between the parents, and is of a bronzy-purple tint with deeper veins. The plant grows freely in Messrs. Veitch's Nursery, and, when more generally distributed, cannot fail to become a favourite. It grows well iu fibrous peat and living Sphagnum Moss, planted in a shallow pan thoroughly well drained. Like all its congeners, it requires an abundant supply of water at the root when growing, and likes a sprinkling with a syringe overhead during hot summer weather. Cypripedium vexillarium. This treatment does much towards preventing the ravages of thrips and red spider during the heat of the summer months. F. W. B. NOTES AND QUESTIONS ON THE INDOOR GARDEN. The Lion's Tail (Leonotis).— T liave been interestecl in Mr. Klven's account of this old-fashioned plant, and shall be obliged if you, or any of your readers, will kindly tell me where to procure it. — J. [We do not know where plants of it may be obtained, but we have raised it from seed supplied by Mr. W. Thompson, of Ipswich.] Origin of Double Zonal Pelarg"oniu.ms. — I have to correct an error com- mitted in my letter (see p. 51), on this subject: — National and Signet were raised from seed by Mr. William Bull, of Chelsea, and sold by him in 1867. My notes prove this fact, and it is a slip of the pen that caused the mistake. — Jean" SiSLEY, Lyons. Solandra grandiflora. — A nice specimen of this is now in bloom in Mr. Parker's nursery, at Tooting. This Solandra, though an old-fashioned plant in gardeus, is now rarely seeu ; it has large tubular whitish blooms, and thick fleshy leaves. In spring, it should be kept in a brisk moist temperature and piuchcd occasionally ; in summer, it should be plunged out of doors or in cold pits somewhat cramped for pot room. It this way it sets abundance of flower- buds, and, if introduced into the stove in winter, the blooms open satisfactorily. — F, The Scarlet-fruited Abrobra (A. viridifiora).— This, though still a novelty in this country, will undoubtedly become a favourite when better known. It is a half-hardy perennial climbei*, belonging to the Cucurbits, with deeply cleft, dark and shining leaves, white fragrant flowers, and scarlet fruit of a pretty oval shape. It attains the height of 4 or 5 feet, and is admii'ablo for training over low arbours and trellis-work screens about windows. It blossoms the first year from seed, early iu the summer, in June or July, and, in the autumn, the fleshy roots may be lifted, and preserved in dry earth until spring. — B. THE KITCHEN GARDEN. AT CHISWICK EBPORT ON POTATOES GROWN IN 1873. By A. P. BARRON. The Fruit and Vegetable Committee, having decided iipon testing tine numerous varieties of Potatoes that are in cultivation, and ascertaining their various characteristics, I made application among the growers, and succeeded in obtaining no fewer than what purported to be 2/1 distinct varieties. These, with a few exceptions, were planted on the 24th of March, and the sets used were good medium-sized whole tubers, when these could be obtained ; but in some instances they were small, and then the produce was much inferior. The ground was well dug in tha autumn of the previous year, but not manured, this having been done for the crop of Peas which had just been removed. The tubers were planted in lines 3 feet apart, and 20 inches between the tubers. The plants came up regularly, with a strong growth ; and on the 20th of May they were attacked by a strong frost, which cut them very much, some of them being as much as 6 inches above the ground. They soon, however, recovered and grew luxuriantly, being subjected to the usual mode of cultivation, by hoeing and earthing up. On the 29th of July the disease first made its appearance by attacldng the variety called Golden Gem, spreading in a few days with great rapidity to Lapstone, Portyfold, Red Emperor, nearly all American kinds, and the Regent class. The haulm of all these sorts was soon destroyed ; and of the tubers, those of Regents suffered most severely, about nine-tenths being diseased, and of some kinds, although there was an excellent crop, scarcely a sound tulDer remained. There was no variety that was not more or less diseased, those escaping with the least injury being the very early and the very late kinds. During the growing season, the collection was examined five times by the committee, and the first result arising from the experiment had been to reduce the 271 varieties to 115 ; and this number may be still further reduced by rejecting those that are inferior and worthless. Series I.— Skin "White or Straw-coloured, § 1. Loivi or Kidney-shaped. Ashleaf Kidney (syu., MarjoUu, Oakleaf, Duckstone).— Haulm, fleshy, spreading, rarely more than two or three from one tuber, 12 to IS inches long ; stem of a pale green colour ; leaflets, large, broad, rounded, slightly cupped, bright green, shining ; flowers very rare , tuber, medium- sized, long, tapering, kidney-shaped ; eyes, full, situate at one end and on big knobby protuberances, giving the tuber an irregular appearance ; skin, smooth, pale straw-coloured ; flesh, pale yellow or straw-coloured, firm; quaUty, excellent; moderate cropper. First early; July and August. This is considered the old or original type. Kentish Ashleaf Kidney (syn., Veitch's Improved, Cave's SeedUng, Cambridgeshire Kidney, Nutbrown, Alma Kidney, Early May, Benson's Seedhng, Shepherd's Kidney, Reynard, Nonesuch, Tory, Con- queror, Mona's Pride, Champion, Early Ranelagh, Laing's First Crop, Stillyan's Kidney). — Haulm, slender, several stems from one tuber, 12 to 18 inches long ; stem, having a strong purpUsh tinge; leaflets, small, pointed, green ; flowers, very rare ; tuber, medium-sized, long, tapering, kidney-shaped, not so much knobbed as the true Ashleaf ; eyes, fuU ; skin, smooth, pale straw-coloured ; flesh, pale straw-coloured, firm ; quality, excellent. Excellent cropper. First early ; July and August. Myatt's Ashleaf Kidney (syn. Rivers's Royal Ashleaf ; Sandring- ham Kidney, Myatt's Prolific, Gloucestershire Kidney, Derbyshire Prize- taker, Lee's Hammersmith Kidney. — Haulm and tuber similar to Kentish Ashleaf; flowers, pale lilac, and sparingly fertile. Excellent quality. Great cropper. Advancer. — Haulm, slender, spreading, 12 to 15 inches long ; stem, pale green ; leaflets, small, pointed, pale green ; flowers, very rare; tuber, short, flat kidney-shaped ; eyes, full ; skin, smooth, pale straw- coloured; flesh, pale, firm. Moderate cropper. First early. Jackson's Improved. — Haulm, similar to Kentish Ashleaf ; tuber, medium size, long, tapering, kidney-shaped, slightly knobbed ; eyes, a little suidien, few and small ; skin, rough white ; flesh, very pure white, firm ; very handsome ; excellent cropper ; first early ; July to September. Nettle-leaved (syn. A Feuille d'Ortie, Hardy's Improved Albert, Improved Royal Albert, Carter's Champion Forcing, Early Bedfont Kidney). — Haulm, slender, spreading, 15 to 2 feet in length ; stem, with a purplish tinge ; leaflets, small, much curled, slightly rugose, light green ; tuber, medium-sized, very long, tapering, rounded, but sometimes flat, with knobs; eyes, full; skin, smooth, pale straw-coloured; flesh, firm, pale straw-coloured. Good cropper. First early. Early White Kidney. — Haubn, moderately strong, spreading, about li feet in length ; similar in character to the Ashleaf, but stronger ; stem, pale green ; leaflets, medium-sized, curled, pale shining green ; tuber, large, of a rather irregular shape, a little knobbed ; eyes, fuU ; skin, smooth, white ; flesh, white, firm. Quality, excellent. Good cropper. First early. First-class certificate. Alice Fenn. — Haulm and habit of growth very similar to Ashleaf, about li feet in length, spreading, pale green; leaflets, small, much curled, showing the under-surface ; tuber of medium size, resembling the Ash- leaf; eyes, few; sldn, smooth, pale straw-coloured; flesh, pale straw- coloured, firm. Good cropper. First early. First-class certificate. Little Gem (syn. Early Gem). — Foliage and general habit of growth similar to Ashleaf, but stroager, and a later grower, and stems lightly tinged with purple ; 1 to li feet ; tuber, small, rather long, but neat kidney-shaped, with a few small knobs; eyes, fuU, rather large; 104 THE GARDEN. [Jan. &1, 1874. skin, pale straw, smooth ; flesh, pale yellow, firm. First early. First-class Early Border.— Habit and appearance of Kentish Ashleaf ; haulm, very slender, about 9 inches in length; tirber, small, short, or half-round kidney ; eyes, full ; skin, smooth, pale ; flesh, pale. Very early. Usetul tor framework. ,i . ^^ ^ ^ • i ^i Heine de Mai.— Haulm, slender, spreadmg, li to 2 feet m length ; stem pale !^ d m o ta n M 122 THE GARDEN. [Feb. 7, 1874. Bridge, and likewise their nurseries in the suburbs, and all I saw distinctly bore the impress of energy and success. On entering the nurseries the finely laid out and richly planted flower garden, backed by a selection of ornamental evergreens and other shrubs, forms a very charming cov/p d'o'il. Here are displayed a number of novelties, many of them raised by the company or their predecessors, a glance at which is enough to rouse the most sluggish admirer of the beauties of nature into becoming at once an enthusiastic florist. In the greenhouses were three new varieties of the large-flowered Clematis family, all perfectly hardy. The variety named Lawsoniana had several flowers measui-ing fully 9 inches across, the eight petals being of a delicate rosy-purple veined with red. C. Henrii, with flowers ol: a creamy-white, is remarkably beautiful and delicate, and Symeana, with flowers of soft pale mauve, exhibited blooms nearly as large as those of Lawsoniana. All the families of ordinary greenhouse and garden flowers, both shrubby and herbaceous, were extensively represented, but important as this branch of the business has become, it is the finer kinds of forest trees, especially those belonging to, or allied to, the Fir tribe, that have always formed the grand staple of the Lawson Nurseries. In the department of Coniferas, all the kinds worth growing are raised in large numbers, from the smaller kinds of ornamental lawn shrubs, to the noblest foresters of the family ; from Larch, Scotch Fir, and Norway Spruce, to the giants of the Californian forests. To convey some idea of the extent to which the production of the commoner and hardier species of the Fir tribe is annually carried, such as Larch and Scotch Fix-, for instance, it may be stated that I found several millions of young seedling Larches ready for sale, the demand for which is such that scarcely a sufficient supply will be left in stock for transplanting and forming one and two year-old plants, and to produce this number of growing Larches, over 2 tons of Larch seed are annually sown. Other trees are grown upon a correspond- ing scale, though scarcely, perhaps, to be counted by millions; but there are acres on acres of various kinds of Chestnuts, Oaks, Ashes, Elms, and Maples, both for forest use and for ornamental plantation, the variegated varieties being sedulously developed to meet the prevailing taste. Among the large collection of trees and shrubs specially culti- vated for their variegated foliage, I noticed one of the dog-woods, Cornus mascula variegata, which is superior in the striking character of its white maculations, even to the favourite Negundo fraxinifolia, and also a variegated Turkey Oak, equally remarkable ; many other finely variegated trees being under experiment as to the permanency of their leaf- markings. A sort of principle seems to be pretty well esta- blished that those leaf-variations, which take the form of a border, are much more likely, as a rule, to remain permanent than those which assume the form of irregular blotchings, though, of course, there are striking exceptions. The rule was, however, well exemplified in the case of Hollies, of which a splendid series of beautiful varieties have been raised, supplies of which are generally gi'own from cuttings instead of grafting, by which last-named process great shoots of green foliage from the stock are so liable to occur. In order to enable planters to produce eifects of light foliage in front of dark, the Sea Buckthorn, with its cinereous leaves, and the pale green Tamarisk, are abundantly grown. But, to a casual visitor, as was my case, it is the long walks and avenues, bordered with splendid specimen plants, chiefly Conifers, that present the most alluring attractions ; their fine growth and endless variety of form, and the exquisite gradations of green, yellow, and brown which they display are, indeed, very fasci- nating. There is the grandeur of Picea nobilis, the towering grace of Cedrus atlantica, the golden hues of Thuja aurca, the rigid and regular growth of Araucaria irabricata, and the novelty both of hue and gi-owth of the Sefpioia, which form together such noble galleries of the beauties of evergreen vegetation as at once arrest the attention of the most indif- ferent observer ; while, more beautiful than any of those alluded to is the Lawson Cypress. It was one of the trees discovered in Mr. Wm. Murray's explorations in 18!jo ; and his brother Andrew, in his graphic description of the results of that successfnl raid among the magnificent vegetation of the Sierra Nevada, says, " this was the handsomest tree seen in the whole expedition. It was found on the banks of a stream in a mountain valley, growing to the height of about 100 feet. The foliage is most graceful, and the branches hang down at the tip like an ostrich feather, while the top shoot droops like that of Deodar." It is well to note these features, so graphically described by Mr. Murray, which form the chief characteristics of the tree in its own region, because many of the plants raised from seed in this country vary so remarkably as occasionally to lose entirely the natural character of the tree. Those seedlings, therefore, which exhibit the true and original type should, as a rule, be selected ; though several extremely pretiy varieties are well worth preserving. Beautiful as are the splendid specimens of this tree as grown in the Lawson Nursery, we can as yet know little of the noble aspect it will assume when it shall attain its full dimensions of 100 feet in height. It will be for the children of those who are fortunate enough to secure some of the largest and finest specimens now obtainable in England or Scotland, to see this grand addition to our recent acclimatised Coniferous plants in all its magni- ficence. In order to convey some idea to the readers of The Garden of the beauty of the walks and avenues of the Lawson Nurseries — which (by permission) form one of the more favourite prome- nades of the suburbs of Edinburgh — the editor requested me to select a point of view from which a drawing, suitable for a large engraving, might be taken. I have chosen one which, I believe, cannot be matched, for the vista it com- mands, by any nursery in Europe. The outline of the Calton Hill which terminates the landscape from the point selected, crested as it is by the Nelson memorial, by that of Burns, that of Playfair, and others, and by the grand colonnades of the incomplete national monument, looking like the commencement of another Parthenon crowning a modern acropolis, presents a combination of noble objects and a coup d'(pil not to be surpassed, while the slight mist in which it was veiled at the time during which the drawing was taken, adds to, rather than detracts from, the beauty of a picture that can be but very inadequately reproduced by the labours of the draughtsman and the graver, be they ever so skilful. The great warehouses at George IV. Bridge are as worthy of note as the nurseries of this establishment, though they do not admit of or require so much detail in their descrip- tion. Like all the buildings in Edinburgh (even many private houses) these warehouses consist of separate fiats, five in number, the principal one being devoted to the various offices of the company. Some idea of the dimensions of these flats may be conceived when is is stated that the one entirely devoted to Turnip seed is capable of containiug'upwards of 20,000 bushels ; the arrangements for the special growth of this seed being naturally on a corresponding scale. One grower in Kent grows 200 acres of Turnips for seed for this firm, and they employ several other growers in different parts of England and Scotland. The great celebrity obtained by Messrs. Lawson & Son for root and Grass seeds, in consequence of the persistent care with which their stock has been kept true to sample, and the seed thoroughly ripened, necessarily led, with the general advance in agricultural skill throughout the country, to as extensive arrangements respecting all kinds of agricultural seeds as those named in regard to Turnip seed. It will, there- fore, not be necessary to more than hint at the thousands of bales of Rye Grass seeds annually imported from the Continent in addition to that grown in England and Scotland, with many other sorts for mixing and for sowing on soils of special charac- ter, nor to refer to seeds of other kinds. It should be added, however, that the entire of the lower flat is devoted to Clover and other weighty seeds, and to the extensive machinery for dressing the Rye Grass seed, and that every part of this extensive warehouse, or rather series of warehouses (for such in reality they are, each division being fire-proof), is annually re-filled with an abundant supply of every variety ref|uired either for field or garden use. In concliision, while endeavouring to form some idea of the great extent and im])ortance of this business, I must not omit to state that the London warehouses belonging to this enterprising firm, in Southwark Street, are nearly as important as those in Edinburoh. H. N. H. Feb. 7, 1874] THE GARDDN. 123 THE FRU IT GARDEN. CULTURE OF THE RASPBERRY. On this subject Mr. Hobday has given yonr readers much, sound practical advios at page 72. I wish to supplement what he has said, and also to differ a little from him. I have reasons to believe that, however deep, rich, and moist the soil may be, it recjuires also to be sandy or porous. The Rasp- berry dislikes a stiff clay soil, and, should it be strongly impregnated with ii'on, few things will be more difficult to thrive upon it; the plants seem to do best in a light, rich, decomposed vegetable soil. One seldom sees Raspberries doing badly in the oldest kitchen garden, if they have been duly attended to. My experience goes to convince me that deterioration is the result of neglect, and not because the plant gets at last tired of the ground in which it is grown. Instead of quantity and quality being deteriorated at the end of five or six years, I should then expect them to be just coming into bearing, and to continue so, without deteriora- tion, for twenty years at least. I should be rather loth to destroy them sooner it doing well ; surely we should never treat Raspberry canes like Strawberry plants ! If Raspberries are best treated in that way. Currants and fTOOSoberries must share the same fate. I agree with Mr. Hobday, in having the ^nes or plants at a good distance apart ; there is no question that is far more profitable than to have them bundled together. I cannot, perhaps, do better than describe the manner in which those were grown that were considered the best tliat came to market in the seaside towns of South Devon ; they were grown in rows, 6 feet between the rows, and 4 feet apart in the rows, the earth being a rather light sandy loam, about 21 feet deep, with rather cold sub-soil. We will suppose the plants to be five years old. The treatment was simply this : Commencing in the autumn after the foliage had fallen, with yellow twigs of Willow tied by his side, my father would proceed to prune the canes ; he never would leave more than five or six canes to each stool, selecting the largest and best ripened canes, which were the thickness of one's finger; he took half of them in each hand, opening the hands pretty wide, and going around as far off, so that the canes might begin to twist well at the bottom, keeping them in his hands and going around until they were twisted to the desired height, corkscrew fashion. At 6 feet from the ground one end of a little Willow twig was thrust into the middle of the canes ; it was then twisted around for three times, and the other end also thrust between the canes ; the whole of the tops wore then cut off, and he proceeded to the next stool. After the pruning and tying up, next came a fair dressing of dung, this being made from the cuttings and cleaning of all the garden and vegetables going to market, and well worked about until rotten by a lot of pigs. This was then spread and dug in. It was not dug deep, only one spit in the middle, the rest merely covering the dung. At the same time a row of early Cabbage plants were planted between the rows of Raspberries. These as soon as fit were sent to market, and the stumps sent to the pigs ; the hoe was kept plying between them, and all suckers, except those to be left for the next year's crop, and one hero and there for other purposes, were cleared away, no support as yet being employed ; but as soon as the growth commenced, a stake, such as is used for runner Beans, was placed to each and tied with a Willow. As the summer advanced, and the crop swelled, the water-barrows were set going. When the fruit was all gathered, all the old canes were cut away, the stakes taken up, and stored away until the following year, the young canes were just loosely tied together to keep them from being broken, and left so that the sun and air coukl play amongst them; this is a most importaut thing. I have seen whole quarters swept away, even in Devonshire, after a wet autumn, and then a hard winter, particularly with the double- bearing varieties. Besides, the quick and simple means of getting over the work, the saving in stakes alone is such that it should commend itself to all, and especially to market gardeners and amateurs. It is surprising what an enormous quantity of water, like Strawberries, they require in a dry summer. If they once get really dry, the fruit will be small and indifferent. Mulching, after a good soaking, will be of the greatest importance. By no means encourage autumn bearing, if you wish to save the canes, or to have a crop the following summer ; there is a season for Raspberries as well as other fruit : late Raspberries are of little use in autumn, they are so watery and flavourless, and, moreover, are a sure sign of little fruit the coming season, if the plant survives. We used to grow (after trying many other vai-ieties) mostly the Falstaff, not the round variety, but a stronger grower, of the same hardier variety, and not so given to bear the autumn crop ; the fruit was like a woman's thimble in size and shape. We had an early variety that was much earlier than the Antwerp, the fruit was not so long as in that variety, canes quite as strong again, of pale colour, and covered with small thorns throughout ; it was quite local, and the earliest I ever met with. And now, as to growing under difficulties — in shallow, dry, poor ground, Raspberries do but iudifferently, consequently it is best to grow them in trenches, to afford them a better chance of being supplied with moisture, botli natural and artificially; the best way is to have trenches taken out two feet wide, and one deep, and, if necessary, take out some of the sub-soil, if not deep enough without it ; place in this trench 6 to 10 inches of good rich vegetable soil, from the rubbish heap, for instance ; place the plants on it, cover the roots with the same; place a little of the surrounding soil over this, but leave the ground between the rows at all times the highest. Although Raspberries love moisture, there is poor chance of success in cool, wet, clay soils ; here, then, plant on the ridge instead of in the furrow, proceeding thus : — Have the ground well trenched and well manured, set the line in its place, have one man to hold the plant in its place on the surface, while another places a good coat of the aforesaid compost over its roots, then throw up the earth from the middle on each side, and keep it so ever after, merely forking the sides, and giving a good coat of dung annually. Macsfjunjnnc, Whiflaiid, South. Wales. John Taylor. Gumming in the Kaisha Apricot. — I was induced by the favourable opiuion of the Kaisha Apricot, expressed in yonr paper of August 16, to order some trees of it from my nurseryman, and, altbongli it is too soon to express any decided opinion as to the merits of tho tree, I must own to considerable disappointment in reference to the " gumming " in the branches, from which it was said to be compara- tively free, but, in my short experience, this is by no means the case. — C. E. [Mr. Tillery, of Welbeck, the writer of the article in ques- tion, and to whom your remarks have been submitted, says : " I ex. pect the trees which your correspondent ordered from his nurseryman were young, and, being planted only last autumn, the nails used in fastening them to tho wall wounded the bark of the gross young shoots, thus causing the " gumming" of which he complains. All kinds of Apricots, Peaches, and Cherries, will gum when young, it the nails used for fastening tho shreds are so close to the wood as to injure the bark. I have a collection of all the best known varieties of Apricots on a south wall, 850 feet in length, and amougst them are many trees of the Kaisha, of a good size, and without ever having lost a branch from canker or gumming. It is different, however, with the Moorpark, and some other sorts, for some large branches, every other year, mysteriously canker, and have to be cut out. The soil here is very suitable for the Apricot, being of a turfy character, brought from a magnesian limestone rock, and the sub.soil is con- crete°d and well drained. The Kaisha is a variety which ripens a little earlier than the Moorpark ; it is smaller than that variety, but equally good, either for preserving or for dessert ; I, likewise, have found it to set better in the last two bad Apricot seasons than any other variety which I cultivate."] Packing Fruits for Travelling.— How to pack fruits, so that tbey may be conveyed in a green state through varying temperatures, has long been an unsolved problem. Mr. Carson, President of tho Horticultural ,Socioty of Victoria, however, succeeded in sending to the late International Exhibition at Vienna fresh Apples, Pears, &c., grown ill Victoria. They were carefully gathered, and each fruit was wrapped up in clean unused tissue paper. A layer of dry cotton- wool was then laid iu an ordinary case, and on this a layer of Apples in paper. More cotton was rammed in between the Apples and the sides of the case, as well as between tho fruits; another layer of cotton succeeded, followed by fruit as before, and so on until the case was filled. The lid was then nailed on in the usual manner, and tho packing was complete. The cases were placed in the ice-room of the steamers until landed. The result was that the fruit when un- packed at Vienna was in fine condition, and excited both admiration and astonishment. 124 THE GAUDEN. [Feb. 7, 1874 THE GARDEN IN THE HOUSE. TERN-FROND DESIGNS. SoHE time ago we gave directions for leaf aud Fern printing, and we now propose to treat of a plan by which very pretty designs may be made at little tronblo and expense. Many of our lady readers may like to make designs or pictures of Fern fronds and other foliage, and a little application and manual dexterity will suffice to effect this, if the following directions are carefully followed : The materials necessary are Pern- fronds and leaves, a few sheets of white drawing-paper, or, better still, Bristol boards, a stick of common Indian ink, an ordinary tooth-brush, an ounce of small entomological pins, and a common saucer or palette in which to mix the ink. A few other little extra conveniences will be found necessary by the operator, but these will easily be supjilied, as required, by a little forethought and ingenuitj'. In order to form a design, take a sheet of paper and fasten it securely to a flat drawing- board ; if it be damped and glued round its edges, so much the better ; but if Bristol boards are employed all they require is four pins at the corners. Now arrange your Fern-fronds or leaves, as gracefully as possible, on the paper, for the more neatly they are arranged the better will be the design pro- duced. Secure the Ferns to the paper by sticking the small pins all over them, especially around the edges of the fronds, as every little lobe and pinnule must be securely pinned down to the paper, as the work of arrangement proceeds. Do not arrange one frond over another, and, when the group is com- pleted, according to taste, proceed as follows : — Take your stick of Indian ink, and rub it with a little water in a saucer ; now dip your tooth-brush into the ink, and placing the board, on which your Fern design is placed, upright against a lai-ger board or other support, proceed to sprinkle it with the ink by drawing a pin across the bristles of the brush. This throws ink in small drops and spots all over the exposed parts of the paper not actually occupied by the fronds. By careful manipu- lation, a delicately-shaded effect may be obtained, and it will be noticed that, after the brush is first dipped, the ink is thrown in larger spots, and they gradually become smaller and smaller, until the brush is empty. With practice, the margin around the design can be shaded oii' into the white paper, so as to produce a very delicate aud pretty effect. After the tint is worked on deep enough, and the whole is dry, the fronds may be removed, and the form of each will be found in white, surrounded by the tinted ink ground. A very little practice will suffice to enable any one with moderate ingenuity to make charming ornaments for screens, albums, or port- folios. By the above simple method, when well done, every little pinnule is as true in shape as in the Fern itself, and the representations thus obtained are the best of portraits. Large bold fronds or leaves are best to commence with, but the most delicate Maiden-hair and Filmy Ferns can be copied with fidelity by practice, all they require being a little more delicacy in the manipulation. If desired, the mid-rib and principal veins can be drawn in with a fine lithographic or etching pen and Indian ink after the fronds are removed. A pretty design for an album or portfolio may be made by using a bold leaf, such as that of Ficus elastica. Maple, or Lime, as a centre, arranging a border of Ferns around it ; this forms an oblong or heart-shaped space, in which a verse of poetry may either be written or printed and illuminated. Another plan is to cut a scroll out of paper and pin it down, surrounded by a border of small Ferns, then, on removing the paper and Ferns the white space remains for a motto or text. Our readers are now in possession of the way to form very pretty designs, and one of their greatest charms consists in the immense variety of size, form, and arrangement that may be adopted according to taste. The ink employed can be varied in tint by mixing it with water colours, or the pure colours may bo used alone instead of the ink. Burnt sienna or sepia gives a very nice effect, and other tints, either in water-colours or Judson's dyes, may be adopted according to taste. By empIo3'ing a different tint with each group, a great variety of effect may be obtained; and, in this way, a largo album might be filled with the most graceful designs, so varied in colour, outline, and expression, that no two pages would present subjects which resemble each other. ' F. W. B. THE ARBORETUM. LONDON PLANE-TREES. Auk you sure you are right about Platanus oocidentalis being the Lomlou Plane ? Loudon, Selby, and others, all say P. orientalis is hardier than P. oocidentalis, and I always understood that the greater part of the trees in London consist of P. orientalis acerifolia. If this is the case, it ought to be planted in Sackville Street, Dublin ; but, perhaps, you have spoken from better authority. W. B. S.Mrrn. [Oar authority is Mr. Gordon, author of the " Pinetum," who thus writes concerning the Planes in question : — All the large Planes-trees in aud about London are unquestionably the Platanus occidentalis or American Plane, and the reason why it is considered tenderer than the Oriental Plane is, because it not uufrequently suffers severely from having its young leaves and fresh growth half killed by late frosts in May, particularly after mild wintei s and early springs. In all other resi^ects it is as hardy as the Oriental Plane, as was proved by the severe winter of 1837-8, when none of the large trees in and near London suffered the least injury, although the thermometer sunk to 4° below zero. The Maple-leaved or Spanish Plane has the same spreading habit and fruit as the Oriental Plane, and never grows near so tall as the American Plane. The Oriental Plane is unquestionably the best of all the Planes, both for shade and handsome foliage ; but it is not nearly so rapid a grower as the American Plane, particularly when young. It forms a round and rather dense-headed tree, seldom exceeding sixty feet in height, with a comparatively short but massive stem, which soon divides into several robust arms, the lower ones of which are the largest, and spread horizontally to a very considerable distance. The greatest diflBculty in the way of planting Oriental Planes — as trees for shade along a public thoroughfare — is in getting them with stems snfiiciently tall to raise, wheu full-grown, their lower and wider, spreading branches high enough so as not to interfere with vehicles passing under them. — Ed.] TREES IN CHURCHYARDS. Tub planting of trees about town churches, which is now becoming prevalent, is a praiseworthy renewal of a good old custom which was formerly very general around the churches of our provincial towns of tho seventeenth and eighteenth, centuries, when few were to be found without a spacious churchyard surrounding the structiire, and in many cases this enclosure was encompassed by a broad walk bordered with trees, which frequently became a favourite promenade of the town's-people on Sunday afternoons ; or when the merry chime of the morning bells attracted different classes of people at other times, more especially when the ringers were practising for a match, in the leisure hours of the evening, when the routine toils of the day were over. Tastes are not so simple now-a-days. There are few ringing matches for the exciting prize of " a leg of mutton and trimmings," and keen discussions as to the merits of " triple bob-majors " now no longer form the basis of musical rciuiions. But, leaving out of the question the matter of the churchyard being made a promenade or public lounge, a state of things that, with other obsolete customs, has faded away into the limbo of the past, the planting of trees in connection with churches, wherever there is room, may be safely advocated, with at least two good and sufficient reasons to back it. The first is, that the necessarily rigid lines of all architectural structures are softened and rendered more picturesque by a foreground of trees — which should not, however, bo so planted as to obscure too much the work of the architect ; yet none could criticise adversely such judicious planting as that of the pretty and tasteful church garden, as shown in the illustra- tion which accompanies this article. Even the architect him- self— though he might, if consulted, have objected to the hiding of a single stone of his structure — would necessarily be con- verted to the opposite principle if he could be shown two pictures by artists of equal merit, one displaying his handi- work Ijleak and bare as " Bleak House " itself, and the other showing it partially concealed by a lacy veil of foliage, casting its soft and ever-moving shades on the sculptured walls, like the shadows of scudding clouds on a fair landscape, and making shelter for a merrily-cliiqung choir of birds at times when cliurch-do(n's are closed and the songs of the human choir are silent. Secondly, in the long lines of our treeless streets and Feb. 7, 1874] THE GARDEN. 125 terraces, the greenery of a group of trees would mark the situa- tion of the place of worship very pleasantly ; and the passing beneath their branches to the church door would, to some extent, fitly distinguish it from the stony and bare approach to interminable rows of stucco porticoes. In many situ- ations, where the aspect is favourable and the space sufii- cient, flowers might be added, as they are in our country churchyards, a custom which has sprung up in recent years, as part and parcel of that love of flowers and of general horticulture which has happily increased among us ; and the presence of flowers thus introduced has generally tended to make the churchyard the prettiest spot i n the village, instead of, as it used to be, the most dingy and desolate, when the sombre foliage of a solitary Yew, in days that arc fortunately of the past, formed the only kind of vegetation permitted, except the rank Grass that half concealed the mouldering and neglected tombstones. This is still the case in many instances I could name, where the pastor is careless in such matters. The introduction of flowers is always pleasing, but it should be observed that in too many cases where the attraction and appropriate beauty of flowers near the tombs of the departed is fully appreciated, the planting of trees is entirely neglected ; though recent introductions have furnished iis with such a variety of trees of beautiful growth, specially suited to the purpose, such as the exquisitely beautiful Lawson's Cypress, the Cupressus funebris, and many e'^ergreen trees of different families. The planting of church- yards, in short, should form a special study; and then, with the attention of some of our most emi- nent landscape-gardeners devoted to the subject, we should soon obtain very pleasing results. In the case of town churches, where the surrounding space is generally limited, under the most favourable circumstances, care, both in the selection of the trees and the placing of them, is very import- ant. Even in the most confined space there is a right and a wrong place to plant a tree, a7id the wrong one is as often selected as the right. Our respect for the art and science of horticulture is yet very young, and we do not consult its professors as often as we should. We never think of employing any but a tailor to make a coat, nor any but a milliner to make a bonnet; indeed, we are very particular that educated practitioners of those arts should be employed in these comparatively unimportant matters ; the results of both tailors' and milliners' ingenuity being flung aside within the twelvemonth ; while it is but too commonly thought that any one can plant a tree — a thing that is intended to increase in beauty each year, and to endure for a century, or may be centuries. The fact, however, is indisputable that a well-digested knowledge of trees and their requirements is as necessary to a proper utilisa- tion of their capabilities as intelligence and experience are to the successful carrying out of any other object. H. N. H. A Church Garden. NOTES AND QUESTIONS ON TREES AND SHRUBS. The Loquat (Eriobotryajaponica).— This is seldom seen in plant -houses, and yet it is neither wanting in beauty as a decorative plant, nor in utility as a fruit producer. In the gardens at Cottingham Grange, in Yorkshire, there is a compact and handsome specimen of this plant, in the form of a standard, bearing fruit in profusion in two stages, and the gardener, Mr. Cottam, assured me that it ripens three crops in a season. This fact is worthy of remembrance by those who can afford it house room, and are fond of Loqiiats.— G. Berberis vulgaris atrqpurpurea.— This is a handsome variety, with foliage which, in spring, is ota deep wine colour, passing grfidually into brown, and, in autumn, becomes of a purplish-green. As the plant is most attractive in a young state, a means has been discovered of perpetuating the charms of its youthful foliage by cutting the stems down close to the ground every second year. This generally prevents the occurrence of flowers or fruit, but as the plant is valuable for the effect of its early fohage only, its flowers and fruit are well sacrificed to obtain it. CLIMATIC CHANGES IN SCOTLAND, AS EVIDENCED BY GARDEN VEGETATION. 0-VE of the chief topics (says Mr. McNab, in his opening address to the Botanical Society of Edinburgh) which has occnpied my attention for many years, and the one which will form the principal feature of this address, is the difference observed in open air vegetation previous to the years 1837-38, as compared with what is seen at the present time. The observations which it is my intention to make will not be com- plete without much meteorological research. I trust, however, that my excellent friend, Mr Buchan, will be induced to supply from his store of meteorological treasures the desiderata necessary to render this paper of greater importance than it can possibly be in its present shape. Many of the shrubby plants at one time familiar to the oldest members of the society, in this part of Scotland, are now rarely to be met with in the open air, and certainly not in the same state of perfec- tion. Whether this is owing to a deterioration of our ordinary summer climate, or to the non. ripening of the wood from the want of sun. heat, it is not easy to say, but true it is that a change has taken place during the last forty or fifty years, as I shall endeavour to prove to you. Three severe winters, viz., those of 1837-38, 1841- 42, 1860-61, carried off by death a large quantity of fine plants ; of those killed many of the kinds were replaced, some succeeded well, while others have never since shown the vigour of stem, leaf, flower, or fruit they were wont to do in former times. To illus- trate my remarks on the effects of climate, numerous examples might be quoted ; a few, however, will be sufficient to e.i:plain my meaning. Trees and Shrubs, &e. For a considerable time, both before and after the year 1835, the Hydrangea used to be grown abun. dantly in the gardens and pleasure, grounds in this district of Scotland, producing in many cases from twenty to forty heads of bloom on each plant, according to its size. The wood ripened by the sun was usually protected during the winter with mats or Spruce Fir branches. About the same time the sweet-scented Verbena (Aloysia citriodora) also formed large round clumps, and flowered freely eveiy year ; now this plant, like the Hydrangea, can scarcely be got to survive long in the open air, except in some very sheltered places near the sea, and flowering is nearly out of the question. Numerous varieties of the Rook Rose, or Gum Cistus, were extensively cultivated in our gardens about forty years ago. The gorgeous bloom, and the various tints and colours of their flowers, were always a source of interest. Now many of the varieties of these plants are quite lost to the country, and few varie- ties are seen in any garden, although for the west coast of Scotland the varieties of Gum Cistus ought to be admirably adapted. About the same period the common Myrtle was seen in a vigorous condition, both trained on walls and as standards. Wall.trained specimens used to flower and fruit abundantly, but now flower and fruit are rarely to be met with, particularly in this part of the country. During the memorable winter of 1860-61, a large Myrtle was killed on the garden wall at Leuchie House, North Berwick. This plant had stood in the same position for 100 years, and flowered regularly. The examination of a section of the stem proved that this plant was exactly a century old. Along with these suffruticose plants may be enumerated Pnnica granatnm, Benthamia fragi. fera, Ribes speciosnm, Madura aurantiaca, Cupressus sempervirens, Aristotelia maqui, Photinia serrulata, Eriobotrya japonica. Azalea iudica alba, and Ligustrum Incidum. The Ligustrum, although occasionally seen in shrubberies, shows a spindly habit in comparison to what it did in former years. The Mespilus Pyracantha is another shrub which used to grow freely, and flower and fruit abundantly on our walls, but it is rarely now to be seen in that perfection, or in anything ; like the frequency, formerly observed. The Catalpa tree, which used to attain to a height of 18 to 20 feet, seems fast dwind- ling away. The Fuchsia, particularly the P. coccinea. F. gracilis, P. tenella, and P. discolor, with the hybrid variety called F. Riccartoni, used to stand onr winters well, with the exception of the two last- named, which, on this side of the island, are frequently cut to the ground, but never killed ; the others are now scarcely to be met with. 126 THE GARDEN. [Feb. 7, 1874. A notable tree much admired in former years is the Almond, which used to produce flowers nearly as fine as those in the neighbour- hood of London ; our climate now does not seem to be sufficiently hot to allow it to ripen its wood so as to enable it to produce flower.buds, as most plants now seen in bloom are imported from England with the flower buds already formed. The Acacia dealbata or aflinis is a New Holland tree, which used to luxuriate in the open borders ; I have seen it growing both iu the botanic and experimental gardens, averaging about 26 feet in height, with stems 20 inches in circumference at the base, and frequently producing flowers. This species was also at the time standing near the rock-work in the garden of the late Dr. Neill at Canonmills. Tho tree was 12 feet high, with a stem 10 feet in circumference at the base. Numerous other examples of this tree were seen about the same time in various gardens in the east of Scotland. Eucalyptus pulverulenta is another New Holland tree which used to be an ornament ou our lawns, but, like the Acacia, it now ceases to exist as a standard. Specimens are occasionally planted on exotic walls, but, even with the greatest care and protection, it is with difficulty that we can keep them alive for many years together. How different it is on the west coast of Scotland, where the plants above mentioned are often seen growing luxuriantly. It is surprising that with such a mild climate advantage is not more generally taken to cultivate in the open air many plants which in the eastern districts of Scotland we are obliged to grow in conservatories. Everyone who has tra- velled in Argyleshire, particularly round the more sheltered parts of the coast districts, must have been surprised at the vigorous state of the Fuchsias, many of them of great size and age, and seeding abundantly. Many seedlings are now found in situations which make it evident that the berries must have been eaten, and the seeds passed by birds. So much is this the case, that in another generation the Fuchsia will probably be set down as an indigenous plant. Iu the western districts of Scotland, besides the Fuchsia, we frequently see the Hydrangea, Arbutus, Escallonia, particularly E. macrantha, with many other half-hardy plants, growing strong and flowering well. Among suffrutioose plants, Melianthus major. Euphorbia elliptica, and Erythrina laurifolia, used to grow freely in the Edinburgh garden, and in several of the leading gardens of East Lothian. It is now a rare occurrence to see them, except in very sheltered situa- tions near the sea ; the vigour of former times, however, seems totally gone from them. Our exotic walls, previous to 1837-38, used to be profusely covered with the flowers of Magnolia conspicua and grandiflora, Passiflora coornlea, Indigofera anstralis, and Biguonia radicans. Although these plants still live, they do not run oft into the flowering condition which we were formerly accustomed to see. The Passi- flora coerulea may occasionally produce a shoot sufficiently strong to bear a few flowers, but its beautiful golden fruit is not now to bo met with. While on the subject of Passiflora cosrulea, I may state that during my frtquent visits to Dublin, particularly about the year 1832, it was a rich treat to see the Passiflora ccernlea growing ou many of the houses facing the south, in the southern suburbs of that city. The plants were trained on the houses with branches 30 or 40 feet in length, and covered in autumn with golden fiuit — a sight which I have not seen even in Dublin for many years. About forty years ago the Strawberry tree. Arbutus Unedo, used to bo one of the greatest ornaments of our shrubberies, particularly during the winter months, being then literally covered with clusters of beautiful red berries. During the year 1838 no fewer than 300 plants, exclusive of hedges, were killed in tho botanic and experi- mental gardens, many of them averaging from 8 to 10 feet in the circumference of the branches. The largest specimen destroyed was GO feet iu circumference, and 18 feet high. At tho same time a large Ai'butus Andrachne was likewise killed; this plant was also 18 feet high, and the circumference of its branches 70 feet. The two latter shrubs were removed from the botanic garden at Leith Walk during the year 1822, when of large size, and planted in a border ill front of a south wall. At the time of their death they could not have been less than 80 years of age, showing that they had enjoyed a climate suitable for their growth during a long series of years. About the time alluded to, the Kalmia latifolia also used to flower profusely in the open air, tho plants being from 4 to 8 feet iu circumference. For the last thirty years it has been a rare occur- rence to see the Kalmia in bloom, and if seen, only a truss here and there, and that after a warm summer. To see the Kalmia in perfection now wo must import them from tho south, with flower- buds formed on them. At the present time the Kalmia latifolia is one of our handsomest evergreen shrubs, whether growing in black peat soil or loaf-mould and sand, and free from the roots of deciduous trees, often forming dense hemispherical plants, 4 feet in height, and from 20 to 30 feet in circumference. Few shrubby plants used to grow better and flower more freely than the Erica arborea and tho E. anstralis. They formed large bushes both ou walls and as standards. Although the former species now thrives and occasionally flowers, it is frequently cut down by frost, whilst the Erica anstralis has almost disappeared. Proposed Substitute for the Larch. The Larch also calls for a few remarks. I am inclined to think that a deterioration of climate must have taken place since the Larch was flrst introduced into this country ; for how else does it happen that, from the enormous quantity of seeds annually imported, few of the progen.y seem to have the vigour of the original trees introduced to Dunkeld and Mouzie about 135 years ago ? I do not wonder at debility existing in some of our Larch forests planted with seedlings raised from home-saved seed, as they are not unfre- quently t.aken from trees covered with cones, and often diseased, which, indeed, causes many of them to assume a free-coning condition at an early period of their growth. But, when we see trees raised from foreign seeds becoming diseased before assuming a proper tree-growth, I am inclined to think that our Scotch climate is not what it was when the original Larches were first introduced into this country. A substitute for the Larch has Ions been talked of, but nothing definite has yet been adopted. I may here remark that I should like to see the Welliugtonia planted as a nurse-tree, as has long been done with the Larch. Independently of seeds, which cau be got and often imported in very large quantities, no tree of recent introduction can be propagated faster, as it grows very readily by cuttings, which soon make proper and handsome specimens. A group of Wellingtonias, twenty-six in number, now in the botanic garden, were struck from cuttings about fifteen or sixteen years ago ; they are all handsome and vigorous, averaging from 9 to 14 feet in height. From what I know of these trees I feel satisfied that if planted and brought up amongst other trees they will do better than planted singly on Grass lawns, as we are accnstomed to see them. It is said that the wood is soft on account of its free-growing nature; this may be the case in its native country, but in a climate like this it grows more slowly, and its wood, in consequence, may be fitted for many useful purposes. It may be supposed by some that the Yew tree is not so hardy now as it once was, from the circumstance of few being seen coming on to take the place of the old trees now existing in various parts of the coantry. This, however, is not the case, as far as hardiness is concerned, but from the want of stem-pruning at an early period, so as to induce a tree growth. Many planted during the last thirty or forty years in gardens and shrubberies have been allowed to go ou as bushes, instead of being stem-pruned at an early stage, so as to encourage an upward growth. It is on this account that we see some of our finest and perhaps oldest Yew trees in churchyards, where, at an early period of their growth, they had from necessity been stem-pruned, to prevent their low branches spreading over much valuable ground. If tho same pruning had been adopted iu gardens and shrubberies as has been done in the churchyards, we should have many more of these beautiful trees scattered over the country than we now see. I feel convinced that the stem-pruning as recommended for the Yew, which would never assume a tree form without it, will be found equally beneficial for many other evergreen shrubs, such as the Cedar of Lebanon ; many of those planted during the last forty or fifty years are often seen as large rounded evergreens, instead of assuming a tree habit, as would have been the case if stem-pruning had been early done. Tho same remarks hold good with many plants of the beautiful Atlantic Cedar, as well as with Deodars and Cupressus Lawsoniana. Many of the unpruned specimens of this latter shrub will in time become like large unseemly specimens of Arbor. vitaa, laid open with every fall of snow, and spreading in all directions, which can never be the case with stem-pruned specimens. I feel certain that tho stem, pruning of the shrubs just named, besides being beneficial to them by encouraging a tree growth, has also a tendency to render them more hardy, from the fact of the bark on the pruned stems being freely exposed and hardened, instead of being rendered tender by being closely surrounded with branches while in their shrub-growing condition. Numerous examples of pruned and unpruned specimens of the above species are to be seen iu the botanic garden ; the upward growth of the pruued stem over the unpruned is woU marked, and I feel satisfied that daring a severe winter the stem, pruned specimens will stand better than the unpruned ones of the same kinds. At the periods to which I have alluded, we had not the advantage of horticultural periodicals to give ns an account of the state and progress of vegetation of bygone periods for comparison with those of the present time ; I have, therefore, to detail what I have myself seen. Those, with innumerable other examples, might bo quoted to prove that a change must have taken place in our climate during the last fifty years. It must be evident to all that we have not the Feb. 7, 1874] THE GAEDBN. 127 amount of summer-heat that we were wont to experience in former times, nor yet the regular seasons in winters when frost at Christmas was as certain to be looked for and to come as Christmas itself, and which often lasted for weeks. Of late years, with but few exceptions, we have often as mild weather at Christmas as at any time during the year. The causes of these changes in our climate I am unable to explain, but changes have taken place, as evidenced by the almost total disappearance in the open air of the trees and shrubs alluded to, notwithstanding all the care and trouble taken to introduce them again into open-air cultivation. In opposition to some of the remarks above given, I may state a circumstance which has recently come under my observation with refei'ence to the Tamarix gallica which abounds in the villa gardens all round the south shores of Englands, its lively green colour being the admiration of all tourists, but it is rarely seen in the gardens or nurseries of Scotland. In a garden facing the sea at the East Bay, North Berwick, and having a northern aspect, the Tamarisk is grow- ing admirably; the plants are each about tJ feet high, and present a contrast to the Fuchsias, Buckthorns, and other plants in the neigh- bouring gardens. Notwithstanding its beauty, it is strange to say that this plant is still confined to one villa. Judging from its weakly appearance in gardens away from the sea, I was of opinion that our maritime climate was quite uusuited for its growth. Contrast between the Climate of England and Scotland. It is undeniable that the climate of England is very superior to that of Scotland. Such trees as the Catalpa syringasfolia, Paulownia imperialis, Gleditschia triacanthos, and Taxodinui distichum, cannot Ue grown in Scotland to the same state of perfection as in England. 'This, I believe, arises wholly from the deficiency of summer heat in Scotland, for in no instance are standard trees of these plants totally killed by any increased severity of winter cold in our northern climate, but as the new wood is not sufficiently ripened during summer and autumn, a considerable portion of it is regularly killed during the ensuing winter. It is also well known that the cold of winter, instead of being greater in Scotland, is iu many parts not so severe as it is generally in England. Hence it happens that many plants, whose constitution renders them in a great measure inde- pendent of summer heat, can be grown in many districts of Scotland quite as well as in England, such as the Yucca gloriosa, Y. recurva, and Y. filamentosa, Cordyline australis, Tritoma Burchellii, and T. Uvaria, Phormium tenax, CalHstemon salicifolium, &c. Neither is any diiference observable in the growth and flowering of Piptanthus nepalensig. Wistaria sinensis, Weigela rosea, Jasminnm nudiflornm, Cydonia japonica, Andromeda floribunda, Leycesteria formosa, and Garrya elHptica, when compared with plants of the same species to be met with in English gardens. All arboricultural observers who have travelled through England must have noticed the frequent difference in height of many of the English forest trees, particularly those standing alone on a level surface, as compared with those in similar positions in Scotland. Many of our Scotch trees seem to be somewhat dwarfed, rounded, and more twiggy at their points, as if a heavier atmospheric pressure had rested on them than on the southern trees of the same species. This is particularly noticeable in the Elm, Ash, Lime, Plane, and Sycamore. In Scotland, with the excep- tion of the Silver Fir, few other trees are seen to mount so high, except in deep rich dells, where trees are generally tall, by being drawn in these peculiar localities. In some cases the flowering of certain hardy deciduous trees does not necessarily follow upon a fine summer. The Tulip tree (Liriodendrou tulipiferum) and JJagnolia tripetala are exotic trees which stand our climate well, and the wood, both young and old, has never, to my knowledge, been injured, even during our hardest winters. The flowering of these trees, however, is very irregular ; in some years but few flowers are produced, while in others they are in abundance. The Walnut is another exotic tree which grows admirably in Scotland ; in some years it produces fruit very scantily, in others in great profusion. The flowering and fruit- ing of these trees do not always occur after a fine summer. During the years 1870 and 1871 Walnuts were plentifal in Scotland on standard trees, but few or none were seen at Edinburgh during 1872. The Tulip tree and Magnolia tripetala flowered freely during 1872, but no flowers were seen on them during 1871 ; last year (1873) no flowers were seen on the Tulip tree, and the Magnolia only produced a few, showing that in some cases it takes more than one year to ripen wood sufficiently to bear flowers and fruit. It is very generally observed that the fruit of our ordinary forest trees ripen best during a good season, but in all cases when it has been preceded by a warm summer. Fruit Trees. During the years 1828, 1831, and 1834, I saw the Black Esperioue Grape produce clusters of fruit on a south wall at Edinburgh, quite as ripe and as well coloured as during an ordinary season in England. During the same years the Black Mulberry was ripened to perfection. Although the Mulberry not unfrequeutly produces fruit, I have never seeu them in the same state of maturity at Edinburgh as they were during the years 1828, 1831, 1831, and 1868. Figs used to be fre- quently grown on open walls in many districts of Scotland, but how rare is it now to see fruit produced in a thoroughly ripe condition, without the aid of fire-heat. Figs, like the Vine and Mulberry, do not always ripen during an ordinary warm season, unless it is suc- ceeded by another warm summer, when the wood becomes thoroughly matured. I need scarcely state that fruits which require hot-house culture to bring them to perfection, such as Pine-apples, the finer kinds of Grapes, also Peaches, Apricots, Nectarines, and Pigs, not. withstanding an unfavourable season, and the frequent want of sun- heat, can be grown under artificial circumstances, to as great per. fection in Scotland, both as to size and flavour, as can be done in almost any part of England. The foregoing observations on the effects produced b}' climate lead me to notice an article which I read in the Journal of Horticulture for December, 1871. It treats on the subject of Roses, and advises that observers in the different counties of England should select, out of a list of thii'ty-six kinds, the names of the twelve Roses which succeed best in their particular district. This is a step in the right direction, as far as the English climate is concerned, but we want a similar investigation for the climate of Scotland, not only for Roses, but for all open-air fruits, flowers, and vegetables. Of late years the rage for novelties both in the flower, fruit, and vegetable departments, has been greatly on the increase, and nurserymen have much to do in catering to supply the demand. It is well known that many novelties are produced in England, and considered deserving of cultivation, and often highly lauded in adver- tisement.'!. Such novelties, although well adapted for the English climate, are not always suit.able for the climate of Scotland, although many of them in time become distributed over the length and breadth of the country, either by seeds, plants, grafts, cuttings, layers, or runners, and after many years of careful trial, finally fail. If, as recommended for Roses in England; central committees could be formed to collect information throughout the various counties in Scotland relative to the best hardy varieties of Apples, Pears, Plums, Gooseberries, Sti'awberries, &c., and to ascer. tain which succeed best in each of our Scotch counties, it might lead to the securing, in each particular district, of an annual supply of fruit, fit for the table, instead of having a garden full of undoubtedly fine sorts, but which our Scotch climate is not sufficiently hot to mature. The wood of our finest Apples, like the Apples themselves, cannot be thoroughly ripaned without heat. They become stunted in growth, and on the return of a fine summer it will be found that the wood has been sc much injured that it is often impossible to get them into a good fruiting state again. How often do we see brakes of Gooseberry bushes, of the large fruiting Lancashire sorts, which rarely ripen to perfection in our most favoured Scotch counties, taking the place which ought to be filled by those varieties which have been thoroughly tested dm-ing a long series of years, and which are known to succeed well in a medium climate. The Strawberry is another fruit which has received much attention, and been considerably improved during late years. The improvement, however, has mostly been for the south. Many of the kinds recently introduced into our northern gardens, although growing freely, produce, except during a warm summer, but little fruit, in comparison with the old established sorts formerly culti. vated ; and I am sorry to find many of them rapidly disappearing to make room for so-called novelties, which frequently turn out failures awing to our fickle climate. Many of the old free-fruiting sorts, although producing comparatively smaller berries, are still to be had ; it would in many cases be advisable to raise seedlings from them, in order to secure varieties that will suit some of our colder northern districts. Seedlings raised from the large southern varieties will not always produce so hardy a progeny as seedlings taken from sorts long in cultivation, and proved to stand well in this country. How often do we see in the amateur villa gardens throughout Soot- land the finest varieties of named Apple and Pear trees with high sounding characters selected from catalogues, or sent by first-class English nurserymen as being very superior kinds. I have known numerous examples of such first-class fruit tress being rooted out or cut down and re-grafted as being bad, and this after many years of abortive trial although the kinds in reality were good. The want of fruit, however, was generally owing to deficiency of climate. It has been too much the practice of recent years for new gardens to be supplied direct from southern nurseries, and it is quite natural to suppose that if left to the nurserymen themselves they will only supply superior kinds. It would be doing an act of justice if all our local or county nurserymen were to make themselves thoroughly masters of all the fruits wliich succeed best in their own district, and propagate accordingly ; besides, such local nurserymen would do well to have a portion of ground set apart for maturing the kinds known 128 THE GARDEN. [Feb. 7, 1874. to succeed best in their respective counties. Buyers would then see and judge for themselves, and thus save much disappointment to amateurs and gardeners. Of what use would standards of the New York Pippin, Spitzenburg, or Blenheim Pippin be in many of our Scotch counties ? I have seen trees of the New York and Blenheim Pippins on Scotch walls, with fruit miserably small, much deformed, and quite unfit for use. They are sorts for fine climates, requiring more sun than we can possibly expect, to ripen the wood, still more the fruit. The same remarks hold good with innumerable varieties which are now abundant throughout the middle districts of Scotland. After these observations I am inclined to recommend growers in each district to attempt the raising of seedlings, both Apple and Pear, from pips taken from kinds which are known to succeed best in their particular locality ; by this means we may in time see many of our northern gardens stocked with a variety of Apples and Pears having well ripened wood and fruit, instead of innumerable trees stunted from the unpropitious climate, and even, tually thrown out. At one time experimental gardens e.^isted iu London and Edinburgh, for the purpose of testing all the newly introduced varieties of open-air fruits, and for selecting the kinds to be recommended for growing in each respective country. To suppose that fruit proved suitable for London should be good in many districts of Yorkshire, or that those proved at Edinburgh would be adapted for many of our Highland districts, would be ridiculous. With the aid of walls and espalier rails the case is different, as, by their aid, some of the less tender kinds can be ripened successfully. Considering the average of our Scotch climate, I do not think it advisable, even on walls, to risk any very tender varieties ; the fruit of such kinds is often small and flavoailess for want of sun. heat. It is well known that some of the fiuer stone-fruit on unflued walls cannot be generally ripened to the same state of perfection as in former times, particularly Peaches and Nectarines. Flowers are generally produced in abundance, but little fruit ever comes to maturity. This also is attributable to the want of summer-heat to ripen the wood sufficiently to produce strong and healthy blossoms. Being weak, the blossoms, although produced iu abundance, mostly fall off, even though protected from spring frosts by any substance except glass or heated walls. Vegetables. Besides fruits, there are several vegetables which have been intro- duced into English gardens which are considered too tender for our ordinary Scotch climate, unless in very favourable situations. Of Peas, many superior varieties have recently been raised and greatly extolled, but not more so than they ai'e justly entitled to, being in many cases great improvements on kinds formerly cultivated. But, like the Gooseberries and Strawberries, we are better off with our well-known old and proved hardy kinds than with the highly-lauded new sorts. During a fine summer, the produce of the new kinds may turn out good, but during a season like 1872, a large proportion of Pea-straw was produced by some of these new kinds, with pods few in comparison with the extent of ground occupied to grow them. The Asparagus is another vegetable which in olden times used to be extensively grown throughout Scotland, bufwhich of late years has become more and more scarce, evidently from the want of sufficient summer-heat to ripen the stems. In many of our newly-made gardens, Asparagus beds are dispensed with altogether, owing to the extent of ground occupied, and the irregular and often scanty ci'op produced. During former years, the Edinburgh market was freely supplied with this vegetable, reared by the market-gardeners in the district ; now, it is mainly to be procured in the vegetable and fruit shops, the supplies being chiefly obtained from London. Many years ago, a variety was introduced into our northern gardens under the name of Giant Asparagus, which for several years was extensively u.spd for planting. It soon turned ont that the genera! temperature of our climate was insndicient for it, and it gradually disappeared, as well as much of the ordinary kind which had been Bo long grown. Of late years, many methods have been tried to induce a general crop of this favourite vegetable, such as the tying up of the summer.made shoots, instead of allowing them to blow about and break, which, no doubt, proves very detrimental to the shoot of the following year — likewise giving the beds a coating of sea-ware ; but notwithstanding the precautions used for the stems, and the manure supplied, it is evident that our Scotch crop of this esculent does not increase. The Tomato is another esculent which in former years used to ripen and colour well, iiaviicularly against a south wall. Of late years it has rarely boon seen with ripe fruit unless protected by glass. It is doubtful whether the Potato crop possesses the vigour it was wont to have. Occasionally, however, it is good. The fruits of the Potato, or Potato Apples, as they are called, do not now show themselves in that abundance in which they used to be seen almost regularly. Now, except after a very fine summer, they are cf rare occurrence. Between the years 1820 and 1830, Mushrooms used to be found in the utmost abundance in many districts of Scotland, but few individuals at that time took an interest in them, from the feeling that they might not be the true sort. During the summers from 1823 to 1826, I was residing in the neighbourhood of Dollar, Clackmannanshire. All along the southern sloping portions of the Oohill range of hills. Mushrooms used to abound. I have myself picked on a limited space from two to three gallons in one moruing. From information recently received from that district, I learn that this favourite esculent is now rarely to be met with on these slopes. The same remarks apply to several other districts of Scotland where I had been in the habit of seeing them. During moist warm summers they are occasionally got, but certainly not in the quantities in which they used to be found, and this is due to the fact that evidently the ground rarely gets sufficiently warm and moist for the growth of the spawn. In many districts of England, on the contrary, Mushrooms are produced in abundance, and almost every year, and although large quantities are annually gathered for the market and for private use, no diminution in their quantity is noticed, if the weather is at all favourable for them. Acclimatisation. Leaving the effects of climate on certain shrubs, fruits, and vege. tables, I shall now offer a few remarks on what is termed the acclimatisation of plants ; this is a subject which has long occupied public attention. I happen to be one of those sceptical individuals who do not believe in it, and still maintain the opinion that a plant is as hardy when first introduced into this country as it is after being half a century in cultivation. This, in a great measure, may be accounted for by our limited knowledge of the precise altitudes from which many plants were originally procured. It is well known that many of the plants of Upper India, Australia, and New Zealand will stand with impunity through two or three mild winters, and be killed outright during the third or fourth ; but, to suppose that such plants, after standing out for several winters, are sufficiently hardened always to stand unprotected is quite a mistake. One of the plants which is often quoted as being thoroughly acclimatised in this part of the country, but chiefly, I may say, in the Edinburgh Botanic Garden, is the Aponogeton distachyon, which now grows vigorously in the pond. This plant is a native of the Cape of Gtood Hope, and was originally grown as a stove plant in the Edinburgh garden. It was afterwards cultivated in a large water-tank in the greenhouse, where it grew equally well. As the plant continued to increase rapidly, a quantity was placed by my late father, about forty years ago, in shallow pans and boxes, and sunk to various depths from 2^ to 4 feet, in different parts of the pond. This plant now covers several large spaces, the largest being about 2-i square yards, and growing entirely in the muddy bottom. It flowers abundantly every j'car, and even through a mild winter, but during a severe one it is often killed down to its truncated fleshy roots. From its apparent hardiness, and profuse flowering, it is eagerly sought after by cultivators, but comparatively few ever succeed in growing it. A circumstance, however, attending the growth of this plant at Edinburgh which ought to be more generally known, and which I am in the habit of impressing on those individuals anxious to cultivate it, is this; — The situation of the pond was originally a marsh ; it was excavated to the depth of from 2 to 5 feet. The bottom was composed of peaty clay, and is full of springs. When the pond was made, the bottom was causewayed with stones fully half an inch apart, to allow the spring water to rise freely between them. The bottom has now a thick coating of mud produced from the leaves of neighbouring trees, which are blown into it every autumn. In consequence of the spi'ings bubbling up in all directions through the mud in which the roots are growing, ice is rarely seen no many portions of it. It is to these constant springs that I attribute the success of the culture of the Aponogeton. If this plant had been placed in the pond when it originally came from the Cape of Good Hope, it would have succeeded quite as well as it did with the stove and greenhouse culture it received before reaching the pond. Roots of Aponogeton have been sent to many ponds and lakes throughout the country. In Scotland very few individuals have ever succeeded, unless in those ponds treated with the con. densed water from steam mills, evidently from the waut of constant springs. Another example, and one which has been recorded as the result of acclimatisation, is the case of an old plant of a yellow- flowering evergreen Jessamine (Jasmiuum revolntum), a native of Madeira. The plant in question was for many years cultivated on the open wall. It was originally grown in a border, in a conservatory at the old botanic garden at Lcith Walk. On relinquishing the old grounds, to give this Jessamine tree a chance for its lite, it was brought over to the new garden during the year 1822, and placed against the open south-exposed wall, where it continued to thrive and flower in abundance, until injured by the severity of the frost which I occurred during the winter of 1837-38. It partially recovered and Feb. 7, 1874.] THE GARDEN. 129 produced some new wood from the lower plant of the plant ; bnt, although it grew freely for a time it never again assumed its original vigour, and was finally killed by the severity of the frost which prevailed during the spring of 1841. This, with numerous other examples, may be quoted to show that certain plants, although long grown in a conservatory and planted out while in full vigour, will thrive during a series of good seasons, but will succumb after an adverse summer followed by a severe winter. Hybridisation. The subject of acclimatisation leads me to another and very im portant matter connected with our open-air vegetation. After the introduction of the scarlet Rhododendron arboreum from India, which took place about fifty years ago, some of the original specimens, after being matured in the conservatory, were planted in the open air in various parts of the country. With a slight protection some of those plants survived over several winters, but finally died out. It was then generally remarked that there was an end to our ever seeing scarlet Rhododendron cultivated in the open air ; but what could not be accomplished by acclimatisation was within eight or ten years successfully arrived at by means of hybridisation. We have not now the Rhododreudron arboi'eum itself in the open air, but we have its colours infused into our ordinary hardy varieties, particularly those originally introduced from Gibraltar, Switzerland, North America, and the Caucasus, which at the time alluded to were abundant in our gardens. Those plants of Rhododendron arboreum cultivated in our conservatories soon flowered, and many individuals set to work to produce hybrids, both by placing the pollen of the hardy kinds on the scarlet R. arboreum, and likewise by fertilising the hardy varie- 'ties with the pollen of the scarlet kinds. The hybrids of the first- named cross, taken from the R. arboreum, were by no means quite hardy, and the colours far from being improved ; while the latter crosses, using the scarlet Rhododendron as the male, proved eminently successful, and three distinct breeds were soon in cultivation. One between the R. catawbiense, a North American species, fertilised by R. arboreum, produced the varieties known, as x R. alta-clerense and X R. Russellianum, with a host of others which are nearly allied, and known nnder the name of x R. catawbiense arboreum. The Gibraltar species, R. ponticum, fertilised with the R. arboreum, produced the X R. Cunninghamii, also many other varieties very distinct both in habit, colour of flowers, and shape of leaf, when compared with the catawbiense breed. The plants produced from the two last named crosses have on several occasions been cut down by frost, but they always spring up again, which gives them more a bush form than a tree growth. Some of them, however, in sheltered situations among trees, do grow to a large size, and are frequently seen assuming a tree-like habit. Those plants raised between the Caucasian species, R. caucasicum, fertilised with R. arboreum, are exceedingly hardy and free-flowering. The ordinary R. caucasicum flowers abundantly in the open garden during the months of January and February, and the hybrids, which are now endless, are generally known nnder the name of x R. Nobleanum, and are often seen in flower in the open border during the same early months. So truly are the varieties produced between the kinds just alluded to that we have only now to give orders to raise a batch of x R. Nobleanum, x R. Cunninghamii, or X R. alta-clerense, as the case may be. Many of the hybrids are now made seed-bearing plants, and fertilised both by hybrids and true species ; so much is this the case, that the varieties of Rhodo. dendrons are now endless. Bees have also been instrumental in giving us many excellent varieties. Of receut years numerous species of Rhododendron have been introduced both from Sikkim and Bhotan ; although many are comparatively tender, others grow freely in the open air; they are, however, subject to have their young growths destroyed by spring frosts, which makes them branch freely, and assume rather a bunchy appearance. The wood in consequence rarely ripens sufliciently to produce flower-buds, and hence they require conservatory treatment, excepting, however, the R. ciliatum, R. glaucum, and R. anthopogon, which flower abundantly in the open air. These are Alpine forms resembling in some respects the R. fer- rugineum and R. hirsutum of Switzerland. If a little trouble were taken, I do not see any difficulty in procuring some interesting hybrids, by crossing some of the hardy British or continental Heaths with some of the Cape species, as has already been done with the Rhododendrons. Size and colour might thus be given to an interest, ing race of plants sufficiently hardy to stand the climate of Britain. No doubt the operation will be a little tedious, but any cross produced will amply repay the trouble taken. A hybrid has been raised, or rather, I should say, a has been efEected, between the Menziesia cmpetriformis and Rhodothamnns Chama:cistu3. The cross is a plant well-known in cultivation under the name of Bryanthus erectus— a name which, by the way, it has no title to claim, that appellation being previously occupied by another Ericaceous plant. The produc- tion of this hybrid shows that, with a little trouble, difficulties may be overcome by crossing some of the Menziesias with Heaths, Rhodo - ras, or dwarf Rhododendrons. The hybrid in question was first raised by Mr. James Cunninghame, of the Comely Bank Nursery, and the identical hybrid was afterwards produced by Mr. Anderson.Henry, of Hay Lodge, from the same parents. Bvergreens. Notwithstanding my remarks on the climate of Scotland, no one can deny that it ranks amongst the best in the world for evergreen shrubs, being neither too hot nor too cold for the generality of them. They are all to be met with in Scotland in as great a state of perfec- tion as anywhere in England or Ireland ; and, strange as it may appear, it is nevertheless true that certain exotic shrubs will thrive in Scotland, while the deciduous trees from the same countries are more or less injured from the want of climate. Great Britain (indepen- dently of Conifers) can perhaps boast of as many indigenous ever, green plants as almost any country, which naturally proves that it possesses a climate very suitable for them ; and I think I am right in saying that the climate of Great Britain enables us to cultivate infinitely more species and varieties of hardy evergreen shrubs than any other civilised country in the world can at present boast of ; and, although I have stated in this paper that our Scotch climate has boon deteriorating with regard to certain species and varieties of evergreen shrubs, new species and varieties imported, or produced by accident or tentative measures, are increasing rapidly in this country. Ever- greens, indeed, are not cultivated to the extent they ought to be. No doubt they are a little more expensive than deciduous shrubs. This extra expense is, however, well repaid by the clothed appearance which they give to our gardens and policy grounds, both for summer and winter effect. So much is this the case, that foreigners aro always particularly struck with the quantity and size of the ever- greens cultivated in this northern portion of the British dominions, such shrubs being particularly missed in Prance and Germany, and even America, which furnishes us with some good evergreen shrubs, such as Kalmia Iatifolia,Rhododendron maximum, and R. catawbiense ; but they are generally found growing in a natural state in well- sheltered woods, where the severe winter frosts cannot reach them. The same remarks hold good with evergreens from European coun- tries, where the summer climate is infinitely superior to that expe- rienced in Great Britain. THE ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY ; AS IT IS, AND AS IT MIGHT BE.* In the form of a shilling pamphlet Mr. Wilson has issued the above reprint of his able letters on this subject, which have already appeared in The Garden, and other horticultural papers, in addition to several replies from various quarters. We recommend this irochure to the attention of those who desire to possess the entire correspondence in a collected form. Mr. Wilson concludes with the following resume of the questions discussed : — I hope the perusal of these letters may lead others to the conclu- sion to which their facts have brought me :— 1. That the society in its present form cannot last. — 2. That the causes which have led to so much contention can only strengthen. — 3. That it is no longer any question of who are on the council.— 4. That the existing circum- stances would baffio any council. — 5. That the Society consists of two sections with different interests. The horticultural section, which requires admission to only a small portion of the South Kensington Garden for its meetings and shows ; and the Ken- singtonian section, which requires a large recreation ground. — 6. That it is desirable that each section should have arrange- ments made with the commissioners for their respective re- quirements.— 7. That, freed from the load of debt, of liabilities, and of charges, the society could carry on horticulture successfully with the subscriptions of 5,000 fellows at a guinea each.— 8. That the consideration of a transferable ticket, admitting to all the society's shows in town and country, admissions to, and cuttings from, Chis- wick Garden, and a vote by proxy, would be sufficient to induce 5,000 fellows to join the renovated society.— 9. That a large number of fellows would join, not intending to visit many of the shows, but with the view of supporting a real national representative society for advancing horticulture. — 10. That such a society would vastly spread the taste for, and knowledge of, horticulture throughout the country, and itself become stronger and stronger. Mk. Thomas Sutton, the photographer, states that, if calico is dipped for an instant in dilute sulphuric acid, it is rendered water, proof. The knowledge of this fact may be useful to gardeners. • " The Royal Horticultural Society ; As It Is, and As It Might Be." By G. F. Wilson, F.R.S. London : S. & T. Gilbert, 36, Moorgate Street. 1871. 130 THE GARDEN. [Feb. 7, 1874- THE END OP DB CANDOLLE'S GEEAT DESOEIPTIVE WORK ON PLANTS. At a recent meeting of the French Academy of Sciences, M- Alphonse De Candolle caunouuoed the Bublication of the seventeenth and last volume of that inwjnnm opus, which had been commenced by his father in the early part of this century, and is entitled " Frodromus Systematis Naturalis Rcgni Vegetabilis." While the original design has not, as wo shall see, been fully completed, the event, as it stands, is yet worthy of notice ; and the following account of the work (for details of which we are mainly indebted to an interesting paper, by the younger Do Candolle, in the current number of " Archives Des Sciences") may not be unacceptable to our readers. At the time when Augustin Pyramus De Candolle conceived the idea of his undertaking, the Linnasan classifica- tion ruled throughout Europe ; and, in its brevity of description, it seemed to make botanists forget that there was aught in a plant liut stamens and pistils. De Candolle early recognised the superiority of the Natural system, and became its apostle. His thesis on the medical properties of plants (ISOi) showed the uniformity of properties of each organ and each family; the "Flore Franijaise " (1806) was the first flora of certain importance according to the natural method ; and the " Theorie Elemeutaire " (1813) expounded the new principles with a conviction almost passionate. The com- pletion of such work was evidently to apply the same ideas to the entire animal kingdom, to plants of .all countries, and to all degrees of classification ; particularly to sub-divisions of families and of genera, which had commonly been neglected. An entire revision of the vegetable kingdom did not then seem beyond the powers of one man. Some 25,000 to 30,000 species were known ; and, by a singular illusion, it does not seem to have been considered how small was the surface of the globe already explored, or that each region had its distinct flora. Thus, however, an important work was begun, which has continued sixty years, and which, though coming short of its original aim, has yet produced an unexampled series of 214 monographs of families of Dicotyledons, comprising 6,134 genera, and 58,975 species ; that is, twice as many species as were thought to exist when the work began, and eight times as many as are found in Linnasns's two volumes of species. The firstarticles for the " Systema" were prepared by M.De Candolle himself (the Elder), from an examination of French and English collections. He was at pains to cite the localities, the travellers, the collections, the descriptions, and the figures published in all the countries (a thing which had been little done before) ; adopting the principles of Tournefort for genera, of Linna3us for species, and of Jussieu for families, the innovations were to group the families in cohorts, the genera in tribes, the species in sections or paragi'aphs, accord- ing to the principles of the natural method. He disregarded no details of information furnished ; he was wont to say, that if he were to choose a motto it would be, " Nihil botanicum a me alienum puto." The two volumes of the " Systema," pub- lished in 1818 and 1821, contain eleven families, and had taken seven or eight years of work. Do Candolle (not foreseeing the enormous growth of collections, &c., in later years) estimated that it would require eighty or one hundred years to complete the review of the vegetable kingdom thus, con- sidering the number of species tiien contained in herbaria. And it was not till 1832 or so that he began to contemplate the need of co-oporation. The two first volumes of the " Prodromus" (1824 and 1825) were edited in the most concise form. The first third of the first volume contains an epitome of the eleven families of the " Systema," with addition of some genera and species; then follow fifty-three other families, including the specially important Leguminos.T3. Volumes III. to VII. were a little fuller, .and were, like tlic first two, edited by Do Candolle almost entirely alone. The " Prodromus " now became the regulator of descriptive botany. The order adopted for families was followed by most publications. Travellers from abroad furnished their collec- tions in a iTiost disinterested way ; and, on .all hands, the author was supportive! and encour.aged in his enterprise. His last and supreme cll'ort was the revision of the family of the Composite. A serious illness suspended work for a year, and it seemed urgent to socuro a number of coUabonUvare among the eminent botanists of the day. Promises were obtained from the following, among others : — MM. Bentham, Duval, Decaisne, Grisebach, Choisy, Duby, Boissier, Moquin-Tandon, and Meissner. De Candolle died on the 0th September, 1841, .and it fell to the son, M. Alph. De Candolle (then thirty-five years of age) to direct the work which had been successfully begun. With the aid of, altogether, some thirty-three colla- bomteurs he has been able, in thirty-two years, to add ten volumes of monographs to the seven his father published. He takes special notice of assistance from MM. Bentham, Meissner, and Midler, the keeper of his herbarium. Commenting on the slowness of the appearance of the " Prodromus," M. Alph. de Candolle makes reference to the manifold difficulties connected with such an undertaking ; more especially, those incident to an extensive co-oporation of the kind indicated. There is, too, the gre.at development of science ; and the author points out, that, with the abridged form adopted in the first volumes of the " Prodromus," it was possible for his father to edit as many as ten articles of species in one day ; now, on the other hand, a monographer, having so many more specimens and books to compare, and having to investigate the most minute characters relative to ovules, embryos, &c,, cannot well study and describe more than 300 to 400 species in a year, say, on an average, one species daily. The " Prodromus " hiis only been carried to the end of the greatest class of the vegetable kingdom, that of Dicotyledons ; and it there meets Kuuth's " Enumeratio Plan- tarum " which contains the families of the Monocotyledons, with the exception of Orchideas. The two works thus contain the ensemble oi the Phanerogams; edited, indeed, very diffe- rently (the " Prodromus " being more detailed, and having more new species), but treated according to the natural method and the state of science about the middle of the nineteenth century. " If it were required," says M. De Candolle, " to commence anew series of monographic works on a scheme similar to that of the ' Prodromus,' it would not only be necessary to compare many more books and herbaria, but to examine the characters of evolution presented by living plants, and those of the anomatical composition of the bark, wood, &c., all which call for the use of the microscope. The first thing to do would be to read all the works or memoirs of anatomy, and all the treatises which deal with elementary organs, so as to note what has been observed, in, say, twenty years, in such and such a species or genus of plants. Facts of this nature should distinguish the groups. Unhappily, anatomists give little in the way of resume, and when they do give it, it is with forms of speech which little allow of comparison between one book and another. The character of species, genera, families, &c., in works of descrip- tive botany, are enunciated in a way which facilitates com- parisons ; but there is nothing of this in the treatment of organs. To know accurately how two authors, differing in opinion, consider a particular l.iyer of cells to be placed or formed, it is sometimes necessary to study 100 pages, and in different languages. The introduction of microscopic details into the regular text of a description of forms, thus demands a peculiar bibliographic labour. Classification itself requires to be extended and completed ; the sub-divisions of species can no longer (as formerly) be neglected. The time is not far distant when all gener.a will be known, as all families already are ; but the number of species will still increase sensibly to the end of the century, and even beyond it. The volumes of the Prodromus, while they have destroyed many bad species, have added regularly to science 25 per cent of new species. * * * A work similar to tho ' Prodromus ' if now undertaken, would give, for the first half of our volumes, an increase of species by 80 per cent, at least, and, taking the second half into account, the increase would, perhaps, be 50 per cent, for Dicotyledons. This is the more hkely, as tho work would last a greater number of years, during which new species would be introduced. The ' Prodromus ' contains 58,076 species of Dicotyledons, and if the Artocarpeffl had been edited in time, there would have been altogether about 00,000 species. Add a half more, and the revision to be made now would contain 90,000. If we waited twenty or thirty years there would be more than 100,000, and we should then, I suppose, be near knowing all the species of this class which exist. The Monocotyledons, according to Lindley's probable estimate, are in number about a fifth of the Dicotyledons. Feb. 7, 1874] THE GARDEN. 131 There would thus be 18,000 to 20,000 species to add for this class, and the Phanerogams would thus comprise from 100,000 to 120,000 species, according as the revisiou was made now, or later, and with more extensive collections. Suppose 110,000 species. This number, at the annual rate speciliod for an active botanist, having complete resources in the way of books and herbaria, would requu-e 36(3 years ; say, thirty-six or thirty- seven years for ten botanists ; eighteen or nineteen years for twenty; or fifteen or sixteen- years for twenty-five. It is hardly possible to allow a greater sub-division, because the family of the Compositas cannot be divided, and it would require fifteen or eighteen years' work for one man alone. Moreover, ex- perience has taught me that, increasing the number of collabo- raieurs, we do not advance proportionately. The essential thing would be to have capable botanists, working regularly and devoting themselves entirely to making monographs, or, at least, leaving it only so far as was necessary to prevent their succumbing to the fatigue of their labour. Will these twenty or twent3--five monographers be found ? It appears to me very doubtful. Assm-edly, when all the volumes of the ' Prodromus ' have become old, and are no longer more abreast with science than the first part now is, and the work of Kunth on Monocotyledons; when thousands of species will have been described in different ways, in a multitude of books and papers ; when compilations, more or less good, have showu the little sqlidity of many of these species, and how desirable it is become to revise them according to nature in a comparative manner ; there will then be a demand, on all sides, for a new work dealing with the whole. Some daring spirits will, perhaps, commence such a work, but if they have not found a means of co-ordinating a vast system of labour in Europe and America, they will assuredly fail. I doubt also if a single director will suffice, and that he will be found in the future. The original author of the 'Prodromus' was atrLiemasteroEasohool. By his character, his superiority, his activity, he attracted numerous friends and disciples. His undertaking, greater than he thought it, has been continued by his sons and grandsons. It proceeded, moreover, from a small, weak, neutral country, intermediate between the great countries which are so jealous of each other. This is an advantage for a work which must be essentially cosmopolitan, and in which recourse must be had to savants of various nationalities. It is necessary to perform the work with a completely impartial spirit; without touching susceptibilities foreign to science. It is thus we have had coUahoratenrs belonging to different nations. But at the present time, it is less thau ever possible to suppose Germans and English submitting to the direction of a Frenchman, or French and English consenting to impulsion from a German. Further, if we conceive a botanist in one of the smaller countries, like Holland, Denmark, Belgium, Switzer- land, forming a scheme like that of the ' Prodromus,' he would find it diflaoult to combine the direction with a considerable share in the editing. I may say, from my own experience, that the one occupation is adverse to the other. The impulsion must rather, it seems to me, be collective ; and the way in which I suppose it will occur, perhaps twenty or thirty years hence, when the confusion of works on botany has become very great, will be somewhat as follows ; — I imagine that proprietors or directors of six, eight, or ten of the principal botanical establishments, public or private, will conceive the idea of arranging to edit, each on his own account, monographs of certain large divisions of phan- erogams, on a plan pretty uniform. Each of these saoants will engage collaborateurs, choosing them himself. He will ])ublish their work as and when he can do so. The Dicoty- ledons will, e.;/., be entrusted to five, six, or seven directors. One will take the Compositas, another the CoroUiflorfe, a third the Thalamiflorui, and so on. The Monocotyledons will be entrusted to other directors. Once the work has begun, through the agreement of a small numljcr of men, a laudable emulation will spring up between the different centres. National self- love, in place of injuring, will, in this case, further the cause of science. * * * With the system I have indicated, not only the authors, but also societies, general protectors of science, and Governments, would be roused by a sentiment of honour to promote the enterprise in each country." M. Do Caudolle finally urges the importance, meanwhile, of publishing good monographs of families, tribes, and impor- tant genera ; and he puts his library and herbarium, in Geneva, at the service of any monographers who may wish to make use of them. \, O'^ A. B. i£^ ^ir p ■ A CHEAP STOVE. "V^ &'7?. An economical and efficient stove for a small greenhouse or con- servatory can now be purchased for 8a. 6d. It is named " The Glow-worm," and consists ot an iron pot on four short legs ; an aperture being provided in front for tho draught, with a moveablo piece to regulate it. It has also a ring top and covor, both move- able. The grating is about 1 inch from the bottom, and the flue rises from the back at the top, and so saves an elbow joint ; its entire height is 12 inches. It is used by nearly filling the pot with coal, in small pieces (no dust), leaving a little hollow in the centre for some paper and half-a-dozen pieces ot firewood ; a little more coal is placed on the wood, and then lighted. Place the ring and cover on at once to prevent the escape of smoke, and it will burn for seven or eight hours. But I find, by placing a piece of sheet iron or tin on the grating, covering about three-fourths of it, it will burn for twelve or fourteen hours without any attention whatever. [ generally light it about 8 o'clock in the evening, and at 8 next morning I remove the cover, shake the fuel together, and add coal and coke ; and at 8 the next evening I repeat the process, emptying tho stove about every third day. The best way to do this is to tilt the stove in front and draw it out of the flue, carry it out of the greenhouse, and empty the contents into a sieve ; the larger pieces can be returned to the stove again, and you have no dust in the house. I have added a top to my stove, of sheet iron, about 8 inches high, and if some coke is placed in this after the stove has burnt some eight hours, it may safely be left for sixteen or eighteen hours more without attention. If it burns too fast, reduce the supply of air by means of the regulator. My house is 12 feet by 6 feet 6 inches, rising 8 feet high, and, as the chimney stack is 30 feet from the stove, the iron flue-pipe is nearly horizontal, and warms the house equally throughout. A Subscriber. A SPADE-HOE. The accompanying is an illustration of a tool I use for hoeing up Potatoes, Cabbages, &o. ; or, for any work where a furrow is wanted. It is simply a boy's spade, 5 in. wide and 8j in. long in the blade, cut sharp at tho end, and having about two- thirds of the plate turned up at an angle ot 45°. In using it, one foot follows the spade, the other being in the next row. The advantages are, that the sharp point goes easily into the ground, and much or little of the sod is thrown up as may be required. As it is a new tool, gardeners generally may not like it, but amateurs who want to save labour and time, should not be without it. C. J. C WORK FOR THE WEEK. PRIVATE GARDENS. Flower Garden. — -Snowdrops, Hellebores, and winter Aconites still continue to expand their blossoms ; Crocuses, too, are beginning to bloom, and bulbous plants, in general, are making good leaves that still seem unscathed. Wallflowers are now blooming freely, and different kinds of Viola, Arabis, and Aubrietia are beginning to unfold their flowers, although tho weather is at present anything but favourable for spring-blooming plants. Daisies and Hepaticas, also, promise a profusion of floral beauty, while walls are ornamented with the cheerful yellow blossoms of Jasminnm nudiflorum, and Chi. monanthus fragvans in many places is still in good condition. Herberia Aquifolium, and B. Darwinii, with its small leaves and deep rjolden flowers, likewise contribute nobly to the enrichment of our gardens now, and will continue to do so even more extensively during tho next two months. All empty flower-beds should receive a good dressing ot leaf-mould and decayed manure, and be deeply dug or trenched. Where hardy material can be spared for replenishing 132 THE GAEDBN. [Feb. 7, 1874. flower-beds and borders, planting may be proceeded with. Pansies, Daisies, Arabia, Alyssuins, and similar early.blooming plants, trans, plant as well now as later in the season ; indeed, if carefully removed, they suffer little or no check in the operation. Ground for the reception of hardy herbaceous plants should be trenched and heavily manured, but the sub-soil, unless good, must not be incorporated with the surface soil. Where Lythrnm roseum is used in ribbon-border mating, it should now be lifted, cut up into good crowns, and re- planted in a line about 15 or 18 inches apart. Salvia fulgens in light soils may be treated in the same way. Sweet Peas should now be sown where they are to bloom, and some should be put in beds from which to make up deficiencies in case of failure ; sow a few in a box under glass. Sow, also, some Mignonette in rowsor broadcast, where early-blooming plants of it are wanted to flower. Some Saponaria calabrica seeds should be sown on a wall border for transplanting. A few seeds of Tropcoolum canariense may also now be sown in a similar position, and a few twigs of Broom stuck in front, so as to protect the young plants, when they come up, from cold winds and frost. When the weather is dry add some tufty loam and well-decomposed manure to beds where large plants, such as those of Eicinus, Perdinanda, Wiganda, and other gross feeders, are to be grown, i.e., if the beds are now empty. If the soil last year was found to be too moist, turn it out, and place a layer of stones, broken bricks, &c., iu the bottoms of the beds. Mulch all newly-planted shrubs or trees, and affix strong, but neat, stakes to such as require support. Prune back, pretty hard, some Clematises for early-flowering ; some of the hardier Rose plants may also bo pruned for the same purpose. Tree- PoDonies, Myrtles, the Japanese Quince, and several other rather tender plants, should have a little protection from frost ; for, although their roots and principal stems might escape unhurt, their young shoots might be considerably injured. Lay Box and other edgings, and prune and tie up climbing plants. Where new lawns are in- tended to be made, the ground should now be cleared of all super- fluous trees and shrubs, and the soil should be trenched over, turning all rough material into the bottom of the trenches, and making the whole perfectly level, smooth, and firm by means of rolling and raking. The seed should be sown in the latter half of this month. Bedding' Plants. — Hot-beds should now be put up for the pro- pagation of these where hot-water-heated structures are not available for that purpose. Such beds may either be raised above the ground or sunk, and in extensive places some of both kinds will be found serviceable. A little extra warmth may be communicated to ordinary frames by means of a lining of fermenting material applied to their sides ; this additional heat will induce the plants to start into growth and to soon begin to yield material for cuttings. Where two, three, or more Pelargoniums were placed together in one pot in the lifting season, for convenience of storage, they may now be separated, potted singly, according to size, and kept without water for some days after the operation. Keep the house or frame rather close for some little time after potting. Lose no time in obtaining and striking as many cuttings of all plants as possible, for the stronger they are, and the earlier propagated, the hardier and the more vigorous will they be when turned out in the latter end of May. Calceolaria cuttings seldom root well in spring ; nevertheless, the tops of autumn-saved plants may bo economised for that purpose in the event of an other- wise deficient supply. If struck in a cold frame early this month, in the same manner as autumn cuttings are, they sometimes root very satisfactorily. Verbenas, Heliotropes, Agcratums, Tropajolums, Petunias, Lobelias, Coleuses, Alternantheras, Iresines, &c., when rooted, should be potted singly or transplanted into boxes, and still be kept in heat, as their tops can very soon be taken off for the same purpose, and also their side shoots, so that, with plenty of heat and convenience, a large supply may bo obtained before the end of the next two months. Sub-tropical plants must also be increased as expeditiously as possible. Side shoots taken off for cuttings soon make good plants. Seeds of the various kinds commonly raised by that means should now bo sown in a brisk hot-bed or warm pit. Acacia lophantha, Wigandias, Cannas, Ferdinandas, Ricinusos, Zeas, and many others, can bo readily raised from seeds. Canna roots saved from last year should now bo divided and started in heat. Dahlia roots may also bo started. If beds be dug out about 18 inches or 2 feet deep, and filled with leaves trodden firmly, so as to bo covered by a frame, and some light rich soil be placed therein, they win form excellent positions in which to plant Calceolarias, Verbenas, or Heliotropes, so as to have grand plants before they have to be set out in beds. The Early Peach-house. — The fruit will now be set in the r.arUest house, and syringings morning and evening will be required iu favourable weather. Attention should likewise be paid to the thinning of the fruits where they are set thickly, but this rarely happens when forcing commences so early. Tho dis-buddiug of the shoots is a process best performed by taking off only a few of tho strongest at different times, so as not to give a check to the roots. The temperature at night may be maintained at about 60°, with a rise to 70' by day, and by sunheat 6° or 8? higher. Green-fly will begin to make its appearance, and the infested shoots must be picked off ; but fumigation with tobacco will have to be resorted to at the last. Some of the new patented fumigators are very effi. cient for the purpose, for by making a hole in each door of the house for introducing the nozzles from tho outside, the house can be soon quite filled with smoke, and kept so for any length of time required. MARKET GARDENS. This mild winter has enabled market gardeners to push on their outdoor work with comfort. Digging and trenching are now in a remarkably forward state compared with this time last year, when the ground in some districts was completely flooded. Outdoor vegetables have been excellent this winter, and Seakale, Rhubarb, and Asparagus are furnished in large quantities from frames and forcing-pits ; while from France come Asparagus, Lettuces, and other salad vegetables. The third crop of Radishes, being now sown, should be kept covered with litter until the young plants appear above ground. The earliest-sown plantation requires no more pro. tection from birds ; but the covering should be replaced in the event of frost. Remove into the alleys between the beds, every fine morn- ing, the litter-covering belonging to the second plantation, so that the plants may gather strength, become green, and also that the surface-soil may get dried, as well as the litter covering it. Use a long-toothed wooden rake for removing the litter, and a steel-pronged pitchfork for replacing it. Keep a boy at each plantation to frighten the birds, which, if permitted, are very destructive to the Radishes after they appear above ground. Various bird-scares have been used ; but none are so effectual as boys. Rhubarb is beginning to grow a little naturally ; therefore, rake all litter lodging about the crowns into the alleys, which should be dug as soon as possible, if not already done, and the crowns in open plantations covered with fresh litter ; but those under the shade of fruit-trees may remain until the last. A good forkful of strawy litter is sufficient for each crown, and is of great service in protecting the crowns from cold, and preserving the leaf-stalks from grit ; besides, the Rhubarb produced under the litter is always crisper and milder than that grown without any protection. It is impossible to wheel or cart manure on to the plantations with impunity, therefore get some of the workmen to fill baskets with litter, and others to carry them on their heads to the place where the litter is required to cover the crowns. Before digging the ground lately occupied by Seakale, let some women go over it and pick up every piece of root they can find, otherwise they will grow and cause annoyance. In digging the ground, too, every bit must be picked out and thrown on the surface, to be gathered off afterwards. Cut up the best pieces of the Seakale roots, that were cut off the forcing crowns, into finger, length pieces, and lay them quite thickly on a well-packed raised bed, and place a layer of soil, an inch or two in depth, over them. Leave them there until March, then, after dressing them, dibble them in amongst Cabbages or Cauliflowers, so that they may occupy the ground after these crops, and one of Lettuces have been obtained from it. All refuse roots throw into a heap, and burn them, or decom- pose them with lime. Uncover, throughout, every dry hour frames containing Lettuces and Cauliflowers. Thin the Lettuces, if thick, especially if Carrots are growing amongst them. Tilt up the hand- lights over Cauliflower in fine weather, which, if very mild and warm, the hand-lights may be lifted off the plants during the day, but replaced at night. Hoe the ground between Cabbages, for a loose and warm surface soil is very beneficial to them. Keep Onion- beds free from weeds, and prepare a slight hot-bed for sowing somo Leeks in, for early transplanting. For early Turnips prepare some beds by the following method : Cast out trenches, or beds, from 4 to G feet wide, and about a foot deep ; fill these with fermenting manure and cover it over with a few inches of soil. Then sow the seeds and cover them thinly with mould, and over all place a mulching of litter a little deeper than what is generally done over Radish beds ; when the seedlings appear this mulching must be removed and replaced daily, as in the ease of Radishes. Mushroom-beds are bearing well this winter, and, in order to keep off heavy rains and retain their heat, place mats over them ; a declining of the heat, however, can be greatly remedied by additional covering of litter. Continue to force, in succession, beds of Asparagus, Seakale, and Rhubarb. Frames are unnecessary for these, providing the alleys are well filled with manure, some of which should, also, be placed over the surface of the beds, which ought then to be covered with hoops and mats, strewn over with straw or strawy litter. Collect and burn all refuse, such as old and useless trees and bushes, and prunings. These should be burnt in a heap in one place, and the ashes carefully collected and mixed with manure intended for beds of any choice vegetables. Eeb. 14, 1874] THE aAEDEN. 133 THE GARDEN. " This is an art Which does mend nature : change it rather : The Akt itself is Natuee." — Shakespeare. but THE ORIGIN OF DOUBLE PELARGONIUMS. By THOMAS LAXTON, Stamford. TiiK friendly glove throfni down by Dr. Denny in last week's Garden anent the origin o£ my strain of double Pelargoniums, ■which he suggests I may have obtained from the Continent, impels me, in the midst of political strife, to accept the chal- lenge, and to enter upon ground I had not just now intended, M. Sisley's and Dr. Denny's communications being so full of interest to raisers of new plants. In 1866, Icammenoed cross- ing the Triomphe de Gergoriat or Inquinans race of double Pelargoniuins with the ordinary single Zonals, but, after a three years' trial, I found it impossible to get out of the vigorous and " fat " growth of that class of doubles, all my seedlings, with one exception, showing no material variation from or advance on their parents, the exception being the result of a cross of Triomphe de Gergoriat with single Zonal White Princess, which had foliage approachnig that of the .pollen parent, and small reddish flowers with whitish reverse of petals. This was the only seedling I succeeded in raising from many attempted crosses of any of the Madame Vauoher race with the Inquinans doubles, and it was infertile. I ought to state that I have only exceptionally used the single varieties as seed-bearers, on account of the greater security from self or foreign fertilisation which, under ordinary treatment, the opposite method afiords, and I have never been able to obtain seed from any of these doubles by fertilising them with single Zonal Beaute de Suresnes ; the converse I have not tried. In j869 finding that so little was to be gained by crossing the Gergoriat or Champflour type, I discarded it for Madame Rose-Charmeux and Mr. W. Paul's Cottington, the two double Tom Thumbs, the origin of which I should much like to ascertain ; doubtless, they are both sports from Tom Thumb, for I have found Rose-Charmeux to throw out a branch (probably a reversion) with single flowers only, and which I could not distinguish from Tom Thumb. I am afraid M. Jean Sisley's account does not touch on the origin of these, nor does he seem to have noticed in one of the English papers of the past two years, a quotation from a Scotch publication of about 1826, from which it would appear that a double Zonal was in existence, in a Belgian nursery, nearly fiftyyearsago,and, from the not over-flattering description of the plant, I take it to have been a similar variety to Marechal de Champflour. From Madame Rose-Charmeux I obtained Jewel by fertilising with Lord Derby and E. J. Lowe, by using the pollen of a seedling from Mrs. Pollock, and it is remarkable that the vigour of this variety exceeds that of either of its parents and that of the other seedlings produced by fertilisation with the non -variegated single Zonals. Most of the seedlings from Madame Rose-Charmeux, having double flowers, were infertile, and from Jewel I could only get a single seedling, which I have since lost. Rather more than half the produce of over 1,000 seedlings from Madame Rose-Charmeux, raised in four years, came double or semi-double, the foliage and habit taking a more or less intermediate form, and none having the charac- teristic zone of the male parent entirely absent in the foliage. I have never been able to get nearer a white-flowered double than a light pink, and this appeared to be an exceptional sport, no white or pink variety having been used in the cross. A corre- sponding circumstance has occurred in crossing the single dwarf scarlet Zonal Harry Hieover with another scarlet Zonal, one seedling from it having flowers nearly white, or parti- coloured, not unUke the Continental variety Cora, but I could never got anything like a white flower by crossing Madame Rose-Charmeux with the Madame Vaucher type, and I have always found the white in flowers much less than other colours; and, in both the cases alluded to, the parents had each scarlet flowers, the light colours being probably due to rever- sion. It will, therefore, deeply interest me to know the origin of the parents of M. Jean Sisley's break in Aline Sisley, which has quite the Madame Vaucher habit and character, and no traces of Inquinans blood appearing in it. I have now several hundred seedlings from crosses of the double Tom Thumb race with the single Zonals and Nosegays, many showing remarkable variations in colour and improvement in form. I have others, also, crosses between these and a shrubby single- flowered dwarf Zonal, having Parsley-like foliage, and which may be, and has been, considered a hybrid between an old self- coloured show Geranium and a scarlet Zonal ; but, as I have not followed out carefully the results of some crosses which I attempted in this direction a few years ago, I am unable to speak with certainty on the point ; although the appearance, scent, and general want of fertility of the parent seedling indicate such an origin. In conclusion, I would ask hybridisers not to come to a hasty determination, from Dr. Denny's obser- vations in crossing the Pelargonium, as to the pi'epoteuce of the male parent; for, although the doctor's experi- ments have been undoubtedly carefully conducted, and his observations on the results are equally reliable, I maintain that all such highly interbred plants as the Zonal Pelargonium, the Rose, florists' flowers generally, and even cultivated fruits, afford no safefield for suchadeduction, because reversion, and the causes alluded to by Mr. Darwin, are too likely to affect the results. On the other hand, after nearly twenty years' experience in the cross-fertilisation and hybridising of plants, during which time I have conducted, and, in many instances, carefully recorded the results of some thousands of crosses and counter-crosses with genera less interbred, and, consequently less liable to reversion, and espe- cially the Lcguminosas, which are not easily subject to the accidental influences of foreign pollen, I have not been able to obtain any evidence that the influence of one parent, in the vegetable kingdom, predominates over the other, although I have had frequent proofs that the general results of cross and counter-cross are indistinguishable. The particulars of these experiments I hope, if spared, at some future day to codify. In allusion to the jiaragraph in the same page of The Gakden, headed "A blue Pelargonium," I must be allowed to repeat what I have before written, that I doubt the probability of a hybrid being raised between Geranium pratense and the Zonal Pelargonium. Eighteen years ago, I tried ineffectually to cross them in a variety of ways, using for the purpose Madame Vaucher and the principal whites of the period, both as the male and female flowers, and, although I have seen some of Mr. Lowe's seedlings, I must still give my verdict as " not proven." The Nutmeg. — This spice, bo much used in every family, is indigenous to the Moluccas, reaching its greatest perfection in Amboyna. This island belongs to the Dutch, who do not permit the cultivation of the Nutmeg in tho other islands under their control. The Nutmeg.tree is 25 or 30 feet high when fully grown, with foliage of a rich dark green, and very plentiful. It reaches maturity, or full productiveness, at the fifteenth year from planting. Prom the blossom to the ripening of the fruit takes about seven months ; but, as the tree is a perennial bearer, there are always blossoms, green fruit and ripe on the tree. The yield is most plentiful in the last four months of the year. The average yield per annum of a healthy tree is 5 lbs. of Nutmegs and Ijlbs. of Mace. A plantation of one thousand trees requires the labours of seven coolies, fifty oxen, and two ploughs, for cultivation and harvesting. The fruit is gathered by means of a hook attached to a long pole. It is shaped like a Pear, about the size of a Peach, and has a delicate "bloom." The nut has three coverings ; the outside one is a thick fleshy husk, having a strong flavour of Nutmeg. This husk, pi-e- served in syrup when young, is a favourite sweetmeat in the East Indies. Under this husk is the bright red mace, which is carefully flattened by hand and dried on mats in the sun. It loses its rich scarlet, and becomes a dull orange colour, and requires to be kept perfectly dry to preserve its flavour. After the Mace is removed from the fruit, the nuts, in their brown shells, are placed on hurdles over a slow fire, which is kept constantly burning under them for two months. The nuts then rattle in the shells, which are cracked with a wooden mallet, the sound nuts selected and packed in wooden cases, and sprinkled over with dry sifted lime, and are then ready for market. The best Nutmegs are dense, emit oil when pricked with a pin, and can always be known by their heavy weight. Poor ones are light and easily detected. 134 THE GARDEN. [Feb. 14, 1874. NOTES OP THE WEEK. ■ In the Boyal Botanic Gardens, Edinburgh, Cordyline australis has proved itself to be hardy enough to withstand the winter, when planted on rock-work, where its elevated position ensures perfect drainage, whereas in flower.borders in the same gardens oar winters generally kill it. We learn from the Illustration Horticole that a species of Gam-treewhich " surpasses the Eucalyptusglobulus in interest," isnow being cultivated in Algeria. It is named Eucalyptus colossea, and, in its native Australian home, is said to attain a height of 400 feet. The office of Secretary. General to the Central Horticultural Society of Trance, recently vacant, in consequence of the death of M. Bouchard-Huzard, has been filled by the appointment of M. A. Lavallee, a distinguished amateur, well-known on the Continent from his writings on horticultural subjects. A Society of Acclimatisation has recently been established at Rio Janeiro, with the object of introducing into Brazil useful animals and plants from other countries. For this purpose an exten. sive garden, similar to the Jardin d'Acclimatation at Paris, is in process of formation, under the superintendence of M. Glazion, the director of the public gardens at Rio. In the Official Gazette of the United States Patent Office, of date of November 11th, 1873, we find that a Mr. John Craig has patented what he terms an "Artificial Stem for Cat Flowers," which is nothing more than the old device of vrindiug a bit of fine annealed wire around the base of tha flower, a practice which has been resorted to for yeai's by our best florists. A VEKY handsome variety of the common Almond (Amygdalus communis), with variegated leaves, has been raised by M. Ausseur. Sertier, nurseryman, of Lieusaint (Seine-et-Marne). In most cases, variegation of the foliage is accompanied with a loss of vigour in the tree or plant in which it occurs, but this variety is said to preserve all the vigour of the type, while it displays a beautiful contrast of colours in its leaves, which are of a fine green, marked with snow, white streaks, and very much resemble the leaves of a variegated Negundo. Plants of it are offered for sale by the raiser. A NEW species of Pumpkin is announced from the Jardin d'Acclimatation at Paris, under the Spanish name of " Zapallito de tronco," or " Tree-Pumpkin." It differs from all its congeners in its mode of growth, as, instead of trailing, it forms erect tufts, with numerous fruits of a depressed spherical shape, and from 5 to 8 inches in diameter, depending from the stem. These are said to be of excellent quality and flavour. The chief merit of the plant, how- over, is that, from its mode of growth, it occupies very little space in cultivation, while a single plant of any other species, usually covers a large area. The seeds of the Tree-Pumpkin, here described, were obtained fpom Buenos Ayres. — — The old gravel-pits and belts of Furze on the west side of Tooting Common are being cleared away, and the land is to be excavated and laid out as a public park and recreation-ground for the inhabitants of Tooting and Streatham. The work is undertaken by the Board of Works, who have purchased the manorial rights, and arranged with the commoners having pasture rights and other privileges. The other portion of the common, about which there has been expensive litigation between the lord of the manor and the commoners, is to remain intact. It is beautifully timbered, and possesses a park-like aspect, and is to be preserved in its present state. At the meeting of the Linneau Society, which took place on the 5th inst., there seems to have been something like a free fight. Mr. Carruthers began by proposing that the proceedings of the pre- vious meeting be declared null and void. This Mr. Bentham, the president, refused to put to the meeting. Mr. Carruthers persisted in his motion, and succeeded in carrying a majority of the meeting with him; whereupon Mr. Bentham left the chair, and it is said thai ho has declared his intention of resigning the presidentship. Wo hope he will think better of this ; meanwhile, the temperature of the meeting rose too high to admit of the consideration of scientific ques- tions ; and, therefore, such as were to come under consideration that evening had to stand over. ^ - — • Wk have lately visited Hatfield, the seat of tho Marquis of Salisbury, and seen Mr. Cowan's lime-kiln heating apparatus at work. Karely, indeed, does any novel process turn out so well at first as this has done. Tho vill.ago of glass-houses in the new kitchen garden there 13 heated by Cowan's apparatus in a thoroughly efficient manner, and at a trifling expense. Mr. Bennett, the gardener at Hatfield, assured us that he has never any trouble, day or night, in securing the ellicient heating of .all the houses by this means alone. Tho young gardeners should be well satisfied with the system, as, by its means, they are relieved from all work with fires— work often very harassing and laborious. Like all other innovations, it is, of course, capable of improvement, but no one can see tho result already gained at Hat- field without being satisfied that the Marquis and his able gardener were amply justified in adopting Cowan's system. We hear that the design sent in in competition for Roundhay Park by Mr. Carson, architect, Leeds, has been selected as the best. Twenty-five seta of drawings have been submitted in compe. tition. for the proposed fruit and vegetable markets in Farringdon Street, City. Great improvement is being made in the Oleander, both as regards the numerous shades of colour and forms of flowers. On the Continent they are being named and distinguished as we distinguish Roses or Dahlias. At this season of the year, when St. Valentine is holding his time-honoured court, it may interest some of our readers to know that tasteful Valentines made of real flowers are now exposed for sale in Covent Garden Market. Arranged in neat boxes, and fringed with lace, these innovations ought to meet with a ready sale. In a letter to the French Society of Horticulture, a chemist, M. Fremont, mentions that a good way of preserving cut flowers in a state of freshness, is to dissolve sal-ammoniac, or chlorhydrate of ammonia, with the water in which the stems are put, in the proper, tion of five grammes (77i- grains) per litre (1| pint) of water. They will thus often be kept fresh for a fortnight. M. Deoaisne has recently published in the Bulletin de la SociHe hotanique de France, descriptions of three new genera of plants gathered in China by the Abbe David. These have been named Ostryopsis, Camplotheca, and Berneuxia ; the first belonging to the family of the Corylaoese ; the second to the Nyssaceaj, and the last to the Diapensiaoese. Ostryopsis is a native of eastern Mongolia, and the other two were found in eastern Thibet. The Torrey Botanical Club of New York has issued a Botanical Directory for North America and the West Indies, founded upon one of similar character published some years ago by the Essex Institute of Salem. This embraces the names of all persons in America known to the club as interested in botany, general and special, the names being first printed in alphabetical sequence, and then re-arranged according to the States to which they belong. Such a work as this cannot fail to be extremely useful to students, and the one in ques- tion will, doubtless, be eagerly sought after by botanists. Large quantities of Oranges, says the Alta California, are daily arriving at the depot at Los Angeles to be shipped to San Francisco. One dealer of San Gabriel sold his Orange crop for 30 dols. per thousand. His Orange grove covers five acres, and contains 500 trees. Estimating these at 1,000 Oranges each, the crop is worth 15,000 dols. ; 3,000 dols. an acre in a pretty good return for their cultivation. One acre in Southern California can be made to yield as great a clear profit by semi-tropical nut and fruit culture as twenty to fifty acres in the eastern States devoted to ordinary kinds of farming. • A PLANT of Phatonopsis Sohilleriana is now flowering in the gardens at Crewe Hall, Cheshire, bearing 190 fully expanded flowers on one spike. The plant has six leaves, each measuring from 12 to 14 inches in length. Last year the same plant bore two spikes, bearing in all 16 1 flowers, and, this year, the gardener, Mr. Whittaker, thinking that the two spikes it threw up in the autumn would exhaust the plant too much, rubbed ono off, and the other has borne the above enormous quantity of flowers. The only plant, which in any way equals this, is the specimen belonging to Mr. Milne, Yewfield House, Arbroath, N.B., and which has borne about the same number of flowers on a spike. Some of the varieties of this fine winter.flowcring Orchid vary greatly in the size and colour of their flowers, and one of tho finest and deepest-tinted varieties we have ever seen is now blooming in Mr. Ball's establishment at Chelsea. The annual general meeting of the Royal Horticultural Society was held at South Kensington on Tuesday last, when, after some rather exciting proceedings, chiefly as to the legality of the con. stitution of the council, their report was adopted by a majority of 231 against 225. The following new members were then elected, viz.:^ L'leut.. General Hon. Sir A. H. Gordon, K.C.B., Mr. Joseph Herbert Tritton, Mr. Burnley Hume, and Mr. Henry Webb. The following officers were also elected : — President, the Right Hon. Viscount Bury, M.P., K.C.M.G. ; treasurer, Mr. Bonamy Dobree ; secretary, Mr. W. A. Lindsay ; expenses committee-men, Sir Alfred Slade, Bart., Mr. W. A. Lindsay, and Mr. Henry Little ; auditors, Mr. James Nicholson, Mr. John Gibson, and Mr. Robert Hudson, F.R.S. Not. withstanding that tho society is considerably in debt, wo are glad to learn from the report that increased attention is being paid to the gardens at Chiswiok, and that the various instructive trials of vegetables and florists' flowers that have been carried on there, are likely to be continued. We are also glad to hear that the books and accounts of the society have been very carefully kept daring the jjast year, which is reported, on the whole, to have been a somewhat prosperous one. Feb. 14, 1874] THE GARDEN. 135 THE GARDEN IN THE HOUSE. WINDOW GARDENS IN WINTER. Most people — especially those who reside in the suburbs of London, or other large towns — are fond of window-gardening during the summer months, but it is rarely one sees a neat and effectively-furnished window-box or balcony in winter. In summer we can keep the window-box outside gay with Fuchsias, Hydrangeas, Pelargoniums, Asters, Stocks, and other showy anniials, but, during the cold season, we must fall back on hardy shrubs, Ivy, Yuccas, and a few winter and spriug-fiowering bulbs and herbaceous plants, and with tasteful arrangement these are far more attractive than spindly Geraniums or leafless Fuchsias inside the window itself. There is no occasion to keep Geraniums and Fuchsias through the winter, as they always look naked, while bushy little plants can readily be bought for a few pence in spring, when required. People should arrange their balconies or windows for the winter as soon as the bedding plants and hardy annuals are over. For this purpose, we have many hardy shrubs at our disposal, the best being bushy little plants of Aucuba japonica, green and variegated Hollies, Euonymus japonicus, the gold and silver varie- gated forms of which are very bright ,and beautiful. A very effective Vindow-box may be filled with a few simple materials. Common Irish Ivy may be planted at the ends of the box, and trained over a wire hoop, forming a neat arch, which may be varied in height ac- cording to the view from the window. The box below may contain a plant of Retinospora ericoides or Thuja aurea, flanked on either side by sturdy little plants of golden-variegated Euony- mus. These contrast admirably with the fresh green Ivy above, while the soil in the box may be covered with mossy Saxifrages, Arabis alpina, A. albida, A. lucida variegata, Aubrietia purpurea, or the always fresh and green Stone- crop (Sedum acre). A few Crocuses, Hyacinths, and Snowdrops, planted in November or December, will In-ighten up the box during the first sunny days of spring, before it is time to remove the shrubs and insert the oi'dinary summer- blooming plants and seeds. The Ivy arch may be left during the summer months, and will look pretty partially covered with golden Canary-flower (Tro- pasolura peregrinum) and purple Morning Glory (Con- volvulus major). Both the last-named plants, as well as scarlet-flowered Tropreolums and many other climbers, are readily propagated from seeds sown inside in March, and planted out in the boxes after all danger from frost is past, say, in the middle of May. One of the most efllective winter balcony-gardens we have seen for some time is in Portman Square. The front of the balustrades is draped with Ivy, and three or four healthy plants of Yucca recurva, in ornamental vases above, complete the arrangement. Nothing could be more effective than this mode of grouping, and the arrangement is allowed to remain all the year round. In summer, the fresh greenness of the Ivy may be brightened up by the addition of a few flowering plants ; many are not re- quired with such an elegant arrangement as that just described. Above all things, avoid heavy or crowded group- ing, that being not only more expensive, but less artistic and attractive. SimpUcity is very often synonymous with elegance, and a few common plants, if beautiful in outline and fresh in colour, will give far more satisfaction to an artistic or intelligent observer than amass of the choicest exotics clumsily arranged. Rare and beautiful plants and flowers look well along with suitable surroundings, as in the drawing-room or boudoir, but, for outside window-boxes in the winter months, nothing looks better than the common hardy climbers, shrubs, and herbaceous plants we have here recommended. F. W. B. A window winter-garden THE INDOOR GARDEN. A FEW MORE WINTER ORCHIDS. In addition to the selection of winter Orchids given last week {see p. 117) the following are of great merit, and well deserving of general cultivation for winter flowers. Angk.ecums. — In this genus we have several noted winter- flowering species, the most attractive being the curious A. sesquipedale, which bears drooping spikes of three or four great wax-like flowers, 6 or 8 inches across. Each flower is fur- nished with a tail-shaped spur, 10 to 15 inches in length, and this gives the star-shaped flowers a weird-like appearance. Good plants bear two or three spikes, but want of numbers is amply made up for in size. One peculiarity about this plant is, that its flowers emit a heavy perfume at night, but their odour is scarcely perceptible during the daytime. It is a native of Madagascar, whence it was introduced to our gardens by the late Mr. Ellis. Other species, as A. eburneum, and its greenish small-flowered variety A. virens, A. bilobum, A. funale, A. citratum, and the new and rare A. Ellisii, all bloom during our dull wintry months. The last-named species is now showing flower in Lord Londesborough's collection, and is remarkable, inasmuch as a profile of the flower resembles a lemon-crested cockatoo. The An- grascums (with one exception) all require tropical treatment. Oymbidium.— At least two of the best species in this genus flower during the autumn and winter months. C. Mastersii and 0. ebur- neum are well-known plants bear- ing sub-erect or nodding spikes of white wax-like flowers, amongst their bright grassy foliage. They like a warm humid temperature, and a fresh open compost. Caianthes. — These are very use- ful wiuter-floweringplants,although their flowers are highly susceptible of injury during damp foggy weather, such as we have experi- enced at times during the past winter. C. vestita, and its pure white varieties, Turnerii and nivalis, produce a good supply of flowers during winter. C. Veitchii is noted as one of the best of all winter-flowering Orchids, bearing great spikes of its bright rosy-coloured flowers, that contrast well with its pale-tinted congeners. All the Calanthes are easily cultivated, the deciduous or pseudo-bulbous section being the best for their winter-blooming qualities, and they also require a more decided season of rest than their evergreen allies. Onoidiums. — This is a large genus and one that contains mauy species valuable for their winter flowers. One of the finest of the whole group is O. macranthum, a robust grower, even in a low-winter temperature, and it bears great branch- ing flexuose spikes of sixty or seventy flowers. The sepals are of a wai-m brown, the petals being golden -yellow, while the small dagger-pointed lip is of a bright glossy-purple tint, and the great toothed crest is pure white. It is a native of Peru, and should be is every collection. O. obryzatum is another free grower and a most profuse bloomer, bearing numerous golden-yellow fragrant flowers, spotted with brown, on dense flexuose spikes 7 or 8 feet long. Its pseudo-bulbs 136 THE GARDEN. [Feb. 14, 1874. and leaves are o£ a fresh and pleasing green colour, and the plant itself grows very freely in a cool Odontoglossum-house, a few plants of this species should be grown in every collection, however small, as it is nearly perpetual in its habit of flower- ing. O. cheirophorum is a pretty little free-flowering species of recent introduction, having fresh green leaves and prettily speckled pseudo-bulbs. Its flowers are borne on a dense spike 10 to 12 inches long. O. incurvum, 0. seri-atum, and O. Papilio, are well-known winter-blooming species, well worth growing for variety. O. cucullatum is one of the prettiest and most variable of the winter flowerers, and, although not yet generally distributed in collections throughout the country, deserves to be grown everywhere. Several importations have lately been received in good condition, and it promises to become common. It is dwarf and compact in habit, grows freely in a cool winter temperature, and bears spikes of five to seven, rosy-purple or white, crimson or dark purple, spotted flowers. One variety of this species, 0. Phalrenopsis, bears large white flowers spotted with bright purple, and is very attractive. O. nubigenum (of gardens), another form, is found on the Andes, at altitudes varying from 10,OuO to 12,000 feet. Here, at this high altitude, where radiation is excessive, especially just before sunrise, the plant grows freely. Phajus. — The old P. grandifolius is one of the best and most useful of all winter-flowering Orchids, not only for cutting, but also for conservatory decoration. It is one of the oldest and most easily-grown of all Orchids, and may be grown in any ordinary plant-stove. Good specimens bear twenty to thirty spikes, 2 to 3 feet in height, and these are very showy for general purposes of decoration. P. Wallichii is a stronger- growing variety, having more yellow on the lip. Both grow well in a moderately rich peaty compost, well drained ; and these may be classed among the very few Orchids that are benefited hj liquid-manure, or stimulants, at the root. At, Chatsworth these plants are grown better than anywhere else wo have seen them. Aproiios of these plants, we may mention that P. irroratus (one of Mr. Dominy's hybrids, the result of a cross between Calanthe vestita and P. grandifolius), has been in bloom in Messrs. Veitoh's nursery at Chelsea for the last six or eight weeks. Its flowers are white, suffused with faint rose, and the plant will undoubtedly prove a favourite. Saccolabiums. — One or two species are very valuable winter-flowering plants ; the only drawback to their culture is that they require the heat of an East Indian house, or hot humid plant-stove, to do them justice. Good specimens, with fresh thick leaves, and gracefully-drooping racemes of per- fumed wax-like flowers, are very effective for ordinary deco- rative purposes ; a single spike will furnish flowers enough to scent two or three dozen bouquets,and, for button-holes, a single flower or two, mounted on wire and backed by a fresh bit of Davallia or Maiden-hair, is all tliat can be desired. S. gigan- teum is a noble winter-blooming species, the most robust of the whole group, bearing great pendent spikes of white flowers, spotted with rose, and having a violet-tinted lip. It may be grown either in a pot or basket, or small plants do well on a block suspended near the light. Cypripediums. — One of the best of the winter-blooming Cypripcdes is C. villosum, a vigorous grower, bearing great brown flowers, which shine as brightly as if varnished. 0. barbatum sometimes bears a few odd flowers during the autumn and spring, but cannot be relied on for blooming. C. Harrisianum, a hybrid between the two above-mentioned species, is a valuable bloomer for all seasons, and the new C. Sedeni is the brightest-coloured variety in cultivation, and a most profuse bloomer during the autumn and winter months. Plants of this last have been blooming in the Eoyal Exotic Nursery, Chelsea, for the last four or five months, and the rosy flowers are very Ijright and effective among white-flowered plants of other genera. C. longifolium flowers all the year round, the rosy-petalled flowers being borne one at a time on a ton or twelve-flowered spike, and each flower lasts quite a month in perfection. C. Roezlii appears to be a strong- growing form of the last, and blooms in the same manner. Both arc variable in the colouring of their flowers, and deserve a place in every collection, as, in addition to the flowers, their foliage is of the freshest description, and of an elegant droop- ing character'. All the above grow well in a warm greenhouse or Cattleya-house, where the minimum temperature does not descend below 50'? in winter. A fresh, open, well-drained compost of fibrous peat and living Sphagnum suits them admirably, as their thick hairy roots revel in the Moss when it is alive ; and as a surfacing material for Orchid pots nothing is equal to green Sphagnum fresh from the bogs or marshes. Ltelias. — In addition to the beautiful L. anceps mentioned last week, we have several other species well worth general cultivation for their winter flowers. L. albida and its rosy- lipped variety, L. acuminata, L. purpuracea, and the never- failing L. autumnalis, should find a place in every collection. The latter plant does well in a pot or on a block suspended near the light, and we have seen it grown and flowered to perfection in the moderately dry and airy atmosphere of a common Vinery. If there is the convenience of a Cattleya- house proper it will be found the best position for these beautiful plants, but if not, try them in a warm Vinery during winter, and let them take their chance ; as to summer tem- perature, take the precaution to keep them well supplied with tepid moisture, either by immersion or by frequent syringings overhead. Pleiones. — These little Alpine Orchids are merely deciduous Coelogynes, and, as a rule, flower late in the autumn months. P. Wallichiana (P. prsecox) is the earliest species, its rosy- lilac flowers appearing about October or the beginning of November. P. lagenaria and the white-petalled P. maculata follow in quick succession; and form the grand show of the Pleione or Indian Crocus season. The rare and pretty little P. humilis is last, and we saw a nice little pan of this in full flower the first week in February. The culture of these delicate little Orchids is simple. They must be potted in a fresh well-drained compost of fibrous peat, chopped living Sphagnum, and leaf -mould as soon as they commence their growth, which is during the winter months, and generally a week or two after their flowers fade. The bulbs should be well elevated above the rim of the pot or pan, and grow best placed on a shelf in a moderately warm humid temperature near the light. A shelf in the early Vinery suits their require- ments exactly, as an occasional syringing does them good and keeps down insect pests, to which their succulent and some- what tender foliage is subject. The flowers of all the species are iiniversal favourites, and come in very useful for bouquet work at a season when choice flowers are scarce. Pleione flowers should never be cut, but gently pulled from the inflated sheath from which they generally spring in pairs. Zygopetalon MACKji.Yi. — This is a good old winter-flowering Orchid, and one that seldom fails to flower every winter, even when badly treated. Good specimens in pots bear numerous spikes of delicately-tinted flowers. The great flat lip is white, curiously marked with diverging lines of purple hairs. The spikes are handy for cutting, and look well in the drawing- room vase ; the individual flowers arc too massive for bouquet work. Tliis plant commences to grow in January or February, and does well in the early Vinery if well supplied with tepid water, and placed near the light. NOTES AND QUESTIONS ON THE INDOOR (GARDEN. Climbers for Plant-stoves.— I grow, for the sake of their foliage, Cissns discolor, Vitis goiigyloides, and Batatas paniculata. The Vitia has a novel tropical appearance, and sends out slender aerial roots from 5 to 8 feet long, which droop gracefully amongst the other vegetation. As regards flowering climbers, nothing surpasses Stephanotis iloribunda (white), Dipladenia amabills and D. insignia (deep rose), AUaraanda Hendersonii, and A. grandi- flora or A. nobilis (yellow) . For winter, a few plants of Trojireolum Lobbii may be trained on wires or strings near the glass, and will flower freely. Rondeletia speeiosa is another valuable winter- flowering stove-plant that does well treated as a climber. All those may either be grown in pota or planted out, both plans having their special drawi)aclvs as well as advantages. In either case use a fresh open compost of peat, fibrous loam, leaf-mould, and sand. — B, Ferns for Bouquets. — Wliat arc the best half-dozeu Perns to grow for cutting for bouquets, button-holes, and similar decorations? I already have Adiantum cuneatum and Pteris serrulata, and I wish to have as much variety in the way of form as I can. — Q. [The Ferns just named are two of the best you can employ for bour|uet work. Of A. cuneatum there is an elegant variety, named A.gracillimum (elegantissimum) a kind with finer fronds than those of the species ; and there is, also, a variety of Pteris serrulata, the divisions of which are finely crisped. Several of the Davallias are useful for such work and la.^t long in good condition in a cut state, especially if dipped in water before they are used. Of these, the best are Davallia bullata and D. dissecta, but the common Hare's-Foot (D. canai-ienais) and D. elata come in very usefully for such purposes. Adiantum Farleyense, A. Capillus-Veneris, A. tenenun, A. tinctum, A. colpodes, and A. assimile, all yield good fronds for bouquet- making. — Ed.] Feb. 14, 1874.] THE GAEDEN. 137 THE FLOWER GARDEN. A HARDY PELARGONIUM. TuE plant whicli we figure below, and wliicli is kuown as Pelargonium Endlicherianum, was first discovered in the soiith of Asia Minor by the German botanist Kotschy in 1842, and, for many years, was known in Europe only from the dried specimens of it which he presented to a few herbariums. In 1866, however, M. B. Balansa, during one of his frequent visits to Asia Minor, conceived the idea of introducing it into cultivation, and, on his return to France, brought with him several living plants, some of which he presented to the garden of the Museum, and some to M. Pelo, an eminent nurseryman of Paris. The plant, thus, for the first time, brought under culture, has proved an important acquisition to our gardens, as, in addition to being the only hardy Pelargonium we are yet acquainted with, it is also remark- ably handsome and singular in appearance. It belongs to the section of the genus Pelargonium known as " Jenkinsonia," the pecu- liarity of which consists in the flowers having only the two upper petals fully developed, tlie three lower ones being merely ruuimentary, and scarcely visible. The subject of our notice grows from 12 to 20 inches high, sending out several stems from its branch- ing rhizome, and the entire plant is covered with a light velvety pubescence. The lower leaves are of a rounded reniform shape, notched and toothed, and of a greyish-green colour ; those of the stem are more or less deeply divided into from three to five lobes. The flowers, which appear from the end of June until August, are large, of a fine purplish-rose colour, each petal being marked with five longitudinal veins of a darker shade. The three lower and undeveloped petals are of a whitish hue and are only about half the length of the divisions of the calyx. As regards its culture, it requires a well-drained sandy soil (but not too light), and a warm and sheltered position. The chief care which it demands is to be preserved from damp, of which it is more impatient than of cold ; an excess of moisture invarialjly proving fatal to it. IE this one point be observed, its culture is by no means difficult. It is easily propagated either by means of cut- tings, or from seed, which it yields freely. In conclusion, we may add that the plant received its specific appellationfromthe German botanist Fenzl, who named it in honour of his friend Endlicher, and who has described it in his ' Pugillus plantarum novarum Syrias et Tauri occidentalis.' It was first brought to England by Mr. Wm. Robinson, but is as yet rare. On light warm soils in the South of England it will prove a showy perennial. The illustration is a faithful portrait of the plant in its first year. W. M. A hardy Pelargonium. HINTS ON THE MANAGEMENT OF FLOWER SEEDS. Banly Ann uals are beat sown in the open border in light soil, from March till Juuo for summer and autumn flowering ; and in September forflowering the toUowing spring.— Ha^/./ianiy^miuaJs require to bo sown in March or April, on a gentle hot-bed, or in a close frame without bottom heat, the latter mode succeeding perfectly, unless the seeds are sown too early in the season ; many of them may oven be sown in the open borders at the end of April or beginning of May, but will not then flower so early. — Tender Annuals, a very limited class, will also vegetate in a close frame, but require more warmth to bring them to perfection than the preceding ; they should, after pricking out, be transferred to a second hot-bed, and will flower most satis- factorily in the greenhouse or window. — Hardy Perennials, of the commoner and large-seeded kinds, may be sown in the open borders any time from March to August, but the rare and more delicate species will succeed with greater certainty if raised in a close frame, with or without bottom-heat ; thus treated many will flower the first season, if sown early and planted oat in the borders in May. All those with very small seeds should be sown in pots under glass. The amateur will do well to bear in mind that, though many perennial seeds vegetate as quickly as those of annuals, there are some others which usually remain dormant for weeks, or even months ; to this class belong the Gentians, Cyclamens, Pasonies, Fraxinella, many Australian Leguminoste, and especi- ally North American plants. Most of these require, in fact, to be sown in autumn as soon as gathered, and they will then vegetate the following spring. As this is not alwajs practicable, the plan of steeping the seeds before sowing, for twenty-tour hours, may be adopted with great advantage in many cases. — Half, hardij Perennials require the treat- ment of the half-hardy annuals, differing only in their need of winter protection. — Stove Seeds need a moist elevated temperature, such as the stove or forcing pit aifords ; and greenhouse seeds succeed well under the same conditions ; in their absence the latter are best raised in a good hot-bed. — Biennials may be sown in the open ground in spring and sum. mer, not later than June and July, the seedlings being planted in autumn, where they are intended to bloom the following season. The half-hardy plants of this class, as Ipomopsis, should be pricked out in pots that they may be protected in winter. — All seeds sown in frames or pits require shading with tiffany or thin calico, in bright weather during the middle of the day, especially as the spring advances. In the open ground, seeds should not be sown too early : there is great risk of failure before the end of March ; where early flowers are desired of annuals, it is better to sow in autumn. For all seeds in pots, a compost of finely, pulverized le.af-mould, peat, or other vegetable soil, with one-third its bulk of sand or very sandy-loam, will answer well ; sow very thinly ; let the pots be well drained ; cover the seed with about its own thickness of soil, and thin out crowded seedlings early. After germination has once commenced, the surface of the soil should on no account be suffered to become dry. Very small seed, such as Mimulus, Lobelia, Calceo. laria, &c., should not covered with soil, but be sprinkled thinly on the soil which should be previously watered from a fine rose. Chinese Primula germinates best when covered with a layer of damp Moss ; this seed often fails to grow from being too deeply covered with soil, and many other failures are attributable to the same cause. Wm. Thompson. BEDDING CALCEOLARIAS. I AGREE with your correspondent, " R. D." (see p. ^7), that mis- management has much to do with the so-called disease in Calceo- larias. In a garden, of which I had charge daring the summer of 1872, I had no disease, while, owing to the excessive wet, assisted by unhealthy plants, few, if any, of my neighbours' Calceolarias escaped. In this district it is not considered judicious to jnit in cuttings in July or August. I never put in any till the first week in October, when nice fresh juicy cuttings may be obtained, and nut 138 THE aARDEN. [Fbb. 14, 1874. flower.spikes, as must be the case earlier in the season ; old potting, bench materials may do for soil, but I find light loam, leaf-mould, and river.sand, in equal parts, much better. A cold frame is most decidedly the best place in which to put them, and the sooner the cuttings are put into the soil after their removal from the plants the better. I do not agree with " K. D.'s" practice of drying them in the Bun. After the frame is full and watered, put on the lights, which should be kept close and shaded with scrim for the first fortnight. Then remove the scrim, but keep them still close for another fort, night. Admit air gradually at first ; then give abundance of it on every favourable day. No water will be required till the end of February, and, if the winter has been mild, the plants will have been topped several times, but, if it has been severe, protection must have been resorted to. In the first week of March I transplant into pre- pared frames ; the soil used being light, but richer than that used before. The plants are put in, 5 inches apart, each way, watered, and kept close for two or three days ; air is then admitted as usual. In the first week of April I again transplant them 9 inches apart, each way, in prepared soil, 7 or 8 inches deep. After keeping them close for a day or two, to induce them to take to their new quarters, the sashes may be removed every fine day, and nights too, if there is no frost. By the second week of May, when I generally plant them out, they are nice bushy plants, with good balls. Plants treated thus suffer but little from disease. " R. D." might have mentioned, when giving his selection of kinds, gang's Ambassador, which is the best crimson Calceolaria in cultivation, while the old Anrantiaca is Btill one of the best among yellows, it is hardy, tree in growth, and stands rain well. James Simpson. CLASSIFIED LIST OF ALL THE KNOWN CEOCUSES. By J. G. BAKER, F.L.S., Assistant Curator of the Kew Herbarium. The following is a classified synonymic list of all the known Croouses, with their native countries. Sub-genus 1. Holostigma. Style divided into three entire stigmas. SPRING-PLOWEEING SPECIES. 1. C. chrysanthus (Roumelia and Asia Minor), syns., C. annu. latns, var. chrysanthus, C. croceus, C. sulphurens. 2. C. moesiacus (Banat, Greece, Asia Minor), syns., C. vernus, C. luteus, C. floribundus, C. lagenteflorus, var. luteus, var. aureus, stellaris, sulphurens, and lactens. 3. C. gargaricus (Asia, Minor), syn. C. Thirkeanus. 4. C. susianus (Crimea), syns. C. revolntus, C. retioulatus, C. Koegnerianus, var. immaculatus (Constantinople), Ancyrensis (Asia Minor) . 5. C. bifloms (south Europe), syns. C. ciroumscissus, C. annula- tus, var. biflorus, var. ragenteus (Central and Northern Italy), pusillus (sonthern Italy), Adami (Caucasus and Crimea), Weldeni (Dalmatia), nubigenus (Asia Minor). 6. C. versicolor (south-west France), syns. C. frngrans, C. cres- tensis, C. Reinwardtii(?). 7. C. suaveolens (south Italy). 8. C. minimus (Sardinia and Corsica), syns. C. insularis, C. cor- sicus, C. nanus. 9. C. banaticus (Mountains of Hungary, Transylvania, and Croa- tia), syns. C. Heuffellii, C. Heuffellianus, C. vittatus. 10. C. vernus (Central and Southern Europe, from France to the Crimea), var. albiflorus, obovatua, nivigenus, Tommasinianns, nervi- foliuB(?). 11. C. Sieberi (Greece, Crete, and Asia Minor), syns. C. nivalis, C. Sieberianua, C. sublimis, C. Sibthorpianus, var. Attious (Greece), Veluchensis (Greece and Translyvania), exiguus (Transylvania). 12. C. carpetanus (Spain). 13. C. reticulatus (Caucasus, Asia Minor, Austria), syns. C. varie- gatus, C. reticulatus, var. variegatus, C. maoranthus, var. albicans, Dalmaticus (Dalmatia), Etruscus (Tuscany). AUTUMN-FLOWERING SPECIES. 14. C. sativus (Italy), syns. C. Orsinii, 0. Haussknechtii (Kur. distan), C. intromissus (Damascus) (?). 15. C. Cartwrightianus (Greece). Ifi. C. Pallasii (Crimea). 17. C. Thomasii (South Italy), syn. C. Thomasianua. 18. C. Visiauicus (Dalmatia), syn. C. Pallasii, C. hybernas (Rou- uiolia) (?). 19. C. hadriaticua (Albania and Ionian Islands). 20. C. Cambessedesii (Majorca), syn. C. Cambessedegianus. 21. C. lazioas ( Vsia Minor). 22. C. peloponuesiacus (Greece). 23. 0. Kotsohyanus (Mountains of Gilicia), syns. C. zonatus, C. Karduchornm (?). 21. C. Soharojani (Western Caucasus, 6-7,000 feet.) Sub-genus 2. Odontostigma. Style divided into three stigmas, which are fringed or cut at the tip. SPEING-FLOWERING SPECIES. 25. C. Olivieri (Greece), syns. C. lagena3florus, C. Aucheri. 26. C. Suterianus (Anatolia), syn. C. chrysanthus. 27. C. aleppicus (Aleppo). 28. C. aerius (Mountains of Armenia, 0-7,000 feet), syn. C. Sib- thorpianus, var. stauricus, var. pulchrioolor (Bithynia). 29. C. laiperati (south Italy). AUTUMN-l'LOWERING SPECIES. 30. C. longiflorus (Sicily, Calabria), syn. C. odorus, C. serotinus, var. Meliteusis (Malta). 31. C. serotinus (Portugal) var. Salzmanni (Tangiers). 32. C. caspius (south shore of the Caspian). 33. C. vallicola (Mountains of Armenia), syn. C. Suwarrowianus. 34. C. ochroleucus (Palestine). 35. C. damasoenus (Damascus), syn. C. edulis. Sub-genus 3. Schizostigma. Style divided into three stigmas, each of which is again slit into numerous deep, slender, spreading lohes. SPRING-PLOWEEINQ SPECIES. 36. C. vitellinns (Palestine) syn. C. syriacus, var. Balanssa (Smyrna.) 37. C. syriacus (Aleppo). 38. C. Fleischeri (Asia Minor), C. Fleisoherianus, C. smyrnensis, C. candidus, C. penicillatus. 39. C. hyemaUs (Palestine), var. Gaillardotii (Anti-Lebanon range), AUTUMN-FLOWEEING SPECIES. 40. C. Clusii (Portugal), syns., C. Clusianus, C. autumnalis, var. mnltifidus. 41. C. Boryi (Greece and Ionian Islands), syns. C. ionicus, C. Veneris, var. levigatus (Greece), Tourneforti (Greek Ai-chipelago), and Orphanidis (Greece). 42. C. cancellatus (Ionian Isles, Greece, Asia Minor), syn. C. nudiflorus, C. Schimperi, C. Spruneri, C. dianthus, C. Mazziaricus, C. pylarum, C. cilicus. 43. C. modius (Nice, Piedmont). 44. C. nudiflorus (Pyrenees, Spain, Central Prance, and naturalised in England), syns. C. pyrenseus, C. multifidiis, C. speciosus) var. Asturicus (North Spain). 45. C. speciosus (Hungary, Transylvania, Crimea, Caucasus), syn, C. mnltifidus. 46. C. pulchellus (Turkey in Europe, Greece). 47. C. byzantinus (Banat, Transylvania, Wallaohia), syns. C. iridiflorus, C. banaticus, C. speciosus, C. Herbertianus, Crooiris iridiilora. — Journal of the Royal Horticultural Society. The Virginian Stock. — This is one of the hardiest of hardy annuals, and it will grow anywhere, either on a wall or a hard gravel path. Within a short distance of where I am writing, there is a broad band of this Stock now in full flower, growing in front of a cottage, on the edge of a gravel path close up to the building. I have noticed it in the same spot when passing for the last four or five years at this season, or soon after, coming regularly into bloom, and continuing to flower beautifully all through the spring. After it has done flowering, the seeds ripen and fall, the dead roots and branches are cleared off, and the gravel made tidy with the rake ; aud regularly, early in the autumn, a now crop springs up. The position is warm and sheltered, otherwise it seems to have had scarcely any attention. There are many bare untidy corners — not only in front of cottages, but many buildings of a more ambitious cast, which might be beautified in this or some similar way at a very trifling expense. — E. H. Various-flowered variety of St. Dabeoc's Heath. — Some few weeks since we met with, in the Knap llill Nursery, a variety of St. Dabeoc's Heath (Dabeocia polifolia varicolor) remarkable for the dissimilarity in the colour of its flowers. The plant, which is perfectly hardy, foi'ms a cushion-like, low, evergreen shrub, suitable, from its habit, for associating with such plants as hardy Heaths. Its chief peculiarity, however, is that its flowers are sometimes purple, some- times white, sometimes of various intermediate shades of bluish- white, pallid-purple, or pink. In the majority of cases, the spikes bear flowers uniform in colour, all purple, all bluish, or all white, but these are so mixed up on the plant, that it appears as though two or three varieties were accidentally associated in the tuft. That Feb. 14, 1874] THE GARDHlf. l39 they all spring from one source is, however, abundantly proved, by the fact that, from time to time, and not unfrequently, there appears a spike on which both pure purple and pure white flowers are associated, or even, sometimes, may be seen flowers in which one-half the tube is white and the- other half purple. Mr. Waterer has grown it for some years, with the view of testing the permanency of its character — which does not vary in the least. — Florist. THE BANNAT GLOBE THISTLE. Among the taller and more vigorous-gvowing plants which are seen to most advantage when growing amongst kindred subjects at the back of a border, or fringiug the margin of a shrubbery, or isolated in an open space, few are more eHec- tive than the bold hardy perennial to which wo here devote a few lines of description and recommendation. Some of our readers, are, no doubt, familiar with it (for it is a plant of no recent introduction), but to those who are not, we may describe it as a sturdy Thistle-like plant, of stiff and slightly branching habit, growing from 2 to 3 feet high, or more, with large, deeply- cut, spiny leaves, of a dull green dolour on the upper surface, and white and cottony beneath. The flowers are borne erect on the ends of the branches, and are arranged in large, sym- metrical, spherical heads, as shown in the illustration. They are of a fine azure-blue colour, and their effect is heightened by the delicate amethyst tint of the involucres, the bracts, and the upper part of the flower- stalks. The culture of this plant demands no particular instruc- tions . As in its native habitats it flourishes in the most arid, wild, and unpromising places, so does it appear quite indiffer- ent as to what kind of soil, or what position it may meet with in our gardens, and will not only live, but thrive, without even the common attention of water- ing,— a hardy, self-contained plant, with an unusual amount of vitality stored up in its rugged root-stock. Insensible of neglect, it presents, with its bold port, gracefully-cut leaves, and handsome flowers, one of the finest sights our gardens can boast of from June to August. It can be readily propagated either from seed, or by means of the underground shoots or runners which are emitted in great numbers from the root-stock. Native of the Bannat Mountains, in Hungary. This plant is sometimes sold under the name of E. Eitro ; the latter, however, is a much dwarfer species, with flowers only one-fourth as large as those of E. Bannaticus, and is, on the v/hole, a rather iiisigniflcant plant, while, as we have before stated, E. Bannaticus is a very ornamental one. W. M. materially from that of G. picta and its varieties, but is more undu- lated and of a lighter green colour. The flower-heads are from 2 to 2-i- inches across, and differ notably from those of G. picta, in the ray florets being more numerous, in the uniform deep cinnabar-red colour, which deepens to purplish-brown at the base, and in the scales of the involucrum being narrowly linear, arranged in three or four series, with spreading leafy tips. The disk florets are of a very deep blackish-purple colour, except those of the immediate centre, which are orange-yellow. It requires only the ordinary treatment of half-hardy annuals, and succeeds in any light soil. — W. TnCMPSON. Echinops Bannaticus. GaiUardia amblyodon.— The genus Gaillardia is well known to include some of the most popular border plants, equally valuable from their long blooming qualities, as dwarf bedders, or for furnish- ing cut flowers. The G. amblyodon has proved itself to be a very desirable and distinct addition to the older species, of the easiest culture and a most abundant bloomer. It grows to the height of 2.V feet, but commences flowering when little more than a foot high", each plant forming a dense bush, above which the flower-heads are elevated on rather long foot-stalks. The foliage does not differ NOTES AND QaESTIONS ON THE FLOWER QARDEN. Dianthus saxicola. — Few adtlitions have been made of late years to the list of cultivated species in this ;:reiiuti, ao that a new one will, doabtless, be welcome to the lovers of the variety. It is a desirable and distinct plant, succeeding well in the open border. It forms vigor- ous tufts of linear, pouited, slightly glaucous, foliage, 6 inches in length, from which arise stems about one foot in height, bearing numerous rather largo flowers of a delicate rosy-flesh colour, free from markings of any kind. — W. Sisjrrinchium grandiflorum.— This charming plant with its lovely purple bells has been blooming here, in the open air, for some time. It is one of the best plants with which I am acquainted for a cool house or pit. All the Sisyrin- chiums are interesting, many of them being very hardy, as well as beautiful, S. odoratissimum is delightfully fragrant. They only require to be better known to lie appreciated.— J. Morley. Romneya Coulteri.— This interesting novelty, received direct from California, is described by the collector as having very large handsome white Argemone- like flowers, 6 inches across, slightly fragrant, the stems being about 4 feet in height, and the foUage variously divided. It belongs to the Papaveracea;or Poppy worts, and in the " Treasury of Botany " is represented to form a connecting link between them and the Nympheeacejc and Sarraceniacea;. It is probably of peren- nial duration, and possibly hardy, but on that point experience is wanted. Lathyrus Sib thorp ii.— This is re- markable among perennial Lathyruses for the early period at which it blooms, and no less so for the tender rosy-purple or deep mauve colour of its flowers. In habit it is dwarf compared with L. lati- folius and its varieties, not often exceed- ing 3 feet. lu very young plants the merits of this species are not so evident, but when thoroughly established in good loamy soil, it forms one of tho greatest attractions of the spring border. It is a native of Greece, and was intro- duced thence by the illustrious Professor, whose name it bears, to the Botanic Gar- dens at Oxford. Limim Berlandieri.— This is a very dwarf species, not exceeding 6 or 8 inches in height, forming a tuft with numerous spreading stems, the flowers being produced in terminal corymbose racemes, with a corolla about an inch across when fully expanded, of a buff"y- yellow colour, which, at the base, deepens to Orange. It blooms from July to near the close of the summer. A native of Texas. It has been treated as a half- hardy annual, but may possibly succeed if sown in open ground iu sandy soil. As, however, it makes very long roots, transplantation will be facihtated by sowing in pots. Solanum rostratum.— The species of Solanum now in cultivation are already numerous, but the present one is sufficiently distinct in its character to obtain for it the sufTrages of many amateurs. It is an annual plant of about 2 feet in height, remarkable for having both surfaces of the leaves, as well aa the stem, and calyces covered with straight yellow spines or prickles. Tho foliage is pinnatifid, and thickly set with greyish stellate hairs. The flowers are large, of a showy yellow, and pilose externally. It is a native of tbo Colorado Plains, and requires only the treatment of the other half-hardy annual species. (Enotliera serrulata.— Notwithstanding the number of the species of this genus which are already cultivated in gardens, it will be admitted that there is still room for good annual species of dwarf habit, and devoid of the coarseness of foliage possessed by so many otherwise desirable plants. The CE. serrulata combines with both these reciuirements large bright yellow flowers, produced throughout the season. It grows scarcely more than a foot high, and com- mences flowering when but little more thaii half that height, the plant being of bushy growth, and clothed with neat lanceolate, serrulate foliage. The flowers have the great advantage of being diurnal, and of remaining open several days. It is a native of Texas, and has been treated as a half-hardy annual, but may succeed sown in the open border with subsequent transplantation,— W. Thompson's Cafahguc. 140 THE GARDEN. [Feb. 14, 1874. THE GARDENS OF ENGLAND. THE ABBEY GARDENS, BUEY ST. EDMUNDS. These attractive and really beautiful grounds consist of some 13 acres, and are iisually designated the Botanic Gardens, an appellation, however, to which they are hardly entitled ; for, although they contaia many rare and interesting plants, no attempt would appear to have been made to effect anything like scientific arrangement. They are, however, exceedingly interesting to the horticulturist, as well as to the antiquarian, occupying, as they do, the ancient site of the Abbot's Palace and Court. The grounds throughout are interspersed with portions of the pictm-esque and Ivy-clad ruins of that vast monastic establishment, which was founded about the year 037 by Siegebercht, the first Christian king of East Anglia. The principal entrance to the gardens is by the Abbey gate, on Angel Hill ; and this was also in former times the chief entrance to the monastery, and opened into the great court before the Abbot's Palace. The gate-house is some 50 feet long by 40 feet wide, aud is 62 feet high. It is considered to be one of the purest specimens extant of the decorated style of pointed architecture, the tracery, &c., displaying the most exquisite workmanship. Its erection was commenced during the year 1327, and was completed about 1377, and appears to have combined the strength of a fortress with the beauty of a highly ornamented gate-house. The strong hinges of the massive iron outside gate, the groove for the portcullis, and stations for archers, &c., being still to be seen; and all this precaution would appear to have been really necessary, as the former gateway, which this had replaced, was destroyed during an emeute of the townspeople in the year 1327. The site of the gardens is now the property of the Marquis of Bristol, and the idea of forming a garden upon the spot was first conceived by the late N. S. Hodson, Esq., an excellent practical botanist, and an enthusiastic horticulturist, who brought his valuable collection of rare plants to this place about the year 1831, where he would appear to have really contemplated the formation of a scientific or botanical establishment. But this idea he ap- pears to have ultimately abandoned in favour of the more ornamental and fashionable .style of embellishment, which was about that time coming into public favour. From the gate- house just mentioned, a broad gravel walk or promenade, 16 feet wide, extends eastward until within some 70 yards of the margin of the river Lark, and this walk is intersected by another of less width, which leads from a grassy mound on the south, which covers and protects some extensive ruins, and extends towards the northern parts of the grounds, where it branches into other walks or promenades, and, with the point of intersection of these two walks for a centre, a circle is described, and defined by a gravel walk enclosing an area of exactly an acre in extent; and this is laid out as a fiowor- garden in the form of a series of concentric flower-lseds, separated from each other by Ijroad belts of fine green sward, iu these are grown, during the summer months, most of the finer sorts of bedding and other plants, arranged in the most tasteful manner ; while in spring they are occupied by spring-Howering plants and bulbs, of which the gardens con- tain an extensive collection. On passing throusrh this circular group of gay fiowor-beds, an extensive ruin wUl be observed on the right, and within a short distance of the broad walk. This is now known as the " Abbot's Parlour," and is a portion of the Abbot's Palace— probably the dining hall. The palace would appear to have occupied the entire eastern side of the great court, communicatiTig with the conventual buildings on the south, and the various offices, dungeon, or prison of the monastery on the north. Among the crumbling ruins of the Bo-called "Abbot's Parlour " are several fine specimens of the common Horse Cliestnut (^sculus Hippocastamrm), which are evidently self-sown, and of considerable age, together with several Lime-trees (Tilia ruljra), while on the left of the broad walk, and in the line of the palace ruins, stands also a fine example of the true English Elm (Ulmus campestris), the noble trunk of which is enclosed by a circular seat, where, during the summer months, under the deep shade of its um- brageous boughs, visitors find an agreeable resting-place. These fine trees are all iu luxuriant health although their naked roots are, in many instances, worn and excoriated by the busy feet of children and numerous visitors. On reaching the eastern extremity of the promenade, between it and the I'iver, will be observed a hexagonal turret or tower, near some ruined and Ivy-clad arches. This is known as the " Dove Cot," but would appear to have been a place of defence of some sort, as there are still to be seen the stations and apertures for archers, and it fully commands the south side of the Abbot's Bridge, an ancient mural structure of three arches, supposed to have been built about the year 1148. It spans the river at the northern extremity of the grounds, and appears to have been the principal means of communication between the monastery and the ancient Yineyard of the establishment, some six or more acres in extent, and lying pleasantly upon the east bank of the river Lark, which separates the same from the gardens. On the east side, the Vineyard, or the Vine- fields as they are now called, are enclosed by a strong ancient wall, which is still in a good state of preservation. There are also still to be seen distinct traces of terraces, &c., and some kinds of herbs, such as the Alexanders (Smyrnium Olusatrum) so much cultivated in ancient gardens, but now entirely neglected, are frequently to be seen here. It was also here that the Eoyal Horticultural Society of London, in 1867, held its first provincial meeting. On the banks of the river are some very fine, large, and apparently very old Willow- trees, one of which was known as the " Abbot," and was un- fortunately prostrated during a gale of wind some few years since. There are also some very fine specimens of the black Italian Poplar, which were, however, so severely injured during the memorable winter of 1860, that they have not even now recovered from the effects of the frost. A little to the north of the Ivy-covered turret, now called the " Dove Cot," was formerly the " Bath," which was 20 yards square, and divided into several apartments, through which the little rivulet called the Linnet was made to fiow on its way to join the Lark near the Abbot's bridge. This junction is now effected at a point some half mile to the south. The ruins under the grassy mound just mentioned are sup- posed to be those of the dormitory and library, &o., of the monks, while the ruins to the south of this mound are those of the refectory, or the great dining-hall of the establishment. In this apartment sat the Parliament of 1446, presided over by King Henry VI. in person. To the west of this, on the south side of the gate-house, was the strangers' hall and almonry for the entertainment and relief of strangers and pilgrims ; while to the south-east of this mound are the in- teresting ruins of the church of St. Edmund, which was built about the year 1395. The walls arc of ruljble, and of immense thickness, and the mortar has acquired great power of resist- ance, and almost the hardness of granite itself. They have also been cased with hewn stone, apparently from the ((uarrics of Barnack in Northamptonshire ; and in this church was pre- served the sacred shrine of St. Edmund, before which kings were wont to lay aside their crowns, and to supplicate the aid of the so-called martyr. Against the Ivy-clothed ruin of one of the lofty piers are now fixed tablets recording the connec- tion of this interesting spot with Magna Charta. On entering the gardens by the Abbey gate, aud turning to the left, a broad walk will be found running parallel with the northern boundary wall of the monastery, which is still in good preservation, although the native yellow Wallflower (Cheu-anthus fruticulosus) finds upon its crumbling surface an ap]iropriate and congenial home. To this wall are also trained various climbing plants, such as the Glycine sinensis, the Jasminura revolutum, nudiflorum, &c., while, abutting also upon it are sundry detached lean-to glass structures, which are devoted to the culture of various varieties of tender plants, and arc arranged on each side of an ornamental-fronted summer- house. One of these structures is devoted to the culture of exotic Perns, another to that of Succulents, of which a goodly collection is cultivated, and some of which are exceedingly large, and fine specimens of these curious-looking and interest- ing plants, the culture of which has, of late, become more fashionable than formerly. There is also a small, but good, cxam]ilc of " Board's Patent Metallic Houses," devoted to the growth of ilowering-.plants of various sorts, for which purpose it is admirably suited, being light, elegant, and strong, together Feb. 14, 1874.] m THE QAEDBN. 141 with various other glass erections, span-roofed as well as lean-to, for the accommodation and propagation of bedding and other plants. Near to one of the glass structures, upon a border sloping towards one of the principal walks, was a creditable example of the " carpet style " of planting beds and borders; and, in this instance, the material used was composed principally of the Echeveria secunda glauca and metallica, Sempervivum californicum, Sedum glaucum, the various sorts of Alternan- thera, and the golden ITeverfew. The various clumps of orna- mental trees and shrubs are all margined with hardy herbaceous plants and spring-flowering bulbs ; while specimens of rare trees and shrubs are also tastefully distriljuted throughout the grounds, conspicuous amongst which is a fine specimen of the Ailantus glandulosa, or Tree of Heaven, so called on account of its lofty growth. This tree was transplanted to the spot it now occupies, when of considerable dimensions, about the year 1831, and is now some 80 feet m height, and is a finely- formed tree. It stands to the right of the promenade when entering the gardens by the Abbey gate, while on the left is a plant of the Valouia Oak (Quercus JSgilops), or the "Trojan Oak," as it is called here, the Acorn from which it sprung having been picked up fifty years ago on the banks of the Simois, in the breezy plains of classic Troy, by the Rev. Arthur Young, nephew of the celebrated writer on Suffolk agricul- ture. This species of Oak was introduced into this country from the Levant so early as the year 1731, but does not appear to have taken kindly to the soil and climate of the British Isles, and is still scarce, although, on account of the great value of its bark, attempts have been made to naturalise it, but, hitherto, those attempts have not been attended with success. The Acorn cups are shaggy, and bear a fanciful resemblance to the face of a goat, hence it specific name. They are also said to be fully as rich in tannin as the bark itself ; but out of a bushel of Acorns sent to this country by Mr. Young only about eighty germinated, although they were gathered when quite ripe and falling, and were packed and transmitted to this country with gi'eat care. Still, it is quite possible, that they may, to some extent, have Ijecome heated during their transit, and their germinative power, consequei\tly, impaired. Of the plants raised from the Acorns thus sent by Mr. Young, one was planted in the gardens here, where it continued to thrive, until the terrible winter of 1860-61, when it was so severely punished that it has not even now recovered from the effects of the same. It still, however, exists, and is regarded as a Uving and interesting memento, not only of a locality famed in Homeric story, but, also, of the author of the " Annals," whose writings and character were so universally esteemed. Near to this Oak is a fine plant of the cnrled- leaved Elm (Ulmus crispa), and various species of the Lime- tree, such as Tilia heterophylla and parvifolia ; the cut-leaved Beech (Fagirs incisa), and many other beautiful and interesting trees and shrubs. The soil or the situation, however, docs not appear to be well suited to the growth of Conifers, although the grounds contain some good specimens of the Austrian Pine, also some thriving young plants of the Welling- tonia gigantea, which appear to be at home in all sorts of soils and situations. Near the northern boundary of the grounds, and contiguous to the Abbot's Bridge, before alluded to, is the residence of the present lessee of the gardens, Mr. Pettit, to whom the greatest credit is due for the admirable manner in which he keeps the gardens ; and for the facility which he affords to the inhabitants of the town and neighbour- hood to enjoy the same, as well as for his courtesy and atten- tion to visitors. P. Grieve. Calla palustris in Su.rrey.— Calla palustris was originally planted in North Surrey so far back as 1861, and is now quite establiahed. I have no doubt that this is Mr. Gardener's station. It is also one of the plants recommended for naturalisation in " Alpine Flowers " (p. 102) :— It is thoroughly hardy, and though often grown in water, likes a moist bog much better. In a bog, or muddy place, shaded by trees to some extent, it will grow larger in flower and leaf, though it is quite at home, even when fully exposed. Those having natural bogs, Ac., would find it a very interesting plant to introduce into them, while for moist spongy spots near tho rock-garden, or by the side of a rill, it is one of the best things that can be used. — E, A. Pryor, in Science Qossip. GARDEN DESTROYERS. MEALY BUG. It is well that this insect is principally confined to such plants as are grown in heat, or it would render the cultivation of many things well nigh impossible. The insect will certainly live even through the winter on greenhouse plants ; but here it increases so slowly and spreads so little, that it does not do much harm, further than there is always danger, when stove and greenhouse plants are mixed somewhat for decorative purposes (as they frequently are in the summer season), of the bugs getting from any infested greenhouse plants that happen to come in contact with the occupants of the stove. The' worst circumstance connected with mealy bug is, that it does not alone exist upon plants, but, where it is allowed to get to a considerable head, it gets into the woodwork, under the lights, cracks and joints, in the rafters, even in the brickwork; consequently, if all the plants in a house were thoroughly cleaned or destroyed, it would be sure to make its appearance on any fresh ones that may be introduced into a house that was infested with the insect. It will also live upon almost any description of plant grown in heat in the summer season, or, even in winter where much heat is used ; it increases very fast. There is one circumstance that slightly mitigates its objectionable presence ; that is, the plants it feeds upon are not injured thereby to so great an extent as they are by some insects, but, if left unmolested, it increases to such an extent as to virtually smother the plants ; its excrement coating over the surface of the leaves, clogging up the pores as completely, almost, as if they had received a coat of varnish. On Vines. On Vines it is an intolerable pest, requiring more labour to keep it under than the crop is worth. The bunches get almost as bad as if they had been smeared with treacle, and, whatever care is employed in keeping it down, the bloom and general appearance is destroyed. Where Vines are affected, as soon as the leaves are off, prune, and take them down ; scrub and paint every portion of wood and iron, point and whitewash the brickwork. All the loose old bark must be removed, getting well into every crevice about the spurs. To a gallon of water add as much clay as will bring it to the consistency of pamt, to which add 1 lb. of flowers of sulphur, and 4 oz. of Gishurst; stir all well together, and paint the canes all over twice, getting the mixture into every crack or interstice in the bark. This must be completed before there ia any indication of the buds pushing, or they will be injured ; and, if the dressing is well done, no bugs will appear the following season. In the Pig-house they are more difiicult to deal with, as the young fruit are liable to drop off through the application of any dressing that will kill the insects ; yet there are not so many hiding places on the bark of Figs as upon Vmes. As soon as the leaves are off, give three dressings with Abyssinian mixture, using it at 4 oz. to the gallon. If this is carefully applied it will effectually destroy the bugs. The house must undergo a similar cleansing to that recommended for Vmeries. Pines that are affected with mealy bug are not worth the labour of cleaning ; and the best course to follow is to destroy them, thoroughly cleansmg the house, and commencing afresh with a clean stock. Upon Cucumbers and Melons this insect thrives apace, and the plants will not stand any dressing suffi- ciently strong to kill them. It sometimes happens that plants affected cannot for a time be spared ; then it becomes necessary to keep the insects as well under as possible with the sponge and syringe, using clean tepid water ; but, wherever the plants can be done without, the best plan is to destroy them, giving the house a thorough cleaning before starting a fresh lot. Mealy bug is, by far, the most difficult insect to thoroughly eradicate where once it gets established ; and, as I have already said, there is no possibility of its complete destruction, except persistent action until every trace of it disappears. In many places, in the winter season, its numbers are reduced so that very few can be found ; but sufficient escape to furnish a breedmg stock in the spring, when it begins to increase, and in a few weeks it is as plentiful as ever, entailing a repetition of aU the work ; whereas, if a little more perseverance had been employed, its destruction would have been complete ; and 142 THE GAEDBN. [Feb. 14, 1874. nothing less titan this should be deemed sufficient. More especially as there is this incentive, that it is not, like such insects as thrips, red spider, or aphides, that are sure to make their appearance yearly ; for, if once it is completely destroyed, there is no fear of its re-appearance unless it is broiaght in on some infected plant. Remedies for Mealy Bug. Where the plants in a house are infested with mealy bug, nothing but perseverance will effect its thorough destruction. No one or two dressings, however carefully applied, will reach all the insects or their eggs. Spirits of wine, turpentine, and several preparations sold for its destruction, have been recom- mended, applying them with a small camel's-hair brush to the axils of the leaves and other affected parts. Where only a single small plant or two are affected, these may answer ; but, where it has spread over any considerable number, it takes more time than the plants would be worth. Any little plants that I get which are affected with the insect have to undergo a rigid quarantine, by placing them at one corner of a house away from everything else, until I am sure they are quite clean. When all or any considerable number of the occupants of a house are affected, the only way is to commence at one end, dipping the small stock, and thoroughly washing with the syringe every part of the larger plants, from their junction with the soil upwards. "Abyssinian Mixture," or Fowler's " Insecticide," 4 oz., or .5 oz. t o the gallon, are the only prepara- tions I have found effectual for the thorough destruction of this insect, without injuring some or other of the plants. Every plant, as it is washed, should be removed to another house until the whole are gone through. Clear out all tan, or similar plungiug material ; scrub all the woodwork with water, soap, and brush ; stop up all cracks or open joints ; give two coats of paint, getting well to the under-side of all slide-lights and ventilators ; point all brickwork, especially under the wall-plates, and finish by two good coats of white- wash. Where the insect has been allowed to get to such a head as I have sometimes seen it, there is no certainty of effectually destroying it without the work is so completed as not to leave a single place such as described where it can lodge. When the house is fit for the plants, return them, and in ten days from the time of their first washing give them another dressing, going thoroughly over them as in the first. This should be repeated in all four times. Do not omit a single plant, no matter whether any insects can be found upon it or no ; for there possibly may be a nest of eggs in some cracks in the bark undetectable, and, if such were the case, all the work would go for nothing. I once had this insect in five of the houses, upon everything that it would live upon, more or less. Vines included ; the labour in keeping it down by the use of sponge and brush was such that I found it impossible to go on as we were, so I came to the conclusion that there was no resource but trying to destroy it altogether. We began about the end of September, when the plants were just maturing their growth and the insect not breeding so fast. Washing the plants took two men six weeks, and it was about the best spent labour I ever employed. Twice since 1 have caught the insect at exhibitions, from the plants coming in contact with others badly affected with it (plants in such condition should not be admitted to any exhibition), and the insect had spread over a considerable number of the occupants of a house before it was observed ; three or four dressings, such as above de- scribed, effectually cleared them. It had not got possession of either wood or brickwork. Orchids, from the repeated sponging they undergo for other insects, do not often suffer much from this, except plants with ample foliage, such as Sobralias, Phajus, or Peristerias ; with these, perseverance in use of sponge and brush is all the remedy that can be safely employed. The insect will live upon Ferns ; yet, here it does not increase so fast, but the plants will not stand any dressing strong enough to kill it. Copious syringing during the growing season, and extra washings with clean water, laying the plants down on their sides, are all that can be done. In large houses, such as are devoted to Palms, they spread rapidly, and there is little chance of completely clearing them ; these plants will bear large quantities of water overhead, by which moans they may be kept from getting to an unmanageable head. Where conservatory climbers are infested with the bug, it is useless to clean the general occupants of the house unless the climbers are thoroughly cleansed. When at rest they must be cut back into the hard wood, ta.ke them off the wu-es, and immerse them overhead for two hours in Abyssinian mixture, 8 oz. to the gallon. T. Baines. THE BLACKBIRD. I HAVE to thank your correspondent " R." (see p. 110) for drawing my atteutiou to Tennyson's verses condemning the destruction of blackbirds for theii' fruit-eating propensities. Probably the poet's squares of finiit-trees are only of limited extent, and, if lie lost all fcis fruit by the aid of his feathered friends he would possibly not feel the loss very much. With gardeners, however, the case is different, and reason has to be preferred to rhyme in their dealing with blackbirds when too numerous, so as to preserve their fruit from their ravages. It all comes to this, that some birds must be kept under when too destructive, and others protected when they are found to be insect or wild-seed eaters. I hope " R." will pardon me for my presumption in composing and inscribing the following verses to him on the blackbird : — O ! blackbu'd ! though you whistle well, We gardeners grudge to pay its price, By your raids on our fruits so nice, In number more than tongue can tell. We're charmed to hear you in the spring. Perch' d on some Oak, or taU Ash tree. Pealing your notes mth thrilling glee, — ■ To us as a peace-offering. But when each Rasp' or Gooseberry-bush In fruit, shows forth a ripening tint, Then you black minstrels take the hint. And from the " Woodlands" make a rush. The espahers, and the standards, aU Are riiled of their choicest fruits. Even those on trees, with straggling shoots Are not safe on the netted wall. Your golden bills flash in our sight, And give, when flush' d, an angry sound, As much as tell us that the ground, And plots of fruits are yours by right. Take warning ! for the steel rat-traps Will thin youi" numbers day by day, Despite what all the poets say, And other sentimental chaps. William Tillehy. Welbeck Gardens. Ants. — Of recipes that have been published for the destruction of ants, I have found boiUng water to be the most effectual, but it cannot always be applied, for not unfrequently their nests occur amongst the crocks in Orchid pots. On Saturday last I had occasion to get a square of glass put in an inside door of one of our Orchid houses, and in less than two hours I noticed that the new putty was literally brown with ants, I therefore put five or six lumps of putty in different parts of the house, and they were immediately covered with these little pests. My plan is to have a piece of putty about the size of a teacup, in a rather soft state, then to go to the lumps previously laid down and to dab it on them, a plan by which thousands may bo trapped in a few minutes. Then mix the ants up in the putty, and it is ready to lay down again. — E. Whiibhead, Blad^burn. THE AMERICAN ALOE. TuE American Aloe first flowered in Britain in 1774, in the gardens of Cliff House, Salcombe, South Devon, and was con- sidered one of the greatest horticultural curiosities of the age, people being admitted to see it by ticket, and the popular belief of the day was, and, amongst many, still is, that the Aloe only blossoms when the plant is 100 years old, and then die. Almost every year Aloes bloom in the gardens around this neighbourhood, but arc seldom of such magnitude and symmetry as is rejircsentcd in the annexed illustration. This magnificent plant is forty-five years of age, and has been all that time on a terrace close to the sea in Lord Kingsale's beautiful seat, Ringrone, Salcombe, Kingsbiidge, South Devon. The plant first showed signs of blooming in the middle of May last, and was in full flower in the middle of October, when the photograph was taken from which our engraving has been made. The flower-stem grew at first from 3 to 4 inches a day, but the rate of growth gradually became less and less as tho Feb. 14, 18?4.] THE GAllCEK. 143 blossoms were developed ; the number of flowering-branches is 40, and the average number of blossoms on each branch 152, making a total of about 6,000. The plant is 25 feet 6 inches high, and the average length of the leaves is 6 feet ; they are armed vf ith dangerous hooks on the sides, and a long sharp native of Southern America what the Date Palm is to the African, or the Eice plant to the Chinese and Hindoos. From the juice they make a luscious wine called pulque ; from the leaves they extract a beautiful silk-like fibre of great length, from which they weave various articles for clothing ; of the dry An American Aloe in bloom at Lord Kmgf?ale's, in Devon. spiKc at the end, so hard that the natives of South America use them as nails. The circumference of the body of the plant is Ob feet, that of the stem 13 inches. The fact of these tropical plants growing in Devon is enough to show how very mild the climate of that county is. These Aloes are to the stems they make the framework of their huts, which are covered and surrounded with the leaves ; and the plant itself is placed thickly together round the garden or fold, to form a hedge, its very defensive armour keeping out all comers ; and, when dead and dry, all parts of the plant supply fuel. Lambton Young. 144 THE GAEDBN. [Feb. 14, 1874. THE KITCHEN GARDEN. THE POTATO DISEASE AND ITS PEEVENTION. By Wil. TILLERT, Welbeck. It is said that the Potato disease was 'prevalent both amongst the wild and cultivated varieties in South America long before it reached our shores ; and, in Germany, Von Martius has described it under the name of the " moist gangrene," and as having done great injury to the crops there from 1830 to 1811. In the United States of North America, and in Canada, it was likewise detected a few years before 1845, the year when it first appeared most virulently on the continent, and in the British Islands a month or two later. A microscopic Fungus or mildew, now named Peronospora infestans, is known as the minute parasite attendant on the disease, bnt, whether it produces it, or only appears as an attendant after the mischief begins, remains yet to be discovered. From the experi- ments of De Bary, it is stated that he has produced the disease by placing the spores of the Fungus on the leaves of healthy-growing Potatoes ; and, if this is found to be correct by other experi- mentalists, there can be no doubt as to the cause. At the present time, however, we only know that it generally appears in wet sum- mers, about the middle of July, all through August, and in the beginning of September ; and that, in a certain stage of the Potato's growth — namely, about the ripening period — any experienced grower of Potatoes, who has studied the disease for any length of time, can tell to a few days when his crops will be stricken by it. This always occurs in very wet weather with a high temperature ; and, if thunder-storms prevail during the time, with the atmosphere close and sultry, the black specks on the leaves and haulm will spread more rapidly, but that electricity is the principle cause of it, it is, I think, " not yet proven." Rest Fungus Spores. Some experiments were made in 1846 by mo in fumigating the Bound and diseased Potatoes, on purpose to destroy the rest-spores of the Fungus ; the results, however, were not encouraging. A large close Mushroom-house in the garden was fitted np with shallovr shelves, and the apparently sound and diseased tubers were placed on them in thin layers. The fumigation of them was done with chlorine gas and sulphur, in the following way, namely, 2 lbs. of the black oxide of manganese and 1 lbs. of common salt were mixed together, and put into saucers, and Slbs. of sulphuric acid poured over the mixture to evolve the gas, which was kept close in the house for a few days. Afterwards, 3 lbs. of flowers of sulphur was ignited, and the fumes of it kept close in the house for three hours, making a sufficiently strong dose to destroy the spores of any Fungus it could reach. All the tubers which had been fumigated, and were fit for planting in ■ the spring of 1847 were planted in a field of fresh soil prepared on purpose for them, but, at lifting time, the crop was found as diseased as the others not operated upon in another field. The cost of pre- paring the chlorine gas and sulphur was as follows, namely :— 2 lbs. of black oxide of niangancso, at Id. per lb., 8d. ; 8 lbs. of sulphuric acid, at 4d. per lb., 2s. Sd. ; 3 lbs. of sulphur, at 4d. per lb., Is. ; 4 lbs. of common salt., at Id. per lb., 4d. — total, 4s. 8d. A new para- sitic mildew, the Oidium Tuckeri, has of late years attacked the cultivated Grape Vine, but gardeners can now conquer it by dusting llovvers of sulphur on the foliage and young bunches of the Grapes when it first appears on them, and by paying proper attention to the ventilation of their Vineries. With the Potato plant, however, it is quite different, for if the rest-spores of the Fungus are deposited in the inside cells of the tubers, no dusting, dipping, or fumigation will reach to destroy them. In 1848 when the late Lord Howard De Walden was our ambassador at Lisbon, he sent from Portugal three tons of a red Kidney Potato, a variety which was warranted never to have had the disease there. They were all kept for setting, and planted in the spring of 1849 in a field of newly broken up light forest soil. In the same field were planted some of a strong-growing kind, named the Farmer's Profits, and at lifting time they showed less of the disease than the Portuguese variety. Now, if these red Kidneys never had the disease in Portugal, there could have been no resl-sporcs in the tubers, nor in the soil, for the field had never grown Potatoes before. To show that the infection did not proceed from being planted in the same field with the other variety, some of the Portuguese Potatoes were planted in a plot by themselves, and not near any other sort, and they proved quite as diseased as the others at raising time. Under shelter of a glass-covered wall here of great length, and used principally for growing orchard-house fruit trees, some experiments have been tried by me in growing Potatoes of both early and late varieties, to see if the disease would appear on them when grown under glass. In 1872, when the trials first com- menced, no disease appeared on any of the early kinds grown in pots, and which ripened in May and June, bnt in the end of July a row of Eiivers's Ashleaf planted out in the border showed slightly some specks of the mildew on the leaves, but when the tubers were lifted, they were not in the least infected with it. Some Tomatoes fruiting at the same time in this erection were likewise attacked in the fruit with the black specks of the disease, but not on the foliage. A row of Dalmahoy Regents was planted late in May in the border of the same house to see if the disease would appear on them in September or October, but they were lifted quite sound in November. This year, in the same structure, some more experiments were tried by me in growing both very early and late Potatoes in a very moist state by frequently syringing them, as well as watering their roots with liquid manure made from horso-droppings, and full of ammonia. The earliest kinds were planted in the border in the beginning of February, and were frequently syringed on the tops and watered at the roots with this liquid manure to see if the disease would appear on them at the ripening period in May. I suppose, however, that the temperature was not high enough for its development, for they kept all quite sound till lifted. Another row was planted in April to ripen about the period of the earliest planted in the open air in July, and a still later row to ripen in August and September. They were all grown in the very rich soil of the border, and kept well watered with the liquid manure at times, but no rain ever reached them all the time of their growth, and on lifting them no diseased tubes were found in any of the rows. Dry Seasons v. tlie Disease. Prom the above experiments it would seem that if we could keep our Potato crops free from rain in very wet summers, and from other atmospheric influences during their ripening period, they would be safe from the disease. As this, however, cannot be done, the next palliative is to plant them in the driest and best soils, and to give them more space in the rows for the circulation of the air to keep the haulm and foliage drier in wet weather. That the influence of wet and dry summers has a great effect on the Potato disease is now sufficiently known to all growers of them. In 1845, the year in which the disease first appeared in the British^ islands to any extent, the months of June, July, and August were excessively wet, the rain- fall here being nearly 12rJ- inches. In August alone the rainfall was 6^ inches, with a high temperature at times during the month, and, had the peculiar signs of the disease been known then as now, there is no doubt but that it would have been detected sooner than it was. By the end of September the crops in the fields were all dead on the tops, and on taking up here the produce of a field of nine acres on 9th of October the tubers were found to be quite one-half diseased. In 181-6, the year of the Potato famine in Ireland, the month of August was again very wet, Ij inches of rain having fallen here during its course, with frequent thunder-storms, and the temperature high when they occurred. The disease again appeared virulently by the end of August and beginning of September, and there was a great loss in the crops at lifting time. In 1848 there was a rainfall here of 35 inches (the average annual rainfall being about 25 inches), the months of August, September, and October being very wet. la August there were twenty-one rainy days, and from the 21st till the end of the month frequent thunder-storms occurring, with an accom- panying high temperature. In the beginning of September the disease appeared in it worst form amongst the late varieties of Potatoes in the fields. In 1852, another very wet year was registered here, bnt the rainfalls in July and August were much below the average, and the mean temperature being rather low, the disease was not so general nor so virulent as in other wet years. In October, November, and December, however, the rainfall was excessive here, nearly 12 inches having fallen, and the usual quantity of winter Wheat could not be sown on strong soils. The result was, therefore, a most deficient Wheat crop in 1853. In ISGO, when the next vei-y wet summer occurred, the rainfall here, in July, August, and Septem- ber, was above 11 inches, of which more than 5 inches fell in August, the temperature, however, in these months was much below tho average, with no thunder. storms or sultry weather, and the disease was, therefore, not so general as usual in wet years. In 1861 and 1862 the disease was again very general and bad, and in the very wet autumn of 18G7 there was a great loss sustained by all growers, from its attacking their field Potatoes later than usual, and from supertnberation from a second growth. Perhaps the disease was never more general and virulent than in 1872, for it appeared early in July amongst tho early kinds of Potatoes, and all the late crops were hopelessly stricken by it before the middle of August. From the 9th until the 14th of July there were thunder-storms with heavy rain every day, with the temperature nearly tropical, and, therefore, suitable for the development of the disease amongst the unliftcd early and second early crops, and they were found a mass of rotten, ness when raised. Tho rainfall hero in 1872 was 38 inches 25 being the largest quantity I have ever registered in the thirty-six Feb. 14, 1874] THE GAEDEN. 145 years of my keeping the register. In the present year the rainfall has been below the average, January and August being the rainiest months. In the spring both the early and late varieties of Potatoes were planted under favourable circumstances as regards the weather, and I never recollect in any year seeing better and sounder crops of the early kinds lifted. At all the local vegetable shows in this dis- trict it was remarked by the judges, that better samples never came before them, being very large, clear in tho skins, and disease of tubers at a minimum. In the latter portion of July and the first half of August the weather was very dry and warm, and suitable for ripening all tho early and second early kinds, and all intended for seed were stored free from disease. In tho last i^ortion of August, however, a succession of rainy days, with thunder-storms, occurred, and the disease attacked the late crops on wet soils and in low situa- tions, but it is to be hoped that the loss will not be so great as in 1872 as tho general crop is so good. Early and second-early varieties best. In the intervening years between the above-stated wet ones, the disease did little injury to the general crops of Potatoes, and in the particularly dry and warm summers and autumns of 1868 and 1870, it was only seen in a few damp and low localities ; but it is par- ticularly worthy of notice that it has appeared more or less every year since 1845. There is not the least doubt but that some of our best keeping early and second early varieties of Potatoes can be thoroughly ripened in July, before the disease can attack them so as to cause much loss in the crops. This I have proved since 1846, by growing large quantities for consumption and for keeping ; and in letters that year to the leading joui'nals and the Economist, I pro- mulgated this practice as the safest way of growing our Potato crops for the future. It is said by many growers that the early- ripened sorts will not keep good or long enough to supply the markets with the mealy and good flavoured varieties of tho Lapstouc and Regent sections. This may not be the case at present, but new seedlings of first-rate properties as to keeping qualities, flavour, and eai'ly ripening, will soon be selected by nurserymen and other groweis . to sell to their customers. The following is a list of early and second early varieties of the Kidney kind, which I have proved to be excellent croppers and keepers, namely: — Mona's Pride, Myatt's Prolific, Veitch's and Rivers's Ashleaf, and a new sort, sent out by the Messrs. Lee, of Hammersmith, under the name of the Hammer, smith Early Kidney. Of the round or pebble-shaped section of the early and second early kinds, the best I have tried are the following : — Coldstream Early, Harbinger, The Clipper, and Champion (all three seedlings of Bell & Thorpe's) ; StyfEe Castle Seedling, Headley's Early Nonpareil, Barfitt's Seedling, Daintree's Early, and Yorkshire Hero. Some other seedlings, raised by Messrs. Feun and Dean, have been certificated by the Royal Horticultural Society, and they will doubtless meet the demand for good early keeping kinds when they send them out for sale. The American new sorts of Potato, which have lately been introduced into this country, arc a very distinct race in their foliage and dwarf habit, and some of them are very early ripeners, such as the Early Rose, Prolific, and King of tho Barlies. They are all good croppers, but some of them have a peculiar earthy flavour when giovm on strong soils, and they are all as much subject to tho disease as our own varieties in wet seasons. They evidently do best in warm dry summers, for this year, with me. Climax, Peerless, and Prolific have been excellent in flavour and very productive, and free from the disease. They will, doubtless, be very useful for crossing with some of our best sorts for raising seedlings of a dwarf habit and early ripening properties. All our best flavoured mealy sorts are very subject to tho disease, such as the Flukes, Lapstoues, and Regents, and seedlings crossed between them and the American varieties might have a better constitution. I have no great faith in resorting to any of the wild varieties of Potatoes of South America for raising seedlings from, for in 18-18 I raised some plants from Peruvian seeds, and when their tubers got largo enough for use, I found them of bad flavour, and the disease attacked them in the same way as our native sorts. They were something like in the foliage, and had the dull red skins and white flowers of the American varieties lately sent out. Although no kind of Potatoes may be said to be cjuite free from the disease in bad seasons, yet some are so little affected by it that a sound crop may always be reckoned on, and they all belong to the very late ripening varieties, with red leathery skins, and strong woody haulm. Last year, when the disease was so prevalent, I grew here good crops of tho Ked-skinned Flour-ball, Wood's Scarlet Prolific, and Millett's Manifold, and the stems kept green and grovfing till cut down by the frost. The quaUties of these varieties, however, are not very good as regards flavour, being better roasted than boiled, but they keep well in the spring without sprouting, and are well adapted for feeding pigs or cattle, which is a recommendation. Desirability of raising Seedlings. Before the Potato disease appeared in this country, some favourite old varieties, which had been some years in cultivation, gradually wore out and disappeared, and new seedlings took their places. Some forty years ago I can remember, for field cultivation, the red and white Dons and the Perthshire Rough Reds, so much run Upon in the London markets, the Breadfruits likewise (the progenitors of the Regent section), and Taylor's Fortyfold, were favourite kinds ; but they have all now nearly disappeared from the nurserymen's lists. In some seasons, then, there was a disease named the dry rot, or gangrene, which attacked the tubers, but it did not affect the general crop, nor cause any great alarm amongst growers of Potatoes when it did appear. At that time some of the varieties grew such immense crops of seed-plums, that cartloads could have been gathered in the fields at lifting time ; but we seldom now see any of the kinds seed so freely as they did then, unless in exceptionally warm summers. The Potato plant being an exotic, there is no doubt but that our changeable and wet climate has an effect on its constitution, and makes the raising of seedling varieties a necessity, as they seldom continue longer in cultivation than from ten to twelve years. Some of our best kinds, such as the La,pstones, Flukes, Regents, and tlie second-early Kidneys, reproduce seedlings of the same type, so that there is no fear of any degeneration in them. A few years ago, tho late Mr. Paterson, of Dundee, raised some seedling varieties of great merit, and which are still cultivated in quantities for tho market ; but they will gradually have to succumb to newer and better sorts. Storing Seed Potatoes. The keeping and preparing Potatoes for setting is a great point, and the best results have been recorded of early kinds, where the tubers have been "greened " in the open air before being stored for the winter. If they are packed in shallow boxes, with the eye-ends upwards, a great quantity can be put together in a small space j and, being allowed to sprout slowly by keeping them in cool places safe from frost, the shoots become still: and hardy at planting-out time. No hurry is then required in the spring mouths for planting them out, until the weather and soil are favourable for that operation. These hardy-sprouted tubers, when set whole, and their shoots appear above ground, will withstand the spring frosts better, and come in earlier, than those planted in the autumn or in the early spring months. Of course it is not possible for extensive growers of late varieties to adopt this plan ; but their Potatoes intended for setting might be placed thinly on the floors of outbuildings or sheds, and frequently turned to keep them from sprouting too much. Temporary sheds might likewise be erected for this purpose, the walls being made with thick sods, and lined with dry Fern or straw, and the roof thatched with any waste materials to keep out the rain and frost. Doors should be made at each end, to be opened for ventilation in mild weather, to prevent the tubers from sprouting too much. Planting and Manuring. Some recommend autumn planting, and it may answer in light soils, if tho precaution is taken to plant the sets deeper than they usually are, so as to bo out of tho reach of severe frosts. On strong undrained soils, however, I have often seen the sets rot in the ground, from grubs eating into them, and the crop suffered in con- sequence. Autumn-planted Potatoes, therefore, run more risks than the spring-planted, and they do not, as a rule, come in any earlier ; so that the advantage of the system is not greater for warding off the disease. Very late planting in the spring is another panacea recom- mended by some enthusiastic growers of Potatoes, who say that, if they are not ripe enough in August and September, the disease will not attack them to cause any loss in tho crop. Last year I planted some rows of Myatt's Prolific in the middle of June on purpose to see if they would escape ; but, on lifting them in October, they showed more diseased tubers than any I have yet raised. Some more rows of late varieties were planted at the same time as tho Prolifics, and were showing sturdy growth until the frosts, on tho mornings of the 2yth and 30th of September, blackened all their tojis, and the tubers were so small that they were not worth the lifting. That the manures used for growing Potatoes havo a great influence on the disease is now well known to all cultivators of them. For tho late crops, perhaps, stable or farm, yard manure, if well decomposed when used, is as safe as any. When ten tons of this manure is applied per acre at planting. time to land in good condition, and a top-dressing of 3 cwts. of best guano mixed with the same quantity of wood or coal-ashes, put on in showery weather in April, it will make an excellent stimulant for forcing oa the crop. The cost per acre for this manure will be about £4 13s., viz. : 10 tons best decomposed farm manure, at 6s. per ton, £3 ; 3 cwt. best guano, at lis. per cwt., £1 13s. — total, £4 13s. Another good manure for strong soils, if they are rich in organic matter, is about 146 The GAiiDBM. [Feb. 14., ISU. 30 bushels of soot, and 12 cwt. of salt mixed together, and put into the drills at planting time ; this quantity will do for an acre, and the cost will be about, for 30 bushels of soot, at 7d. per bushel, 17s. 6d. for 13 cwt. of salt, at Is. 6d. per cwt., 18s. — total, £1 ISs. 6d. Guano, if of the best quality, is highly stimulating, and, when used in the drills, should be mixed with wood, peat, or coal-ashes, at the rate of 4 cwts. of guano and 2 tons of ashes to manure an acre, at the cost of £3 4s., viz. : 4 cwts. best guano, at lis. per cwt., £2 4s. ; 2 tons best charcoal-dust or peat, at 10s. per ton, £1 — total, £3 4s. If coal- ashes are used the manure will be cheaper. For light sandy soils salt is an excellent fertiliser, and it likewise forms a crust on the surface of the drills and keeps the high winds from levelling them. If used in the drills at the rate of 20 cwts. of salt and 12 bushels of soot per acre the cost will be about £1 17s., viz. : 20 cwts. of salt at Is. 6d. per cwt., £1 10s.; 12 bushels of soot, at 7d. per bushel, 7s. — total, £1 173. I have used the sulphates of soda aud magnesia mixed with the nitrate of potash as a top-dressing in the following propor. tions, and at the cost of about £2 9s. 6d. per acre, viz. : 1 cwt. of the sulphate of soda, at 18s. per cwt., 18s. ; 1 cwt. of the sulphate of magnesia, at 18s. per cwt., 18s. ; J cwt. of the nitrate of potash, at £1 73. Od. per cwt., 133. 6d.— total, £2 93. 6d.* VYhen this mixture was put on the drills in showery weather in April or May it promoted the growth of an excellent crop of Potatoes, quite free from the disease, on very rich soil that formerly produced a very diseased crop. In growing the early and second early varieties in gardens or fields where the soil has frequently been heavily manured, and, there- fore, still retains quantities of organic matter, simple manures such as charred rubbish, decayed tan, or sawdust, will grow good crops of Potatoes at little expense and free from the disease. I always, how- ever, find that whenever coal-ashes is used by itself or mixed, it has a great tendency to make the tubers have rough scabby skins, it ought, therefore, not to be used unless in small quantities. A new manure, under the name of Phospho-Silicon, has lately been introduced by the Rev. H. Moule, and is said by him to be effectual in curing the disease. It will, no doubt, be extensively used this year in experiments by growers of Potatoes, and duly reported on by them. In years when the Potato, crops show much of the disease great care must be taken in picking out the diseased tubers, and only storing those which are sound or least infected by it. This can be done best by placing them on the floors of sheds or outbuildings, where they can be frequently examined and picked over, and afterwards covered with litter to keep them from the air and frosts till stored. Where a great quantity has to be stored this can only be managed by pitting them in ridges in the open air. When this is done, I have found layers of quicklime or charcoal-dust and sifted coal.ashes, when put into the ridges amongst the tubers, to be effectual in keeping them sound. The diseased tubers do not infect the sound ones, but they rot and bring dampness aud heating into the pits which the lime and charcoal dust dries up. The ridges must not be more than 3 or 4 feet wide at the base ; nor more than about 3 feet 6 inches high, iu order that heating may not be generated in them, should the tubers be put in damp at storing time. It is a bad practice to put too much straw on the top of the tubers in the ridgea when earthing them up, as it rots and gives them a bad flavour. Our future Potato crops. As to the future of our Potato crops and the wearing-out theory, the question has often been mooted, whether wo should not give over cultivating the noble tuber to the extent hitherto done, and find other substitutes for it. There is, however, no more reason in giving over growing the Potato plant than in not growing the cereals or any other crop of our food crops, for they are all subject to failures in bad seasons. After such a season of disease amongst Potatoes as we had last year, the same land has been planted again this year with .sets taken, in many instances, from diseased tubers, and the result is one of the best crops ever lifted of the early and second early kinds. Unfortunately, owing to the wet weather pre- vailing in the latter portion of August, tho late planted varieties have been infected by tho disease in low situations, but the crops of them being good tho loss will not be seriously folt as in some years. That tho plant is wearing out from being more diseased than formerly, or from tho exhaustion of tho soil affecting its vitality, is not warranted by experience, for I have known gardens where it has been grown every year on tho same plot, or border, for more than a quarter of a century, and yet produced good crops in favour- able seasons. This, however, would not bo good practice for cxton. sive growers to follow, such as farmers, with plenty of land for a rotation of crops, and who could find fresh soil to plant their Potatoes in every year. Snb.soil-ploiighing strong undrained soils, or digging * The cost of these chemical manurea will be losa if purcliased in larger quantities. them deep, would be another help to ward ofi the disease, for it relieves such soils of their super-abundant moisture. Giving more space in the rows than what is usually done, or growing such low plants as Carrots or Kohl Rabbi, in alternate rows, between the Potatoes, would lessen the danger from the disease. Cottagers should only plant the early and second early kinds of Potatoes iu their garden ground, leaving as much room between each row as to to be able to plant in May and June Savoys, Broccoli, Brussels Sprouts, and Scotch-kale, the best and most profitable of all hardy vegetables for standing the severe frosts iu winter. The Potatoes will gradually be lifted for use, and the last lot will be ripe enough to save for seed by the middle of July, when the vegetables can be all earthed up. There is a great risk in cottagers planting the late sorts of Potatoes in the rich soil of their gardens, for they are in general shaded much with fruit-trees, and in wet summers the disease runs riot, and destroys all their crops. The farmers iu the neigh- bourhood are often willing to let cottagers and others plant a few rows of late Potatoes on their fallows for the sake of the manure they put on the land. This manure is generally made from horse- droppings and road-scrapings, mixed with house-ashes, and raises excellent crops of Wheat the year after. Owing to the present favourable season, and the good crops of early planted Potatoes, the outcry about the disease will subside for a time, as it has done in former years. Another wet summer, however, will again show it as virulent as ever, and we ought to be prepared to make the loss as little felt as possible. As I have before stated, this I am convinced can best be done by planting for the main crops, as early as the season will permit, the earliest-ripening varieties of good keeping kinds. Every year's experience, since 1845, whether the summers have been wet or dry, has only confirmed this practice in my case, and I believe many growers are now of opinion that the system is the safest. Should men of science and practice conjointly discover that the parasitic Fungus Peronospora infestans is the cause of the disease, then it will have to be found out how the rest-spores of the Fungus are preserved for continuing the life of the species in a new season. We may then be able to find a cure for it by steeping or dressing the sets intended for planting, or if in the soil, use manures likely to destroy its development. If the conditions, however, out of which it originates are atmospherical, of which there can be little doubt, we will then have to depend upon the seasons for the only cure. Lord Cathcart's Prize. In the competition for Lord Cathcart's prize on the Potato disease, none of the essayists were successful, and the judges' report says, " As regards the botanical part of the subject, it must be confessed that all the essayists appear to be in the arrear of the present state of scientific knowledge." From this it appears that none of the essayists were regarded by the judges as good botanists ; but that botany will have much to do with the discovery of the cause of the disease is doubtful, and the present state of scientific knowledge has added as yet very little to our knowledge concerning it. The judges, however, recommend the council to apply the £100 prize to some competent mycologist, so as to induce him to undertake the life- history of the Potato Fungus, and if this is done, it is not likely to lead to any great result. The life histories of the mildews which attack the Pea and t;he Turnip crops iu dry warm autumns, and the Vine iu spring and summer, must bo known to mycologists before this, but no applied cure prevents these mildews from regularly appearing in years when the weather is favourable for their develop- ment. Another recommendation of the judges to the council is to award valuable prizes for the best disease-proof early and late Potatoes. These prizes are not to be awarded till after a three years' trial of their resistance to the disease, aud besides, they must have good cropping, keeping, and cooking qualities. From a quarter of a century's experience with early and second early varieties, I have found that none of them are disease-proof, being only so when ripened in July and beginning of August before the disease appears. As to the late sorts, it is only a few that have thick leathei-y red skins and strong woody haulm which resist the disease, and I believe as much is known about them already as will transpire after the three years' trial. New seedling varieties, however, of this section, with bettor cooking qualities, would be worthy of prizes. Change of Seed. Tho changing of Potatoes, for setting, from one description of soil to another has a marked elfoct on their cropping and other qualities. I have found that a good change is made by setting those grown on a peat or boggy soil on light sandy ones, and vice vcrsiX ; and likewise in sotting those grown on light soils on strong loamy ouca. Tliia year I planted a quantity of a red mealy variety, free from disease, and grown in Prussia. The crop turned ont excellent, and when lifted in September, not a diseased tuber was found among them. Feb. 14, 1874] THE GAEDBN. 147 T H E A RBOR E T U M. HAEDY TREES AND SHRUBS. Bt GEORGE GORDON, A.L.S. THE SYCAilORB, OR FALSE PLAXE (ACER PSEUDO-rLATANUS). This forms a large tree 60 feet higli, usually clear of branches for a considerable height. It is common all over Europe, par- ticularly in Switzerland, Germany, Austria, and Italy, and is Ts-ell suited for planting near the seashore for shelter, as it crows quickly, and resists the spray better than most other trees. The leaves are large, smooth, and cordate at the base, with five acuminated unequally-toothed lobes, and long foot- stalks. The flowers are yellowish-green, and produced in lonf, dense, drooping catkin-like racemes in May and June. The keys or fruit are smooth, with rather spreading and ample wings. There are several varieties of the common Sycamore, o£ which the following are the most striking and distinct : — 1. Tke Purple-leaved Sycamore (Acer Pseudo-Platanus purpureum). — The leaves of this variety are of a beautiful violet-purple on the under-side, and in summer and autumn, when they are slightly ruffled by the wind, give the tree the appearance of being alter- nately clothed in purple and pale green. It originated in the nursery of Mr. Saunders, of Jersey, in 1828. 2. The White Variegated- leaved Sycamore (Acer Pseudo-Platanus albo varie- gatum).— The leaves of this variety are finely blotched and striped with white. It is the oldest and most common of the variegated Sycamores, and, although a handsome variety, is inferior to either of the following. 3. The Yellow Variegated- LEA^'ED Sycamore or Corsior- phine Plane (Acer Pseudo- Platanus fiavo variegatum). — This is a handsome variety, of Scotch origin, the leaves of which are amply blotched and striped with yellow, particu- larly in the case of full-grown trees. 4. The New Belgian Variegated Sycamore (Acer Pseudo-Platanus Leopoldi). — The leaves of this variety are almost wholly of a pale yellow colour, frequently more or less tinted with red, and, owing to their having but very little green colour in them, they appear, at a short distance, about as orna- mental as flowers. It is of Belgian origin, and is decidedly the most beautiful of all the variegated varieties of Acer in cultivation. 5. The Long-leaved Sycamore (Acer Pseudo-Platanus lougi- folium). — The leaves of this variety are deeply and acutely lobed, 'and are set ou very long foot-stalks. It originated in the nursery of Messrs. Booth, of Hamburgh, and forms a very striking variety. Leaf of Acer Pseudo-Platanuf. The Golden Osier or Willow. — The Golden-branched WiUow (Salix vitellina) is a low deciduous tree, and its long taper.shoots are especially useful to gardeners for many purposes, especially for tying wall trees, espaliers, Raspberries, or, in fact, anything that requires a strong ligature. Although Willows of all kinds grow more luxuriantly in damp situations, such as the margins of ponds or streams, still I have frequently planted them in poor sandy soil, and they will, in fact, grow in any soil or situation in sufficient quan- tities for the gardener ; and I should recommend every gardener to procure a few cuttings of the Golden variety, and plant in any comer where there is room, so as to secure a few bundles of pliable twigs for tying purposes. In addition to its utility as stated above, the Yellow Willow has a very ornamontal appearance when planted in groups in large shrubberies. Their masses of waving golden branches in winter, when tho leaves are off, have a pretty appearance in the rear of masses of evergreens, especially when associated with masses of the Red Dog. wood (Cornus sanguinea), another low-growing deciduous shrub that might be advantageously used for giving life and colour to masses of dark-leaved shrubs in winter, in ornamental game coverts or large shrubberies. Referring again to the Golden Willow, after all the pliable twigs that are required for use have been taken off, the remainder, in the spring, just before growth commences, should be cut well back. This keeps them dwarf, and stimulates the further production of plenty of young clean shoots. Cuttings of strong shoots, about 15 inches long, planted firmly in the ground, about two-thirds of their length, will soon make good plants. — E. H. Tan for Hedg'e-growing. — Whoever has travelled on the high road to Eutin — a road which passes through some of the most charming scenery in East Holstein — cannot fail to have been struck by the esoellenoe of the hedges right and left. They were grown, many of them, according to the plan recora. mended by Mr. Bruhns (an inspector of highways), the peculiarity of his mode of culture being the employment of tan ; i.e., tan. ner's spent bark. His usual method of proceeding is as follows : He raises a bank of earth a little over 12 inches in height by 2i inches in width, and plants the young Thorns on the same at intervals of 12 inches. The variety selected for the purpose is Cratajgus monogyna, the one- styled Hawthorn. Immediately after the planting, which takes jilace in spring, the whole surface of the bank is covered with tan. Mr. Bruhns' experience with this material haviug shown that its application is beneficial in two ways, firstly, in destroying (with- out injtiry to the Thorn sets) those worst enemies of a young hedge, the weeds ; and, secondly, in causing the soil to remain constantly moist and open, and, thei-efore, in a state favourable to the gi'owth of the plants. The development of the latter should be further encouraged in very dry summers by watering the tan from time to time, especially in the case of small strips of hedge, enclosures of gardens, &e., where this can be done without great expenditure of labour. In a year from the planting, all the shoots but two well.matohing ones on each Thorn are cut close off ; the remaining couple being bent so as to cross one another. The two continue in most instances in the position given them without being tied ; sometimes, however, the grower is compelled to make choice of somewhat uufavour. ably-situated shoots, which require to be twisted into the line of fence, and he then fastens them with bast. During the next twelve months the hedge needs no further attention beyond keeping it clear of weeds, and moving the tan occasionally to ensure the surface remaining light and open. In the following spring the pruning and training are repeated ; all superfluous shoots and branches growing out of the line of fence being removed, and the hedge cut down to a uniform height of 2 feet. The young Thorns will continue to shoot up vigorously during the second year, and in the third spring from the planting, must be bent and cut down to 38 inches. If a higher fence than this be needed, say one of 4 feet or over, the plants will have made more than the necessary growth by the fourth spring, and can then be reduced to the size desired. By following the above instructions, a neat and impassable hedge is thus created within four years, the crossed branches having become firmly attached and fixed in the direction given them. Should the grower desire to raise his own young plants, he must bear in mind that under ordinary ciroum- stanoes the seeds will not germinate the first seasbn. To avoid loss of time he will find it a good plan to put them, in tho autumn, in a barrel containing a mixture of earth and quicklime. Seed so pre. pared, and sown in the spring, will at once vegetate. Q. 148 THE GARDEN. [Feb. 14, 1874. ON THE DIFFUSION OF GASES IN LEAVES. The phenomena of thermo.diffusion (studied recently by M. Fed. dersen), which occur when a difference of temperature is maintained between the two sides of a porous partition separating two portions of gas, and those phenomena of simple diffusion, which M. Dufour has observed between masses of air which differ hygometrically, may also be observed in plant-organisms, where the circumstances are evidently favourable to their production. The subject has lately been studied by M. Merget, and he has communicated to the Paris Academy an account of his experiments and results, which presents various points of interest. Aquatic plants show the phenomena most distinctly, and it was Nelumbium speciosum that M. Merget chose for his investigations. To Raffeueau-Delille we owe our knowledge of the fact that, if the central concavity ®f a leaf of Nelumbium be covered with water, bubbles of gas will, on exposure of the limb to the sun, be liberated from the moistened surfaces, either by the Btomates or by openings made artificially. This observer found, also, that the liberation of gas may also be produced by wounds made on the petiole, that it ceases with complete immersion of the limb, and that, when it occurs, it is atmospheric air that is given off. He concluded that each leaf of Nelumbium is provided with a complete respiratory system, the velvety surface being absorbent, and the stomates exhalant. From numerous analyses, M. Merget has verified the assertion, that the gas issuing from the leaves is atmospheric air (with some quite unimportant variations) . He infers, that the phenomenon is quite different from chlorophyllian respi- ration, and produced exclusively by the solar heat-rays. So he thought to repi-oduce it by substituting an obscure beat source for the action of the sun. This may be readily done (he says) by using a circular sheet-iron plate, heated somewhat under red heat. It is, then, simply the difference of temperature between the parts of the limb directly exposed to the heat-radiation, and those parts which are protected by the layer of water, that causes the escape of gas included in the latter; and, for this gas to escape, in spite of the hydrostatic pressure, there must necessarily be an impulsive action proceeding fi-om the neighbouring heated air. Accepting this explanation as plausible, it follows that the water in the centre of the lea£»having simply the effect of guarding the subjacent tissues from the calorific action, a replacement of this by water hot enough to render uniform the temperature of the limb should stop the emission of gas by the moistened surfaces. This was tested and found to be the case. And there was more than this merely negative evidence ; for, in some instances, when bubbles, being slowly liberated in the cold water, appeared to be held by a sort of gaseous pedicel, which kept them in communication with the mass of interior air, it was found, that on gradually adding hot water, the bubbles progressively disappeared, as if absorbed by the tissues again. On uniformly heating, at all its points, the upper surface of a leaf of Nelumbium, the air of its passages would thus be put uniformly throughout in a state of tension. To demonstrate this increase of pressure, M. Merget, having cut off a leaf, connected its petioles, by means of a caoutchouc tube, with a wacer.manometer. Then, exposing the limb to calorific radiations of various nature and intensity, he obtained a descent in the manometer of 1 to 3 decimetres. On detaching the manometer, the air of the lacunje was set in motion, and, the petiole section being immersed in water, bubbles escaped from it abundantly. Thus, some leaves exposed to the sun gave a quarter of a litre of air per minute ; others, exposed to a bright charcoal fire, one litre per minute, which is hundreds or thousands of times the volume of the leaf per hour ; and this proceeded several hours without interruption, sometimes entire days. To maintain this expenditure, there must evidently have entered by the limb each instant a volume of air equal to that which left by the petiole, and M. Merget assured himself that this entrance was by the stomates, for the closure of these immediately arrested the liberation of gas. Atmospheric air is not the only gas which may be thermodynamieally diffused through the limb of a leaf of Nelumbium ; the author got similar results with oxygen, nitrogen, hydrogen, carbonic acid, carbonous oxide, and protoxide of nitrogen. The phenomena are thus to be regarded as determined by conditions of a purely physical order. Prom other experiments which ho made, M. Mcrgot thinks he is warranted in affirming that all plants show this thermo-diff usive power that is so remarkably developed in Nelum- bium. Ab the heating of the leaf in tho ordinary state is far from being produced uniformly in the parts struck by the solar rays, the interior air, by virtue of tho excess of tension it acquires, presses upon that of tho cold parts, forcing it to escape by tho corresponding epidermic stomates, while tho exterior air (lows in by the stomates of tho solarised surfaces. There is thus a real circulatory gaseous current from those green parts, which respire, to those which do not respire, with a double circulative movement of inspiration by the former and of expiration by tho latter. In tho aquatic plants, this respiratory circulation has. greater extent and depth than in ter. restrial plants ; for, instead of being circumscribed in the narrow net. work of passages iu the foliar parenchyma, it is prolonged into that of the entire lacunar system. A. B. M. A new Sea-side Plant (Medicago arborea). — Attempts are being made at Brighton to find some shrubs sufficiently hardy aud well adapted to bear the exposed spray and winds of the new Underclifl Road, but, as yet, only two (the Euonymusand Tamarisk) have been found to stand the variations of heat and cold of that spot. Some years back I suggested to Mr. Spary, of the Graperies, Brigh. ton, that tho Medicago arborea, being entirely a sea-side plant, though a southern one, would be likely to stand the cUmate of Brighton, and he, in consequence, procured some seeds' and raised several plants, which are now grown to large shrubs, and which may be seen in his garden, green all the year round, and for the greater part of that time bearing pretty yellow flowers ; it is a remarkably handsome and very bushy shrub, and, being a sea-side plant, and growing so luxn. riantly near the sea, it would, in all probability, thrive on the Under, cliff Road, not only as a standard, but particularly also if trained up against the cliff wall : it may be seen growing 8 ft. high against the southern aspect of Mr. Balchin's cottage in his garden at Hove, as also against the north wall opposite ; at Florence it forms beautiful hedges close to the sea. I trust that this notice may induce the an. thorities of Brighton, who are expending large sums in planting all over the town, especially on the Undercliff, where nearly all the trees so lately planted are dead, to try the Medicago there, which, if it succeeds, as I verily believe it will, cannot fail to be an attractive object and a most desirable addition to the shrubs of Brighton. — Science Gossip. [Have any of our correspondents noticed this shrub growing near the sea at Brighton or elsewhere ?^Ed.] Beecll Bliglit- — Let your correspondents, who complain of the destruction of their trees by Beech blight, try, as a remedy, a mixture of common lime with water, in the proportion of three or four handfuls of lime to a bucket of water. This should be applied thoroughly over all parts of the tree affected, and, if the matter has not been neglected too long, and the disease allowed too great a hold, a cure is, I think, certain on a second application at most. I have for some years noticed this blight on the Beech, not only all over the United Kingdom, as I believe I may say, but on the con. tinent as well. It is the excrement of an insect, and seems to be deposited on the Beech tree at almost all stages of growth. I do not think it is infectious, as I have noticed a diseased tree standing amongst others, which were perfectly free from the blight. Doubtless, however, there is usually some defect in the constitution of the tree attacked, or it would not be selected. Want of proper drainage iu the soil is, I think, often the cause. A very fine Weymonth Pine, near the house here, was attacked some years ago with this disease, or something similar to it. The branches were, I think, principally attacked, and the tree was at one time nearly dead. I had it thoroughly cleaned with the lime-water mixture, and it has been wonderfully healthy and making large growth ever since. Many of my Beech trees I have treated in the same way, and, no doubt, their lives have, in some instances, been saved in consequence. — G. P. M. NOTES AND QUESTIONS ON TREES AND SHRUBS. latroduction of the Wellingtonia.— An expression appeared in Inst week's Garden (sec p. 12n), wliich inii^^bL lead some to suppose tliat this Conifer wag introdvicefl by Messrs. Lawson, whereas, as is well known, it was iutroducetl by Messrs. V'citch, through their collector, Mr. William Lobl). Weeping Elms. — Can you give me the names of one or two of the most ornamental of those ?— R. [The Weeping Wych Elm and tho Camperdown, Ulmus suberosa pendula, rugosa pendula, glabra pendula, and microphylla pendula, are all ornamental kinds. — Ed.] Tamarix pluinosa. — Of this plant, M. Carriore writes as follows in the Berne Jlnrlienle :—Sut,hmg can bo finer or more graceful than this species, which is still so rare, in spite of the readiness with which it can be propagated. Its numerous, slender brauchlets, of a glaucescent green hue, bear a certain resemblance to the curled plumes ot the ostrich (or the white stork) whence its popular namo of "Marabout." It flowers in August, about the same time as T. indica. The flowers, which are disposed in deuso erect panicles, have an airy lightness, which adds much to the elegance of the foliage. Isolated on a lawn, or in a large park, T. plumosa forms a compact mass of the most pleasing appcarauce. It is ciuite as hardy as T. indica, and is propagated and treated in precisely the same manner. Chimonanthus fragrans from Cuttings.— In Tnn GiRnuN of January 3rd (p. IH), it is stated that (his has never been struck from cuttings. I bog to say that a few years ago I raised two plants of it from cuttings. They wore taken during the summer, when the leaves had arrived at full growth, planted in light soil in pots, aud placed in the shade in a Vinery. They were kept in a cool greenhouse all winter, and next spring, they pushed forth fresh leaves ; one I gave away, the other I planted against a south wall, and it is now about 3 feet high, and' in bloom. I have also a plant ot it raised from seed, which ripened hero in the open air, about three years ago, but has not flowered up to the present.— Maex Fbeeman, Jli/ton on Ilummore, Feb. 14, 1874.] THE GARDEN. 149 THE FRUIT GARDEN. EASPBBREY CULTURE. Mr. Taylor says (see p. 123) that a plantation of Raspberries is only just coming into bearing at five years old, and that be should expect it to continue in good condition for twenty years at least. It . has been too much the custom to look upon a plantation of Raspberries in the same light as one regards an orchard of fruit trees, viz,, that it should be planted only once in a lifetime. I contend, however, that most of the permanent crops in a kitchen-garden, such as Raspberries, Globe Arti- chokes, Rhubarb, &c., would not only be much benefited by being more frequently transplanted, but that the operation would also liberate more land for the rotation of other crops, and I need not say how desirable it is to have a fresh piece of land for Potatoes, for instance. If good strong Raspberry canes are planted, they ought to bear a good crop the second year, and in the third year they will be at their best ; but if weakly canes from an exhausted plantation have been used, then, I grant, several years must elapse before they will bear well ; but this only illustrates one of the evils to be apprehended from the system of not making a now plantation till the old one fails. Of Opurse, I don't desire to tie anyone down to any hard or fast line, as local circumstances may, and probably will, have groat influence in determining how long a plantation shall remain on the same spot. I simply recorded vmy own practice, and, if anyone likes to follow it, I am sure that they won't regret it. In condemning late summer and autumn Raspberries, Mr. Taylor, I think, looks at the subject only from a market-gardener's point of view, while in a private garden a man's success or failure depends, more frequently, upon his ability to produce a steady and continuous supply, rather than a large quantity at any one time. Of course, under any circumstances, where Raspberries are grown largely, the largest quantity of fruit will be ripe for preserving in July ; Ijut it is quite as important, in many establishments, to provide a succession of fruit from that time onwards till October. I readily admit that, as the sun declines in power. Raspberries will be less sweet ; yet, notwithstanding this, there is always an agreeable freshness and piquancy about the flavour of Raspberries which renders them especially useful and much sought after for tarts, puddings, ices, &c., and also for being eaten with cream and sugar, the same as Strawberries, whenever obtainable. I have never known Rasp- berry canes to be seriously injured by frost in winter ; nor is it likely to happen if the young canes are strong and well matured, which they will be if managed according to the mode of culture I recommended. Spring frosts in May may some- times injure the young growths ; but, even then, any serious injury to the crop from such sources is not a common occur- rence. I quite agree with Mr. Taylor that heavy clay-land is not the best land for Raspberries, although they may even be grown on such soils successfully. Burnt earth and old mortar- rubbish make a capital dressing for such land, and are espe- cially suitable for Raspberries. E. Hobday. Barchard's Seedling Apple. — This, says the Florist and Pomologist, is neither a new nor very old variety. It was raised by Miss Barchard, of Putney, some forty or fifty years ago, and has been frequently brought under notice in one way or another, but has never yet taken that prominent position to which its merits so fully entitle it. Mr. Thompson mentions it in the Catalogue of Fruits of the Eoyal Horticultural Society. It was awarded a certificate by the Pomological Society some years ago, and now, at last, it has received the same honour from the Fruit Committee of the Royal Ilortioultural Society. We have specially to thank Mr. F. Dancer, of Little Sutton, Chiswick, for showing ns the full merits of this thoroughly excellent Apple. Near Gunnersbnry Station may be seen a group of some forty or fifty good-sized trees of this variety, which every autumn presents a most beautiful picture, laden as they are with bright, shining, rosy-cheeked fruit. The trees themselves are of a fine free style of growth, and form objects of quite an orna. mental character. The fruit is of medium size, of the Nonesuch shape, flattened at each end. The eye is open, set in a deep plaited basin ; the stalk is about an inch long, and rather deeply set. The skin is of a clear greenish.yellow on the shaded side, very much suffused and streaked with red and bright scarlet on the exposed parts, this high colouring giving it, especially when hanging on the tree, a very beautiful appearance. The flesh is firm, of a pleasant sub-acid flavour, tolerably good for dessert, but more valued for cooking pur. poses. It is in season from October to Christmas, is an almost certain and most abundant cropper, and is greatly to be recommended as a standard orchard fruit. Seedling Apple Lady Henniker.— This valuable addition to our list of Apples was deservedly awarded a first-class certificate at the autumn show of the Royal Horticultural Society last year. Its great merits will certainly commend it to a place in every col- lection, and it only requires to be brought before the public to become a leading standard variety. As a kitchen Apple, it is one of the very best and largest with which I am acquainted, and it keeps in good condition from October until March. As a dessert Apple, too, it is very valuable, and, being of a rich waxy.yellow, streaked with crimson, it has a fine appearance, especially under artificial light. It is a selected seedling from several hundreds raised about thirty years ago, at Thornton Hall, Suffolk, the seat of Lord Henniker. Mr Jno. Perkins, the present gardener there, informs me that it has for years past been their most farourite Apple for culinary purposes. It has not, therefore, been hastily brought forward, but has rather, as it were, put itself forward by the best of all recom- mendations— its own merits. — J. Groom, HevJiam Gardens, Wangford. ■Woollen Refuse or Shoddy as Bottoming for Vine- Borders. — This is one of the best materials with which I am ac- quainted for covering rubble in the bottoms of Vine borders, especially when it can be had long in texture, and before the oil is pressed out of it. When such is the case, it is almost indestructible, and when pressed down by the superincumbent soil, it becomes like a piece of felt, preventing the smallest particle of soil from passing through it ; besides, if the boi-ders are watered with liquid.manure, it acts as a filter. On widening a Vine-border, the rubble bottom of which had been covered over with this material to a depth of 2 inches, I found the fibrous roots of the Vines so thickly interwoven with the woollen refuse, that they would of themselves have prevented any soil from passing through them. I used the same material for covering my Pine-pits and Melon-house (which is exactly such a house as that described by Mr. Simpson, the other day, in The Garden), and I am surprised that it is not more extensively used tiian it is, especially in counties where it can be had so abundantly. I have known Heather or Ling used for bottoming borders. Any material that allows air and water to percolate freely through the soil to the rubble-bed beneath, is, in my opinion, better than slates ; indeed, a small thin soft-burnt tile is preferable to them. — J. T. Hybrid Apples.— The introduction of the Siberian Crab is destined to work a great revolution in the Apple kingdom, by crossing with the common Apple. The Crab seedling appears to hold well to its parental hardiness, be the cross what it may, and the tree an Apple ill all its parts, with fruit enlarged without the tincture of Crab. It is but a small percentage of Crab seedlings that show tenderness from the cross, and in fruit they enlarge at a rapid ratio, with occasional bounds to an extreme at once, as in case of the Wealthy Apple from Crab seed — Apple in tree but hardy as a Crab — fruit large and unsurpassed in beauty and flavour. Similar results have attended the planting of seeds from Cherry Crab — a fair-sized, perfect Apple, without tincture of Crab; while on the other hand, we have grown Crab fruit from Duchess and Wealthy seed, and occasionally a perfect Crab tree from the seed of each. In appear- ance, we have perfect Blue Pearmain trees from Crab seed, not yet fruited, but enough of the hybrids have fruited to determine pretty closely what the fruit will be. The seedlings on which we most rely are not yet in bearing ; only about thirty have borne, with near 2,000 to come in yet— the smallest being best, most favourably situated for a good cross, and of the results we have no fear. Our motto is : — Seeds from the most perfect tree, crossed with the very best in fruit — the most hardy preferred, if good in size and quality. — Cultivator. NOTES AND QUESTIONS ON THE FRUIT GARDEN. Chickasaw Plum.— The Chickasaw Phim, or Primus Chicasa of botanists is a distinct species, growins wild in the South-Western States. It generally reaches a height of from 3 to 15 feet, although on the sandy plains it merely form's a dwarf round bush. The fruit is small, roundish, red, and of a pleasant' flavour with a rather acid juice. We do not know of any lirst-class, or even really good, varieties from it ; still, like most other species, we presume it is liable to sport into many forms, some of which may produce better fruit than the parent. — Tribune. Dimorphism in the Apple. — The following communication on this subject from XI. L'has. Baltet, of Troyes, appears iu the Sri'ue Horficole : — " For the last three years a Boston Russet here, trained as a two-branched horizontal cordon, has borne, on one branch, fi-nitof the red and grey colour proper to that variety of Apple, while the fruit on the other branch are entirel.v green, without the least tinge of red. In winter, when the fruit is getting ripe, the skin of the latter changes to a golden-yellow, while those on the other branch retain their red colour, the grey ground changing to golden-yellow, Tlio flavour of the red-skinned fruit is, also, somewhat more acid than that of the cfthers.'* 150 THE GAKDBN. [Feb. 14, 1874. GEEEN'S WROUGHT-IRON BOILER. This boiler has been tried bj' the Royal Horticultural Society, both at South Kensington and at Chiswick, and has given entire satisfac- tion. At Chiswick, it heats two ranges of plant.pits, containing 780 feet of 4-inch piping, with remarkably little fuel, and it requires no more attention than the old " Saddle" boiler. One of a large size fixed at South Kensington for heating the great conservatory, has attached to it 6,264 feet of 4-iuch piping and 375 feet of 6-inch piping, all of which it heats most effectually. The quantity of fuel required is from nine to twelve sacks of coko every twenty-four hours, according to the weather. The principle on which these boilers are constructed will be seen at once by a glance at the accompanying sections. The fuel rests on the hollow water-tubes, which form the fire-bars, and these bars are connected with the water-space of the boiler by a double elbow-pipe at the back of it. The heat and smoke pass forward and play against the water-space at the back and on the shelves, which are now made bull-nose in shape, so that, where the crreatest volume of water rests, the heat acts directly upon it, and passing between the shelves to the arch or water-space at the top of it, is almost completely exhausted before it enters the flue. The flow is from the top, and any number can be put on, while the returns come in on each side of the framework of the bars in front. The doors slide open from the centre or middle of the front to each hand, which is a great advantage. They are opposite the spaces between the shelves, so that the boilers can bo easily cleaned. One of these THE LI BR A R Y. A MANUAL OF BOTANY.* The value of this manual is sufficiently attested by the fact that the whole of the second edition was sold in a little over two years after its publication. In the present edition the text has been thoroughly revised, several new wood-cuts have been added, the type has been eulai'ged, the size of the page somewhat increased, and much new matter has been introduced ; yet, by judicious curtailments in some unimportant particulars, the bulk of the volume is somewhat less than in the previous editions. The work is divided into three books, the first of which treats very fully of the structure and morphology of plants ; in the second book, the various systems of classification are detailed, and an arrangement is given of plants in their natural orders (based on the system of De CandoUe). This part of the work is particularly valuable on account of the excellent notes appended to the descriptions of each order, and explaining the economic, or medi- cinal properties and uses of every important species. The third book gives an outline of the physiology of vegetation — a subject too extensive to be properly treated of in the concluding pages of an already tolerably large volume. In a future edition, however, Mr. Bentley may amplify this part of the 'work and make it the subject of a second volume, which might also include a treatise on descriptive botany and a glossary of botanical terms. Of the 1,138 wood-cuts in the present edition, we regret to observe that many U-^ ^r===r^:riv/ATER>-5-=:--=T /^'. ^HIL 11), n J J I — -'"^"Z'^^W'^^, t '- JtP- ~ . I U L LP jV;3 ; -Jl: 9 Rftjt rf- -/;-;-: PAR S -J- - - - CROSS SECTION. LONGITUDINAL SECTION. Green's Patent Wrought-iron Boiler. rRONf EICVATION. boilers is doing good work at the present time at Messrs. E. G. Hen- derson's, where the fuel used for it is small coal and clay mixed. An advantage belonging to these boilers is, they do not require setting in brickwork, and can be set to work at a mere nominal cost. They are made entirely of wrought-iron plates of a uniform thickness, well rivetted together; consequently, the expansion and contraction are regular and equal throughout, and hence their superiority over welded or cast-iron boilers, which vary in thickness, as well as in expansion and contraction. They require littlo room, and can be put in places where other boilers could not be fixed. The chimney may be made of cast-iron, and can bo taken inside and up, either through the roof at once, or converted into a flue, according to the situation in which the boiler is fixed. J. M. Cowan's Iiime-kiln Boiler. — With reference to Mr. Bennett's article on the " Gold Medal Boiler," published in your issue of the 27th of December, Mr. Bennett appears to have stated that the boiler used by him at present over the lime-kiln is the Gold Medal Boiler. This is a mistake, as the boiler in use there over the kiln is my own special invention, used by mo in connection with my patent apparatus. I have written to Mr. Bennett on the subject, and he states the error to lie yours. I therefore hope that you will kindly set the matter right, as my boiler is pronounced by all who have used it to be a very cfliciout one. — Joii.v Cow.in. have lost their original clearness and sharpness of outline, and look somewhat " used up." FOODS.f TnE main design of this work is to present to its readers a carefully executed comparative analysis of the nutritive and other special properties of the various solids and liquids which are every day called into requisition for the support or comfort of the human frame. The dyspeptic will find it, in this sense, a "Minister of the Interior," inas- much as it points out very distinctly the precise proportions, in all kinds of food, of gluten, starch, albumen, essential oils, &c., any of which may have been his jiroper bane ; and so, correlating himself with the deductions of Dr. Smith's experience, he may safely venture on the question of " what to eat, drink, and avoid." The work, throughout, is essentially analytical, and bears testimony to the careful investiga- tion of the author, as well as to the love of his subject, which in any writer is, more or less, a guarantee of his faithfulness. Commencing with the higher order (as they are commonly considered) of articles of food, Dr. Smith successively tabulates the constituents of all the meats, fishes, and vegetables which, in various shapes and guises, • " A Manual of Dotanv, including the Structure, Functions, Cliissificiition, Properties, and Uses of Plants." By Roljcrt Bentley, F.L.S. Third Edition. London : ,T. & A. Churcliill. 1S73. + " Foods." By Edwiird Smith, M.D., LL.B., F.R.S. Second Edition London : Henry S. King St. Co., B6, Comhill; and 12, Paternoster Row. 1873. Feb. 14, 187i-.] THE aARDBN. 151 make their daily appearance at the family table. Thence he passes on to an elaborate consideration of the good or evil effects of alcoholic liqaids. As an example of the manner in which Dr. Smith handles his various subjects, we subjoin the following short extract : — Potatoes. " The relative value of Potatoes is determined in a general manner by their specific gravity, just as a similar estimation is made of an Apple or an Orange by weighing it in the hand, for, the heavier in relation to bulk is any given Potato, so is the greater amount of starch. If several Potatoes be thrown into a solution of salt, and water be added until some of them sink and others swim, the specific gravity of the saline solution will be that of the Potatoes as a whole. J. J. Pohl found the following relation between the specific gravity and the proportion of starch : — Sp. Gr. Starch in 100 parts. Sp. Gr. Starch in 100 parts. 1-090 16-38 1-107 20-45 1-093 17-11 1-110 21-33 1-099 13-43 1.123 2i-U 1-101 18-98 " The quantity of ash or saline materials present in 100 parts of the fresh Potato, varies with the kind, as shown by T. J. Herepath. Thus: — Fortyfold, 0-88; Prince's Beauty, 1-06; Maggie, 1-09; Axbridge Kidney, 1-27; White Apple, 1-30. The proportion of potash in the salts of Potato is very large, and docs not vary much in the several specimens examined, the limits being 53-03 per cent, in the Fortyfold, and 53-73 per cent, in the Maggie. Potatoes are deficient in mineral matter, so that they are unfit to be a sole food, but that defect is supplied by the addition of hard water, milk, and other elements of food. There are 760 grains of carbon and twenty, four grains of nitrogen in 1 lb. ; so that more than 2 j lbs. of Potato are required to equal 1 lb of bread in carbon, and more than 3i lbs. in nitrogen. Hence, when Potatoes are Id. per lb., and bread l^d. per lb., the former are two to three times dearer than the latter, but the former are valuable for their juices in addition to their nutritive ele- ments. New and waxy are said to be less digestible than old and mealy Potatoes, but the time required for digestion may be regarded as nearly the same as for bread, viz., from two-and-a-half to three-and. a-half hours. Ten grains of Potato consumed in the body produce heat sufficient to raise 2-6 lbs. of water, 1° P., or to lift 1,977 lbs. 1 foot high. The water in which Potatoes have been boiled is not used as food, for it is not only nearly destitute of nutritive matter, but is said to contain substances which are deleterious to health. In my experiments, the effect of eating good Potatoes, whether new or old, was less than that of rice. In two experiments, 8 oz. increased the carbonic acid evolved in the respiration by 1-27 grains per minute, and the quantity inspired by 52 cubic inches per minute. The rate of pulsation and respiration was slightly lowered." HEDGES. APAK-r from their general utility, there are few things that add more to the appearance of a garden than good hedges. With garden hedges there is generally a twofold object to be kept in view — their utility and their appearance. Numbers of plants are, and have been employed for garden hedges, such as Holly, Yew, Beech, Privet, Thorn, Laurel, Arbor-vitna, Rose, &c. ; or a mixture of some of these, such as Beech and Privet, Holly and Thorn. For general utility, however, combining strength, duration, adaptability to most soils, and price. Thorn has no equal ; but, for appearance, nothing excels the Holly, its price only being a serious consideration where required in quantity, as, in planting for hedge purposes it is necessary to nse the Hollies in a much older state than wonld be necessary in the case of most other plants. The common Yew makes a noble hedge, but it has the fault that in some soils it dies, if it is kept cut in to the size that some other plants will bear without injury, and, if it is required in quantity, it becomes expensive. In dry situations, such as when it is planted on the top of a dry bank, it also, sometimes, suffers severely in very dry summers. Another very important con- sideration is that the Yew is poisonous to cattle, consequently it should never be employed except where there is no likelihood of cattle coming near it. Holly Hedges, and Preparation of the Ground for them. The Holly, then, is the plant for a garden hedge where appearance and use are both essential objects. It is so far an accommodating plant, that it will grow on soils the most different in character — on such as are extremely open and sandy, and also on those of a much heavier nature— the first essential being that they are sufficiently dry ; anything approaching stagnant water the Holly cannot bear ; consequently, where the situation is too wet, draining must be the first operation. In draining, preparatory to the planting of any hedge, more than ordinary care should be taken that the work is so carried out that it will not only be effectual from the first, but so constructed that there will be some likelihood of its continued efficiency. In the size of pipe used we must be ruled by the distance to be drained, and the volume of water to be carried off. In most situations a 4-inch pipe will be sufficient, and a depth of 3 feet to 3 feet 6 inches will be generally found to be the best. To prevent the roots of the hedge plants choking up the drain, over the pipes should be laid 6 inches of rubble. The Holly is a manure-loving plant, and there is nothing with which I am acquainted that will better repay a liberal application of good rotten farmyard dung. Previous to planting any hedge, the ground should always be thoroughly well dug 2 feet deep, if the soil is sufficient in depth to admit of such a depth. After this, 6 inches of manure, 3 feet wide, should be laid on, and well worked in, a foot deep. The size of the plants to be used will bo regulated by the object in view ; it is simply a question of cost. If the extent to be planted is limited, and immediate effect — such as shutting out anything of an objectionable nature — is de- sirable, the plants employed may be 6 feet or even more in height. For ordinary work 13 to 18 inches may be considered the most useful size, but whatever sized plants are used, care should be taken in the selection that they are such as have been periodically transplanted, so as to be in a condition to move well. This is of more importance than absolute size. The necessity for allowing no more time to elapse than is unavoidable betwixt their being taken up and re-planted is of importance with Hollies, as with all other evergreen plants ; as also the desirability of keeping their roots from exposure. This will be obvious when we recollect that the roots of an evergreen plant are taxed by the evaporation continually going on through the leaves, even when no active growth is in progress. When to Plant, and After-management. The time for planting is of the greatest importance. If, in the circle of the year we can select a tiuie when there is no growth going on — when the leaves and wood are matured, and of such con. sistency as to considerably reduce loss by evaporation, and also when the roots are in such a state as at once to commence growing after re-planting, and so repair the balance destroyed in the operation or removal — that, of all others, must be the time to remove all ever, green plants. It is in September and October that we find these necessary conditions to exist ; hence these months are much to be preferred to all other times in the year for the removal of all ever- greens, although some say Hollies should be planted in spring. At the time of planting, when about half the soil is filled in over the roots, give a thorough soaking with water, so as to moisten all the surrounding earth ; after that they will not require more, for tho autumn rains will, from that time, supply all that vfiW be wanted. If the work is carried out in this way, the plants will commence growing at their wonted season in tho spring, with losses of not more than one in fifty, as compared with spring-moved plants. In April put a mulching of two or three inches of dung over their roots, aud keep them quite clear from weeds. They will, during this season, make a few inches of growth ; but, if all goes well, the summer following they will push their leading shoots a foot or more ; they will require little use of the shears or switching-hook (the latter being the better tool of the two), for two or three years, except shortening the leading shoots, and any side-branches that may push away too strongly ; the great thing is to keep them quite free from weeds, and to give them every spring a good mulching of dung, until the hedge is as high as it is required to be. After four years' growth it should be kept in proper shape by means of the switch-hook. Round- topped, or, still worse, heavy square-topped hedges, as wide, or wider at top than at bottom, are wrong from every point of view ; they are heavy, unmeaning-looking distortions, representative of a style of gardening happily all but extinct. No matter what plant is used for hedge purposes, the shape in which to keep it, whether for appear, ance or the well-being of the hedge, is that known as hog-maned, which, as is generally known, is the widest at the bottom, getting gradually narrower, very slightly rounded, until it comes almost to a point at the top. For most purposes, in a garden as a screen, or break, or for nse as a fence, 4 feet wide at bottom, and 6 feet 6 inches or 7 feet will be found a useful height. The yearly cutting necessary to keep such a hedge within tho required size should be done about the beginning of April ; and, if ever allowed to get too large, necossi. tating a considerable reduction, it should be carried out about the same time ; if done late in autumn, or in winter, if a very severe frost occurs, it sometimes kills the wood back several inches ; but no hedge should be allowed to get larger than tho object for which it is intended requires. Ye-w, Beech, and other Hedge Plants. The common Yew is also well adapted for hedge purposes, where it may grow naturally without a trace of the pruning-hook ; it spreads horizontally, much more than Holly, covering more ground, but it is better adapted for a wide hedge than tor forming a narrow 152 THE GARDEN. [Feb. 14, 1874. screen. If ever it is allowed to get too large, and has to be cut hard back into the strong wood, it is liable to die ; consequently, wherever Yew is used it should never be allowed to increase much yearly. Where a high screen is required, or shelter hedges for nursery stock in exposed situations. Beech is often used, and is very effectual from its disposition, when kept cut, to retain its old leaves through the winter. This latter disposition is an objection near dressed ground in a private establishment, owing to the litter it makes in spring. The old variety of Privet used to be often mixed with Beech in plant- ing ; the Beech giving strength to the weak.growing Privet. For a screen fence in a garden, where small expense, combined with speedy effect is a consideration, nothing surpasses the new oval-leaved Privet. This is an exceedingly vigorous-growing plant, strong enough for a fence without mixing with Thorn, Beech, or any other plant to give it support. On good well-prepared soil, it is a most rapid grower, making shoots almost as thick as the little finger, 3 feet long. I have a screen fence of it, planted four years ago, now 6 feet 6 inches high, densely feathered down to the ground, and it is as large and perfect in every respect as can be desired. Arbor-vitas, both the American and the Chinese varieties, are sometimes used for screen hedges ; the latter is much the best, being neat in appear, ance. Where immediate effect is required, it can be had at once by the use of these plants, but where anything more than a mere screen is required they are useless, as their weak upright habit of growth renders them of no use as protecting fences ; they can be pushed aside, and walked through at pleasure. The Irish Yew makes a nice screen, costs much more than the Arbor. vitao, but it is superior in appearance. Where this plant is used, care should be taken to select those that have been confined to one leading shoot, as, if left to itself, it forms a number of leaders of equal strength, and, when the plant gets large, it is liable to be split in all directions by the wind or heavy snow-storms. Where a more compact hedge is wanted for a break not too high, the Rose is a most suitable plant, and not near so much used as it deserves to be. The blush and crimson Chinese make a beautiful light hedge, and ate lovely when in flower. Very severe frosts are liable to kill them down to the ground, but they push up again from below the snface quickly, almost re-establishing themselves in a season. Any of the strong-growing perpetaals are even more suitable for this purpose than the Roses. I could not imagine a more beautiful sight than a hedge of Glory of Waltham laden with its ma3;nificeut crimson flowers. Planting and Management of Thorn Hedges. For orchards, vegetable ground, or anything connected with the garden, requiringa cattle. proof fence, there is nothing equal to Chinese Quick, and in such situations it is worth while to bestow a little extra labour on the preparation and planting, so as to obtain a fence that will be a protection in every sense of the word. With a thorough preparation of the ground, and good Quick, well planted at the proper season, and well cared for afterwards, in a few years a fence will be in existence more formidable to either biped or quadruped than any ordinary wall. Let us first consider the nature of the plant of which we are treating. First, it must have a dry bed in which to grow ; it is perfectly useless to plant it where there is anything approaching stagnant water in the soil ; consequently, if the land is not dry enough, it must be made so, either by an open ditch or covered drain. Next, it is a plant that will bear any reasonable quantity of manure. If the soil is shallow and wet, I should recommend a ditch to be formed on the outside of the hedge. It should be made 3 feet wide, sloped out to nothing, and 1 foot deep at the side next the hedge; the soil taken out goes to raise the bed on which the hedge is planted, elevating it in a way that precludes its suffering from stagnanc water. The ground should be trenched 18 inches deep, and 4 feet wide, with G inches of rotten dung well worked into it ; this work should be done in autumn, if possible, before the land gets saturated with rain; it will thus be in a much better state for planting than if deferred until late in the winter. Planting should never be delayed, as is often dono, until the buds have begun to swell ; the sooner after Christmas it is completed the better. In selecting Quick, mere size should never be the first consideration ; on the contrary, choose robust stocky plants, that have been twice transplanted, and the last time not too long before the final planting. Largo old Quicks, that have stood for years without being moved, are all very well to tempt the inexperienced planter, but he afterwards finds out that they are some time before they make much progress, smaller plants, in proper condition for planting, far outstripping them. For such situations as those under consideration, 1 should recommend a double row of Quick, 1 foot apart in the row, and a similar distance betwixt the rows. In planting, angle the plants thus .-.•.■. The practice of heading down to about 6 inches from the collar, at the time of planting, is still carried out by some, but it is a bad practice; plants so treated make wretched growth the first year, and correspond- ngly little root progress, ti enable them to make more than half the growth they should do even the second year. Heading the plants down to within 6 inches of the ground is a most essential operation, but they should never be so treated until they have had a year's growth after planting, and then it should be done in the winter, before the buds begin to push, using a good sharp pruning-knif e for the pui'pose, always cutting upwards, so as to leave the stools smooth and clean. This cutting back is to cause each plant to break a number of shoots, instead of running away with one leader, leaving the hedge thin at the bottom. To the non-initiated it often seems a pity to cut them back in this way, and appears a waste of time ; but the omission is fatal to the hedge ever acquiring the first essential — a thick close bottom. When headed down as described, this double, row fence will break back so thickly as to be almost fowl-proof, and, by the autumn of the second year after planting, will be at least half a season's growth ahead of the fence that was beheaded at the time of planting. In the autumn of the second season after planting, any time after the leaves have fallen, the growth should be cut back to within a foot of where they were headed back to the previous winter, always using the switch-hook in preference to the shears. If all goes on well, the fence will each season make rapid progress, branching out and getting strong. Every autumn go over it with the hook, cutting back to within a foot of the preceding year's cutting, always preserving the hedge widest at the bottom, gradually tapering up to a point at the top. No other form of cutting will keep a fence full and thick at the bottom, which this does by counteracting tho natural tendency of the plants to run too much to a head. Local circumstances will regulate the height. A 6-feet fence for such situations as those under consideration is a good height ; but there is no objection to one even higher than this. But it must be borne in mind that, the higher the fence is allowed to grow, the wider it must bo at the bottom ; otherwise it will there get weak and thin. .A hedge 7 feet high must not be under 4 feet 3 inches wide at the base. When full size has been attained, it must, at every pruning, be cut right back as near as possible to where the hook went at the preceding cutting ; otherwise it will soon get too large, which would require its being cut back into the old wood, giving it for some time an unsightly appearance. I have, as yet, said nothing about the usual paling to protect the young growing fence from cattle. When it is situated where it will be liable to injury from this cause, the paling must be put up before the Quicks are planted. One of the principal things to be kept in view is to get the young hedge on so that it will be a, suflficient fence before the paling is worn out and requires renewal. Neither have I alluded to the all-important matter of keeping the young Quicks perfectly free fi-oom weeds, especially during the first two years ; but, where this is not attended to, it is useless to expect them to thrive. If, after the second year, the hedge does not make satisfactory progress, being at all weak, in spring, before growth commences, give it a good top-dressing of farm. yard manure ; this, unless there is something wrong in the soil, through its being too wet, or other local cause, will push it on. Renewing Worn-out Hedges. We often hear it said that Quicks will not grow in the same soil from which an old hedge has been removed ; and, if the old hedge has simply been grubbed up, and the j'oung Qaicks planted without further preparation, it will certainly not thrive any more than any other crop would under such conditions. No, when an old hedge is removed, it must be done thoroughly, not leaving quantities of old roots in the soil to decay and breed Fungus to attack the roots of the newly, planted fence. Tho ground must be properly trenched, working into it plenty of manure as far as the roots of the new Quicks are likely for some time to extend. Select, plant, and, above all, keep the young fence perfectly clean from weeds, and mulch the surface with a httle manure every spring, until the hedge gets up. In short, give it similar attention, -with a little more manure than would be con- sidered necessary for any fence newly planted, where none other had previously existed ; and there need be no misgivings as to the result. This ro-jilanting exactly on ground previously occupied by old hedges more particularly applies to boundary fences, where there can bo little or no deviation from the old line. Where divisional fences are ■■ worn out, it is often practicable to prepare for and plant the new ^ fence on the opposite side of tho ditch, or even further to deviate from the old line, which frequently presents other advantages, in addition to new soil tor the Quicks. Wo frequently hear it said that this making new fences, with tho railing required to protect them until grown to tho required size, is an expensive job. True, it is; but whore hedges that cannot be altogether dispensed with are woru out, there is no resource but either to keep on expending labour and material in a way that produces the most unsatisfactory results, or set to work and do the thing in the way that will be the cheapest and most satisfactory in the long run. Mention was made in The Garden last week of tan being employed for mulching newly-planted Quicks iu llolstein. In the north of Feb. 14, 1874] THE GAEDBN. 153 England this is often done. It effectually prevents the growth of annual weeds without injuring the Thorns, unless put on too thickly ; about 2 inches is the proper quantity to use, and a second application is necessary ihe second year. — Field. TH E HOUSEHOLD. B K E A D. The ultimate chemical composition of English bread, made from good seconds flour, is, besides oxygen and hydrogen, per cent. : — C, 285 ; N., 1'29. The proximate elements in 100 parts are: — Water, 37 ; albuminous and allied substances, 8-1 ; starch, -iT'i ; sugar, 3'6 ; fat, 1'6 ; salts, 2'3. The quantity of nitrogen and carbon in 1 lb. of bread, baked in the ordinary English manner, is 92 and 1,968 grains. The time required for the digestion of bread is 3i to •!■ hours. Ten grains of dryish bread, when burnt in the body, produce sufEcient heat to raise 5'52 lbs. of water 1° F., which is equal to lifting 4,263 lbs. 1 foot high. The effect of eating 4 oz. of white home-made wheaten bread was to give maxima of increase in the quantity of carbonic acid evolved of 1'48 grain and 2'4 grains per minute on different persons. The quantity of air inspired was increased by 60 cubic inches per minute. The influence was very enduring. The law of this country inflicts penalties for the adulteration of bread, and prescribes that when ordinary bread is sold over the counter it shall be sold by weight, so that a quartern loaf shall weigh 4 lbs, and half a quartern loaf 2 lbs. ; and the price of the loaf varies only with the price of flour. This subject has always attracted the attention of Governments, so that in the reign of Edward IV. wo find it stated that the Lord Mayor " did sharpo correction upon bakers for making bread otherwise than of floure, and light of weight, and caused divers of them to be put in the pillory." At a later period the assize of bread by the Court of Mayor and Aldermen of London prescribed the weight and price of bread, as shown in the following precept, copied from a bill of mortality. No. 28, London, Tuesday, the 27th day of June, 1775 : — " Wilkes, Mayor. r The Assize of Bread, set forth this 13th day of " London, ) June, 1775, by order of the Court of Mayor and to wit. ) Aldermen of the said city, to commence and take (.place on Thursday next, and to be observed and kept until the further order of the Lord Mayor of the said city, or the said Court of Mayor and Aldermen, by all persons who shall make, or bake for sale, any bread within the jurisdiction of the said Court of Mayor and Aldermen, that is to say, lb. oz.dr. The penny loaf, or two half -penny loaves, f Wheaten 0 8 11 to weigh 1 Household ... 0 11 9 The two-penny loaf ( S''"^''"',™, , } I ? ^ '' (.Household 17 3 The three-penny loaf f JT'^'^Ti.i I ^n ,i ^ •' C Household 3 3 12 " To be sold for— lb. oz. dr. B. d. f. The peek loaf, to weigh} 17 0 o{^„l'-ten^ ^ « 0 The half-peck loaf ... ] S 11 o{2„^-Xl \ 0 0° The cinartern loaf ... } 4 5 ^{l^^^,^ » « » " Note. — All loaves, if complained of, must be weighed before a magistrate within twenty-four hours after baking, or exposing thereof to sale, and must be according to the respective weights in the above table. Sixteen drachma make an ounce, and sixteen ounces a pound. " Item. — It is hereby ordered and appointed that no person within the jurisdiction aforesaid shall, after Wednesday next, until the further order of the Lord Mayor, or of the said Court of Mayor and Aldermen, make, or bake for sale, or sell, or expose to or for sale within the jurisdiction aforesaid, any half-quartern loaves. And the better to distinguish and ascertain the two sorts of bread hereby ordered to be made, one from the other, there is to be imprinted and marked on every loaf of bread which shall be made, sold, carried out, or exposed to or for sale within the jurisdiction aforesaid as wheaten bread, a large Koman W ; and on every loaf of bread which shall be made, sold, carried out, or exposed to or for sale within the jurisdiction aforesaid, as household bread, a large Roman H. And the penalty for every omission is twenty shillings. R. I. X. " The price of salt, set by order of the Court of Lord Mayor and Aldermen, dated the 21st of October, 1735, is five shillings the bushel, 56 lbs. to the bushel, and so in proportion for any lesser quantity ; and whoever shall sell at a higher price, or shall refuse to sell at the price aforesaid, forfeits five pounds."— I))-. Smith on Foods. WOEK FOR THE WEEK. PRIVATE GARDENS. Conservatories. — Between forced plants and such as bloom naturally at this season, conservatories are now well furnished with flowers. In addition to Hyacinths and other bulbous plants, these also contain blooming plants of Camellias, Azaleas, Chinese Prim, roses. Cinerarias, Salvias, some Zonal Pelargoniums, Daphnes of different kinds, Cytisns, Zieria Smithii, several Acacias, Heaths, Epacrises, Boronia serrulata, Libonia floribunda, Tremandra verti. cillata, Correa cardinalis and Brilliant, Monocha)tum sericium niulti. florum and ensiferum, Lachenalias, Roella ciliata, Oldenburgia Dep- piana, Pyrethrum uliginosum, Leucopogon lanccolatus, and Luculia gratissima. Amongst climbing plants, Hibbertias, Kcnnedyas, Har. denbergias, Brachysemas, &c., are now coming beautifully into iiower. Amongst dwarf climbers, nothing is prettier at present than nice plants of Myrsiphyllum asparagoides, loaded as they are with a pro- fusion of little reflexed white flowers, having orange-coloured conspicuous anthers. This is a plant that may be readily raised from seeds sown in a hot-bed, pricked or potted off singly when up, and kept growing in moderate heat or in a cool house ; either will do, only when a little warmth is emploj'cd good plants are sooner obtained than by cool treatment. Pot such roots as remain of Pri. mula cortusoides in a compost of good loam two parts and leaf- mould one part, with a little sand. Those previously potted and beginning to grow, keep on a shelf as near the glass as possible. Give a final shift to herbaceous Calceolarias, and also to some of the shrubby ones intended for conservatory decoration. Cinerarias re- quired for late blooming should have plenty of root-room and water, and be kept in a cool, airy house. The least ooufluement of the roots is sure to cause the plants to flower prematurely. A few Balsams and Cockscombs for early flowering should be sown in a hot-bed, and pricked off before they become spindly. Of Amaranthus salici- folius a few seeds should likewise be sown for conservatory orna- mentation, as well as for flovvei'-garden decoration. To succulents starting into growth water should occasionally be given, so as to keep the soil moderately and uniformly moist. The general potting of greenhouse plants should now be proceeded with. Begin with those that have commenced to grow, and which are most forward, having the ball moderately dry, and the soil used in potting in a similar condition. Do not give water after potting to such plants as have been at rest or kept comparatively dry duriug the winter, until they show that they need it. From Cinerarias, Calceolarias, &c., water must not, however, be withhold. In potting, make the new soil as firm as the old, otherwise it only forms a channel for the water to run through without penetrating the old soil, thus greatly impairing the health of the plants. Indoor Fruit and Forcing' Department. — For Pines, pre- pare a good stock for potting, and lay it under cover for some time prior to using it. Water the plants but sparingly, avoiding too much drought, or, on the other hand, a soddened condition of the soil. For stock plants a night temperature of 70^ and a bottom-heat of 80' ; 10° lower temperature will be quite enough for succession plants, which should not be excited till the end of the month. No Vines should be allowed to carry any of last year's fruit till now, and, if any bunches are still h.Tnging on them, they should be cut off at once, with pieces of the wood attached to them, inserted in bottles of water, and kept in the frnit-room ; this allows the Vines to be properly pruned, and to be got in readiness for starting into growth at any time when required. Give some manure-water to pot Vines that are swelling fruit, and keep them in a brisk moist temperature; 65°, with a dry atmosphere and a little air, are neces- sary for such as are in bloom. Syringe daily Peaches and Necta- rines that have set their fruit, and attend to disbudding and watering, whether the plants are in pots or borders. Keep Figs in pots in a bottom-heat of from 75° to 80° ; if maintained by means of fermenting material so much the better. Syringe daily, and supply water moderately. Keep those for late work in sheds or turned on their sides under stages, quite dry. Prepare hot-beds for Cucumbers, placing a little mound of good soil in the middle of the bed over tho manure, and letting it rise to within 6 inches of the glass ; one mound under each light is suflScient ; shift seedling Cucumbers iuto larger pots, and a day or two afterwards pinch out the top of tho leading shoot. Maintain a night temperature of 70° both in pits and frames, both for Cucumbers and newly-planted-ont Melons. Kcp up a succession of Strawberry plants; early Peach.honses or Vineries will be good positions for the earliest batch ; succession fruit-houses for the next earliest crop, and frames for a late supply. Mushroom, beds, if at a temperature of 60°, may now bo spawned. Coutinuo the forcing of Asparagus, Seakale, and salading. Sow some seeds of vegetables for very early crops on slight hot-beds. Kitchen Garden. — Continue to get into moderate heat in sue. 154 THE GAEDEN. [Feb. 14, 1874 cession, strong plants of Asparagus ; let the bottom.heat be moclerate and genial, in order to give it plenty of time to put forth strong robust buds and shoots. Regulate the interior of the frame or pit by methodical airing. If the Asparagus is intended to be of a good flavour and eatable, allow it to colour well, by means of sun and air. Cover the roots lightly at first, then put on three or four inches of well-decayed tan, leaf-mould, or light earth. Water early in the afternoon with tepid water, and shut up and keep the frames dark by litter and mats if intended to be bleached white. No glass need be used ; shutters will do for cover, or it may be placed in a cellar or JMushroom-shed. Keep a sharp eye on Broccoli that is coming on, and protect against frost by doubling the leaves down. Pat a wisp of short straw over the heads. Of Broad Beans plant this month a full general crop, such as Dwarf Gem, Marshall's Dwarf, Early Long- pod, Broad Windsor, or any other good variety. Surface-stir on fine days, and dredge with dry dust against severe frosty nights. Those raised in frames and houses may be hardened off and transplanted in warm borders. Draw some earth to those above ground. Surface- stir and make up all gaps and deficiencies amongst Cabbages. Make another planting from reserved transplanted beds, and sow a small quantity in pans or on a warm border. Prick out those sown last month into shallow boxes as soon as they can be handled. Place in shelter, harden off gradually, and prick on warm borders as soon as the season permits. For real usefulness, the small sweet kinds are the most profitable and best appreciated ; large, coarse kinds beinc only fit for cattle. Sow some Red Cabbage towards the end of the month. Sow small portions of Cauliflowers in succession, prick out those up in boxes and pans, and surface-stir. Plant out now some of the strongest autumn-sown plants that have been nursed and hardened in pots or frames on to warm borders. Surface-stir, clear dead leaves, and harden off succession plants. Those nursed under hand-lights, encourage by surface-stirrings, drawing up all round a little earth in order to raise the glasses and form a basin in the centre for the application of manure-water. Early varieties of Carrots, such as Horn and Dutch, sow on well-prepared, healthy, warm borders, in drills ; and drill Radishes thinly between them for tlie last time this season. Shelter with straw or evergreen boughs for a time. Choose dry weather for applying earth to bleach late crops of Ccleiy. Sow a pinch in gentle heat, and prick out early, into shallow boxes or pans, that sown last month to grow on in succession in frames, for early spring use. Sow Capsicums and Chillies in strong heat, and prick oif as soon as up, an inch apart, in jiots. Chervil. — Sow curled sort in small quantities in warm corners. Chives. — Divide the roots, and transplant them, about 9 inches apart. Lettuce. — Make good all winter crop blanks, and plant out in succession strong plants. Prick off and protect with dry dust small seedlings. Sow in gentle heat, and put a pinch on a healthy warm border, of summer Cos and Cabbage kinds. Beware of birds and mice. Dill and Fennel. — Sow some seeds of these towards the end of the month. Onions. — Transplant the autumn-sown on well- prepared ground, a foot apart, row from row, and 6 inches in the row, in order to have every other one pulled for early use. Sow in a box or frame, on a slight heat, Spanish, Tripoli, or any favourite variety, in order to have strong plants ready to put out the end of March or beginning of April. Sow thickly on a warm border and protect with a little straw the two-bladed union, for early drawing and " bulbing ; " what is left will be of a beautiful size, shape, and colour for pickling. Plant out Potato Onions on firm ground ; if on loose soil they are apt to canker, mildew, and rot. This also holds good in the case of Shallots, which should now, also, be planted above ground, that is, just pressed into firm soil. Garlic, also, plant now. Remove all old-keeping Onions into the coldest, draughty, dry place that can be found, in order to subdue growth and prevent exhaustion. Potatoes now growing in pits, frames, or houses, under hoops, or other shelter, should have plenty of air to maintain sturdiness. Surface-stir those lately planted. Earth with moderately moist, lightish, healthy soil. Bo careful about the application of water ; never apply it overhead, but only to the soil. Never water early Potatoes in tho afternoon and shut them up directly, except you wish to produce disease, if, by any accident, they are caught in a shower when exposed to tho air, leave them night air on and a space back and front of tho lights for tho moisture to have room to evaporate without settliiig on tho foliage. A full crop of Potatoes should now be planted. Let them consist of early and middle early kinds, which have a better chance of escaping disease than late sorts. Sow some Tomatoes on hot-beds, or propagate thorn by means of cuttings ; prick out, pot oft into stiffish poor soil, and harden off in duo season, those intended for out-of-doors. Sow the best curled Parsley in drills, 1 foot apart. Weed out, from old beds or rows intended for seed, every plant that is not fully up to the mark as regards curled quality. Sow now some of tho best varieties of Peas of second crop kinds, both dwarf and tall, such as Advancer, Auvergne, Green Marrow, Climax, Harrison's Glory, Perfection, Napoleon, Nonpareil, Veitch's Perfection, Champion of England, the Prince, &c. Shelter with sticks and a few green boughs in the cold windward aide, and dredge with dry dust, on dry evenings, against frost, those now up and growing. Peas should now be sown on open quarters, 10, 13, or 14 feet apart, thus inducing them to produce as much again as thickly, sown crops. Planted or sown between the rows may be drills of early Turnips, Spinach, and Radishes, spring-sown young Cabbage, Cauliflowers, early Potatoes, &c., all of which will be off and out of the way by midsummer, or sooner, rendering the ground available for Celery. After the Peas are cleared off, the space will be available for successions of Lettuce and Endive, young Coleworts, &c., all of which will be again off before the soil is required for earthing the Celery. Sow the first portion of Brussels Sprouts, Borecole, Buda Kale, after the middle of the month, in order to have some strong plants, fit to produce a heavy autumn and winter crop. Early varieties of Turnips, such as American Pink, Stone, Dutch, &c., should now bo sown on well-prepared warm borders. Sow Spinach in single drills between Peas, and stir the surface soil about winter Spinach, which mast be kept in a growing condition. Specimen and Exhibition Plants. — Large Heaths, Chore zemas, Boronias, Dracophyllums, Genetyllises, Aphelandras, and similar plants should now be staked and tied into such shapes as it may be desired they should assume. A position near the glass is best, and especially one in which all sides of the plants may be subjected to an equal degree of light. In training plants of Dra. cophyllum, unless the long shoots are twined round the base of the plant, and only the points of last year's shoots allowed to grow upwards, a symmetrical or handsomely-grown specimen cannot be obtained. Many train the old wood of these plants over a trellis and allow the blooming points to project outwards a little, but the result of such a method is not satisfactory. From specimen Heaths, whose roots were reduced last summer when re-potted, no flowers can be expected during tho ensuing summer, and any blossoms that do appear should be removed so as to promotn free growth. Heaths, whose roots are so reduced, generally take two years to recover their former vigour, but, the second year after the operation, if they have been judiciously treated, a magnificent amount of bloom may be expected. Show and fancy Pelargoniums keep in a cool well-aired house and in close proximity to the glass. If the stages do not permit of them being near enough to the glass, raise them upon inverted pots, blocks of wood, bricks, &c. Although wirework for training purposes was refixed when the plants were cut back, no attempt should be made to tie down any of the shoots yet ; on the contrary, a slow and stocky growth should bo encouraged, which is tho most productive of flowers ; no fire-heat should, therefore, bo employed for these plants in winter beyond what is necessary to expel frost. If required for early shows, a little fire-heat may be applied after February. Allamandas may be re-potted, cut well back, and allowed to break freely j they should be kept moderately dry for a time. Dipladenias will now be producing their young wood, which should be trained to fine string run across the rafters inside the stove. If the pots in which they grow are plunged, or even partially so, in a moderate bottom.heat, it greatly assists their growth ; and, if the wood is produced early without check, and by free exposure to light, made firm, abundance of flowers will, doubtless, be tho result. If not already done bring down the shoots of Clero- dendron Balfourii and splendens, and train them around the trellises fixed on the pots. As Clerodendrons produce their flowers from the old wood, none of it should be removed at present ; but, after they have done blooming, they may bo pruned, re-potted, and encouraged by bottom-heat and a high temperature, to produce their young growths, which should be trained along the inside of the glass on threads, as recommended for Dipladenias, with the exception of tho difference of season, viz., Dipladenias from tho middle of January until they begin to come into bloom, and Clerodendrons from tho time they have done blooming until they form and thoroughly mature their young shoots, which will be tho blooming ones of next season. Stephanotises may now be unfastened from the cords on which they have been supported and trained around their trellises ; if required early, raise the temperature of the house, or transfer the specimens to a warm moist stove. A too high tem. peraturo in winter is, however, more injurious than beneficial, as it deprives them of their proper rest j but it must not be allowed to fall under 55". The Journal of the Societij of Arts says : It may be new to most readers that a bronze halfpenny is exactly an inch broad, and there- fore gives us a very convenient measure. Laid on an Ordnance map of the inch scale the halfpenny covers just 500 acres. Now, also, that the third of an ounce is a postal unit, it is well to remember, that a penny is precisely that weight. Feb. 21, 1874] THE GAUDBN. 155 THE GARDEN. " This is an art Whioli does mend nature : chan,c;o it rather : The Aet rrsELr is Natuhe." — Shakespeare. but BIRDS EST GARDENS. By T. BAISES, Southgata. Those who recommend the indiscriminate destruction of small birds can never have taken the trouble to study the habits of the different species that inhabit our island — a difference, so far as the gardener is concerned, that is not always determinable by the individual species of bird, for some will attack particular crops in one part of the kuigdom that escape injury in others. There is, also, a difference in the stage of growth in which a particular crop may be when it is attacked by some species of birds in different localities. Sparrows, for instance, in some parts of the country, begin their work of destruction upon Peas the moment they appear above ground, nipping the points of the shoots ; but, if kept from them until the Peas get fairly above ground, no further molestation will be experienced until the crop is ready for gathering ; in other places, they never cease their attacks from the time the Peas are up until they are removed from the ground. Here, with us, they keep at them all through the season, nipping out the leading points, and, as soon as the flowers are formed, picking them out from the leaves with which they are enclosed ; and, if means were not taken to prevent them, we should never have a Pea to gather. In the Cheshire market- g.ardens, and in the neighbourhood of Manchester, they will frequently make an attack on the Onion crop as soon as it apjiears above ground, pulling the young phints up, simply through, to all appearance, a disposition to do mischief, for they leave the young plant, seed and all, lying on the ground entire, while in no other part of the country have I seen them molesc Onions. Here, winter Lettuces are often attacked about the beginning of March, and, if not made unpalatable by a dressing of soot, they destroy the whole crop. Crocuses they never allow to open, as they attack the flowers as soon as they show colour, pulling the petals to pieces so as to get at the pollen, for which they seem to have a particular liking. Gooseberry and Currant buds suffer as much in this neighljoui'- hood from sparrows as they do in some localities from bull- finches. Cotton, such as is used for dip-candlewicks, ravelled out singly, and strung loosely so as to be moved by the wind over anything they molest, I have always found sufficient to scarce them off ; even after the Peas are sticked, I find it necessary to use this. Chaffinches and greenfinches take in- discriminately the seeds of all the Brassica family'. At one time I used netting to protect these seeds until they were sufficiently large to be out of danger, but it is a troublesome job, as nothing you can do will deter them, and, if there is a possibility of getting under the net or through it, you generally have the mortification of seeing your young crop destroyed. I have, for a good many years, coated the whole of the seeds of this description with red lead, and never since have I lost a crop. I have heard, however, that some, who have tried this, have found it to be ineffectual, but I suspect that the lead was not properly applied. The seed should be damped, but not made too wet, and thoi-oughly coated with dry powdered lead, which should be allowed to dry on before the seed is sown, when it will stick so fast that, if any of the seed lies on the surface of the gi'ound, the rain will not wash it off. In this matter of small birds, gardeners are placed in a somewhat difficult position. Taken as a class, I maintain that they are about the last who would be guilty of wanton cruelty ; neither are they devoid of a correct know- ledge as to the whole or partial uses of some species of the feathered race in the garden, as some writers have insinuated. If a gardener admits that he destroys sparrows and finches, or kills a few blackbirds or other songsters, when swarming by hundreds upon fruit crops, for the saving of which he is held responsible, he is denounced as a monster, who has not the common sense to distinguish between his friends and his foes. Those who decry the destruction of all birds, on the score that every species does more good than harm in a garden, very much weaken their case by the misstatements they make. They tell us that the fruit-buds attacked by the birds contained the larvaB of insects, which woul'd have destroyed the whole crop had it not been for the birds. I have frequently proved the fallacy of this, by netting the half of a tree and leaving the other half unprotected ; the difference being that, in the case of bush Currants and Gooseberries so treated, the protected halves of the trees bore full ci-ops, whilst, on the portions left unprotected, there was not half a dozen fruit. We are also told of the thousands of aphides that sparrows destroy, and of the condition in which our bush fruits would be were it not for them. I am aware that sparrows will sometimes eat a few aphides, and so will a dog cat grass ; but I never heard of any one's hay -rick being smaller for the quantity of grass his dogs eat, no matter how many he kept ; and the ciuantity of aphides that sparrows will eat stands in about the same proportion. If there is any time in which these birds will destroy insects, it is when feeding their yoiang. I have f reciuently killed and opened the crops of young sparrows at different ages before they left the nest ; but I never found a single aphis in them. Their food is generally made up of small green seeds, the young leaves of Peas, and soft broken corn that had unmis- takably passed through the stomach of horses. I have also confined sparrows and finches in a room, leaving them small caterpillars and aphides, but nothing in the shapo of corn or seed, and they never touched a siugle grub; and, at^the end of twenty-four hours, the aphides remained on the Currant- leaves as they were put in. I removed these and substituted some corn, which they devoured as soon as left to themselves. Hard- billcd birds will no more subsist upon insects, than soft-billed birds will live upon grain. The Act for the Preservation of Small Birds bore evidence of ignorance on the subject on tho part of those who drew it up ; they managed to leave unpro- tected some of the most harmless, as well as most useful, of all birds that we possess. The house sparrow and the finches, are all but an unmixed evil in gardens ; all the small soft-bdled birds should be encouraged as much as possible, the larger spefles— blackbirds aud thrushes— notwithstanding the quau- tites of snails, and other pests, they destroy, require to be kept within reasonable limits, or the production of fruit, where it is required in quantities, without incurring expense in nets, and other protecting material, equal to the value of the fruit, is au impossibility. Those who advocate the protection of all small birds forget that kestrels, merlins, sjiarrow-hawks, jays, and magpies— Nature's instruments for maintaining the wanted balance in the smaller feathered tribes— are all but extermi- nated ; hence, the necessity for reasonable reduction in theii' numbers by other means. Mutilation of a Favourite Myrtle. — It is not often the judge of a small debt court has to assert a sentimental grievance. Less seldom does he allow any but purely commercial considerations to influence his decision. A case, however, came before Sheriff Hallard, of Edinburgh, a day or two ago, in which he allowed costs to one of the parties to a suit by way of solatium for wounded feelings. Nearly fifty years ago a sprig of Myrtle selected from a bridal bouquet was planted in the garden of a house in Duncan Street, Newincton. In time, the house and " pertinents thereto belonging, became the property of the bride's daughter, by whom they were let to a clergyman named Wemyss. Before entering into possession, Mr Wemyss was strictly enjoined not to harm the Myrtle, now become a statelv plant. But the reverend gentleman, finding it "interfered with other plants in the conservatory, which had been erected for its own special protection, ruthlessly pruned and mutilated it. Thereupon he had to answer an action against him for £10. In court it was proved by a competent person that the intrinsic worth of the tree was £2 10s., and the sheriff was thus caUed on to decide between the sentimental and botanical side of the dispute, ihis difficult task was performed with satisfaction to all concerned, except, perhaps, to the defendant. Declaring his opinion that, in tuo rough alembic of lawvers, feelings which went in at one side came out at the other in "pounds, shillings, and pence,' he allowed the plaintiff £5 5s., with £2 2s. as costs and the ordinary court expenses We are happy to learn from a local journal that the Myrtle itself has not been "irretrievably damaged." There is now hope that tho reverend woodman will spare the tree for the future. 156 THE GARDEN. [Feb. 21, 1874. NOTES OF THE WEEK. Me. Marnock has been consulted by the corporation of Sheffield as to the laying out of the park given to that town by the late Miss Harrison. Mr. Marnock, it will be remembered by many, formed the Botanic Gardens in Slieffield many years ago, and it is, like the garden in the Regent's Park, very tastefully laid out. There are now in bloom in Mr. Barr's bulb grounds Galan. thus plicatus and G. Imperati, the latter a great advance onplicatus. It has the same broad foliage as that Snowdrop, but the flowers are twice as large as those of plicatus. It may, therefore, ba imagined what a gain it will prove for our gardens. For the last five or sir years, the Society of Industrial Sciences at Lyons have been carefully investigating the capabilities of the common Broom (Sarothamnus scoparius) as a textile plant. From a recent report, we learn that the fibre makes an excellent coarse cloth, suitable for domestic purposes, and especially as a pack- ing material, and that a more el.iborate preparation of it yields a material not inferior to the best Hemp in strength and fineness. Messrs. Sutton & Sons, of Heading, have just issued a " Geological Map of England and Wales, whereby a farmer, or land- owner, may be enabled to ascertain the geological strata in which his farm is situate." The map, of which we have received a copy, appears to be very carefully projected, and is presented to purchasers of Messrs. Suttons' " Farmer's Year Book and Grazier's Manual." It will, also, doubtless, prove useful to gardeners. The recently appointed Committee on Planting and Deco- rating the Grounds for the Great Centennial Exhibition, at Phila- delphia, is composed of the following well-known and perfectly com- petent members : — Wm. Saunders, R. M. Copeland, Frederick Law Olmsted, Josiah Hoopes, and Charles U. Miller. From what we saw of the work of some of these gentlemen in American parks and public gardens, we look forward to something very good, indeed, at Philadelphia in 1876. As an instance of " dichro'ism," or diversity of colovir in the flowers of the same plant, M. Carriere mentions a case which has recently come under his observation. For some years past he has grown some specimens of Gynerium elegans, of the variety which bears broad loose panicles, and which he has characterised by the popular name of " Cbapeau chinois," or the "Chinaman's Hat." Hitherto, these have always borne their customary bright yellow silken panicles ; but, last year, M. Carriere was surprised to observe that one of the plants bore two panicles, one of which was of the usual yellow colour, while the other was rose-coloured. M. Carriere's long experience does not supply him with a solution of this anomaly, an exjjlanation of which ho asks for by a laconic "Why ? " — — Speaking of the Royal Horticultural Gardens, at South Kensington, the London Correspondent of the Manchester Guardian says the ticket-holders are nursing their wrath at the prospect of another year's overflow into their sacred precincts of the visitors of the International Exhibition, which has now taken root as a London perennial. The gardens, as such, are a very dismal failure, it must be confessed. The coup d'wil is that of a cemetery vainly trying to look cheerful. Stained brickwork, masonry, and stucco-tazzas reign supreme ; turf, shrubs, and flowers are at the most genial season quite subordinate features ; but it is a safe and convenient place for the subscribers' children, with their bonnes and governesses. To still the contention, some say, "Try a friendly Chancery suit." Others say, "Look at the great Alabama case; try arbitration." So the matter stands. At a meeting, the other day, of the Leeds Town Council, Mr. Alderman Shepherd moved—" That the council award the pre- miums for designs for laying out Rouudhay Park estate as follows :— 1st prize, 200 guineas, Mr. G. Corson, architect, Leeds ; 2nd, 100 guineas, Messrs. G. Hornblower & Son, Liverpool ; 3rd, 50 guineas, Messrs. Porkin & Sons, Leeds." Mr. Alderman Kelsall seconded the motion, which was adopted. Mr. Alderman Shepherd then moved the confirmation of the minutes of the corporate property committee. Mr. Smith, however, objected to their confirmation. He declared that the purchase of the park was a mistake, and that a great deal too much money had already been spent upon it. He was satisfied that if the purchase of the park estate were proposed now — when the people had come to their senses — it would not be agreed to. As much money had been thrown away on the park as would buy four recreation grounds in various parts of the borough. — (A voice : Ten.)— Mr. Scarr also opposed the confirmation of the proceedings of the committee, on the ground that he disapproved altogether of the principle of obtaining prize plans for the laying out of the park. After some further discussion, the resolution was carried. It was stated in the course of tho dis. cussion that to carry out Mr. Corson's plan would render necessary an expenditure of £:iOfid'J for roads and paths inside tho park, and £36,829 for roads and sewerage works outside the park, a total of £67,258. In the month of January, 1873, the value of Potatoes im- ported was £282,303, and in the same month this year only £83,329. On the night of the lOth-llth of February, the thermometer at Berne fell to 8 degrees below zero of Fahrenheit. We are to have a Japanese garden at Alexandra Park. Some Japanese workmen are already employed in erecting tho houses. Mr. Bukeidge's book on cool Orchids has just been published by Mr. Hardwicke ; it is likely to prove very useful to cultivators of this beautiful class of plants, and is embellished by four coloured plates and a number of useful wood engravings. Upwards of 3,000 dozen of Broccoli are weekly consigned from Cornwall to the London markets for sale, and, during the last four months, it is computed that 50,000 dozen heads of Cornish Broccoli have been received, sold, and consumed in the metropolis as Cauliflower. The Irish Gardeners' Record, which seems growing in interest and prosperity, appears in a much better dress this week than usual, and it is printed from new and excellent type. A country so well adapted for gardening as Ireland is can scarcely fail to benefit by a journal specially devoted to this and allied subjects. At the approaching great International Horticultural Exhibi- tion, which will be held at Florence from the 11th to the 25th of next May, a novelty will be introduced in the offering of six prizes for the most artistic and faithful representations of flowers, fruits, and plants, executed in (1) pencil-drawing, (2) photographs, (3) water, colours, (4) chromolithographs, (5) painting in distemper, and (6) oil- painting. Under the name of "Jaquinia smaragdina," M. Andre do- scribes, in a recent number of the Illustration Horticole, a plant grown in M. Linden's nursery at Brussels, with blackish-green foliage, and large, handsome, emerald-green, rosaceous flowers. M. Andre speaks of it as a most effective plant, possessing a more modest beauty than even that of the Violet (" une heauti! plus modeste encore que celle de la Violette "). We have received from Mr. Wortham, of Cannes, a photo- graph of Chamserops excelsa, which shows how well the climate of that part of Frauce suits this Palm tree. It is about twenty years of age ; its height to the extreme ends of the leaves is 12 feet 10 inches ; circumference of trunk, 2 feet 8 inches ; and the number of seeds which it produces annually is about 25,000. This Palm grows out of doors in this country, even as far north as York, but wo have never heard of its bearing seeds in England. At a sale of Orchids, which took place at Stevens' tho other day, lots of the rare and beautiful Dendrobium Jamesiannm, each consisting of two strong plants, fetched from 203. to 50s. per lot. Coelogyne Reichenbachiana, described as decidedly the best of tho Pleione group of that genus, realised from 10s. to 20s. a plant, whilo lots of three and four bulbs of Odontoglossum Roezlii fetched from two to five guineas each. Altogether the sale, which was a somewhat miscellaneous one, realised about £700 for 502 lots. — ■ — • M. GoDRON, Professor of Botany at Nancy, has recently published a pamphlet " On the Origin of our Cultivated Pears and their numerous varieties," in which he contends that they are derived, not, as has been commonly supposed, from the European wild Pear (Pirus communis), but, through long-continued hybridisation, from an original Asiatic type, introduced into Europe at a remote period. M. Godron's arguments in suppoi t of this view are very ingenious, but are given at such length that we must leave our readers to form their own deductions from a perusal of his interesting treatise. TnE current number of the Revue Horticole contains a coloured plate of the fruit and foliage of a new kind of Diospyros, which M. Carriere has named "D. Mazeli." It appaars to be quite distinct from D. costata, which attracted so much attention two or three years since. Tho fruit is about as large as a medium. sized Apple, of a depressed spherical shape, aud, when fully ripe, of a fine deep orange colour. The interior is filled with a very soft pulp, the flavour of which is said to resemble that of Apricot marmalade. Tho plant was received, amongst others, from Japan, in 1866, by M. Mazol, of Anduze (Gard), after whom it has been named. M. H. J. Van Hulle, writes to us as follows: — "On tho night of the 12th-13th inst., the neighbourhood of Gaud was visited by a sharp frost of — -10' Cent. (= 13^ Fahr.). This will prove most fortunate for our fruit-crops ; for, as the Peaches and Apricots on south walls were commencing to open their buds, and even thoso of the Pear trees were beginning to swell, we should have had little chance of fruit this year, had not this timely frost supervened. lu consequence of tho seasonable chock which it has given to vegetation, we have now some hope of a good harvest j at present, at least, appearances are moat favourable in every way." Feb. 21, 1874] THE GARDEN. 157 THE FLOWER GARDEN. HARDY KINDS OF HIBISCUS. TuE genus Hibiscus — oue of the richest and most varied in species of the whole vegetable kingdom — has contributed some of the finest ornaments of our hothouses, conservatories, and gardens. The greater number of the species are natives of tropical regions, a few only being found in temperate latitudes, and, consequently, few are available for open-air culture in this country. One of the finest of these, H. speciosus, is the subject of onr illustration. This plant is a native of South Carolina, whence it was in- troduced in 1778 by J. Fothergill. It is an herb- aceous perennial, growing from 2 to 8 or 9 feet high, with numerous branches, and smooth, palmate, five- parted leaves, the divisions of which are long, narrow, and pointed. The flowers, which appear in August and September, are very large, spreading, and of a fine scarlet colour, and, under filvourable conditions, are produced in such abundance that the plant is quite covered with them, and pre- sents a splendid appearance. The following is the mode of treatment pursued by M. Dommage, of Montrouge, whose garden some time since contained remarkably fine specimens of this plant : — During the winter he kept the plants in a temperate house, and, in February, transferred them to a warm house, in which they re- mained untilJune. By this means vegetation was vigor- ously pushed on. About the middle of June, he planted thom out in the open air, in a warm and sheltered position. By this course of ti'eatmcnt, M. Dommage obtained specimens over 9 feet high, with a dense bushy habit, and producing flowers in great profusion for two months. The soil proper for this species is a compost of free loam and heath - soil. The plants should be kept dry during the winter, but require a copious supply of water during the season of growth. In addition to the fore- going species, we may here mention a few other hardy kinds of Hibiscus, viz., H. militaris ; 3 to 4 feet high ; flowers, purplish-rose, with a darker centre. Native of Louisiana, Pennsylvania, and Carolina. H. Moschentos; 3 to 5 feet high ; flowers, light rose-colour, sometimes nearly white, with a crimson centre, as large as those of the common Holly- hock. New York to Carolina, in swamps and salt marshes. H. palustris ; 3 to 5 feet high ; flowers, large, purple, on long axillary stalks. This species has often been confounded with H. Moschentos, but is quite distinct. Canada to Virginia. H. roseus ; 4 to 6 ft. high ; flowers, showy rose-colour, 4 inches across. A very handsome plant. France, on the banks of the Adour. We shall conclude our list with the dwarf annual, H. Trionum, also known as the Bladder Ketmia. This plant grows from 6 to 18 inches high, and bears (from June to September) cream-coloured flowers with a dark purple centre ; the calyx is membranaceous, inflated or bladdery, and full of nerves. Italy, Carniola, and New Zealand. All the species here mentioned may be propagated either from seed or by division. W. M, A Hardy Hibiscus (Hibiscus speciosus). NEW VARIETIES OF CANNA. In a recent number of the Journal dfi la SocieU centrals d'Sortieulture de France, M. Nardy, of Hyeres, describes the following as the best of the new varieties of Canna raised since 18C7 : — Corapactum (Nardy). — Steuas, numerous, from 4 feet 10 inches to 6 feet high ; leaves, broad, light green ; flowers, numerous, yellow dottted with red. Daniel Hooibrenk (J. Sisley). — Stem, about 6 feet high ; leaves, lance-shaped, green ; flowers, numerous, large, salmon-coloured. Edward Morren (J. Sisley). — Stems, about 5 feet high ; leaves, lance-shaped, green ; flowers, in numerous spikes, large, yellow dotted with bright nasturtium red. Gloire de Lyon (Crozy). ■ — Stems, numerous, about 6^ feet high ; leaves, lance- shaped, purple ; flowers, large, salmon-coloured. Gaboniensis (Crozy). — Stems, very numerous, from 6 to 61 feet high ; leaves, lance-shaped, glaucous green ; flowers, very numerous, rosy- carmine. Henry Vilmorin (Huber & Co., Hyeres). — Stems, numerous and strong, from 4 feet 10 inches to 6^- feet high ; leaves, broad, deep green, very firm ; flowers, large, of a nasturtium orange- colour. One of the most orna- mental varieties in foliage. Jacques Plantier (Nardy). — Stems, from 5.V to 6} feet high; leaves, lance, shaped, purpl ish. green ; flowers, unusually large, sal- mon-coloured. Jean Bart (Denis). — Stems, thick, from 4 feet 10 inches to 6 feet high ; leaves, lance. shaped, bronzy- green ; flowers, very large, of a wine-red colour. Jean Sisley (Huber & Co., Hyeres). — Stems, nu. merous and thick, over DJ feet high ; leaves, large, liglit green ; flowers, bright red. Jean Vandael (J. Sisley). — Stems, about 4 feet 10 inches high; leaves, lance.shaped, green; flowers, numerous, large, of a wine-red colour. Madame Cellier (Chretien).— Stems, about 4 feet 10 inches high ; leaves, lance-shaped, light green ; flowers in numerous spikes, large, cherry -red. A seedling of C. Bihorelii. Madame Schmitt (Nardy).— Stems, numerous, from 6 to GJ- feet high ; leaves, lance-shaped, green ; flowers, large, numerous, cherry-red. Prince Imperial (Chretien). — Stems, numerous, about 3 feet 3 inches high ; leaves, numerous, light green ; floivera in many spikes, oE a bright red colour. A seedling of C. Bihorelii. Tricolor (Henderson). — Stems, numerous, from 2 feet 4 inches to 2 feet 8 inches high ; leaves, numerous, green, striped with white and a little rose-colour ; flowers, bright red. 158 THE GARDEN. [Fed. 21, 1874, Pancratium maritimum. — In the " Life of Mrs. Somerville," p. 308, it is stated that "at Viareggio the loose sand is drifted by the wind into low hillocks, and bound togethei' by coarse Grass, thickly coated with silex. Among this and other plants a lovely Amaryllis, the Pancratium maritimum, with a sweet and powerful perfume, springs up. We often ti'ied to get the bulb, but it lay too deep under the sand." Is P. maritimum the same as P. fragrans ? — At.pha. [Pan- cratium maritimum and illyricum are the only kinds found in the south of Europe, and they are tolerably distinct and hardy when planted in a warm border. The Pancratium fragrans of Loddige's " Botanical Cabinet," plate 83J', is a tender West Indian kind, and the same as Hymenocallis fragrans of Herbert's Amaryllidacefe, All of them are very fragrant, particularly in tlie evening. — Ed.] Th.e best races of Ch.ma Asters. — I have grown a complete collection of Asters to ascertain the merits of recent introductions, and have discarded the Humboldt, the Shakespeare, and the Bismarck Sections, as having no fixed character, and, therefore, worthless for English gardens. For large beds, the Hamburgh Prize, Pieony Per. fection, the Victoria, the Cockade, and the Hedgehog, are the most desirable. For medium. sized beds, ribbons, &c., the Dwarf Chrysan- themum, the Dwarf Victoria, and the Schiller Dwarf Pyramidal are the finest, being compact, and of even gi-owth, bearing their flowers conspicuously above the foliage. To cut for bouquets, the Imbrique Pompon, and the Dwarf Bouquet Elegantissima, are of the most exquisite colours, and perfect models in shape, ranging from the most miniature to the size of a Pompon Chrysanthemum. For a continuous succession of bloom, seed should be sown at intervals, from the beginning of March to the end of May ; the fii'st sowings under glass, the latter sowings may be made where the plants are intended to flower. — P. Bark. Zausclineria Californica. — This, though now seldom seen in our flower gardens, is, nevertheless, worth attention under certain circumstances. The year before last with us it was too leafy and late in coming into flower ; but having been left in the ground through the winter, it pushed freely in the spring, and threw up ground shoots or suckers all round. It soon covered the bed in which it was planted, and was in full flower early in August. Though nnsuited for early bloom, and the colour (an orange-scarlet) not so striking as that of many other bedding plants, still those who appre- ciate variety of habit as well as colour, will find a distinctness of character in a bed of this plant, when in good condition, that must recommend jt to their favourable notice. Its position in the flower garden would seem to be some intermediate place between beds which, having stronger colours, are better adapted for contrast, and more effective at a distance, or, perhaps, as a detached bed, which comes in for a close inspection, and to show off the flowers to the best advantage. Gales of ^^ind, which pla}' sad havoc with many other plants in gardens, leave this unharmed. — E., Thetford. NOTES AND QUESTIONS ON THE FLOWER GARDEN. Dwarf Ageratums- — These are splendid bedding plants, blooniiapr con- tinuously till destroyed by frost. Cultivated in pots, all the varieties are useful under glass. To cut for furnishins; vases, the flowers are most valuable, the blue chauo:inff- to a rich mauve by caudle light. The Tom Thumb and Imperial Pwarf varieties are most valuable additions to our bedding plants. — P. B. Saxifraga Burseriana.— I have a charmintr little Saxifrage, one of the prettiest with which I am acquainted, belonging to the Juniperiua section, and which is now covered with large pure white flowers. It is S. Buj'seriana. I Fee it Bpoken of as being in bloom with Mr. Atkins, who had it from here last EGason. It comes from Switzerland,— T. S. Wa.re, Hale Fur m, Totfenhavi. Plants in Bloom.— I have in flower a curious little Cape bulb, viz., Hessea Bpiralis (white), Primula erosa, Primula vorticillata, Ruta albiflora, Schizostylis coccinea in a frame, as well as abundance of Cyclamens. C. coum album is liow exceedingly pretty. Out-of-doors there are but few things in flower; among the most notable are C-rocus biHorus, C. Aucheri, Primula altaica, Hepaticas, Sisyrincliium grandiflonim, and one or two of the Megaseas.— A. .T. Perby. Opuntia Rafineaqniana. — In a recent number of the lUuxfrafinn Hm'ticoh-, M, E. Aiidv*^ disputes the claim of this plant to be considered a distinct species, and further reduces eighteen hitherto-received species and sub-species of North American Opuntias to mere varieties of O. vulgaris, resulting from differences of soil, climate, altitude, &c. As a corroboration of his opinion, ho states that, some time since, M. Verlot planted, in the garden of the Musouro, a Fpecimen of O. vulgaris by the side of one of O. Ratincstjuiana, and tliat the former has since lost its tropical aspect, and assumed, in a marked degree, the hardy northern appearance, the almost creeping habit, and the wrinkled joints of the lattLT. Calochortns Gunnisonii.— The genus Calochortus comprises, as is well known, Homc of the gayest bul ba of the Californiau Mora, and all the species have, from their earlicHt introduction, been highly prized. The C. Gunnisonii appears to be closely allied to C, venustusand C. Nuttallii, and has, in fact, been considered as synonymous with the latter species. Further examination of flowering specimens is necessary to determine these points. The flowers when fully expanded are from 2 to 3 inches across. The plant grows in Utah, where the bullw are said to occur at a depth of from 6 to 10 inches. Seedlings nre not difficult to raise, but as they do not attain any size the first season of their growth, the amateur must be cautioned against allowing the soil of the pot con- taining them to become dupt dry after the annual (growth is completed, and the foliage withered, which would result in the desti action of the bulbils. On the other hand, an excess of moisturo is e'lually to be avoided.— T. THE INDOOR GARDEN. ADIANTUM rOEMOSUM. Tuis, when well-grown, is one of the most distinct, and, as its specific name implies, beantifnl of Ferns. It grows well in a warm greenhouse and is quite at home in a close Wardian case, but, if large specimens of it are required for exhibition, they may be quickly obtained hy keeping them either in an ordinary plant-stove or tropical Fernery, where the atmosphere is warm and charged with humidity. Good strong plants of this species produce fronds from '2 to 2g feet in length, and about a third moi-e in breadth. The fronds are of a fresh green colour and are well adapted either for grouping along with choice exotics iu bouquets and wreaths, or for using along with flowers in the drawing-room vase. Our illustration, taken from an original sketch, shows the genei'al habit of the plant and the form of its drooping fronds. Like all Maiden-hair Ferns, it grows rapidly in a fresh open fibrous compost of turfy peat, sand, and about one-iifth of good fibrous loam — that from an Adiantum formosum. upland pasture or from the face of sandstone rocks being best. The pot in which it is grown must be well drained, and the plant requires liberal supplies of tepid water at the root during the summer montlis. B. TREE-FEENS. {Contiimeil from p. 9.) Alsophlla. The species of this genus, to which I shall allude in the following remarks, are all extremely lieautiful. They belong to the Cyatheacea!, and, indeed, are very nearly allied to the genus Oyathea, the chief point of distinction being that the sori in C3'athea are enclosed in a scaly cup-shaped involucre, while those of Alsophila are quite naked; the species belong- ing to Alsophila are widely distributed over the tropical and temperate regions of the globe, although no member of the genus belongs to our European flora. As a genus, Alsophila is characterised by its arborescent .stems, by its large bi-tripiu- natifid fronds, simple or forked free veins, and naked sori, which characters, ajjart from the arborescent growth, leave few distinguishing points between Alsopliila and Polypodium, to which genus, indeed, early authors usually assigned it. The species from theEast Indies (fowof which, however,are, unfortu- nately, in cultivation)and also those from South Aracricaand the West Indian Islands h.ave mostly slender stems, which are deve- loped somewhat rapidly, and are, more or less profusely, armed with stout sharp spines ; whilst those from more temperate Feb. 21, 1874] THE GARDEN. 159 II regions have usually raucli stouter stems, Trhich they build up much more slowly, and have the spines reduced to mere small rough points. In a cultural point of view, the tropical kinds require an abundant supply of both heat and moisture, and although T strongly advocate the use of the syringe for moistening their stems, I consider the less it is brought into play on the fronds the better. As a compost for these plants, in a young state, I prefer using two-jiarts peat, one-part loam, and one of sand ; but as they attain size, or, for re-potting old plants, peat and loam in equal parts will be found preferable. The drainage must always be in good working order, and over-potting must be avoided. It is my firm opinion that there are many sheltered glens throughout the country where several of the Australian kinds would thrive admirably in the open air, and I would strongly urge upon the fortunate possessors of such spots, the advisability of trying the experiment. TEMPERATE HOUSE SPECIES. A. iuSTEALls. — This species, at one time thought to be rare, ■would seem to be found, at times, in tolerable abundance. When mature, its stems are said to attain a height of some 20 and even 30 feet, and to measure from 2 to 3 feet in circum- ference ; the beautiful head of fronds which crowns its summit, extending from 10 to 13 feet from the centre. In this country, the stems rise from 3 to 10 feet in height ; they are of various degrees of stoutness, and are easily recognised by the bases of /-the old fronds which clothe them, and which are thickly studded ' with short obtuse prickles ; the fronds are somewhat ovate- lanceolate in outline, bip innate ; pinnules, linear-lanceolate and deeply pinnatifid, deep green on the tipper side, paler below, the base of the stipes and crown of the plant being clothed with large dark chestnut-brown chaffy scales. Native of New South Wales, Tasmania, and other places. A. EXCELSA. — Although a well-known plant in our Ferneries, this species would appear to be little understood, for, in very many instances, I find it grown under the name of A. australis, from which, however, it wholly differs. Others, again, call it A. Cooperi, whilst we have even seen the name of Cyathea excelsa made to do duty as one of its synomyms. The plant in question is a rapid grower, and forms a stem very quickly, for which reason it is not so well adapted, as some others, for those with whom space is an object, although few species, either in a young or mature state, can surpass it in beaxity of outline. The fronds are broad and spreading, bipinnate ; the stipes pale- coloured, slightly muricate, and, together with the crown of the plant, densely clothed with large light-coloured chaffy scales, intermixed with wool, which at once distinguish it from the previously-described species ; indeed, in the absence of stems, these chaffy scales or hairs, which, almost invariably, are to be found clothing the crowns or base of the stipes of Tree-Ferus, form excellent characters by which to determine species, and should always accompany specimens intended for the herbarium. In Norfolk Island, A. excelsa is said to attain a height of from -lO to 50 and even 80 feet. A. CooPEKi. — In the form of herbarium specimens, this is, undoubtedly, difficult to separate from A. excelsa, but, in the shape of living plants, the two are distinct enough. A. Cooperi, as far as is known to me, produces a somewhat slender stem, and does not develop it so rapidly as A. excelsa ; the fronds are bipinnate, the segments being pinnatifid, bright green on the upper side, inclining to glaucous beneath ; the crown and stipes being clothed with dark brown chaffy scales, intermixed with hairs. It is a native of Queensland. A. Leichardtiana. — Amongst Tree-Ferns this is truly a gem. Its stem is very slender, attaining a height of 20 feet, or even more, the fronds forming a beautiful arched crown of plume-like leaves upon the apex ; they are from 6 to 10 or 12 feet in length, bipinnate; the pinnules being deeply pinnatifid, and bright green in colour ; the base of the stipes and the main rachis are furnished with numerous dark brown spines. It is a remarkable fact that, although this species is so thoroughly diilerent from all others, it has no fewer than three names, having been called A. Macarthuri, by Sir W. Hooker ; A. Moorei, by Mr. John Smith ; and A. Leichardtiana, by Dr., now Baron, Midler, director of the Botanic Gardens, Melbourne. This beautiful species is a native of Queensland. 'A. capensis. — This species is frequently included in the genus Hemitelia, being placed there on account of the scales, which are scattered over the under-side of the pinna?, present- ing, somewhat, the appearance of the half-cup-shaped indusium peculiar to those plants. I have not been able, after repeated examinations, to convince myself that these scales have any- thing in common with an involucre, and so, in this enumeration, I retain it in the genus Alsophila. The stem attains a height of from 6 to 10 or 12 feet, is somewhat slender, hard, and black- looking ; the fronds are tripinnate, from 3 to 4 or .5 feet in length, with the edges of the segments serrate > they are ovate- lanceolate in outline, and deep green in colour. A remarkable feature in this species is the production of abortive pinn» upon the lower base of the stipes ; these are short, much divided, and linear, and, as seen growing upon the plant, have the appearance of an epiphytal Filmy Fern, in a barren state ; indeed, they were described by Kaulfuss under the name of Trichomanes (?) cormophyllum. It is a handsome plant ; but, nevertheless, it is not found as a common inmate of our Ferneries. It is a native of mountain ravines in the country about the Cape of Ciood Hope. STOVE SPECIES. A. GLAUCA. — In this fine species we have one of the few East Indian Tree-Ferns which, at present, exist in our Fern-houses. The stem attains a considerable height, and bears a splendid crown of large arching fronds, which vary from 6 to 12 feet in length ; they are bipinnate and coriaceous in texture ; pinnules, deeply pinnatifid, the upper surface being bright shining green, the under-side glaucous; stipes and main rachis, muricate, the stipes and crown of the plant being furnished with a profusion of large white chaffy scales. Native of Penang, Java, and the Philippines. A. GiGANTEA. — This would appear to be both widely distri- buted and extremely variable. When favourably situated and fully developed, it is said to attain a height of upwards of .50 feet. The fronds are bi-tripinnate, but the pinnje and pinnules are extremely variable upon different plants, both in length and breadth. They are thin in texture and bright green in colour. This species is extremely rare in cultivation. Native of Nepaul, Sylhet, Java, Ceylon, Penang, &c. A. ARMATA. — A slender-stemmed species of great beauty, and, also, of great rarity. It produces tripinnate fronds, which vary from 3to6 orSfeetin length, are light green in colour, coriaceous in texture, and sparingly clothed on the under-side with fulvous spreading hairs. The stipes are profusely armed with short, stout, light-coloured spines, whilst the crown of the plant, and the stipes as well, are clothed with large white and fulvous- coloured chaffy scales. Native of Jamaica, and various parts of South America. A. PROCERA. — I have never seen large stems of this species, but, nevertheless, it is very handsome, even in a young state. The stipes appear to be sparingly furnished with short spines ; the fronds are bipinnate, the pinnules being broad and scarcely pinnatifid, and very rich green in colour ; the crown and base of the stipes are clothed with brown chaffy scales. I have found this species, which is a native of various parts of Brazil, far more common in German gardens than in this country. A. KADENS. — A fine species, but little known in cultivation. Its fronds are some 6 or 8 feet in length, and bipinnate ; pinnaj from 12 to 18 inches in length ; pinnules, pinnatifid ; segments, oblong, obtuse, and bright green ; stipes and main rachis, aculeate, and very pale. ' Native of Brazil. A. iNEESTA. — This is a widely-distributed Fern, and, like all plants circumstanced in that way, it varies considerably in appearance in different localities ; all forms of it, however, are extremely beautiful. The_ fronds are bipinnate ; pinnules, pinnatifid, broad, and membranaceous in texture, and deep green in colour ; the crown of the plant is clothed with chaffy scales, whilst the base of the stipes is armed with some sharp spines. It seems to be common in various provinces of South Brazil, Peru, British Guiana, and some of the West Indian Islands, but I have never seen it recorded from Mexico. A. ASPERA. — This magnificent species has an extremely slender stem, which, nevertheless, attains the height of some 20 feet, or even more. It bears a magnificent crown of broad bipinnate coriaceous fronds, the pinna3 of which frequently measure from 20 to 30 inches in length, and are rich deep gi-een in colour ; the base of the stipes is armed with short stout spines, whilst the main and partial rachis are clothed 160 THE GARDEN. [Feb. 21, 1874. with long rough hairs. It is common in several of the West Indian Islands. A. BKYRiCHiiNA. — This species I have seen thrive well in a conservatory during the summer months, but it is not wise to risk it in such a position during winter. Its stem is slender, and it bears a fine crown o£ long arching fronds ; the crown of the plant and base of the stipes are clothed with long brown or cinnamon-coloured chaffy scales, the latter being also armed with spines ; t)ie fronds are ample, bipinnate, dark green on the upper side, but paler beneath. It is frequently placed amongst the Cyatheas, but I have never been able to discover any involucre, the presence of which only would entitle it to a place in that genus. Native of Brazil. A. PALEOLATA. — Of this species I am only acquainted with young plants, but these bid fair to produce grand specimens. In general appearance, it would seem to approach A. ferox, but this latter plant would seem to be involved in some mystery, judging from the different forms which I have seen bearing that name. The fronds of A. paleolata are bipinnate, clothed on both sides with downy haii-s, more dense beneath than above. The stipes are aculeate, and the rachis somewhat hispid; pinnffi serrate, and deep green. It is a Brazilian plant, somewhat scarce in English gardens. A. sUEiNAMENSis. — This species has only come under my notice in a young state, or, perhaps, it would be better to say that the stems of such plants as I have seen of it were young, and I have not seen them imported in a large state. The stem is slender, and bears a beautiful crown of fronds, which are bipinnate, with the pinnules pinnatifid, and deep green. The crown of the plant is furnished with large brown chaffy scales ; the stipes are aculeate, whilst the costffi and main rachis are slightly pubescent below. Native of Guiana and Mar- tinique. A. viLLOSA. — This is an extremely rare and beautiful species, with the size of the full-grown stem of whichlam unacquainted. The stipes are unarmed ; fronds tripinnate, the pinnae having a peculiar habit of pointing forward instead of spreading hori- zontally ; they are dark green on the upper side and smooth, but below they are clothed with dull-coloured woolly hairs. Owing to its beauty and distinctiveness, this species should receive more extended cultivation than it has hitherto been accorded. It is a native of Brazil, Caraccas, and elsewhere. A. FEROX. — The stem of this is slender, and, being clothed with the somewhat persistent bases of the aculeate stipes, it presents a formidable appearance. The fronds are broad and ample, bipinnate, the segments being finely and elegantly divided, which gives it a beautiful feathery appearance ; they are dull deep green above, and slightly paler below, where they are furnished with a few bullate scales. It is a very handsome Brazilian Tree-Fern, and one which deserves a place in every stove Fernery. With the above enumeration, I shall leave this genus for the present, not because of paucity of material, but because several have resently come to us with new names, the value of which I am anxious to prove. Lophosoria. L. PRTJNIATA. — ^There would seem, according to the majority of authors, to be no reasons for separating this plant from the genus Alsophila ; nevertheless, I cannot help entirely con- earring with Mr. J. Smith, when he says, " Setting aside the arborescent character of the stem, this genus is more naturally related to the Desmopodium section of Phegopteris than to Alsophila." This, however, in a cultural point of view, will not affect us. It has an erect stout stem, like an Alsophila or Cibotium, with the fructification of a Polypodium. The largest stems which have come under my notice were between 3 and 4 feet in height, the crown and liaseof the stipes being densely clothed with tawny hairs; the fronds are from 3 to 5 feet long, throe times divided ; the pinnules deeply toothed at the edges, deep briglit green on the upper side, but silvery-white beneath. It is a truly Ijeautiful stove species, deserving the attention of all lovers of Ferns. It is a native of various parts of Soutli America and elsewhere. Trichopteris. T. EXRELSA. — With some, this plant is retained in the genus Alsophila; but, to me, it seems to have so many points of distinction, that I must, perforce, adopt the system of those who separate it from that genus. It is a beautiful plant, rising upon a rather slender stem, the base of the stipes and crown of the plant being enveloped with large dark reddish- brown chafl'y scales. As a point of distinction, I may here observe that the stipes are articulated with the axis, and the pinnules are articulated with the rachis. It is important not to neglect to water this species, for its pinnffi never recover from drought, like those which are sessile, but fall out at the joint, and leave only bare sticks in place of beautiful foliage. The fronds are bipinnate, from 3 to 6 feet in length ; pinnules, lanceolate, entire, and about 2 inches long ; they are coriaceous in texture, smooth, and dark shining green on the upper side, slightly paler below, where the peculiar bearded sori form a continuous line midway between the costce and margin. This rare and handsome species requires stove temperature. It may, perhaps, be better known to some of our readers by the name of Alsophila Ttenitis. Native of various parts of Brazil. G. Epiphyllums as Basket Plants. — These are exceUent plants either for largo or small baskets. When large wire baskets are employed these plants may, if grafted neai- the base of the stock, be planted between the meshes of the wire, where they grow and bloom freely, and, even when out of flower, the shoots are always fresh and green. They may, likewise, be planted and tastefully intermixed with other flowering plants in such baskets, and, in this way, owing to their pendent habit, greatly relieve any prevailing stiffness. Chatsworth conservatory is famous for its suspending baskets fur. nished with Epiphyllums, and with which their whole surface and baseare decorated, and when, as at Chatsworth, they have the advantage of a little artificial heat, they bloom from the end of October till after Christmas. At Dalhousie, I observed, the other day, an ingenious method of exhibiting these plants to advantage. Mr. Dickson, the gardener there, having some nice plants with well furnished drooping heads, grafted from 8 to 12 inches high, and growing in 48-sized pots, wished to use them as basket plants in the conservatory. As he had no baskets, however, he tied some Moss neatly around the pots, so as to entirely hide them, and, with some wire, suspended them as required. The effect is excellent, and, as the plants were grown in a cool greenhouse, they did not begin flowering till Christmas, and even now (February 13) they are as thickly laden with beautiful fresh blossoms as one might expect them to be in December. — W. F. NOTES AND QUESTIONS ON THE INDOOR GARDEN. Pitclier Plants (Sarracenia flava.)— Those who have seen the fine speci- mens of this very curious plant at our great shows, may be inierested to learn that in North Carolina and Virginia, it sometimes grows in immense quantities in the wet ditches on each side of the railway track. — R. Odontoglossum Pescatorei.— A small plant of this beautiful Orchid haa just flowered at Uruuilanri^, bearing fifty-five fiowers on a spike, and, in addi- tion to this, it bore a smaller spike from the apex at the pseudo-bulb. This plant was grnwu in a four-incb pot, and is a grand illustration of the profuse- flowering charaL^ter of this fine winter-blooming Odontoglot, one of the best we have in cultivation.— B. W. F. Tuberoses.— When is the time to buy and plant Tuberoses; and do they require much heat?— G. [Obtain good strong bulbs now, and plant them in light sandy soil. A warm greenhouse or Vinery suits them as regards tempe- rature. They grow freely iu Southern Europe and America planted out in warm moist soils. Much of your success depends on the bulbs you purchase being sound and thoroughly well ripened.— Ed.] Bonvardia Culture.—Are Bouvardias grown in cool-houses or hothouses ?— G. [Bouvardias are generally grown in slightly heated pits or frames, the lights being removed dxiring the summer months, except in dull wet weather. In some warm soils and sheltered situations they will succeed planted out-of- doors like bedding-plants. They like a hght sandy compost, one-third of which should be woll-rotted manure. During winter they should have a tem- perature of 55'^.— Ed.] Mulching Pots and Tubs with Sphag;num.— In the Royal Botanic Gardens, Edinburgh, Mr. McNab mulches the soil in the large tubs and pots containing Palms, Ferns, and other plants, with common Sphagnum, and he considers this to be of material benefit to the plants, especially in the case of such as are newly-potted. Themulching prevents hasty evaporation in bright sunny weather, and thus saves a great deal of watering ; it also assists in maiutainiug the soil in such a condition as to enable water to readily percolate equably throughout the whole mass. The stems of dehcate or newly-shifted Tree-Ferns, too, are like- wise wrapjicd in Sjihagimm in or^ler to encourage fresh roots. — W. Kope-refuse for Mulching and Hot-beds.— This material, usually called "pob" may be obtained in largo fiuantities from rope manufactories.* In the Lawson Nurseries it is used for hot-beds. After being soaked with water, fermen- tation soon commences, and, when once warm, it retains its heat for at least twelve months. Owing to its chaffy character, it could not, of itself, be built into a hot-bed above ground, but in pits, and indoors it forms a good substitute for tan and becomes a valuable fertiliser when soaked with liquid-manure, or mixed with dung, and, in this respect, it is more useful than tan, which iu any form but that of ashes, is valueless as manure, "Fob" is also used as a mulching' for plants both in and out-of-doors, and for this purpose, it is quite as valuable as Cocoa-nut fibre.— F. Feb. 21, 1874] I'-Et GAtlDEiN. 161 THE DATE PALM IN EGYPT. (PHCENIX DACTYLIi'ERA.) Among the numerous kinds of Palms to be found in tropical and semi-tropical countries, the Date Palm is one of the most useful to the swarthy Arabs of Northern Africa and to the bronzed children of Southern Europe. To the inhabitants of the Arabian and African deserts it is second only to bread. Although the Date Palm is found in cultivation more or less from Southern Europe to Hong Kong, probably in no country is it to be met with in greater abundance than in Egypt, a country from which hundreds of tons of Dates are annually exported in a dry and pressed state. There are two varieties of the Date Palm in Egypt, one having a large brownish-red fruit, and the other a golden-yellow one. The former is chiefly used when fresh gathered, and that variety is not so much in cultivation as the j'ellow kind. In travelling in Egypt, when the tops of the Date Palm come into view it is always the signal that a village or town is at hand. In the neighljourhood of Alexandria, there are some splendid groves of the Date Palm, which also surround every town and village in the Nile Delta, where it is extensively cultivated. The district of Fiumee, which is about 100 miles above Cairo, is, however, most celebrated for its Dates, and likewise for its Grapes. It is watered by an immense canal cut from the Nile, and known by the name of "Bahr el Yussef" (Joseph's Eiver), which has been the means of bringing into culti- vation a large and fertile district which otherwise would have been a desert. The Date Palms of Egypt are very sturdy in their growth, rarely rising higher than from 40 to 50 feet. One solitary Palm, however, growing near the Pacha's palace at Abdeen, in Cairo, measures about 80 feet in height, and has a thin and graceful stem ; this has probably arisen from its growing in a shaded court, but as seen from the front entrance of the palace it has a most picturesque appearance, backed up, as its feathery foliage is, by the mina- rets and towers of the neigh- bouring mosques. Every wealthy Arab has a garden adjoining his residence, con- taining Roses and Myrtles, Date Palms, Figs, Vines, Peaches, Apricots wise the fruit-bearing Palm would be sterile; one male for every ten female trees is generally found to be sufficient. lu cases in which the male plants have died, it is not unusual to cut male flower-spathes, and to tie them to the fruit-bearing trees, fertilisation being simply left to the action of the winds. Few sights are more pleasing than a Date Palm grove while in iiower — i.e., when the burst- ing spathes display the half -green and golden colouring of the inflorescence. One Date Palm often prodiwes a bushel of Dates. Petee AVallace. The Date Palm, Pome- Such , Plums, and granates, all mingled together in a kind of wild disorder, is the bountiful nature of the soil and climate of Egypt that, if irrigation is only attended to, crops of every kind are produced in quantities that would astonish English cultivators. The Arab loves his garden, and it is only iu "it that he and his family throw off that stiff dignity for which they are so celebrated- roaming about in careless freedom, and sitting on mats under the trees eating whatever fruit may please their fancy. The Date Palm is a great source of revenue to the Egyptian (government, each individual tree being heavily taxed. Like the Cocoa Nut Palm, every portion of it is applied to some useful purpose. When the lower fronds ripen and become useless to the tree, they are cut off, converted into bedsteads or couches for the poorer classes, or are made into baskets and bird-cages ; and the net-like fibre that occurs at the base of the fronds, termed by the Arabs " lif," is made into coarse rope cables for the Nile boats. The usual mode of propagating the Date Palm is by means of suckers severed from the toot of the older trees. In forming plantations, it is necessary to plant a certain number of male plants, other- A POISONED LAND. Warri.vgto.v is a busy centre surrounded by a belt of spoiled or partially wasted land. One cannot leave the town without having to go through one of these scathed and blighted districts that fill one with melancholy. There is the river, once a source of fertility and beauty, some hundred years ago abounding with salmon, and even twenty years ago furnishing a constant supply of some kinds of delicate fish, but now a great disgusting ditch. The river is innocent and pure compared with Sankey Brook, and the Sankey Canal, whose fetor poisons for some half -mile on either side, and whose poison has turned ;., fi _^ that once smiling valley, through which they flow, into a dismal swamp. It is questionable whether there be a tiny water. course, within miles of the town, that is not polluted and spoiled ; ceasing to be the source of beauty, fertility, and health that nature intended, and becoming instead a loathsome eyesore. Then, how miserable it is to see healthy vegetation disap- pearing all around. The fine trees in Arpley Meadows, that delighted every lover of the beautiful, are one by one dying, and, if still sur- viving in a few instances, they only look unspeakably wretched. If, in this melancholy zone around us, fruit trees anywhere are left, they are become fruitless and useless, wrecks of what they were a few years ago. The very hedgerows look wasted and melancholy beyond description, the ghosts of their former selves. And no wonder vege. tation cannot endure the injurious influences that are poured into the air around ns, for, if anyone has been unfortunate enough to have to cross the trail of one of the worst of the destroyers, especially at night, his smarting eyes and burning throat testify to some- thing very deadly, being sent abroad and sometimes the evil thing is much more potent even than this. Such is the picture drawn by the Warrington Guardian of the country ai'onnd. Now, it would be great folly and injustice to cast the blame of all we decry on this or that offender, or plume ourselves that we had nothing to do with it. Every man who burns a fire, unless he also consumes his smoke, contributes iu a degree, though, perhaps an infinitesimally small one, to the ruin and desolation we are deploring. But we mainly owe this terrible state of things to the manufactures that have enriched ua. And is this necessary ? Is the destructive and deforming influence inseparable from our manufacturing processes ? Science on all hands declares that these hurtful results are not only needless and wasteful. Science declares that the man who poisons the fields and the trees with his smoke, iu just the same proportion wastes his own fuel ; that the man who sends acids up his chimney to fall in a scorching blight on every living thing around, also at the same time wastes chemical products it would pay him far better to condense and utilise. A PEASANT at Lauzerte (Tarn-et-Garonnc) is said to have recently discovered a Grey Truffle, as large as a Pumpkin. The weight-of this treasure was not, however, proportioned to its size, tor deep in its fragrant recesses was found the ancestral home of a family of field-mice. 162 THE GARDEN. [Feb. 21, 1874. GARDEN DESTROYERS. THE WOODLOUSE. (ONISCUS ASELLUS.) The little creature figured in the aocompanyiug cut (kuowu iu mauy districts by the name of "Slater," probably from being found in numbers under slates and in similar localities) is not an insect. It looks like one, but it crosses the border and belongs to the class of Crustaceans, of which lobsters and crabs are the most honoured members. Its proper function is that of a scavenger, but, as the human scavenger sometimes exceeds his duty in sweeping up things which are not yet past use or which may be of value, so the Oniscus does not content itself with feeding on the detritus and decaying vegetable matters, which it is its proper business to consume, but, when it finds its way into a hothouse, takes a fancy to costly living plants, more especially Orchids, and occasionally does them a good deal of harm. In the open border they also attack herbaceous plants. It is no uncommon thing to see some of these which spread themselves over the ground, and so furnish a fine shelter to insects, grow sickly and, on examination, it will then be found that there is a crowd of young Onisci beneath, which have been eating the collar or neck of the plant just above the ground until they have nearly entirely re- moved the outer ring, and so destroyed the plant. When they get into an Orchid-house it is difficult to dislodge them, for they establish themselves among, and make galleries through, the Sphagnum in the baskets, or whei'e the Orchids are growing. The gardener may bo surprised at seeing his plants bitten and fading. He may turn over every bit of slate, tile, broken pot, wood, bark, or anything else that might serve as a hiding-place, and see nothing — .and unless he watch during the night, and catch the culprits at work (for they are nocturnal animals) — never find out that it is these Onisci that have done the mischief, and that their hiding place is about the plant itself. There are several species — some grey, others nearly black, all paler beneath. Then- life is longer than that of most insects, as they live, and seem to increase in size, for several years. They have the faculty of rolling themselves up like a Pea, in the same manner as the hedgehog, whence their French name " cloporte," as we should say -" one who closes the port or door." No wholesale mode of destroying them is known. They must be cut oS. in detail, and the same sort of coutiivances ^vhich are had recourse to to entrap ear- wigs and surface larvte must be used against them. Scooped out Potatoes placed like little domes, up into which they can creep, and little heaps of decaying plants, turfs, &c., may be left, and the under-side examined every morning, and by degrees, with care and attention, they may be thus thinned out until the garden is freed from them. A. M. THE EED-BELTED CLBARWING. (.'ESIA MYOP.EPORMIS.) The c'lterpillars of the Sesite, the most interesting family amongst liritish moths, are viewed, perhaps, with greater satisfaction by the entomologist than by the gardener ; but, being, with one or two exceptions, far from numerous in their occurrence, they seldom do any very material injury to the gardener, whilst their occasional discovery gives to the naturalist very considerable satisfaction. Many also confine themselves to forest trees, only feeding in the Oak (Quercus robur), Elm (Ulmus campesti'is), and one species has been known to do much damage amongst the Osiers (Siilix viminalis). Perhaps the commonest and most mischievous in the gardens is the Currant Clearwing (Sesia tipuliformis), which eats away into the stems of Currant trees, causing them to die off when attacked. The Sosiio ma}' be said, with truth, to be the most beautiful of the moths, their wings being of such a ti'anspareiit appearance and such a delicate gauzy texture, their bodies of such frail construction and their move- ments so capricious and lively, dancing, as they do, in the air in the broad daylight, and exhibiting their graceful evolutions in the brightest sunshine. The caterpillars cannot be said to have quite such a chai'ming iippearance, those which arc known Ijoing for the most part dirty white and maggot-like. The Red-belted Clearwing (Sesia myopasformis), of which I am now treating, is of a dirty white or yellowish colour, with a few light hairs, and four black spots arranged in a square on each segment ; the second, third, and fourth segments are darker than the remainder of the body ; the head is brown, with a brown plate behind it, and the hind part of the thirteenth segment is brown also. The moth appears on the wing during the summer months, and has rather the appear- ance of a bee, a fly, or a gnat, than of a moth ; so much so, that anyone unacquainted with its characteristics would be much surprised to find that it belonged to the latter sub-order of insects, the clear wasp-like wings being so totally different from those soft mealy-looking ones which most people expect to see in a moth ; the body is black, with a red ring round it, from which it takes its name. The caterpillar feeds on the solid wood of Pear and Apple trees, sometimes a great number being found in close proximity, and has been observed princi- pally iu the southern parts of England ; the specimen before me was sent from Sheerness. ' Owen Wilson. BLACKBIRDS. My thanks are due to yonr correspondents for their advice, and the means they recommend forridding my garden of these pests. " J. T.'s" advice to hang up a hat would, I fear, prove of no use here, the blackliirds being far too bold and knowing to be scared by that means. Like him I am also robbed of my Peas to a great extent by the titmouse, but I do not find its depredations extend to other vegetables or fruit. Three years ago I tried "J. L. H. S.'s" plan of having hawks in my garden. They were kestrels, and greedily de- voured any small dead birds thrown to them, but were quite useless for driving away the live ones, their wings being necessarily cUpped. I have also tried, and with some success, the following plan to protect my Strawberries : — Parallel with a border iu which they grow I strained a long wire to two posts, one at each end of the bed, driven into the gravel walk ; upon this wire was a running ring and a snort string and collar, to which a cat was attached ; he could thus walk the length of the wire, and though he spent much time asleep in a box provided as a refuge from rain, his presence certainly kept the birds away from the Strawberries. Of course this plan could only be adopted on an open walk, and not among bushes. Mr. Tillery's baited rat-traps I shall ccrtaiuiy try if I can discover his particular kind, with which I am unacquainted. ''H.'s" quotation from Mr. Tennyson is very pretty, still I do not agree with him that the black, bird is a glorious singer. He is as inferior in note to the thrush as he exceeds him in numbers and mischief, and I only regret the Laureat's poem was not addressed to the latter bird instead of to the most voracious, and, as far as my experience goes, the worst of the many pests of the garden. Bad Snor. The Water Rat (Arvicola amphibius) in Gardens. — One day in August last I noticBd a large heap of freshly turned-up earth among growing Potatoes in our garden, and thinking a mole to be the cause, a trap was procured, and next morning the culprit was secured. At the first glance I took it to bo a common brown rat, but looking at it more closely found it was a water rat or vole and the man from whom the trap was procured declared that these aquatics burrow quite as much as the mole itself. This I do not dispute, seeing the effect of its industry around, but what I consider very strange, is the fact of this lover of water being located in a wallcd-iu garden at a great distance from its more congenial haunts. Iu Letter 28 of White's " Selborne," a somewhat similar instance is related, the rev. gentleman being apparently as much puzzled as myself to account for such a deviation from regular habits. In that case, the .animal was turned up by the plough iu a challcy field at a distance from water, and was snugly ensconced iu an " hyberna- culum," well provisioned with Potatoes. — -Science Gosstj:). NOTES AND QUESTIONS ON GARDEN DESTROYERS. Pitcher Plants and Ants.— The pitchers of these plants entm|i .-mta and drown tlioui in the lii|uill. The largo pitchers ou Mr. Baines'a well-grown ))laut3 coia;iin myriads of dead ants. The fringe of down-pointing spines round tlio lid prevents their escape. — H. Mealy Bug and the Chelsea Blight Composition.— The mealy hug havitiK attacked onr Vines, when tbey were at roat, after being primed, and without being scraped, they were well di-eysed with the ** Chelsea Blight Com- position," caro being takeix that it did not touch the eyes, and also that it was well rubbed in all crevices. It was used pure as it came in the bottle. This was done three years ago and we have not seen a Img since. The Vinos were not harmed in any way h-om the dressing,— Joji.v T.v.yloii. Feb. 21, 1874] THE GARDEN. 163 THE KITCHEN GARDEN. CAULIFLOWERS. AccoRDlSG to nurserymen's catalogues, there are a great many kinds of Cauliflower, all of which are highly eulogised ; never- theless, old and tried kinds should not be discarded. Indeed, the Walchereu is, perhaps, the best of all for general purposes, and some even confine their supply throughout the season to the produce of this one kind. Of late years, however, Veitch's new Solid Late is a true solid white-curded sort, and a valuable and good improvement on tlie Walchereu for a late supply. The Early Cauliflower, or Early London White, as it is some- times called, is another good sort, and the one generally used for the earliest spring crop. Large Asiatic is a sti'onger-growing variety of the Early London, producing a fine large, compact curd, and, if sown at the same time as the Early London, it will form a fine succession to it. Snow's Winter White is an excellent kind, and pretty hardy. In the market-gardens round London this is the kind used for affording a supply from the latter end of October till January. Severe frost, however, will prove detrimental to it as well as to other kinds ; but, as a rule, it is the hardiest and most suitable for late work, and its quality is first-rate. With these four sorts, rightly treated, no garden should be without a good supply of Cauliflowers from April to Christmas. Sowing and Transplanting. Some sow the winter crop, to be protected under hand- lights and in frames, broadcast, in 4 feet beds, about the 20th or 25th of August in the south of England, and in the northern districts from the 1st to the 12th, according to the inclemency, or otherwise, of the locality ; if a cold one, sow early, but if a warm one, sow late. Sowing in the open ground is generally preferred, and the 25th of August is the best time, as a rule, for warm parts of England, and the 12th for Scotland. The soil for the seed-beds should be a good friable well-worked loam, which, if manured for the previous crop, should not be again manured for the seedling Caulitlowers. In case of failure, a few seeds may be sown a week afterwards. As soon as the plants have fairly come up, thin them out to 3 inches apart, and with a short-handled 2-inch hoe loosen the surface soil ; this will promote a nice stocky habit in the plants. As soon as there is any likelihood of severe weather, a cold frame should be prepared for them, and a layer of sweet, open, and well-pulverised soil should be placed therein, about 8 or lu inches from the sashes. Into this the plants should be trans- planted, 6 inches apart if space can be spared ; if not, at the very least, they should be -!• inches apart each way. For a few days after being transferred to their new quarters, the sashes should be kept on, and a little shading placed over them. This, however, should be discontinued as soon as possible ; and the plants, as soon as they take to the soil, should be well exposed, the sashes being entirely removed from off them throughout the day, and also at night, unless the weather is very frosty or unsettled. It is sometimes necessary to cover the sashes over vrith litter, in order to exclude hard frosts ; this covering should he removed every morning, and the sashes tilted up a little. Mildew frequently finds its way amongst the plants, but it may easily be extirpated by scattering dry wood-ashes amongst them occasionally. I have found that they winter best in frames, if the surface of the soil therein is covered over with a thin coiting of finely-sifted old lime-rubbish. In February, the plants shoiild he trans- planted to the open ground, by lifting them carefully with a good ball, and placing them out in clumps of three (0*^0) > 9 inches from plant to plant, and 2 feet clump from clump, under a hand-light, in a well-manured, deeply-worked, thoroughly-drained, and not too stiff soil. These clumps should bo in rows about -i feet apart, so as to have plenty of room to cover the lights with litter at night and in cold weather. . In order to have Cauliflowers in April, it is neces- sary to place a good layer of litter around the base of the hand-lights, so as to keep 'the soil moderately warm, and to exclude the cold and piercing winds of early spring. Air is freely admitted by moving the upper half of these portable protections. In the evenings of February and the earlier parts of March, the litter should also be shaken over the vrhole, and removed in the morning. The plants will soon become rather tall for their quarters ; then a brick can be placed below each of the four corners of the hand-lights, and a little earth drawn around, which, along with the litter, will make the base air-pro-f. Occasioaal applications of manure-water in the latter end of March and in April will greatly improve their condition. Under Hand-lights and Matted Hoops. Another way of wintering Cauliflowers, is to sow at the time previously recommended, but, instead of pricking off into frames, the young plants are placed, at once, under hand-lights. In this instance, nine, instead of three, are left, and as they become too close, some are lifted and planted out under other lights, until only three or four remain under each cover. Planted thus, they require much the same care as the others, a constant watch, and protection with litter, and a little manm-e-water in spring, being necessary. In some places they are, also, planted out from the seed-bed in the end of October to other beds, keeping the plants 4 inches apart each way. In these beds they are protected in winter by means of mats supported by hoops, and, in very severe weather, some litter is also shaken over the mats. This is an unwise practice, however, for, should the weather be severe for any considerable length of time, they must be kept dark, consequently they become weak and spindly, and are apt to suffer in a propor- tionate degree. Sowing in Frames and Potting. Where time and convenience can be commanded, the follow- ing is a certain method by which success may be attained : — viz., sow the seed in a frame in October, the frame being very gently heated by means of half -decayed leaves and decomposed frame linings mixed together and formed into a basis, 18 or 20 inches deep, for the frame. As soon as the plants come up and have attained a little strength, they should be thinned out and either transplanted into another similarly-prepared frame, 4 inches by 6 inches apart, or potted smgly. In potting, use 3-inch pots and good loamy soil and sand ; plunge the pots near the glass in frames, until severe frosty weather has arrived, when they sould be taken and placed near the glass in Vineries or Peach-houses at rest, but from which frost is excluded, or they may be left in the frames and protected with litter. In the' latter end of January shift them into larger pots, using a richer compost than before, and by the end of February, or 1st of March they will be fine plants for planting out in threes under hand-lights, or to shift into larger pots to be placed m late Vineries or Peach-houses, or under any old spare Hghts in turf- pits. I have found the Seakale pots— as soon as out of use- turned upside down, and filled with good rich soil, famous for getting in the first early Cauliflowers under shelter. Wintering on Warm Borders. Cauliflowers are not quite so tender as is sometimes thought, and good produce may be had by wintering the plants out-of- doors. This is by no means confined to the southern and warmer districts of England and Ireland, but is successfully practised in Scotland. For this purpose, sow at the usual time, and prepare a S.E., S., or S.W. wall border, say about 2 feet wide from the base of the wall. Into this, prick off the plants about 4 inches apart each way in October, and allow them to remain there till Febraary or March. If they are well sheltered, they do not require any care or protection, further than to keen them clear of the tree-leaves that will naturally collect amongst them, which, if allowed to remain, will bleach and weaken them— but, if convenient, a few spngs of Broom or Spruce stuck in front of them wdl be of material benefit to them. In spring, they may be planted out like those already referred to, but for planting out m rich sheltered borders, and unprotected, they are much more suitable than any of those more carefully wintered. The practicability ot this method may be understood from the fact that it is almost the only one practised along the coast of the Moray Firth and for four miles inward. Distance apart, and Intermediate Crops. When there is room. Cauliflowers reared under hand-lights should have at least 3 feet clump from clump, and 4 feet row from row. The lines planted out without the assistance ot 164 THE GAEDEK. [Feb. 21, 1874. bell-glasses or hand-lights, and from which the second crop is obtaiued, should be 3 feet apart, and 2 feet plant from plant. Some may think such a large space extravagant, Ijut it is not so. In the case of the first, the room is required in winter and in February for conveniently attending to the protecting material, and on the 1st of March two lines of Lettuces can be planted along the central space, and a plant or two between each clump. These Lettuces will be fit for use befoi-e the Cauliflowers are, and so can be removed, thus allowing the Cauliflowers greater room for perfecting themselves. A pinch of Cauliflower seed should be sown every fortnight from the 1st of January until the first week in July, for planting out in succession throughout the summei-, on the dampest coldest aspects, between the rows of late high-growing Peas, that is, planted in lines 10 or 12 feet apart, purposely to afford partial shade for summer Cauliflowers, or a few rows of Turnips, or for Celery to succeed summer Spinach, all of which are fond of such a position during the hot summer months. The Cauli- flowers sown in June and July, and planted out in succession as fast as the plants are large enough, aiiord a good autumn and whiter supply. I always took care to have a large portion coming in on borders in the months of November and Decem- ber, in order to pull up just as they were beginning to form their flower-heads, and hung them up with their leaves and roots entire m bunches, each containing from four to six heads, to the ratters and beams of thatched sheds, and this I have found an invaluable practice for alfording a good supply up to March. Those sown on gentle heat close to the glass in the middle of October, and pricked off, as fast as they could be handled, into small pots, and plunged immediately close to the glass, either in frames or pits, and shifted on as they grew, some into Seakale pots, or large flower-pots as before a,dvised, will produce fine flower-beads about the cud of March. Others planted out under hand-glasses iu February, in good rich soil, with slight protection when the weather requires it, and an occasional supply of tepid manure-water, will produce fine flower-heads in April. Thus we may never be a month without this useful vegetable. Cauliflowers sown in August and Sep- tember should be sown in an exposed situation, on poor, but well pulverized, soil, and when fit, they should be pricked into the same sort of soil, and, the same should be attended to as regards pricking them into frames, or they are too apt to get too large and soft, and, when subject to winter checks, they will start prematurely, and prove useless when planted out. James Bakxes. THE ARBORETUM. Duration of the Germinating Power of Seeds. — A corre- spondent of the Revue Horticole, in sending the following notes to that journal, states that they were communicated to him by a friend who had ample opportunities for making trustworthy observations on the subject. The figures indicate the number of years in each case, in which the seeds may be depended upon as preserving their vitality or power of growth ; although, in most cases, they must not be con- sidered a minimum of limitation. They represent the periods of time after which the various seeds mentioned have been found perfectly good, and may bo of some nse as a guide to those who are uncertain whether to throw away or sow old packets of seeds : — Seed of Artichoke (Globe) lasts good for 5 years ; Aspanagns, 4 ; Basella, 3 ; Basil, G; Beans (garden), G; Beans (French), 2 to 3 ; Beet, 5; Burnet, 2 ; Cabbage, 5 ; Cardoon, 7 ; Carrot, 4 ; Cauliflower, 5 ; Celery, 7 ; Chervil, 2 ; Chicory, 8 ; Corn.Salad, 4; Cress (garden), 5; Cress (Water), 4; Cucumber, 5; Dandelion, 1; Egg-plant, 7; Endive, 8 ; Fennel, 6 ; Gourds, 5 ; Leeks, 2 ; Lettuce, 5 ; Maize, 2 ; Melon, 5; Mustard, 5j Nasturtium, 5; Onions, 2 to 3 ; Onions (Welsh), 2; Oracho, 1; Parsnip, 1; Parsley, 3; Peas, 4 to 5; Pepper (long), 4 ; Potatoes, 3; Purslane, 8 ; Radish, 5 ; Rampion, 5; Rhubarb, 3; Salsify, 2; Savory, 3; Scorzonera, 2; Sorrel, 2; Spinach, 5; Spinach (New Zealand), 5; Strawberry, 8; Thyme, 2 to 3 ; Tomato, 5; and Turnip, 5. • Peas and Lettuces.— Would you kind;.y inform ma what kind of Pea tlio London Rrowers use for their Ijcst, or early, general crop ; also, what White Cos Lettuce they grow?— A Smai.i, Ohowkb. [The London market-gardeners grow two sorts of Cos Lettuces, the Green Paris Cos, and the London While Cos, the latter being a select variety of the White Paris Cos. Both kinds .are used for a first crop, but after May, the London White Cos is depended onsolely till winter sets in. .Market-gardeners always save their own seeds, and if one ot them is short of seed of any particular variety, he gets it from his neighljours. As to Peas, Mr. Myatt, of Deptforrl, grows Beck's Little Gem for his first crop, sown in lines 2 ft. apart, and Alpha for his second, in lines 2J ft. apart. To neither BOrt does he apply any stakes ; of the two, he considers the latter the best.— Ed.] THE WEEPING OAK AT KING'S ACRE. Mr. Craxston's nurseries at King's Acre, famous throughout the land for their large stock of superbly-grown Roses, con- tain also many objects of much interest to lovers of trees and plants. Among the trees, perhaps, the most striking is a fine specimen of the Weeping Oak — that is to say, of the weeping form of the common Oak. Being much struck by the appear- ance of the tree, when at Hereford last summer, Mr. Cranston had a photograph taken of it at our request, and from this the accompanying illustration has been engraved. It will be seen that it is a noble tree of its kind, and that its branches arc gracefully pendulous. It was planted by the present Mr. Cranston's grandfather, when the nursery was established, in the year 178-5. It was grafted about 3 feet from the ground, and, though scarcely perceptible in our illustration, there is a slight increase in the size of the trunk, at the point of union between the graft and the stock. It bears quantities of Acorns every year, but none of the seedlings raised from them has shown the least disposition to droop. The height of the tree in cjuestion is 64 feet, and the distance between the ground and the lowest branches is 18 feet. The girth of the trunk, at 4 feet from the ground, is 8 feet, and the width through the branches 58 feet. We may add that the aspect of this tree reminded us of that of some of the Oaks of the plains and foot- hills of California, belonging to species not yet to be seen in our grounds. These trees, like Mr. Cranston's Oak, show no sign of the pendulous tendency at the top. but weep, iu a very picturesque manner, from the outer parts of the lower branchlets. This peculiarity of form among our weeping trees is a precious one, inasmuch as the contrast between the rigid upper portion of the tree and the pendulous outer and lower parts forms a very striking and attractive feature, ciuite distinct from the aspects usually pi'cscnted by any other kind of weeping trees. W. R. ARBORICULTURAL NOTES FROM PERTH. By JAMES M'NAB. The niu'sery grounds ot Messrs. Dickson & Turnbull, at Perth, have long been well known to cultivators. They wore esta- blished in the year 176fi, and from them have emanated many new and usefu! plants. Amongst flowering plants may be mentioned the first set of double Scotch Roses, which were so much in fashion about forty j-ears ago, but which are now, I regret to find, scarcely ever asked for. The original stools of these Roses still exist, and are capable of producing many thousand plants again should they ever be required. These Roses were admirably adapted for the climate of Scotland, and it they wei'e again taken in iiand by ovir southern friends, and received a little of the attention paid to other garden varieties by hybridisation, a new breed might be procured suitable for this country. The original superb scarlet-flower- ing Thorn was likewise raised in this nursery. This establish- ment was also the seed-bed ot the first Swedish Turnips ever sent to Britain, seeds of which were sent by Linnajus to this firm about the year 1772, and now this hardy vegetable is spread over all the temperate quarters of the globe. Mr. Robert Brown, one of the early partners of the firm (formerly Dickson & Brown), was the first discoverer in Scotland of Mcnziesia cnsrulea, specimens of which still exist in this establishment, being sub-divisions of the original plants found by Mr. Brown on the Sow ot Athole, in Perthshire. For many years the bog, or dwarf American plants, indeed, all kinds requiring peat soil, have been cultivated in this establishment with success, and few nurseries in the kingdom contain a greater variety of these interesting plants. The various species of Ammyrsine, Andromeda, Azalea, Bryanthus, Cassiope, Fothergilla, Gaulthoria, Ledum, Daboecia, Menziesia, Rhodora, Vaccinium ; also hardy Heaths and dwarf Rhododendrons, with numerous others, are cultivated here to an extent which is not often seen. These choice plants have not been receiving of late years that attention from cultivators which they did in former times ; nevertheless, none are more attractive than I THE GARDEN. THE WEEPING OAK IN THE KING'S ACRE KURSERIES, HEREFORD. 166 THE GARDEN. [Feb. 21, 1874 they ai-e for rock-garden or for ornamental-clump cultivation, few even surpassing them for general interest. Conifers. The Perth Nurseries have long been noted for their exten- sive collection of Coniferous plants. They contain no fewer than 300 species and varieties of all the leading sorts. The variegated forms now constitute one of the chief features of this establishment, and, during the winter months, give an effect to Coniferous collections such as they would not othev- wise possess. The variety among variegated Yews is of itself remarkable, to say nothing of the gold and silver colourmg of some of the species of the genera Cupressus, Biota, Charaas- cyparis, Juniperus, Retinospora, Sciadopitys, Thuja, and Wel- lingtonia. Here, also, is a large collection of Podocarpus Koraiana or japonica, all stem-pruned, which makes them assume the character of gigantic Irish Yews. By the pruning treatment, this Podocarpus forms an admirable plant, hardy, and well worthy of being cultivated in ornamental grounds. One of the great advantages belonging to the Perth Nursery is its collection of specimen Conifers, the different kinds of which, being arranged side by side, afford great assistance to purchasers, who can see at a glance matvired specimens from which to select what they require. The ornamental forest- tree department is .ilso well represented, no fewer than 470 species and varieties being cultivated in stock. The varieties of Ash, Beech, Bii-oh, Elm, Hornbeam, Plane, Lime, Maple, Oak, Poplar, Walnut, and Chestnut are now very numerous; the Oaks, both evergreen and deciduous, particularly so. No fewer than sixty-six species and varieties of this genus alone are under cultivation. Of late years the rage for Coniferas has rather had a tendency to retard the planting of wha,t are com- monly called evergreen and deciduous hard-wood forest trees, but I trust the time is not far distant when a return to these well-known hardy and majestic forest ornaments must again take place. With a few exceptions, including the well-known species of Abies, Cedrus, Picea, and Pinus, most of the recently- introduced Coniferas are very well up to a certain size, but when they become of tree growth, unless in partially sheltered situations and particular soils, they are often disfigured by wind and snow. Besides, after many years' trial how few of the new Conifers do we find assuming a proper tree growth, so as to take the place of, or even cope with, the old kinds now existing, and thoroughly free from the attacks of insects-pests, which, in one shape or another, have pro ved very detrimental to many Coni- ferous trees throughout the country. The spread of these, I fear, will rather increase than diminish — de]iending on the mildness or severity of the winter months. Many of the Conifers are mere shrubs, and, as such, they are beautiful, and for this quality they should bo more widely cultivated ; but a general feeling seems to pi-evail amongst their admirers that they must become forest trees, and for this end they are extensively planted. Perhaps the most attractive of the recently-intro- duced Conifers, and one which may in time be likely to assume a proper tree growth, is the Cedrus atlantica, or African Cedar. It is a kind which I strongly recommend to be grown as ancestral trees. For avenue purposes, no evergreen tree of recent introduction, as far as has yet been tested, seems better adapted to the climate of Scotland, provided that it is carefully attended to during its early growth by stem pruning, so as to secure straight .stems and proper leaders, I have never seen it injured by judicious and timely pruning. The Taxo- dium somj>ervirens is another Conifer of comparatively recent introduction, and one which may be planted for avenue purposes in many sheltered situations in Scotland. ))ut, like the African Cedar, must be early stem-pruned and branch-pointed. It, however, is, perhaps, better adapted for the climate of Eng- land, where it grows well, but is frequently unshapely, from the want of pruning. The Douglas Fir, in some districts of the country, is beginning to prove 'itself a useful tree, but whether those trees were produced by cuttings from original specimens, or raised from imported seed, i-emains to be proved. The first trees raised from British-ripened seed have certainly not turned out in every quarter as was expected. The Picea Nordman- niana may, in time, afford useful timber, but, like other trees I have mentioned, it must be prepared for this end at an early stage of its growth. As goncrally seen iu nursery establish- ments, the spread of its branches is often considerably more than the height, and, when they once get into this condition, it is difficult to get them out of it, without a very free use of the knife, which, at an advanced state of their growth, may do more harm than good. With early branch-pointing or pruning, the Picea Nordmanniana suffers no mjury, and starts admirably into a tree habit after the operation. I am also much impressed by the Lawson Cypress — Cupressus Law- soniana. Judging from the time it has been in the country, and its appearance iu certain soils and situations, I feel satis- fied that it is a Conifer likely, some day or other, to become a useful timber tree, but not if left in a bush form, as it is gene- rally seen in cultivation. If stem-pruued at an early stage of its growth, it takes on an upright habit ; on this account mauj' trees may be grown on a limited space. In its natural con- dition it attains to the height of 100 feet, and the timber is said to be good. An upright form of this Cypress, and one which originated in the Perth nursery, is likely to become a useful tree if planted in suitable soil. It has naturally only one stem, instead of ten or twenty, which is not unusual in the ordinary unpruned bush-formed specimens. The Lawson Cypress is, without exception, one of the hardiest of the recently-introduced Conifers, and will succeed in any soil or situation. It stands the smoke, and is, therefore, well adapted for town gardens. It can be increased to any extent by cuttings or seeds, of which manj' are now produced in Britain. When propagated by cuttings, a portion of the bare cutting stalk should be kept above the surface of the soil, which enables them to take on an upright habit immediately after being rooted. I also find that the Wellingtonia, in very exposed places, when early stem-pruned, say at three or four years old, assumes a compact tree form, stands the wind well, and is less liable to have dead or brown points than those specimens which have been planted in sheltered situations without any pruning whatever. Ornamental Deciduous Trees. Although I have a strong feeling for growing Coniferas, it is douljtful if there are many of the recently-introduced species that will ever take the place of the ornamental ever- green and deciduous foi-est trees which are frequently to be seen throughout the country, and which, I regret to say, are not increasing to the extent they are justly entitled to, stand- ing, as they do, all weathers, wind and snow, and remaining as monuments to their planters. Many of these old ornamental hard-wood trees arc of great interest, and I confess that I have infinitely more pleasure in looking at them, than on any Coniferous tree in this country, excepting, however, the Scotch and Silver Fir ; also, the majestic Cedars of Lebanon, as seen in many English parks. In the Perth nurseries, two well- balanced specimens of the Lucombe Oak exist, one 8. feet in circumference, and the other 8 feet 9 inches, and averaging about 70 feet in height. A large purple Beech is also a noble specimen ; it stands about 60 feet high, with a stem 10 feet in circumference. A large Tulip-tree, in a neighbouring garden, is 8 feet 6 inches in circumference. Surely such speci- mens as these, which stand every blast with impunity, ought to be planted in preference to many of the Coniferous trees. They become stately with age, and we know that they will make trees, and ultimately prove an ornament to the land- scape, and a credit to their planters ; while, with many of the Couiferaj, we are planting only in hopes that they may, per- haps, succeed. After all that has been done for the Conifcra:, we find that it is only in some exceptional places that they can ever assume their true tree character, and these exceptional places cannot be got on every property. Spots for deciduous trees are everywhere to be met with, and I should like to see them again taking the plac^c which they held before the great Conifera; fever set in about twenty-five or thirty years ago. The finest specimen of a Coniferous tree, in the Perth Nurseries, is the Abies Douglasii, which was planted on the 28th of June, 18:38. The circumference of the stem is now 6 feet ; sjjread of branches, 'Mi feet; and the height about 65 feet. It is certainly a beautiful tree, but I have great doubts if it will go on impi-oving for many years longer, and, even if it does, it never will have the appearance, nor yet the duration of the noble Lucombe Oaks, just alluded to. It is absolutely neces- fen. 21, 1874] THE GARDEN. 167 sary that all fine or exceptional trees should Be attended to, by having fresh soil occasionally laid on the surface of the ground over their roots. The ground nuder such trees is often hard, by being much trodden on by visitors. The two Lucombe Oaks, at Perth, are apparently of the same age, and were probably planted at the same time, and by the same hands. One specimen is 9 inches more in circumference than the other, and the difference is evidently owing to the iiarder nature of the surface ground round the smaller tree. The surface-dressing of the ground over the roots of excep- tional trees is a most important subject, and one which ought to be more generally attended to all over the country than it now is. Weeping and pyramidal ornamental forest trees are also extensively cultivated here. Nearly all the genera furnish us with weeping or pendent varieties, as well as variegated forms. Variegated varieties ought to be more grown than they now are, for they are equally hardy with the typical sorts ; and the landscape effect produced by these varieties against the green sorts is, as yet, comparatively little known and practised. Tree Knowledge, especially as to Soils, -wanted. One of the great drawbacks to the more general planting of ornamental hard-wood forest trees rests very much with the nurserymen themselves. In very few firms, with the excep- tion of the ordinai-y or old-established ones, which are generally T«ry well managed, ai'e collections of both new and old sorts Carried out with the same spirit as they were in the days of Loudon. It requires nurserymen to be thoroughly read up in the subject of new and rare trees, and their nature, as regards soil and climate, to induce gentlemen to invest in them. There are many landed proprietors throughout the country anxious to take an interest in the preservation of arborioultural sub- jects, apart from Coniferai, but, unless assisted by the practical and sound advice of nurserymen, they feel unwilling to enter into them to any e.xtent. About half a century ago, such arborioultural knowledge, with reference to deciduous trees, was much more diffused over the country than it now is. Good practical instruction on ail the new and rare Coniferce, and ornamental llowering trees, is everywhere to be found, but sound advice on deciduous forest trees is a rarer article now than in the olden times. Hamburgh used to be the great school for all the new aboricultural products, and now such establishments are freely scattered over the continent of Europe. Although large establishments exist in Britain for ornamental forest trees, they lack the zeal of some of our continental neighbours. There are large tracts of country in Great Britain yet to be planted, and, by a little effort on the part of nurserymen, many gentlemen might be induced to invest largely in certain kinds, instead of taking one or two on trial, which may get injured by accident, and are then set down as unworthy of cultivation. In some districts of Scot- land, certain species of forest trees succeed well, which in others (having soil and situation apparently similar) are com- paratively scarce, such as the Cedar of Lebanon, Silver Fir, Norway Maple, Plane-tree, Walnuts, Chestnuts, &c. On some estates Chestnut-trees are seen of giant form, and of centuries standing, while on others they are unworthy of observation; whether from soil or climate, or both, requires to be proved. Soil aad situation have much to do in the planting and grouping of many of our rare trees, and this information can only be obtained from nurserymen who have paid strict attention to such matters, and even with them it is sometimes impossible to get a judicious off-hand answer as to what ought to be planted, even when furnished with information as to exposure, elevation, and the general nature of the soil. A conference amongst nurserymen, from various parts of the country, would be of great service in communicating such information, each possessing, in some parts of his nursery, soils suitable for certain species of trees, but often quite different from each other. Such a conference would have a tendency to bring about a more widely-spread culti- vation of many species of forest trees, different from those now under general culture. It is well known that certain kinds will not succeed on all soils and situations ; many species, therefore, may be set down as unworthy of cultivation. By .some it may be said that the Piceacephalonica and P. Pinsapo, are not worth growing ; in many places they arc not, but, if planted in a limestone district, they become highly ornamental trees. The same remark holds good with the Abies Menziesii, A. Albertiana, and A. excelsa, when grown in any soil, save that naturally of a peaty description. The effect of soils on the growth of certain trees, shrubs, and plants, is of more importance than we are generally aware of. What is in the soil in the neighbourhood of Aberdeen which causes the fruit of the Sti'awberry to be carried with safety to the Glasgow markets, while that grown nearer the city is often destroyed in the course of transit ? It is not from any nicety in packing, but from some quality which the fruit itself must derive from, the soil, and we find this to be the case, also, with many trees. In certain soils the timber of one species of forest tree is found to be more durable than in others. These are points which a conference of nurserymen and foresters can alone bring out. Much has been done for the analysation of soils for agricultural purposes, but its full influence has not been brought to bear on all horticultural products, and much is still wanted in the science of arboriculture. It is well-known that certain plants, in a state of nature, are only found in peat soils, more or less mixed with sand, and any attempt to cultivate them in other mixtures fails ; leaf-mould and sand does, however, suit some of the peat plants. Who would ever think of planting Cape Heaths or Epaoris in leaf-mould, or manured loam, although other species of plants thrive freely in such mixtures ? This fact, alone, shows that there is something in the comj^osition of certain soils only suitable for the roots of a certain class of plants. In most nursery estab- lishments, it is the common practice to have a piece of ground made up entirely with peat earth, to accommo- date a large sectiou of plants which naturally grow in such soils, and these are procured from all the temperate quarters of the globe. Many of the so-called American, or peat plants, are frequently planted in other soils and mixtures. If they do live, they rarely ever assume the vigorous form and colour of those grown in the natural peat, or in sandy loam, mixed with one-half its bulk of peat. If lime happens to be accidentally put into the soil where Rhododendrons or other plants are placed, they ai-e certain to sicken and die. It is, perhaps, not generally known, although several amateur cultivators have experienced it to their cost, that, when laying in a stock of peat turf, they not unfrequeutly mix with it some fresh lime, in order to decompose it more rapidly, and render it fit for imme- diate use, as is occasionally done for the surface-dressing of land. When peat is so mixed up, and placed into beds for Rhododendrons, Azaleas, Kalmias, Heaths, &c., the plants are certain to become yellow, and ultimately die out. This fact shows that certain forms of vegetation will not succeed in soils where others freely thrive, because composed of certain ingre- dients uusuited for their constitution. It is remarkable, how- ever, that there is no class of plants, whether evergreen or deciduous trees and shrubs, Alpine or herbaceous plants, epiphytal or terrestrial, from all climates, and procured from all soils, that refuse to grow in earth having a certain propor- tion of peat in its composition. An occasional visit to country nurseries is often conducive of much good. I first visited the Perth establishment nearly forty years ago, and^ I still find that, at the pi'csent day, it maintains its pre-eminence as a nursery. It was here that I first interested myself in the dwarf American plants, and I am glad to find that it still maintains its superiority in that special department. NOTES AND QUESTIONS ON TREES AND SHRUBS. Cotoneaster thymifolia as a Standard— This, though a creeping rock- shrub, makes a good standard. In the Lawson Nurseries I observed, the other day, several nice examples in this way grafted from 3 to 0 feet high on C. aflinis, which makes a suitable stock, either for this or for other kinds of Cotoneaster. — W. F. Trees for Lawns.— The following is a select list of twelve small hardy trees for lawns of hmited extent, by G. EUwanger, of the celebrated Mount Hope Nm-series, Rochester, U.S.A. :— Imperial cut-leaved Alder, cut-leaved Beech, large double- flowering Cherry, Californian Buckeye, white-leaved Linden, Magnolia Soulan- geana, Wier's cilt-leaved Maple, Oak-leaved Moimtain Ash, Paul's Double Scarlet Thorn, Virgilia lutea, cut-leaved Birch, and Kilmarnock Willow. Chimonantlius fragrans.— This useful wall shrub is now flowermg freely in many gardens around Loudon. Its blossoms arc, not showy, but they emit a delicious fragrance like that of Cloves. The plant itself is deciduous and blooms before the foliage appears. It may interest some to know that there are at least two forms of it, one bearing flowers nearly twice the size of the other. This is known as C. fragrans grandiflorus, and will be found much handsomer than the common form, and equally odoi'oaa,— B. 168 rv THE GARDEN. [Feb. 21, 1874 THE GARDEN IN THE HOUSE. PRINTING FERN-FRONDS. I HATE read with rery great interest the directions on Fern-leaf printing, as given at page 12i, and, as the process which I have practised with good results is somewhat similar, perhaps a few re- marks may not be out of place. The materials I use are — A grainer's comb, a common tooth-brush, a cake of lamp-black, an old plate to mix it on, and a few sheets of blotting-paper. Almost any kind of card. board answers admirably to begin to print on, and it may be cat into any shape the operator thinks proper, and can then be made into very pretty work-baskets, &c., edged with bine, green, or pink ribbon, according to taste, these being most useful for small pre- Bents, for Christmas-trees, and bazaars. All leaves or fronds for printing should be carefully pressed between blotting-paper, or, what will answer equally as well, in an old book. The fronds about to be printed should be carefully and neatly pinned to the card-board, as has been recommended. Having your larap-black or ink already mixed, dip your tooth-brnsh into the ink, holding the comb in the left hand, then draw your brush over your comb till shaded according to taste. The brush should be shaken almost dry before nsing, for the smaller the spots the more delicate the tints which will be obtained. When the prints become dry, replace the Ferns between blotting- paper till required again. After being used a few times, they become brittle, and are then of little use for printing purposes. By following these directions, with a little practice, it is almost impossible to faif. Varieties of the following make beautiful prints .-—Adiantum, Asplenium, Athyrium, Davallia, Lastrea, Lomaria, Polypodium, Polystichnm, and many others. I send you a specimen done by the above process to show you of what this system of Fern.printing is caP=ible. Xhos. Beauciiamp. [The specimen sent was a beautiful portrait of Adiantum formosum, and other foliage in pure white on a delicately-tinted ground.— Ed.]' The Creeping- Myrtle (Myrsiphyllum asparagoides).— Mr. J. Vick, than whom there is no better authority, gives the fol. lowing directions for the household culture of this plant, now so nmch used in floral decorations, for twining in the hair, and for trimming party dresses:—" With a little care it can be grown success, fully as a house plant. The seeds should be sown in a box or in pots m the house, and should be kept moist till the young plants appear. The seed being rather slow to germinate, you must not think it bad if it does not make its appearance in two weeks. The young plants should be potted off into 3-inch pots as soon as they are 3 or 4 inches high. Once a year the bulbs should be allowed to dry off and rest. They will start into growth again in about six weeks. The plant does not require the full sun, but will grow well in a partially-shaded situation. It can be trained on a small thread across the window or around pictures. It is a climber, and will attach itself to a string in just about the right condition to use for wreaths, &c., or, when required for lighter work, the branches which become entangled can be separated." This plant, perhaps the most universally employed of all by the American florists, and generally most tastefully used, seems to make slow progress with us. It is of easy culture in the gi'eenhouse. — Delta. Griselinia macrophylla as a "Window Plant.— This is an evergreen shrub, of only moderate groivth, and one which has thick bright green, succulent.like leaves, wherein consists its chief beauty' It IS partial to a good loamy soil and some decayed manure but almost any good soil will suit it, and it has no objection to peat or Ic-af-soil. It requires no special care nor more warmth than that atlordcd by a dwelling-house window, and, if hardily nursed will bear a slight frost with impunity. It is one of the best window plants that can be grown. In a cottage near Glasgow, the other day I saw two plants of it in a G-in. pot; the owner had obtained them three years ago, and, since he first jiossesscd them, ho has not repotted or top-dressed them, but has kept them within a window in a room where gas is nightly burned. During the summer time he occasionally places them out of doors to get the rain or a " wash " as he terms it, and sometimes he lays them on their sides and pou'rs water over them through a watering-pot rose, an operation which answers as well as syringing. He waters them when they are dry giving more in lato spring and summer than he does in winter. They are not very subject to the attacks of insects, damp, or any diseases, and dust can easily be sponged off their leaves. These plants, although well attended to, have been grown under circum- stances by no means favourable for tho past three years, yet they retain their leaves and colour well, and are bright and cheerful in appearance. — F. THE FRUIT GARDEN. CORDON PEAR WALL AT HOLME LACY. WnEN at Holme Lacy last summer, we were pleasantly sur- prised to see a wall covered with Pear-trees, trained as single cordons, and in the finest bearing condition. We learnt from Sir H. Scudamore Stanhope that he had taken some interest in their mode of culture some years ago in France, and made several experiments, this plantation of winter Pears being one of them. He has kindly furnished us with the photograph from which our sketch was engraved, and the following account of the trees : — " Allow me to furnish you with an illustration of my Cordon Pear wall, one-half of which, planted in December, 1861, bore fruit in ISB-l ; another half, plaiited in March, ISG.'J, bore fruit in 1868. From the time these trees began fruit-bearing up to the present date, they have been, and are now, perfectly healthy, and have yielded large crops every year, with the exception of two or three trees, perhaps, which may miss bearing each year ; as to the superiority of the fruit, in size, appearance, and flavour, over fruit grown in my garden on pyramids and espaliers, there cau be no question. In hot summers it was found necessary to mulch, and even to water them, owing to the Quince stock, on which all are grafted, having more fibres and rooting nearer the surface than the Pear stock. They are trained on a south wall, which, however, is somewhat shaded by large Oaks, and, although this cu-cum- stancc renders the wall unfavourable for Peaches, I do not consider it has been against these Quince-grafted Pears, as, but for the shade, they would probably have suffered more in hot summers than they have done. I do not, therefore, think a south wall, by any means, a necessity, for the successful culture of cordon Pears in the south and west of England. As to the pruning, my late gardener writes as follows : — ■" My experience in pinching has never been what I was led to expect ; never, but in one solitary instance, have I found the fruit-bud to be the result of that practice, and even that one being so far from home, so to speak, would have to be cut off in order to keep the spur short. But that was not all, for I have found that what was once a decided fruit-bud would lengthen and grow into wood before the growing season closed." I myself certainly think that the pinching cannot be carried out in our climate to the same extent as in France. The result with us was to produce too many wood-shoots. Whether this is the result of a richer soil and a moister climate or not, I cannot say. The merit of the successful results of the cordon- wall is due to my late gardener, Mr. Wells, now at Osborne Park Nurseries, Potter's Bar. The following are the weights of some of the cordon-grown Pears, produced by trees which have always been allowed to bear freely, viz. : — Glou Morceau, ISi oz. ; Beurre Bosc, 12joz. ; Beurre Superfln, 14 oz.; Van Mons, 1.5 oz.; Easter Beurre, 16 oz.; Beurre Diel, ISoz. ; Zcphirin Gregoire, Hi oz. ; Triomphe de Jodoigne, 14 oz.; Josephine de Malines, 11 oz. ; Doyeinie d'Alen^on, ISfoz.; Duchesse d'Hiver, 18ioz.; Bergamotte d'Esperen, lljoz. ; Conseiller de la Cour, 14 oz. ; and fruit from Doyenne Bous- soch, Beurre Hardy, Madame Millet, Williams's Bon Chretien, Figue d'Alein^on, and Beurre Sterckmans have weighed equal to these, as have also Duchesse d'Angoulcme, and many others." Among the many interesting features of Holme Lacy, there is none more worthy of being seen by gardeners and fruit- growers than this wall of Pear trees, of the beauty of which our engraving gives but a very imperfect notion. RASPBERRY CULTURE. I DO not agree with Mr. Hobd.ay when ho says (see p. 149) that Raspberries are at their best in the third year of their growth. They may certainly produce good fruit then, but, nevertheless, it does not follow that they will not produce a much heavier crop when they are three or four times as large. The second year, if one good cane has been planted, we may expect from two to throe canes, but oftener two than three. These will bear a good crop, but not equal to that obtainable from three to four canes in the third year, or from six good canes in the fifth year. To allow all the young canes to remain the first two or three years tends to induce premature exhaus- Feb. 21, 1874] THE GARDEN. 169 tion. What does it matter Low many years the plants have been in the same position if we get sound well-ripened canes that produce fruit as good as that from plants of three or four years' standing ? Raspberries cannot be compared, as regards treatment, with many other fruit trees, because they produce young wood every year ; without it they will bear no fruit, and, as long as we can get it good, it is all we desire. I have in my eye a plantation of Raspberries, of from twenty to thirty years' standing, that cannot be easily beaten now. I thoroughly ap))reciate rotation, but for its sake, alone, I would not destroy a good standing crop. Late Raspberries are at times, in dry autumns, highly appre- ciated, and are very useful ; but servants, as well as employers, look more to an early crop than a late one. I have sent late Raspberries to table often, and have well nigh as often found them, some days afterwards, thrown away in a mouldy state. Have late Raspberries by all means ; but do not encourage the plants that bear the principal crop to produce them. Mr. Hobday must have a good climate not to have seen Rasp- A CURIOUS FACT IN POT-VINE CULTURE. We have a Vinery here 60 feet by 13 feet, lean-to, with a parti- tion in the middle for growing pot-Vines, and it may be thought strange that we force both ends at the same time, but the reason is that Grapes in May are in such demand with us that one house cannot supply us with them. The varieties chiefly consist of Black Hamburghs and Sweetwater, with a few other sorts for trial. The Vines stand in two rows, plunged in leaves in a bed in the middle of the house, and I am happy to say are looking well. But here comes the singular part of the matter. In consequence of the fire being at one eud, of course that compartment is always from 2J to 3 degrees higher in tem- perature than the other, and, strange as it may appear, the Grapes in the coldest end are ready for the scissors while those in the hottest end are barely in flower. Both myself and my foreman stand and look at each other in reference to the matter in amazement, but can form no idea as to the cause of such an anomaly. Moreover, we grow French Beans along the front, and with the same results, those in the cold end beating the Cordon Fruit-wall at Holmo Lacy, HerefordsUii berries killed by frost. I had a row of a new sort killed two years ago, and I have seen whole quarters destroyed in different places. I will give Mr. Hobday a nut to crack. Some years ago, when under a good practical gardener, we planted some four or five rows of Raspberries, I think 6 feet by 3 feet. They grew immensely for the first two or three years, pro- ducing canes like Bamboos, with an eye in a foot, little wood being in the canes, but plenty of pith. They were not killed whilst I was there ; but, if a hard winter had occurred, there would have been no hope for them. Strange to say, these canes bore but little fruit ; the gardener came to the conclusion that another row planted between them would have the desired effect, and, sure enough , as soon as they got established, the others began to bear prodigiously. That was in the fourth or fifth year after being planted. The gardener good-naturedly told me that fruitfulness in this case was Ijrought about by the planting the other rows between them. Though young, my ideas were different ; and, after exchanging opinions, he confessed that I had the better of him. What was the reason ? J. Taylok. others by fully a week. This leads me to say a few words on bottom-heat for pot-Vines. Many fancy that bottom-heat makes them break with more regularity than they otherwise would do, and also sooner than those to which it has not been given. Never was a greater mistake, as the following fact will show. We grow a dozen Vines for the table ; these were placed ou the curbstone in the house just adverted to, and they broke equally strong and early as those subjected to bottom- heat, while in former years they swelled olf their fruit equally well. " Say, why is this, and wherefore, and what shall we do ? " — Hamlet. Bitrgliley, Stamford. R. Gilbekt. Peaches Shedding their Buds.— What is the cause ot buds falling off Peach trees in the I'each-house ? — G. [^Drought at the root, and irregular temperature often cause Peach trees to shed their flower-ljuds. — En.] Shading Vineries. — Do you advise shading the glass in Vineries where sunshine is very powerful ? They are glazed with 21 oz. glass. — G. [No ; that is if provision has been made, which, in all such cases, there should be, for ample ventilation.— Ed.] 170 THE GARDEN. [Feb. 21, 1874. THE DAISY, ITS HISTORY, POETRY, AND BOTANY.* By the Rev. H. N. ELLACOMBE. I 1)0 not apologise for the lowness and humbleness of my snb- ject, but, with "no delay of preface" (Itfilton), I take you at once to it. In speaking of the Daisy, I mean to confine myself to the Daisy, commonly so called, merely reminding you that there are also the Great or Ox-eye, or Moon Daisy (Chrysanthemum leucantliemum), the Michaelmas Daisy (Aster), and the Blue Daisy of the South of Europe (Globularia). The name has been also given to a few other plants, but none of them are true Daisies. I begin with its name. Of this there can be little doubt; it is the "Day's-eye," the bright little eye that only opens by day, and goes to sleep at night. This, whether the true derivation or not, is no modern fancy. It is, at least, as old as Chaucer, and probably much older. Hero are Chaucer's well-known words — Well, by reason, men it call may. The Daisie, or else the Eye of the Day, The Empresse, and floure of floures all. There is, however, another derivation. Dr. Prior says " Skinner derives it from dais or canopy, and Gavin Douglas seems to have understood it in the sense of a small canopy in the line — The Daisie did uubraid her erounall small. " Had we not the A. S. doeges-oeye, we could hardly refuse to admit that this last is a far more obvious and probable explanation of the word than the pretty poetical thought conveyed in Day's-eye." This was Dr. Prior's opinion in his first edition of his valuable " Popular names of British Plants," but it is withdrawn in his second edition, and he now is content with the Day's-eye derivation. Dr. Prior has kindly informed me that he rejected it because he can find no old authority for Skinner's derivation, and because it is doubtful whether the Daisy in Gavin Douglas's line does not mean a Marigold, and not what we call a Daisy. The other derivation, how- ever, seemed worth a passing notice. Its other English names are Dog-daisy, to distinguish it from the large Ox-eyed Daisy, Banwort, " because it helpeth bones to knyt agayne " (Turner); Bruisewort, for the same reason ; herb Margaret from its French name ; and in the north Baimwort, from its associations with childhood. As to its other names, the plant seems to have been unknown to the Greeks, and has no Greek name, but is fortunate in having as pretty a name in Latin as it has in English. Its modern botanical name is Bellis, and it has had the name from the time of Plinj'. Bellis must certainly come from bellus (pretty), and so it is at once stamped as the pretty one even by botanists — though another derivation has been given to the name, of which I will speak soon. The French call it Mar- guerite, no doubt for its pearly look, or Pasquerette, to mark it as the spring flower. As Pliny is the first that mentions the plant, his account is worth quoting. " As touching a Daisy," he says (I quote from Holland's translation, 1601), "A yellow cup it hath also, and the same is crowned, as it were, with a garland, consisting of five and fifty little leaves, set round about it in manner of fine pales. These be flowers of the medow, and most of such are of no use at all, no marvile, therefore, if they be namelesse ; howbeit, some give them one tearme and some another." — Book xxi., cap. 8. And, again, " There is a hearbe growing commonly in medows, called the Daisie, with a white floure, and partly inclining to red, which, if it is joined with Mugwort in an ointment, is thought to make the medicine farre more effectual for the King's evil." — Book xxvi., cap. 5. We have no less than three legends of the origin of the flower. In one legend, not older, I believe, than the fourteenth centnry (the legend is given at full length by Chaucer in his " Legende of Goode Women "), Alcestis was turned into a Daisy. Another legend records that " this plant is called Bellis, because it owes its origin to Belides, a grand-daughter to Danans, and one of the nymphs called Dryads, that presided over the meadows and pastures in ancient times. Belides is said to have encouraged the suit of Ephigeus, but whilst dancing on the Grass with this rural deity she attracted the admira- tion of Vertumnus, who, just as he was about to seize her in his embrace, saw her transformed into the humble plant that now bears her name." This legend I have only seen in Phillips's " Flora Historica." I need scarcely tell you that neither Belides or Ephigeus are classical names — they arc mediaeval inventions. The next legend is a Celtic one ; I find it recorded both by Lady Wilkinson and Mrs. Lankcster. I should like to know its origin, but with that grand contempt for giving authorities which lady-authors too often show, neither of these ladies tells us whence she got the legend. The legend tells that " the virgins of Morven, to soothe grief of Malvina, who bad lost her infant son, sang to her, ' We have seen, 0 ! Malvina, we have seen the infant you regret, reclining on a light mist ; it approached us, and shed on our fields a harvest of new flowers. Look, 0! Malvina.' Among these flowers we distinguish one with a * Read at a mcetinR of the Rnlh Naturalists' Field Club. golden disk surrounded by silver leaves ; a sweet tinge of crimson adorns its delicate rays ; waved by a gentle wind, we might call it a little infant playing in a green meadow ; and the flower of thy bosom has given a new flower to the hills of Cromla." Since that day the daughters of Morven have consecrated the Daisy to infancy. " It is," said they, "the flower of innocence, the flower of the newborn." Besides these legends, the Daisy is also connected with the legendary history of S. Margaret. The legend is given by Chaucer, but I will tell it to you in the words of a more modern poet : — There is a double flourot, white and rede, Th.it our lasses call Herb Margaret In honour of Cortona's penitent ; Whose contrite soul with red remorse was rent. While on her penitence kind Heaven did throwe The white of puritic surpassing snowe ; So white and rede in this fair floure entwine. Which maids are wont to scatter on her shrine. (" Catholic Florist," Feb. 22, S. Margaret's Day.) Yet, in spite of the general association of Daisies with S. Margaret, Mrs. Jameson says that she has seen one, and only one, picture of S. Margaret with Daisies. The poetry or poetical history of the Daisy is very curious. It begins with Chaucer, whose love of the flower might almost be called an idolatry. But, as it begins with Chaucer, so it almost ends with him. Spenser, Shakespeare, and Milton scarcely mention it. It holds almost no place in the poetry of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries ; but, at last in the nineteenth century, it has the good luck to be uprooted by Burns's plough, and he at once sings its dirge and its beauties ; and then the flower at once becomes a celebrity. Wordsworth sings of it in many a beautiful verse ; and I think it is scarcely too much to say that since his time not an English poet has failed to pay his homage to the humble beauty of the Daisy. I do not purpose to take you through all these poets — time and knowledge would fail me to introduce you to them all. I shall but select some of those which I consider best worth selection. I begin, of course, with Chaucer, and even with him I must content myself with a selection : — Of all the floures in the mede. Then love I most those floures white aud redde ; Sueh that men callen Daisies in our town. To them I have so great affection. As I said erst when comen is the Maye, That iu my bedde there dawneth me no daie, That I n'am up and walking in the mede To see this floure against the sunne sprede. When it upriseth early by the morrow. That blessed sight softeneth all my sorrow. So glad am I, when that I have presence Of it, to done it all reverence — As she that is of all floures the floure. Fulfilled of all virtue aud honoure ; Aud ever ylike fair and fresh of hue. And ever I love it, aud ever ylike new. And ever shall, tUl that mine heart die, All swear I not, of this I wiU not lye. There loved no wight hotter in his life. And when that it is eve, I run bhthe. As soon as ever the sun gaineth west. To see this floure, how it will go to rest. For fear of night, so hateth she darkness. Her cheer is plainly spread in the brightness Of the sunne, for there it will unclose ; Alas, that I ne had English rhyme or prose Suffisauut this floure to praise aright. I could give you several other quotations from Chaucer, but I will content myself with this, for I think unbounded admiration of a flower can scarcely go further than the lines I have read to you. Stephen Hawes, who lived in the time of Henry VII., wrote a poem called the " Temple of glass." In that temple he tells us — I saw depycted upon a wall. From est to west, f ol many a fayre image Of sturdy lovers. And among these lovers And Alder next was the freshe queue, I mean Alceste, the noble true wife. And for Admete howe she lost her life, And for her trouthe, if I shall not lye. How she was turned into a Daysye. We next come to Spencer. In the " Muiopotmos," he gives a list of flowers that the buttei-fly frequents, with most descriptive epithets to each flower most hapi^ily chosen. Among the flowers are The Roses raigning iu the pride of May, Sharp Isope good for greene woundes' remedies, Fairo Marigolds, and bees-alluring Thyme, Sweet Marjoram, and Daisies decking prime. Fkb. 21, 1874] THE GARDEN. 171 By "decking prime" he means they are the ornament of the morning. Again he introduces the Daisy in a stanza of mnch beauty, that commences the Jnno eclogue of the shepherd's calendar. Lo ! Colin here the place whose pleasant sj-te From other shades hath -n-eand my wandering niiudc. Tell me, what wants me here to work delyte ? The simple ayre, the gentle warbling winde. So calm, so cool, as no where else I finde. The Grassie ground with daintie Daisies dight ; The Bramble liush, wdiere byrdes of every kinde, To the waters' fall their tunes attemper dight. From Spencer we come to Shakespeare, and, when we remember the vast acquaintance with flowers of every kind that he shows, and especially when we remember how often he almost seems to go out of his way to tell of the simple wild flowers of England, it is snrpri. sing that the Daisy is almost passed over entirely by him. Here are the passages in which he names the flowers. First, in the poem of the " Rape of Lucrece," he has a very pretty picture of Lucreco as she lay asleep — Without the bed her other faire hand was On the green coverlet, whose perfect white Showed like an April Daisy on the Grass. In " Love's Labour Lost," is the song of Spring, beginning— When Daisies pied, and Violets blue, And lady-smocks all silver-white. And Cuckoo bnds of yellow hue Do paint the meadows with delight. ,Th " Hamlet," Daisies are twice mentioned in connection with Ophelia in her madness. " There's a Daisy ! " she said, as she dis. tributed her flowers ; but she made no comment on the Daisy as she did on her other flowers. And, in the description of her death, tho queen tells us that — Fantastick garlands she did make Of Crow-flowers, Nettles, Daisies, and Long Purples. And in "Cymbeline" the General Lucius gives directions for the burial of Cloten — Let us Find out the prettiest Daisied plot we can. And make him with our pikes and partisans A grave. These are the only four places in which the Daisy is mentioned in Shakespeare's plays, and it is a little startling to find that of these four the first is in a song for very absurd clowns, and the second and third are in the haijds of the poor mad princess. I hope that you will not nse Shakespeare's authority against me, that to talk of Daisies is fit only for clowns and madmen. I am not so much sur- prised to find that Milton barely mentions the Daisy. His knowledge of plants was very small compared to Shakespeare's, and seems to have been, for the most part, derived from books. His descriptions of plants all savour more of the study than the open air. I only know of two places in which he mentions the Daisy. In the " FAUegro" he speaks of " Meadows trim with Daisies pied," and, in another place, he speaks of " Daisies trim." But I am surprised to find the Daisy overlooked by two such poets as Robert Herrick and George Hei'bert. Herrick sang of flowers most sweetly ; few, if any, English poets have sung of them more sweetly, bnt he has little to say of the Daisy. He has one poem, indeed, addressed specially to a Daisy, but he simply uses the little flower, and not very successfully, as a peg on which to hang the praises of his mistress. He uses it more happily in describing the pleasures of a country life — Come live with me and thou shalt see The pleasures I'll prepare for thee, What sweets the country can afford. Shall bless thy bed and bless thy board. . Thou shalt eat The paste of Filberts for thy bread, With cream of Cowslips buttered ; Thy feasting tables shall be hills, With Daisies spread and Daffodils. And again — Young men and maids meet. To exercise their dancing feet, Tripping the comely country round. With Daffodils and Daisies crowned. George Herbert had a deep love for flowers, and a still deeper love for finding good Christian lessons in the commoaest things about him. He delights in being able to say Yet can I mark how herljs below Grow green and gay. But I believe he never mentions the Daisy. I must not, and I need not, dwell on the other poets of the seventeenth century. In most of them a casual allusion to the Daisy may be found, but little more. Nor need I dwell at all on the poets of the eighteenth century. In the so-called Augustan age of poetry, the Daisy could not hope to attract any attention. It was the correct thing if they had to speak of the country to speak of the "Daisied" or "Daisy-spangled" meads, but they could not condescend to any nearer approach to the little flower. If they had, they would have found that they had chosen their epithet very badly. I never yet saw a " Daisy- spangled " meadow. The flowers may be there, but the long Grasses effectually hide them. And so I come I'x'^' saltum to the end of tho eighteenth century, and at once to Burns, who brought the Daisy into notice. He thus regrets the uprooting of the Daisy by his plough. Wee, modest, crimson. tipped flower, Thou'st met me in an evil hour ; For I must crush amongst the stour Thy slender stem. To spare thee now is past my power. Thou bonny gem. Cold blew the bitter, biting uorth. Upon thy humble birth. Yet cheerfully thou venturest forth Amid the storm. Scarce reared above the Parent-earth Thy tender form. The flaunting flowers our gardens yield High sheltering woods and walks must shield ; But thou, between the random bield Of clod or stone. Adorn' st the rugged stubble field, Unseen, alone. There, in thy scanty mantle clad, Thy snowy bosom sunward spread. Thou lift'st thy unassuming head lu humble guise ; But now the share uptears thy bed, Aud low thou lies ! With Burns we may well join Clare, another peasant poet from Northamptonshire, whose poems are not so much known as they deserve to be. His allusions to wild flowers always mark his real observation of them, and his allusions to the Daisy are frequent ; thus : — Smiling on the sunny plain The lovely Daisies blow. Unconscious of the careless feet That lay their beauties low. , Again, alluding to his own obscurity — Green turf's allowed forgotten heap Is all that I shall have. Save that the little Daisies creep To deck my humble gi-ave. Again, in his description of evening, he does not omit to notice the closing of the Daisy at sunset — Now the blue fog creeps along. And the birds forget their song ; Flowers now sleep within their hoods. Daisies button into buds. Aud so we come to Wordsworth, whose love of the Daisy almost equalled Chaucer's. His allusions and addresses to the Daisy are numerous, but I have only space for a small selection. First, are two stanzas from a long poem specially to the Daisy — When soothed awhile by mdder airs. Thee Winter in the garland wears. That thinly shades his few gray hairs. Spring cannot shun thoe. While summer fields are thine by right. And autumn, melancholy wight. Doth in thy crimson head delight When rains are on thee. Child of the year that round dost run Thy course, bold lover of the sun. And cheerful when thy day's begun As morning leveret. Thy long-lost praise thou shalt regain. Dear shalt thou be to future men, As -in old time, thou not in vain Art nature's favom-ite. The other poem from Wordsworth that I shall read to you is one that has received the highest praise from all readers, aud by Ruskin (no mean critic, and certainly not always given to praises) is described as " two delicious stanzas, followed by one of heavenly imagination." The poem is " An Address to the Daisy " — A nun demure — of holy port ; A sprightly maiden — of love's court. In thy simplicity the sport Of all temptations. 172 THE GARDEN. [Feb. 21, 1874 A queen in crown of rubies drest, A starveling in a scanty vest, Are all, as seems to suit thee best. Thy appellations. I see thee glittering from afar, And then thou art a pretty star, Not quite so fair as many are In heaven above thee. Yet like a star with glittering crest. Self -poised in air thou seeni'st to rest ; Let peace come never to his rest Who shall reprove thee. Sweet flower, for by that name at last. When all my reveries are past, I call thee, and to that cleave fast. Sweet silent creature. That breath'st with me in sun and air ; Do thou, as thou art wont, repair My heart with gladness, and a share Of thy meek nature. With these beautiful lines I might well conclude my notices of the poetical history of the Daisy, but, to bring it down more closely to oar own times, I will remind yon of a poem by Tennyson, entitled " The Daisy." It is a pleasant description of a southern tour brought to his memory by finding a dried Daisy in a book. He says : — We took our last adieu, And up the snowy Splugen drew. But ere we reached the highest summit, I plucked a Daisy, I gave it you. It told of England then to rae, And now it tells of Italy. Thns I have picked several jjretty flowers of poetry for you from the time of Chaucer to our own. I could have m.ads the posy fifty- fold larger, but I could, probably, have found none more beautiful, nor more curious, than these few. I now come to the botany of the Daisy. The Daisy belongs to the immense family of the Compositos, a family which contains one-tenth of the flowering plants of the world, and of which nearly 10,000 species are recorded. In England the order is very familiar, as it contains three of our commonest kinds, the Daisy, the Dandelion, and the Groundsel. It may give some idea of the large range of tho family when we find that there are some 600 recorded species of the Groundsel alone, of which eleven are in England. I shall not weary you with a strictly scientific description of the Daisy, but I will give j'ou instead Rousseau's well-known description. It is fairly accurate, though not strictly scientific (in Lindley's " Lady's Botany," Vol. I., p. 199). But Rousseau does not mention one point which I wish to descrilje to you, as I know few points in botany more beautiful than the arrangement by which the flower is fertilised. In the centre of each little flower is the style surrounded closely by the anthers. Tho end of the style is divided, but, as long as it remains below among tho anthers, the two lips are closed. The anthers are covered, more or less, with pollen; the style has its outside surface bristling with stiff hairs. In this condition it would be impossible for the pollen to reach the interior (stigmatic) surfaces of. the divided style, but the style rises, and as it rises, it brushes ofi: the pollen from the anthers aronnd it. Its lips are closed till it has risen well above the whole flower, and left the anthers below ; then it opens, showing its broad stigmatic sui'face to receive pollen from other flowers, and distri. bute the pollen it has brushed off, not to itself (which it could not do), but to other ilowers aronnd it. By this provision no flower fertilise? itself, and those of you who are acquainted with Darwin's writings will know how necessary this provision is in perpetuating flowers. Tho Daisy not only produces double flowers, but also the curious proliferous flower called lien and Chickens, or Childing Daisies, or Jackanapes on Horseback. These are botanically very interesting flowers, and though I, on another occasion, drew yonr attention to the peculiarity, I cannot pass it over in a paper specially devoted to the Daisy. The botanical interest is this ; — It is a well-known fact in botany, that all the parts of a plant — root, stem, flowers, and their parts, thorns, fruits, and even the seeds, are only different forms of leaves, and are all interchangeable, and the Hen and Chickens Daisy is a good proof of it. Underneath the ilowcr-head of tho Daisy is a green cushion, composed of bracts ; in the Hen and Chickens Daisy, some of these bracts assume tho form of flowers, and are the chickens. If tho plant is neglected, or does not like its soil, the chickens again become bracts. The only other point in tho botany of tho Daisy that occurs to mo is its geographical range. The old books are not far wrong when they say " it groweth everywhere." It does not, however, grow in the tropics. In Europe it is everywhere, from Iceland to the extreme sonth, though not abundant in the south-easterly jiarts. It is found in North America very sparingly, and not at all in the United States. It is also by no means fastidious in its choice of position — liy the river-sido, or on the mountain-top, it seems equally at home, though it somewhat varies according to its situation, but its most chosen habitat seems to be a well-kept lawn. There it luxuriates, and defies the scythe and the mowing machine. It has been asserted that it disappears when the ground is fed by sheep, and again appears when the sheep are removed, but this requires confirmation. Yet it does not lend itself readily to gardening purposes. It is one of those Flowers worthy of Paradise, which not nice art In beds and curious knots, but Nature's boon Pour'd forth profuse on hill and dale, and plain. Both where the morning sun first warmly smote The open field, and where the unpierc'd shade Imbrown'd the noontide bowers. — "Par. Lost," iv., 240. Under cultivation it becomes capricious ; the sorts degenerate and require much care to keep them true. As to its time of flowering, it is commonly considered a spring and summer flower; but I think one of its chief charms is that there is scarcely a day in the whole j'car in which yon might not find a Daisy in flower. I have now gone through something of the history, poetry, and botany of the Daisy, but there are still some few points which I could not well range under either of these three heads, yet which must not be passed over. In painting, the Daisy was a favourite with the early Italian and Flemish painters, its bright star coming in very effectively in their foregrounds. Some of you will recollect that it is largely used in the foreground of Van Eyck's grand picture of the " Adoration of the Lamb," now at S. Savon's, in Ghent. In sculpture it was not so much used, its small size making it unfit for that purpose. Yet you will sometimes see it, both in the stone and wood carvings of our old churches. In heraldry it is not unknown. A family named Daisy bear three Daisies on their coat of arms. In an old picture of Chaucer, a Daisy takes the place in the corner usually allotted to the coat of arms in mediajval paintings. It was assumed as an heraldic cognisance by St. Louis of France in honour of his wife Margaret; by the good Margaret of Valois, Queen of Navarre ; by Margaret of Anjou, the unfortunate wife of our King Henry VI. ; while our Margaret, Countess of Richmond, mother of our Henry VII., and dear to Oxford and Cambridge as the foundress of the Margaret Professorships, and of Christ College in Cambridge, bore three Daisies on a green turf. In medicine, I am afraid, the Daisy has so lost its virtues that it has no place in the modern pharmacopoeia ; but in old days it was not so. Gerarde says, " the Daisies do mitigate all kindes of paines, especially in the joints, and gout proceeding from a hot or dry humoure, if they be stamped with new butter, nnsalted, and applied upon the pained place." Nor was this all. In those days, doctors prescribed according to the so-called " doctrine of signatures," i.e., it was supposed that Nature had shown, by special marks, for what special disease each plant was useful. Thns, a heart-shaped plant was sure to cure heart-disease ; a bright-eyed flower w.as good for the eyes ; afoot-shaped flower, or a leaf badly formed, at once pro- claimed its fitness for the gout ; and so the little low-growing Daisy must have its uses, and here they are. " It is said that tho roots thereof being boyled in milk, and given to little puppies, will not sulfer them to grow great " (Cole's " Adam in Eden"). It is said that "for pleasant dreams Dazy roots should be put under the pillow." On the English language, the Daisy has had little influence, though some have derived " lackadaisy " and "lackadaisical" from the Daisy, but there is, certainly, no connection between the words. Daisy, however, was (and, perhaps, still is) a pro- vincial adjective in the eastern counties. A writer in Notes and Queries (2ad Series, ix. 261) says that: — Samuel Parkis, in a letter to George Chalmers, dated Feb. 16, 1799, notices the following provincialisms : " Daisy : remarkable, extraordinary excellent, as ' She's a Daisy lass to work,' i.e., ' She is a good work- ing girl.' ' I'm a Daisy body for pudding,' i.e., ' I eat a groat deal of pudding.' " And I must not leave the Daisy without noticing one special charm, that it is peculiarly tho flower of childhood. The Daisy is one of tho few flowers of wliich the child may pick any quantity without fear of scolding from the surliest gardenei-. It is to the child tho herald of spring, when it can set its little foot on six at once, and it readily lends itself to tho delightful manufacture of Daisy chains. In the spring and play-time of the year, . . . the little ones, a sportive team, Gather king-cups in tho yellow mead. And prank their hair with Daisies. — Cowpcr. It is then the special flower of childhood, buc we cannot entirely give it np to our children. And I h,ave tried to show yon that tho humblo Daisy has been the delight of many noble minds, and may bo a fit subject of study even for those children of a larger growth who form tho Bath Field Club. Feb. 21, 1871.] THE GAEDEN. 173 THE SELF-SOWN OAK WOODS OF SUSSEX.* By R. W. GLUTTON. In this paper I propose to inquire into the following matters con. nected with the gi-owth and management of self-sown Oak woods. Oak will grow in almost any description of clay.from the poorest and Btiffest to a good deep loam. As the Oak, in is earliest stages of growth, has a long tap-root, a deep soil, tree to a certain depth from rock, is necessary to its rapid development. Oak will grow with considerable luxuriance in a gravelly soil, but, on arriving at a size fit to be called timber, it becomes what is termed shaky, and it will be found on felling to be little more than a bundle of laths, utterly unsuitable for the uses to which Oak timber is generally put. ^ The Position of Oak Woods as Affecting their Growth. There is no tree grown in England more sensitive of exposure to wind than the Oak, and the best and fastest growing woods are those in sheltered positions, well inland. There is a tractot country in the south- cast of Sussex, lying between Battle and Hailsham, the soil of which is well adapted to the growth of Oak, but which, from its nearness to the sea — abont ten miles as the crow flies — fails to produce, except in very deep narrow gills, other than short stumpy trees with bushy boughs, evidently thrown out as a protection against the south-west wind. These trees produce knotty and unsaleable timber. About thirty or thirty-five years ago, the planting in St. Leonard's Forest was begun with Larch and Oak, the proportion being about five of Larch to one of Oak. Since the Larch were seven or eight years old, they have been gradually thinned out, and, though in no case, have they thoroughly disappeared, the land is fairly planted witk straight-grown silver.rinded Tellars, which bid fair, in due time, to become a fine Oak forest. This land is ordinary forest land. Eflfect of the Periodical Cutting of Underwood. The periodical cutting of underwood affects the growth of trees, as it affords the only opportunity of thinning woods ; thus the thinnings are at longer intervals than, perhaps, is best for the growth of Oak timber. The custom in the Wealds of Surrey, Sussex, and Kent, is, to cut the underwood at intervals of from eight to twelve years. Underwood is usually sold by auction in November, and in the following spring the Oak trees are inspected, and such thin- ning as is required is then done. If the timber only was considered, a shorter interval of, say, five or six years, would be better, but as the underwood is an important portion of the profits, it is impossible to make the most of it until it becomes large enough for conversion into Hop-poles, hoops, &c. As to the age at which the timber causes injury to underwood, supposing there is a full plant of Tellars at any given fall, for the next two cuttings (say, for twenty years), there will be little difference found in the value of the underwood, which averages from £8 to £10 per acre. The next three cuttings will be reduced, on an average, about one-half, and, afterwards, the periodical cutting will be sold for a very small sum, viz., £1 to £1 10s. per acre, which will not pay for rates, fencing, and ditching. Pruning Oak Woods. Not only is pruning unnecessary — for, if thinning is done gradually, allowing the Oak trees to draw each other up to such height as may bo required, the lower branches will of themselves drop off — but it is actually injurious, as every timber merchant or village carpenter knows. And the boughing of Oak trees materially affects the value of the timber when felled, though the tree, when pruned, may be only twenty or thirty years, and, when cut, 150 years old. When the boughs are thrown off by nature, as they are most perfectly under careful management, the bark gradually closes over the part from which the bough dropped, and it becomes impossible to define the former position of the bough, nor would any sign of it be found when the tree is cut ; but, should the tree be pruned, an unsound knot, or a sore in the tree, is at once formed, allowing the water to penetrate the trunk where the branch was cut off. This will rot, and a black dead piece of wood will bo found in the centre of the tree when it is cut. The bark will, no doubt, usually close over the i wound made; but this will take some years, and, before it is closed, the mischief will be done; and, in old trees, it not unfrequently happens that the perfect closing over the wound by young wood causes a species of dry rot. Thinning and Clearing. I As I stated above, the time for thinning woods is when the under, iwood is cut. The greater part of the timber of the weald in question lis grown with underwood. The underwood is cut, on an average, 3nce in ten years. At each cutting, trees which have attained a [good size, and show symptoms of diminished growth, are felled, and I ' An abstract o£ a paper read at an Ordinary General Meeting o£ the Institu- tion o£ Surveyors, February 16th, 187-1. open spaces are thus obtained for a fresh crop. The same oppor- tunity is taken for thinning the young Tellars, and of saving such further young plants a? have come up since the last cutting of the underwood, that is, ten years previously. In thinning Tellars and young trees, it is of the utmost importance that the leading trees should be left, and the inferior ones cut. For the ultimate crop the trees should stand from 20 to 30 feet apart. The great aim of every forester should be to keep the trees thick enough to draw each other up to the height required, so as to have a clear stem of from 20 to 40 feet, as the case may be, and so to gradually thin them as not to abruptly aduiit the wind, and thus cause them to be checked in growth. Any checking of growth is speedily detected by the throwing out of a quantity of " rushy " boughs, as they are called. We have now carried our wood up to the age of from seventy to eighty years. If the trees have been properly managed, little further thinning will be required until their clearing, unless the timber is left for a longer period than 100 years for large shipbuildings. After a wood has beeu cleared of a natural crop of Oak, and the underwood has grown for a period of ten years, it will generally be found, at the next cutting, that a good crop of self-sown Oak Tellars is fairly scattered over the ground. The Tellars are usually marked with paint, and are excepted from sale. At this first cutting the young Oak trees will be about the same height as the underwood; and, if the underwood is fairly good, the chances are that it will bo unnecessary to thin the Tellars at all, more than by a woodman going round and chopping down with a hatchet any inferior trees. During the next five or six cuttings the real work of thinning must be executed. Profits. I now come to the question of profit, whether timber or underwood pays best, taking a certain period of time, say, 100 years. Assume an acre of underwood of a fair average description in Kent, Surrey, or Sussex, no Oak trees being allowed to be grown upon it, but kept entirely for underwood. I will suppose that it has a good set of stems upon it. This underwood is worth, to sell, upon an average of £10 I5er acre at ten years' growth; and it may be assumed, for the purpose of rental value, that underwood selling for £10 or £12 per acre, is worth the same number of shillings rent ; this will be found a close approximation if worked out. This acre of woodland will therefore produce a rent of 10s. per annum, and go on producing the same description of underwood for the 100 years with occasional filling up. Take, secondly, an acre of woodland under similar con. ditions with regard to underwood, but allow Tellars to grow upon it ; there will be found little or no difference in the value of the under, wood for the first twenty years. During the next forty years the underwood will have diminished in value ; but we may fairly oalou. late that the trees which have been cut in the course of thinning, after twenty years, will have made up any loss in the value of the underwood in this period. In fact, the produce is much more than enough to make up the loss of profit from underwood. For the re. mainder of the 100 years, the underwood will pay very little, and the thinnings will njt produce more than enough to pay expenses. lu the foregoing observations, I have assumed that underwood sold at £10 per acre is worth a rental of lOs., and that for sixty years the underwood and Tellar thinnings together will produce fully 10s. per acre. From the latter period and up to 100 years, when I assume the timber will be fit for felling, little or no revenue will bo derived. The rental of 10s. per annum accumulated for forty years at 4 per cent., gives, in round figures, £30 per acre. The following is an instance of a wood of 4 acres near Keigate, which was planted in 1830 with Oak and other trees. I have no record of any thinnings prior to 186G. In April, 1866, twenty-eight Oak trees, containing 111 feet, and 208 Tellars, were cnt and sold for £42. In April, 1872, thirty-nine Oak trees, containing 21G feet, were cut and sold for £21. In 1873, seventy Oak trees were cut which were valued at £40. This wood was sold, and the timber on it valued very accurately, in 1873. There were 373 Oak trees, containing 2,600 feet of timber, and a few other trees, valued together at £217 ; being at the rate of £60 per acre. The above sum of £60 per acre gives a rental of lis. per acre at 4 per cent., and beyond that, of course, is the sum of money received for the thinnings. The trees in this wood will not require much more thinning. It is, I think, apparent that the Oak.growing districts, in which underwood and timber are grown together, produce a much larger profit on an average of 100 years, than it is possible for Oak plantations alone to produce, as, during the earlier periods of growth, underwood pays an income when the land planted with Oak pays nothing. u Parchment Labels — Labels for plants, that have to be packed in any moist material, should never be written on parchment, as the moist heat frequently renders them illegible. 174 THE GAEDEN. [Feb. 21, 1874. WOEK FOE THE WEEK. PRIVATE GARDENS. The Flower Garden. — Owing to the open weather which we have had, this department is, just now, unusually gay. Of Primroses and other early spring flowers, exclusive of bulbous plants, the variety in bloom is considerable. Snowdrops and Crocuses are blooming freely in borders and on lawns, a fittingplaoe for them, and where they will be succeeded by Dog's-tooth Violets and Scillas, so that all will be past before Grass-cutting recommences. The re- plenishment of flower-beds from the reserve stock must now occupy attention ; all spring-flowering plants may be transplanted with impunity according to convenience. Several of the autumn. sown annuals, too, may be transplanted from their winter-beds to where they ai'o required for blooming, and to fill np vacancies between perennials. Hollyhocks and Foxgloves from last year's sowings Btiould now be transplanted permanently in good rich soil ; indeed, a epadeful or two of well-decayed manure mixed with the soil in each hole is an important addition. Ivy, Jcsamines, Clematises, Honey- suckles, Roses, CratK3gu3es, Magnolias, and similar plants on walls should be thinned or pruned, if necessary, and neatly trained. Form edgings of the variegated Queen of the Meadow, Arabis, Cress, Polemoninm, Grasses, Daisies, Golden Feverfew, Euonymus radicans, Santoliuas, &c. Some of these, such as the Golden Feverfew and Cress, are only fit for spring gardening when saved from the previous j-ear's sowings, and should be replaced again in April or May from spring-sown plants, which do not so readily run to seed during the summer and autumn months. Various kinds of flower-seeds should now be sown for early blooming ; but the main crop of hardy annuals is best sown in the Erst week of April. Sub-tropical Plants. — Sow seeds of Acacia lophantha on a brisk hot-bed, and prick off and pot singly the young seedlings as soon as fit to handle. Prune back old plants, and permit them to start slowly in a pit or greenhouse. These have a fine elfect in the Bub-tropical or flower garden mixed with flowering-plants or used in clumps in the centres of beds. Sow Solanums, Wiijandias, Fer- dinandas, Abntilons, Sonohuses, &c., in pots of sandy soil in brisk hot-beds, afterwards to be pricked off and potted as they require it. Old plants of the same that were saved from last year's collection should be forced in a pit or hot-bed in order to induce young growths for cuttings. Sow Castor-oil plants. Tobacco plants, Hemp, Uhdeas, Chilian Beet, Amarantuses, variegated Maize, and a few others in brisk heat, and attend to them as regards timely thinning, pricking off, potting, and watering; grow them on in a warm temperature f era time, and, towards the end of April, or in May, gradually harden them off prior to planting, which should be done in June. Erythrinas may now be started gently, and, if required, the young shoots may be used as cuttings ; these will make nice little plants by May or June, and next year they will bloom well. Propagate Aralia papyrifora by means of root cuttings, but do not start the old plants into growth until next month. Plants of Aralia japonica raised from seeds last year will make fine plants for bedding-out next summer, provided they are grown on slowly, as, for instance, in an intermediate house. Sow a few more seeds in a sandy peat or loamy soil, in gentle heat, and propagate by means of cuttings obtained from the old plants, inasmuch as a stock of this sort cannot be obtained from roots, as in the case of A. pipyrifera. A. spinosa, a showy and pretty plant, is hardy, and only requires pruning back to a plump eye in March or April. In the case of frosty weather, however, the ground containing the roots should be mulched, and the stems encircled with straw or hay -bands. Cannas may be started into growth like Dahlias ; and, when they begin to grow, they may be divided into as many pieces as there are shoots, on each of which a piece of the old root should be retained. Canna seeds may be sown in a hot-bed or pit ; and, if they are steeped for a night in tepid water, putting them into it when it is at a temperature of 140', they will germinate sooner than they otherwise would do. If the stock of Caladium esculentum is short, start some roots, and propagate every offset as a cutting. Propagate Ficus elastica, by means of cuttings or eyes, with a leaf attached to each, and held upright by means of a wooden peg. Cuttings of Mclianthus major, struck now, make fine plants for next summer's use. New Zealand Fl.ax, both green and variegated, may bo divided, and each divisiou potted separately in a loamy soil, and plunged in a gentle bottom. heat. Plunged or planted in flower-beds, they are very effective, and old specimens arc most in place isolated on lawns or as centres to beds. The general stock of Cycads, Palms, Musas, Bamboos, Ficuses, Dracaenas, and other peren- nial tender sub-tropical ]>lant3, will now be starting into fresh growth ; therefore, such as retiuiro fresh potting should be attended to in that respect, so that the plants may form a good supply of fresh roots before summer sets in. Hard forcing should not be practised in the case of those not potted, a slow and hardy growth being best. Plants for Carpet-bedding.— As carpet-bedding continues to be so fashionable, some forethought must be exercised as to the quantity of plants of the various kinds that are likely to be wanted. Foremost among these will be Alternantheras, which will be required to be now subjected to a strong moist temperature to cause them to grow, when abundance of cuttings that strike freely may be obtained. Highly-coloured shoots do not strike so freely as green ones, which, afterwards, become coloured ; seeds of Golden Feverfew should now be sown in a hot-bed ; last year's saved plants are sure to " run " during the summer, therefore, this plant is always best treated as an annnal. Sow seeds of Lobelia pumila ; and, also, propagate ic by means of cuttings ; its compact habit and bright blue flowers make it very valuable for carpet-bedding. The variegated Mesembryanthemnm should be increased by means of cuttings ; this plant, although hardier than most greenhouse plants, thrives well, and does not lose its com- pact character, in a stove. Ajuga roptans sauguinea, a good dwarf plant, furnishes a dark bronzy colour, and may be propagated in cold flames or out-of-doors by means of offsets ; but more readily in heat. All dwarf Echeverias are useful for this purpose, and may bo kept in boxes in a cool-house or frame, and near the light, rather dry at present, and perfectly free from all decaying matter. The young ])lants raised from seeds, offsets, or leaves, are best grown in a gentle heat, in order that they may be strong by bedding-out time. Various kinds of Sempervivums and Sedums, both tender and hardy, may be treated in the same way as the Echeverias, but in the case of tho hardy ones, unless increase of stock is neoesssary, they are best wintered out-of-doors. Coleuses and Iresinea are, also, useful for forming central masses to the beds, and if a few old plants were saved to produce cuttings, these should be started into growth at once, and their propagation proceeded with, because well hardened off young plants are much more desirable than old ones. Centaureas have a fine effect used with dark. leaved j)lants, therefore, have a stock of them for that purpose, either raised from cuttings in tho autumn, or from seeds or cuttings now. Keep old plants pretty dry, and in cool airy pits. The variegated Thymes make fine edgings or carpets, and can now be raised freely from cuttings, or by means of division. The Santolinas, too, may be readily propagated by the same means, and, as they submit to severe clipping in summer, they aiu very useful for this kind of work. They may, also, be increased freely by means of divisiou in the open border. An old white varie- gated Pelargonium, called Dandy, is of such dwarf habit as to bo very suitable for this purpose ; but, although it strikes freely from cuttings, these are twelve months old before they make much show. There are many hardy plants that can be used for this purpose, such as tho Mossy Saxifragas, the Creeping Veronicas, Pyrethruni Tchiatchewi, the variegated Arabis albida, and several others, besides a few such as Polemoninm coernleum variegatnm, that form nice specimens wheu studded here and thei'e in the carpet. Roses. — Roses on pillars, walls, or trellises should have any dead wood about them removed, the very long living shoots shortened, and the whole neatly re-tied to their supports. A few Roses in beds and borders may be pruned to induce early blooming ; but the general pruning had better be deferred for a short time yet. Tho pruning of hardy Roses, particularly those on the Manetti stock, however, may be done now, as they begin to grow early. Suckers and gross growths should be removed from all sorts, and stakes applied to such as require them. Making Hot-beds. — These must now be made at once for tho propagation of bedding plants, starting stove and greenhouse plants into growth, and for producing a few early salads and vegetables. Stable-manure that is moist throughout, and which has been turned once or twice, may be used alone, but in this case tho heat is violent, and only of moderate duration. Stable-manure mixed with a fourth of cow-manure makes a good hot-bed, and one that retains its heat longer than one which consists wholly of stable-dung. The latter mixed with tree leaves — Oak leaves, if obtainable — makes excellent hot-beds. Even damp tree leaves alone, once or twice turned, form a good bed, and one that retains a moderate and steady heat for a long time, but a greater bulk of material must be used in this case than when litter is mixed with tho leaves. Tan, spent Hops, and rope refuse, too, make good hot-beds, but they must be used in pits, either out-of-doora or indoors, or they will not hold together. In making a hot-bed, form a foundation about 2 or 3 feet wider than the dimensions of the frame to be set on it. This will give a good space for linings outside the frame. All hot-beds, particularly those of large size and depth, made above ground, should have a foundation of rough open material, such as a layer of brushwood ; over that may bo put Asparagus, Bean, and Pea haulm, and then the fermenting material, the whole being firmly put together. The size of the beds will differ according to tho heat they are required to produce, and the plants to bo forced on them. As to tho time when they should be put np, that depends Feb. 21, 1874.] THE GARDEN. 175 upon what they are intended for. The beds, though firmly built, will sink considerably, consequently some spare material must be preserved for making up the linings, so that tho proper temperature may be maintained. For some weeks after being put up, a vigilant watch must be kept to see that the beds do not become over-heated, and thus burn both roots and seeds placed in them. The tempera- ture of such bods may easily be determined by means of sticks thrust into them in various places, and kept there, drawing them out occa- sionally, and feeling them with tho hand; or thermometers may be employed for the purpose. Orciiids. — Of Odontoglossnms, Sophronitis, Lrelia anceps, and some others there is now a fine display, and, if kept at the coolest end of the house, their beauty will be retained longer than it otherwise would be. A general overhauling and re-potting of tho several species should now take place. Before potting, however, withhold water for a few days, in order that the roots may be more easily freed from the old soil. Miltonias, Dendrobiums, Bletias, Brassias, Cyrtopodiums, &c., should be potted as they begin to grow; while Cattleyas, Angrascums, Saccolabiums, Vaudas, and Aeridcs should bo potted before they start into growth. Calanthes, when they fairly show sings of growth, should be re-potted. For epiphytal Orchids, the pots or pans used should have a, small pot inverted over the hole in the bottom, and then they should be filled up with broken crocks and charcoal to within 3 inches of the top ; terrestrial Orchids require less drainage. The former require only a spongy material, or compost consisting of fibrous peat and Sphagnum, which should not be pressed too hard. The latter require soil of a more nutritious character, such as turfy loam, leaf-moald, or peat, and rotten horse or cow-dung. Water must bo carefully or rather sparingly given at first. Some will require fresh blocks, and those found to do better on blocks than in pots should be supplied with them. Orchids in general seem fond of non. resinous woods j thei-e- fore, Cork, Apple, Pear, Plum, and Maple blocks are more suitable than those of Deal or Pine wood. Some kinds grow best in baskets, a supply of which must also be got in readiness for them. Place some roughly-broken crocks in tho bottom, with rough peat and Sphagnum on the surface, to firm the plants. Over such Orchids as Phalajnopsis, that have lost their crowns, place a small board supported on pegs so as to prevent drips from falling on the plants and i-otting them. Hardy Fruit G-arden.— All standard fruit-trees should be pruned before this time, and their trunks and main branches cleared of Moss and Lichens. Prune and nail wall fruit-trees, if not already accomplished ; and, with glass or wooden coping, Frigi Dome, canvas, or fishing or woollen nets, protect Peach and Apricot blooms, when expanded, from frost. "Whatever protection, other than a coping, is used should be affixed so that it may be easily lifted and let down as required. Young trees may yet be planted, and any old ones intended for transplanting next autumn should have their roots cut now, by which means they do not suffer nearly so much in removal as they otherwise would do. Prune back to 15 inches above ground stocks on which grafts are to be put. Mulch the roots of lately- planted trees, and affix strong stakes to all that require support ; see, also, that espaliers are sufficiently staked and tied. Have all trees on walls pi-operly pruned and nailed, as the flower-buds are more than usually forward this spring. A good syringing with sulphur and water well mixed will be found very beneficial to wall-trees. Make new Strawberry plantations, and fill up empty spaces in old ones ; remove all runners, dig between the rows, and apply a good mulching of litter between the rows on the surface of the soil. Collect all prunings and other rubbish and burn them, saving tho ashes and likewise the charcoal resulting from tho operation for manurial purposes. The prunings may be advantageously used in burning clay for applying to stifE soils, in order to lighten it and and to render it porous. Irrigation a Danger.— Irrigation is, no doubt, a most desirable thmg tor India ; but it would appear to be quite possible to have too much of it in particular places, judging from a resolution recently puKished by the Government of Madras on the prevalence of fever in the Godavery Delta. The Governor in Council observes in this document that the deplorable condition of the district, as sketched m a report presented to him by two civil officers specially deputed to inquire, is mainly due to " the utterly inadequate moans of drainage in a country whose swampy nature has been aggravated by the great system of irrigation works." He directs accordingly that the subject be forthwith earnestly taken into the consideration of the Public Works Department, and arrangements bo made with the least possible celay for "remedying this most crying evil, whereby at present the gift of financial prosperity bestowed upon the district is coupled with the curse of disease." T H E H OUSE HOLD. AMEEICAN CEANBERRIES. Through the kindness of Messrs. Carter & Co., of High Holborn, we have received a box of American Cranberries from the New Jersey Cranberry Growers' Association, accompanied with a request that we would report on their culiuary value, and state the condition in which they arrived in this country. The Cranberries are much larger and finer than those we are accustomed to see, being the produce of the O.xycoccus macrocarpus, and not the species indigenous to Europe, namely, the Oxycoccus palustris. They were sent in small boxes containing about six or seven pounds each, and were not bruised or damaged by the transit. The production of Cranberries in the United States, although necessarily confined to limited areas — as they grow in turfy soil, and the cultivation is attended with heavy expense — has increased within the last few years to a surprising extent, as has also the taste and demand for them. About twenty-five years since, the earlier cultivators wei-e thought to be making rash experiments, and it was feared that a crop of one hundred barrels would overstock the market; but now a capital of millions of dollars is successfully employed in their growth, and tho annual yield is estimated to bo about one hundred thousand barrels— a large part of this amount being produced in Southern New Jersey. lu the United States they are regarded as supplying a place that can be filled by no other fruit, as they keep well if stored in a cool dry room, and can be prepared for use in a short time and with littlo trouble. The great American Cranberry dish is Cranberry sauce, which is used as a preserve with bread or in pasti-y, or as an adjunct to meat, game, and poultry, as we employ Currant jelly. It is mado in less than ten minutes, by stewing the berries with sugar and a little water. Sometimes tho berries are strained after boiling, to remove the skins and seed before the sugar is added. As prepared in either of these modes, the American Cranberries have a piquant acid flavour, perfectly sui generis, the recollectiou of which makes na regret the fact that, at the present time, they are not to be obtained in England. We also tested the fruit in pies and tarts made after the English fashion, and found it most excellent. The Americans have a household method of sealing up their preserves in air-tight glass jars, which are not to be obtained in this country ; therefore, we tried the Cranberries in the form of jam ; but the amount of boiling necessary to reduce the fruit to a solidity fit for keeping dissipated the flavour to a considerable extent. The strained juice furnishes a very admirable jelly, of an exceedingly rich colour, and perfectly transparent. We had not an opportunity of trying all the American recipes with which we were furnished ; but, from the expe- rience we have had, we feel confident that the New Jersey Cranberries only require to be known in this country to be very highly appro- ciated. — Field. Quinces as an Addition to Apple Tarts.— Lady Llauover directs as follows : — Cut the Quinces in quarters. To 5 lbs. of fruit put 3 lbs. of sugar, and half a quarter of a pint of water. Put thorn in pint jars ; put plates or saucers over tho jars, and let them simmer very gently for three hours, placed in boiling water : put the peels in with them, and take them out when done ; the overplus of syrup may be bottled, and also used to flavour tarts. It will pre- vent waste of sugar if the peels are stewed the first hour without sugar, then take out the peels and add the sugar, and simmer for two hours longer. NOTES AND QUESTIONS ON THE HOUSEHOLD. Inaian Cora in England.— I observe you say that we should have no trouble in raisincr plenty of this in a green state for cookery. You are right; on Trarm soils, everywhere in the south of England, it ripens well ; it used to ripen regularly in the herbaceous ground at Kew, and from Kew-grown seeds.— T. S. "Worcester Sauce.— Allow me to furnish your correspondent (see p. 102), with a recipe for making this sauce. I do not oITer it as Lea & Perrins, but I do say that it is equal, if not superior to it, in my opinion. It is not a recipe copied out of a book, but one I have known a long time. Half-a-pouud Shallots, 1 oz. Pimento powdered, ^oz. Mace powdered, -J oz. cayenne, half a ]S^utmeff powdered, \ lb. anchovy fish, 1 oz. salt, 3 pints of vinegar, 6 oz. soy. Chop or bruise|the Shallots, beat up the anchovy fish, mix all together, stand for a month or two, and lastly strain through a coarse sieve. — C. I. B. Bamboo Grain as food. — Those who Hko Bamboos for their graceful appear- ance, may be interested to know that they, like so many of the Grasses, aro food-givers. Mr. Blech.^mdcn, in a letter published in the Journal of the Agri- HorticuUnral Sociefi/ of India, gives particulars of the service rendered by this gram after failure of the Rice crops in Orissa iu 1812, when a general famine was apprehended : — " The grain obtained from the Bamboo was most plentiful, and gave sustenance to thousands ; indeed, the poorer, and therefore the greater, portion of the inhabitants subsisted for some time solely on this food. So great was the natural anxiety that was evinced to obtain the grain, that hundreds of people were on the watch day and night, and cloths were spread under every clump to secure the seeds as they fell from the branches" 176 THE GARDEN. [Feb. 21, 1874. SOCIETIES, EXHIBITIONS, &c. EOYAL HOETICULTUEAL SOCIETY. Febbuary 18th, 1874. At this meeting, Orchids were well represented, and some choice kinds were staged ; Cyclamens were finer the we ever remember to have seen them in small pots, and other winter-flowering decorative plants were, also, shown in fine condition. Messrs. J. Standish & Co., Ascot, furnished an interesting collection of forced shrubs, Lily of the Valley, Cyclamens, and other decorative plants, well grown and profusely flowered. Amongst these were some well-grown Bouvardias and half-a-dozen plants of the white-blossomed Abutilon Boule de Neige ; this last furnishes quantities of snowy bell-shaped flowers during winter, and, together with the smooth glossy-leaved Clematis indivisa, deserves general cultivation for the purpose of yielding cut flowers ; this Clematis bears white star-shaped flowers, about the size of a crown-piece, and, judging from the small specimens of it exhibited, it is a profuse-flowering species. One of the most useful plants shown in this group was the green feathery Asparagus decum. bens, sprays of which are useful either for wreaths or bouquets ; it grows well in small pots, or it may be planted out and trained up a trellis. From Mr. R. Dean, of Ealing, came a splendid gronp of seedling hardy Primroses, amongst which were some very bright and showy varieties ; these are well suited for early spring bedding, or for growing in pots for greenhouse or cool conservatory decoration. When grown in cold frames, their flowers and foliage come much brighter and better in every way than when exposed, and they well deserve theextra protection, although they do not absolutely require it. Some seedlings, the result of a cross between P. altaica and P. vulgai-is anrioula^flora, showed a marked improvement, their flowers varying in colour from rich mauve to deep violet purple. The same e.xhibitor also staged a small collection of Violecs, including Lee's new variety, Victoria Regina, an evident improvement on the Czar, and, like that variety, it bears largo purple flowers, very sweetly perfumed. Mr. H. B. Smith, Ealing Dean Nursery, contributed a very even collection of double Chinese Primulas, of vigorous habit, bearing stout trusses of rosy salmon-tinted flowers. Mr. C. Turner, Slough, staged a collection of scarlet, salmon, and rose-flowered Zonal Pelargoniums, and an excellent collection of standard Aucubas remarkably well fruited. The last named are especially adapted for the winter decoration of cool conservatories, or oven ordinary apart- ments, and should be more generally cultivated in private gardens for these purposes than they are. Clusters of the bright scarlet berries and handsomely mottled fohage como in very usefully for church or domestic decorations of all kinds. From Messrs. Veitch & Sons came the best plants of Cyclamen persicum in 48-sized pots that have been shown this season. They are vigorous and well-flowered, each plant producing from four to sis dozen blossoms, the colours being bright and distinct. The same firm also exhibited a collection of Amaryllis, among which the following varieties are specially worthy of cultivation ; A. Ackermanni pulcherrima, a fine flower, of the most vivid velvety- crimson ; Le Zouave bright reddish-crimson, mottled with white ; Spotted Gem, white, speckled with vermilion ; Ariadne, white, heavily streaked with deep crimson ; Leopold, a very fine widely, expanded flower of a creamy-white, the lower portion of each segment being of a rich maroon-crimson. In the same collection we noted a well-flowered specimen of Toxicophlasa spectabilis, a white- flowered shrub, from the Cape. The bark of this plant is very poisonous, and is sometimes used by the natives for poisoning fish. From Messrs. W. Paul and Sons came a fine collection of Camellia blooms, very prettily staged in boxes of fresh Moss, in the same way as Hoses are shown. The best reds were — Bealii, Eximia, Reine dcs Fieurs, Sarah Frost, Jeffersonii, and Imbricata ; amongst the whites Fimbriata, Monteron, Candour, and Alba elegantissima were specially noticeable. The same exhibitors also staged a box of their new Chinese Primula— Waltham White. It is of stout habit, and bears large white flowers of good substance; the foliage, how- ever, lacks the fresh greenness so essential to this plant, and the purity of the flower itself is marred by a greenish-yellow eye; still, for hybridising purposes, it is invaluable. Mr. W. Bull furnished some striking novelties, several of which obtained first-class certificates. Among these we noted Ilippeastrum pictu. ratam (Amaryllis vittata var.), with long flowers something like the new Lilium Phillipense in form, of a creamy-white colour heavily streaked with crimson. It bears seven or eight flowers on a spike, and is so distinct in form and colour as to merit general cultivation. Another variety A. Sultana — bears crimson-striped flowers on scapes 2 to 3 feet high. A considerable number of Orchids were exhibited, and contributed much to the interest of the exhibition, especially as several novelties made their appearance for the first time. One of the most striking p'ants staged was a seedling Dendrobe (D. Ainsworthii), raised by Mr. W. Mitchell, gardener to Dr. Ainsworth, of Lower Broughton, near Manchester. This is the result of a cross between D. nobile and D. heterocarpnm, aad combines the habit and general characteristics of both species. Mr. J. Child, gardener to Mr. Torr, Garbrand Hall, Surrey, staged a fine plant of Coelogyne cristata, rather past its best, and was awarded a cultural commendation. Mr. B. S. Williams staged a small plant of Renanthera coccinea in flower. This is one of the most beautiful of Orchids, but one of the most difiicult to bloom regularly. The plant shown had been grown in a Cattleya-hoase, and had made very stout and vigorous growth. The same exhibitor also staged Vanda tricolor, Coelogyne cristata, Masdevallia Tovarensis, Oncidium cueullatum, and a good variety of Dendrobium nobilo in fine condition. Messrs. Veitch contributed a nice bank of these plants, including good exam- ples of Ada aurantiaca, bearing rich orange-tinted flowers ; Angrascum citratum, bearing a gracefully-arched spike of creamy, white flowers ; a new species of Dendrobium, intermediate between D. crassinode and D. crystallinum, in growth and flower ; and some very beautiful and distinct varieties of Odontoglossum Alexandra) and Lycaste Skinneri. Mr. E. Bennett, of Hatfield, furnished half-a- dozen dishes of Apples and Pears, in fair condition ; and four remarkably well. grown Smooth Cayenne Pines came from Her Majesty's gardens at Frogmoro. Vegetables were limited in quan- tity, the most important being a collection of ten varieties of Potatoes. These were mostly of American origin and growth, and were staged by Messrs. Carter & Co., of High Holborn. First-class Certificates were awarded to the following :— Seedling Primrose Violacea (R. Dean), robust habit, fine fresh green f oliage, and a profuse bloomer, colour rich violet-purple. Primula Prince Arthur (F. Perkins), a vigorous sturdy-habited v.l'riety, bearing trusses of double flowers of a rosy-vermilion tint. Toxicophlpea spectabilis (Veitch) a useful flowering greenhouse shrub, bearing dense clusters of pure white Jasraiue-liko flowers in dense axillary clusters. Angrjecum citratum, a rare and beautiful Orchid, bearing spikes of creamy- white flowers nicely perfumed. Hippeastrum picturatum (vittatum) (Bull), a beautiful freo-flowering stovo bulb, having white flowers striped with reddish-crimson. Rapatea pandanoides (Bull), a curious plant allied to tho genus Juucus. It has peculiar sheathing bases to its strap-shaped foliage, and deserves cultiva- tion as a novelty. Alsoptiila elegantissima, a very graceful stove Tree-Fern having very elegant shining divisions to its fronds. Pleocnemia Leuziana, a beautiful stove Fern, having finely-divided broad and spreading fronds. DendroUum Ainsworthii (Sir. W. Mitchell), anew hybrid Orchid, the result of a cross between the old Dendrobium nobile and the violet-sceuted D. hetcro- carpum (aureum). It is distinct from either parent, although partaking some- what of the character of both. Sepals and petals, creamy-white ; lips, fully expanded, white, with a vinous purple or claret-colour blotch. BOTANICAL SOCIETY OP EDINBURGH. At a meeting of this society, which took place the other day, Mr. McNab communicated a notice of the Lochwood Oaks in Annaudalc, Dumfries- shire. These Oaks were probably not less than 500 years old ; their stems were from 9 to 14 feet in circumference, and tho trees were from 30 to 50 feet in height, ivith an average spread of branches of GO feet. All the trees were in a decayed or decaying condition, and were covered with evergreen Ferns, which gave the wood in winter a wonderfully beautiful appearance. In his report of the open air vegetation in the Royal Botanic Garden, Mr. McNab stated, that o-n-ing to the mildness of tho season, tho number of species of selected plants in flower greatly exceeded those noticed at any previous February meeting of the society. Since January 8th, the thermometer had been fourteen times at or below tho freezing point. During the early part of February, flowering specimens of 1.32 species and varieties of trees, shrubs, and herbaceous plants were picked in the open air— all of which were shown to the society. Of these, 70 might be considered as summer and autumn plants, while the remaining 50 might be looked upon as winter and spring-flowering varieties. Tho frost experienced since the 9th — the lowest being on the night of the 11th, when the mercury stood at 15° below the freezing point— had injured a lai-ge proportion of the premature flowers. _ This frost will bo much against the blossom of many fruit trees, particularly the Pear, which ia now in a very advanced state. TuK obituary of the Times of last Monday contained a notice of tho death of the daughter of the once well-known Dr. Darwin, philosopher, and author of "The Botanical Garden." She died in her ninety-first year, and was probably the last Unk between us and a society of provincial celebrities to whom the progress of British industry has been enormously indebted. Her father was a prominent member of the well-known " Lunar Society," so called because of the day of meeting, that of the full moon, to enable the visitors to see their way the more clearly home in the evening. Among its members were Watt and Boulton, of steam-engine celebrity; Wedgewood, tho father of British pottery; Priestley, the chemist, and .many others of little less note. The lady just deceased had made tea in her youth for all these celebrities, and her memory of past times remained wonderfully clear. Her own grandmother, with whom she lived as a girl on most affectionate terms, was born iu the year that (Juccn Anno died. Feb. 28, 1874] THE aABDEN. 177 THE GARDEN. " This is an art Wtioh does mend nature : chanpfe it rather : but The Aet iiseli? is Natube." — Shakespeare. FIGS. By J. n. PEARSON, ChilweU. T/iosE who know what a delicious fruit a really ripe Fig is are olteii astonished that Figs are not more grown iathis country than they arc. Here is a f ruit-trco which will produce two and, indeed, sometimes three, crops in a season oi' such whole- sonie fruit that persons who are subject to gout can eat them without injury ; and yet we hardly ever see them fit to eat. , IS It ? I think It is because few nersons know what a good it ig IS. I have never grown Figs as I could grow them, and yet have given fruit to people, who have just said they did not hkc them— (indeed, some have used stronger language and said they hated them)— and heard them say, ''Oh the Fi"s I have tasted before were not at all like these ! " How isit likely truit produced on a back wall of a Vinery, shaded, as they must be by the Vines, can be good; and yet anyplace, where nothing else would grow, has been thought good enough tor J^igs. Then again, many of the best Figs are almost unknown. The Koyal Horticultural Society did great good lately lu growing an immense number of Figs in pots : and, undeT the clever management of their talented gardener, Mr. Barron these were so good that a just opinion of their merits could be formed. It is much to be regretted that a most injurious kind of small scale insect, very difficult to kill was introduced from the Continent, which put a stop to this interesting work. Still, a great deal of useful knowledge was obtained. But, to grow Figs as they can be grown, the plan adopted by Mr. D. Thomson, of Drumlanrig, must be followed, and the trees tramed under glass, like Vines ; then, with the full advantage of sunshine, people will know what Figs really are I am so sure that Fig culture is only beginning, and must extend to a degree of which few persons have an idea, that tor some years I have been trying all the kinds I could procure, to see which were really worth growing, and have now a house a hundred leet long furnished with bearing-trees. I shall cer- tainly discard many kinds I often hear praised, and keep only the best varieties. As it is useful to all fruit-growers to know which are the best, I will say that up to the present time no kmd i have fruited is at all equal to Bourjassotte Grise, a good grower, great bearer, and producing large fruit; it has one pecularity it is always good. Mow, almost any Fig, when at Its best, that is, when fully ripened, and with a drop of honey hangmg from its eye, is good, but this variety is always good and, when at its best, better than any other kind evtr is -Lhis kind was introduced by the Boyal Horticultural Society' as new, a few years since, and is as great a favourite with Mr. Barron as it is with me ; but, under another name, it has been long grown at Clumber, where a large old tree is or was, lately covering a great space on a back wall of a Vinery Jiveu in this unfavourable situation its good qualities were recognised by Mr. Moffat, who gave cuttings to his friends • ^T^^i- °°°'^°' ^°'-' ™y having plants 8 or 10 feet high, whilst m Mr. Bivers a catalogue it is placed amongst the unproved kinds. Thmkmg so highly of it, I sent it'to Chiswick. Ind Mr. Barron sent me, in exchange, what had proved the best variety in his collection, and we then found they were the same kind when both produced fruit. There is another kind which IS generally described as a nice, but not highly-flavoured, Fig, which my experience places amongst the very best when well grown, and that is La Madeleine or Angelique, for it has two names— indeed, several. Dr. Ho"g says when we 1 ripened it is of good quality. I venture to sly when better ripened he will find it exquisite; with me it hal been almost transparent, and quite golden in colour. When 1 have proved all the varieties I have, I intend, if I live to plant a house on Mr. Thomson's plan, having planted my new thefn?ll)^"'l•^°'yPn'''f^J'^S-touse. I intend to discard W«^?!i -J"?^ ^'°?' r9'istle Kennedy, as a bad bearer ; Datte, because it drops its fruit so much before coming to perfection loo%^!/r p""^l^'= EarlyViolette, too small ; fsil de PerdrL^ too small; Panachee, not rich, too late, and not a good bearer! THE SEORETAEY OF THE EOYAL AGRICULTUKAL SOCIETY ON THE RECENT ESSAYS AND PRIZES Since the publication of the decision of the judges appointed by the Council of the Royal Agricultural Society of England, to examine and report upon the essays sent in to compete for Lord Cathcarfs prize of £100 for the best essay on the "Potato Disease and its Pre- yention, several letters and articles on the subject have appeared in the agricultural and horticultural newspapers, some of them retemng also to the subsequent action of the council. While the matter was stdl under the consideration of the council, I refrained from making any statement in reference to the questions at issue : ^ '^"Z!' ^ " council have decided upon their course of action, I should hke to be allowed to explain the reasons which influenced the judges in recommending the council to take the course which eventually was adopted. Amongst the ninety.four essays which came before the judges, there were several, the writers of which averred that the only way to prevent the Potato disease was to plant certain sorts (named or described in each case), which the writers of the essays had found, by experience, to be successful in this respect —that the disease did not attack them. These Potatoes were in tact, asserted to be " disease-proof," although all the writers did not use precisely that expression. Now the judges had no reason to doubt the good faith of the essayists who made these statements • but, at the same time, it was impossible to award the prize on the mere belief in the good faith of the essayists, and on the probable truth ot their assertions, so far as theh- experience had gone. Then as there were several kinds of Potatoes put forward by different essayists as possessing the disease-resiating property, it was impoa. sible tor the judges to decide between them without trial, even if they had been thoroughly convinced by means of indiaputablo evidence that these varieties of the Potato had been proved to resist disease for a sufficient number of years in succession, and in a sufficient number of different districts haying the requiaite variations ot soil and climate. They, therefore, recommended the council to give the possessors of the various kinds of Potatoes, said to have the property of resisting the disease, the opportunity of getting them and their produce tried for three years in succession in twenty different districts of the United Kingdom ; and to give a prize of £100 to the early and late variety respectively, which should not be attacked by the disease in any one year on any one experimental plot, and which (if more than one fulfilled this condition) should have the best cropping keeping, and cooking qualities. The council have not onW agreed to do this, but they placed an additional £100 at the disposal of the judges to divide amongst those who maybe second, or second and third, m the race, in either class, provided that the essential require, ment of resisting disease is complied with. It is not, however, to be inferred that a variety of Potato which might gain the prize would necessarily be absolutely disease-proof for all time j but such a variety, after having been found to resist disease for three yeai-s, in twenty different localities each year, ought to be made widely known as the one which should be most generally cultivated. The point is this : either some one or more of the essayists to whom I have referred were right, and their statements were facts, or they were all wrong. In either case the judges thought that the society should sift the matter to the bottom, alike in the interests of the essayists, of Potato-growers, and of the public at large. This is exactly what the council have undertaken to do, if the possessors of these varieties of the Potato have sufficient faith in them to enter them for a fair and extensive competition. The scientific aspect of the Potato disease also received the careful attention of the judges of the essays ; and, in their report to the council, they expressed their regret that no essayist appeared to be acquainted with the most recent disco, veries in that field of inquiry. They, therefore, recommended the council to grant a sum of money for the purpose of inducing a com. petent mycologist to undertake a special investigation into the hfe. history of the Potato-fungus. The council have adopted this course also ; and it is moat gratifying to be able to announce that Professor de Bary, of Strasburg, the highest living authority on the fungi of our farm crops, and especially on the Potato-fungus, has undertaken this important investigation. I have thought it desirable to ask you to give publicity to this statement, not only with the view of making the action of the council of the Royal Agricultural Society more widely known ; but, also, for the purpose of showing that Lord Cath. cart's generous offer, although not productive of precisely the result which his lordship hoped, has already led to one investigation of national importance, towards the expenses of which he has devoted the money which he had destined for a prize essay, and which would have been most gladly accorded by the judges to any essay which exhibited a satisfactory solution of the question. It is perhaps remarkable that none of the eaaays sent in displayed much botanical acquaintance with either the root or its malady. H. M. Jenkins. 12, Hanover Square, W., Feb. 11, 1874. 178 THE GARDEN. [Feb. 28, 1874. NOTES OF THE WEEK. We are glad to sea that Solomon's Seal (Polygonatutn malti. florum) is now offered for sale among the forced flowers in Covent Garden. Among native plants there is none more graceful or interesting than this, and none more easily grown. Wk have received from Messrs. Hooper & Co., of Covent Garden, some tubers of the new American Potato called Snowflake. It is a white-skinned, flattish, shallow-eyed Potato very solid, and finely formed, and looks as if it would prove a welcome addition to our stock of garden Potatoes. Messrs. Powell, of Bayswater, write to the papers suggesting that a great improvement woald result if the roadway of Portland Place were lined with trees or belts of shrubbery. There are other London thoroughfares to which the same advice applies, and even some of those planted are, like Westbourne Terrace, so ■wretchedly done that they require re-planting. Among the more remarkable Orchids now in flower in Mr. Wrigley's valuable collection at Bridge Hall, Bury, Lancashire, are Calanthe nivalis, three kinds of Lady's Slipper, many varieties of Cattleya Triante, Ccelogyne cristata, seven kinds of Dendrobium, Epidendnim macrochilum, various plants of Lycaste Skinneri with 256 spikes, Laelia anceps, Miltouia cuneata, nine kinds of OJonto- glossuma, and Onoidium chcirophorum and Cavendishii. On Wednesday evening last Mr. S. Hibberd lectured at the Society of Arts on a " New System of Cultivating the Potato; with a view to augment production and prevent disease." His plan mainly consists in placing large arched tiles under the sets, laid in ridges 4 feet apart, at a cost of over £66 an acre. The lecturer did not claim that the system was likely to be useful in well-drained and naturally warm soils. The plan may bo worthy of some attention from the curious amateur, or Potato fancier, wishing to grow a few Potatoes in a wet and undrained garden. We have received the first number of the English edition of the Illustration Horticole, which contains coloured plates of the follow- ing plants: — Onoidium fuscatum (Miltonia Warsoewiczii), Ceroxylon andicola, and Camellia japonica, var. Don Pedro. The pages of the new issue are of a much larger size than those of the French edition to which we have been so long accustomed, are neatly printed, and, in other respects, well brought up to the present requirements of Horticultural journalism, which has made such marked progress daring the last two or three years. At last the Duke of Bedford has determined to cover in Covent Garden market. An extraordinary general meeting of the Market Gardeners, Nurserymen, and Farmers' Association was lately held at the Bedford Head Hotel, Covent Garden, to take into consideration the model of the proposed covering. Several of the members were of opinion that the proposed erection was not high enough, and that the 4 feet left open on either side was very objectionable. The openings at the side and the low roof were stated to be for the convenience of those persons who occupy the upper rooms over the shops in the centre row. So far as we conld j udge from the model exhibited, the improvement contemplated will be slight indeed to what is required. Messes Lawes & Gilbert have published an exhaustive report of experiments on the growth of Barley for twenty years in succession on the same land. The main results are the same as those previously obtained by the same gentlemen in the case of Wheat; viz., that when the same crop is grown consecutively on the same ground for a series of years, mineral manures alone fail to enable the plant to obtain sufficient nitrogen and carbon to yield even a fair crop ; that nitrogenous manures alone increase it very consider- ably; but that the largest crops are obtained when nitrogen and mineral manures are applied together. In the case of Barley, those combined manures gave, for twenty years in succession on the same land, rather more of both Corn and straw than farm-yard manure did, and considerably more than the average Barley crop of the country grown under a system of rotation of crops. We are requested to state that the trials of flowers to be undertaken at Chiswick this season are the following: — Now Pelar. goniums, for bedding purposes ; Pelargoniums of tho pink and rose- coloured sections, as pot jilants ; Fuchsias, as pot plants, grown to larger size than heretofore; Pentstemons, of which some very fine sorts bloomed late last year ; and flowering Begonias of the boli- viensis strain, now becoming so numerous. A collection of bedding Violas and Pansies is also being got together. Those who possess novelties which they desire to have tested, as well as thoso who are willing to render aid in making up tho collections of these flowers, are invited to send their plants to Mr. Barron, tho gardoner-in-chicf at Chiswick, as soon as they conveniently can. It may be mentioned, as an iuducoment to raisers of novelties to send their own productions direct to Chiswick, that it has recently been decided, on the recom. mendation of the Board of Directors, to issue certificate cards in the case of all subjects certificated at the gardens, and which will, of necessity, be made out in the name of the donors. This has not hitherto been done, as the announcement has been reserved for the report, but, from the frequent delays which occur in the issue of the latter, it has been thought desirable to issue the certificates imme- diately after each of the Chiswick meetings. Some fifty.nine lots of the pale blue Vanda (V. cserulea) were sold at Stevens' the other day. They realised from 10s. to 60s. per lot, each consisting of one plant. This valuable wiuter.flowering species is now scarce in its native habitats. The anniversary festival of the Gardeners' Royal Benevolent Institution is to take place, this year, on Thursday, the 2nd of July ; that is, the day after the great Rose show at South Kensington, and, we are informed, that many who will show Roses on that occasion have promised to send their plants from the E'chibitiou to the London Tavern, to assist in decorating the rooms. We, may, therefore, expect a grand floral display. It is expected that the new Alexandra Palace will be ready for opening in June next. Great progress has been already made in the work of restoration, which is being pushed on vigorously. In addition to many improvements in its interior arrangements, as com- pared with those of its predecessor, the new structure will be furnished on the outside with four lofty contiguous water-towers, which will supply ample means of extinguishing any possible future conflagration _ M. Alegatiere, the well-known Pelargonium-grower, has issued his catalogue of novelties for 1874, among which we notice the following double-flowered zonals, raised by M.Jean Sisley, viz. : — Georges Sand ; flowers, large, white, if kept indoors, and assuming a slight rosy flesh. colour when exposed to the sun. Fran(joi3 Pertusati ; flowers, large, yellow, margined with white. Carl Vogt ; flowers of medium size, of an orange-salmon colour, quite a new shade. All the foregoing are very free-flowering varieties. The distinguished American statesman, whom Dickens so graphically describes as forwarding a pamphlet of his high eloquence to Queen Victoria, has been quite outdone by the Cranberry Growers' Association of New Jersey. The New York Tribune states that this society has immortalised itself by sending to that Royal lady two whole packages of Cranberries, and also divers recipes for the pre- paration of the same after the American methods. A SPECIAL general meeting of tho Linnean Society is to be held on Thursday, March 5, at 8 p.m., " to consider alterations in the bye-laws of the society ; " when it is expected a full explanation will be given of the reasons which induced the council to make the alterations recently adopted by the society, which met with so much opposition. It is understood that Mr. Bentham, who has occupied tho chair of tho Linnean Society for the past eleven years, will not offer himself for re-election. The custom of the society requires that the next president shall be a Zoologist, but students of both branches of Biology will be glad to learn that Professor Allman has allowed himself to be nominated. Few naturalists would bring to the office a wider, and none a more sympathetic knowledge. According to Mr. Moule, chalk, mixed with anthracite for warmth, and mixed with lignite for lighting purposes, is to depose coal and its relative gas altogether, and the public is to save at least 50 per cent, by the change. The extraction of the carbonic acid from the chalk, and its immediate application to kitchen and other fires, and to furnaces of every description, can be, Mr. Moule asserts, shown not only to be no impossibility, but to be perfectly feasible, requiring very little alteration in the present arrangement of grates and furnaces. When thus extracted and applied to anthracite, it produces a strong flame and heat, and at so slow a rate of com- bustion that a good fire was maintained for twenty -nine hours, in tho furnace which heats Mr. Moule'a church, with only half a hundred- weight of anthracite and an equal quantity of chalk mixed with it during that time. Throngh the aid of this remarkable property of chalk, the lignite known as shale may be used for the production of an illuminating gas to an extent which will appear incredible. Even the coarsest clay of this singular formation is full of gas ; and Mr. Moule's experiments, though imperfect, satisfy him that one ton of this substance, with which Dorset and Norfolk abound, together with a due proportion of chalk, will yield as large an amount of gas as eight tons of ordinary coal. From these experiments, Mr. Moule argues that London might be warmed and lighted at a 50 per cent, cheaper rate than it now is; that the smoke, dust, and ashes nuisance might be abolished ; and every good-sized country house and every village might be lighted with gas, while the kitchen-fire, with some slight alteration in the grate, might supply the house with light. Finally, lignite and anthracite beds would become valuable property, and chalk would be exported as coal is now. The prospect seems almost too good to be true. Feb. 28, 1874.] THE GARDEN. 179 THE FLOWER GARDEN. SELECT HERONS' BILLS (ERODIUM). Erodium jiaceadenum. — A valuable and pretty Pyrenean species, with leaves 4 to 6 inches lonpj, twice divided, having a tendency to become recurved, which gives the plant a "racefnl appearance. The flowers are produced on stalks, 6 to 10 inches high, each bearing from four to eight flowers, the ground colour of which is a sort of French-white, delicately tinged with purple, and veined with purplish-rose ; the lower petals ai'e larger than the others ; the two upper ones have each a dark-coloured spot, which at once distinguishes this species from the other Erodiums. The best position for this plant is in a crevice, tightly placed between two rocks, exposed to the hottest sun, where the roots can penetrate into dry sandy or stony soil to the depth of at least a j'ard. When grown in this way, this Erodium is an extremely pretty object, the leaves, by the dryness of the situation, arc kept in a dwarf state, nestling to the rock, and the flowers are produced in great abundance during the summer months. When grown in pots, I find it best to place the plant between two stones — either lime- Sitoue or sand-stone will do ; the crown of the plant should be raised one inch, at least, above the rim of the pot, which prevents it from damping off at the " neck " in winter. The plant has somewhat of an aromatic fragrance. E. PETR^UM. — Another interesting and useful kind, dwarfer, and having larger flowers than the preceding species. Leaves, 2 to 4 inches high, much divided, soft and velvety to the touch ; flowers, pur- plish-rose, from three to five on each of the stalks, which are 4 to 6 inches high. The leaves and flower-stalks are densely clothed with minute hairs. It thrives best when planted in deep sandy or gravelly soil, in warm positions, amongst the dwarfer kinds of Alpine plants. Tlie accompanying illustration is an excellent portrait of this plant. E. Manescavi. — A strong and vigorous herbaceous plant, and by far the handsomest and showiest species of Erodium I am acquainted with. It grows from 1 to 1-^- feet high, and throws up strong flower-stalks, which rise above the foliage, each bearing from seven to fifteen showy purplish flowers from 1 to I5 inches across. Leaves, pinnate ; leaflets, deeply toothed, opposite, and of a lively and pleasing green. The plant is not at all fastidious as to soil or situation. I have seen it growing in very stiff soil, almost clay, though in such positions it is liable to damp off in the winter months. The best position for its successful cultivation is in dry hard soil, fully exposed to the sun. If the soil be too rich, the plant produces its leaves in such abundance that the flowers are hidden by them. It is a very fine plant for pot culture. Propagated by seed, or by carefully cutting up the crowns in early spring. E. iiYMENOTiES. — This is a rather coarse-growing kind when grown in the ordinary border, and scarcely worthy of lieing cultivated excepting in the semi-wild garden on a dry Erodium petrreum. bank, or it might be tried on an old wall. It produces its flowers during the summer and autumn months ; they are pale pink. In foliage and halait it is somewhat similar to Geranium sanguineum. E. Reichardi. — A miniature member of the vegetable king- dom, growing only about 2 to 3 inches high when in flower ; the leaves are small, heai-t-shaped, and lie close upon the ground, forming little tufts, from which ai-ise slender stalks, each bearing a solitary white flower, marked with delicate pink veins. It often continues in flower for many weeks. This Erodium should be grown amongst the dwarfesfc and choicest Alpines, such as the Androsaces, Gentians, &c., in gritty peat mixed with a small portion of loam. R. P.. Yo,-h. [To the foregoing may be added : — B, caruifolium, a plant from 6 to 10 inches high, with gracefully-cut pinnate leaves, the underside of which is covered_with soft, white, downy hairs ; flowers, red, about \ inch in diameter, and borne in umbels of nine or ten blossoms. E. alpinum, which resembles E. Manescavi, but is much dwarfer, growing 0 to 8 inches high, and flowering continuously from spring to autumn : flowers of a handsome violet-red or carmine, about an inch across, in umbels of six to ten blossoms each. E. ro- manum, allied to the British E. cicutarium, but with larger flowers ; grows 6 to 9 inches high; flowers, purplish, appearing in spring and early summer. E. trichomanefolium, a very pretty dwarf kind, 4 to 6 inches high, with leaves so deeply cut as to resemble a I'ern flowers, flesh-coloured, marked with darker vems. All the preced- ing, with the exception of E. Manescavi and E. hymenodes, are ad- mirably suited for rock- work or borders, in light sandy or cal- careous loam. E. Ma- nescavi should, per- haps, be confined to the border, as it is somewhat too tall and space-filling a subject for the rock - work ; while E. hymenodes, as observed above, finds its most fitting place in rough semi-wild parts of the garden or pleasure-ground. — Ed.] NOTES AND QCTESTIONS ON THE FLOWER GARDEN. Phloxes.— The best of those gi'owii at Chiswick last year were Carl Klein (P. & A. Smith), rosy-lilac with crimson eye ; Dame Blanche (Henderson), white with pale rosy eye, pips large; Lady Hulse (Parker), bright rosy-purple ; Le Lt^on (Downie & Co.). lilac with crimson around the eye, the later flowers striped and tipped with crimson; lions W. Bull (ditto), lilac, with white blotches at the base of each se,s:ment forming a radiating white eye; Roi dea Koses (ditto), bright rosy-crimson with carmine eye ; and Mods. Taillard (Veitch), bright rosy-salmon with dark eye, brighter than Lothair. Ahronia fragrans.— This fine species, though less amenable to treatment than A. umbellata and A. arenaria, is, unquestionably, the most remarkable of the genus. It differs from the species just named.inbeiug usually more or less erect in habit, forming rather large branching tufts, from 12 to 16 inches in height, and covering, when the root is strong, 2 or 3 square feet of ground, the stems being decumbent at the base. The flowers are produced in umbels at the extremity of each lateral, and when fully expanded are pure white, difl'usiug a vanilla- like fragrance for some distance. Buring the earlier part of the day. the limb ot the corolla is folded inwards, exhibiting only the greenish-white tint of the exterior, l)ut about 4 o'clock the expansion commences, and speedily results in a transformation which is almost startling. The flowers, which are larger than in A. umbellata, are produced till very late in the season. It succeeds best in friable or light soils. The plant has been introduced by Mr. Wm. Thompson, of Ipswich, who this year offers seed of it. ISO THE GARDEN. [Feb. 28, 1874. THE INDOOR GARDEN. VAEIEGATED ORCHIDS. - (aNjEctociiilus and goodyeeas.) "We have many Orchids with variegated foliage ; and, as they are not less beautiful in their way than those whose only attraction is their flowers, they are well worthy of considera- tion. Several of our British species, as Orchis raascula, O. pyramidalis, and others, have bright glossy leaves, pro- fusely blotched with purple, and, when closely examined, are found to be extremely Ijeautiful. Many tropical Lady"s- Slippers, as Cypripediura vonustum, 0. concolor, 0. barbatum, and G. Hookerias, are well-known examples of leaf-beauty, the foliage being blotched or barred irregularly with dark green and light green ground colour. We have recently seen some variegated sports on Dendrobium nobile, D. japonicum, and a pair of variegated plants of Odontoglossum crispum were sold at Stevens's Rooms some time ago. These were very prettily striped with creamy-white, and served to create a variety among the ordinary green-leaved kinds. There are also other Orchids more ur less variegated ; but the best of all are the Anasctoohiluses and Goodyeras, and to these we shall now direct attention. An.ectocuilus augyroneuros. — A very pretty little plant, especially when examined closely with a lens or magnify ing- glass, which is the best way of looking at these brilliantly tinted gems. It grows about 3 inches in height, having dark green leaves, suffnsed here and there with a lighter tint, the whole surface of the leaf being most beautifully reticulated, or netted, with bright silvery veins. This plant grows very freely. A native of Java. A. Dojimii. — One of the best, and one which possesses addi- tional interest, inasmuch as it is a garden hybrid, raised by Mr. Dominy, between A. xanthophylhis and the well-known winter-blooming Goodj'era discolor. Its foliage, which is robust, is of a deep velvety-green, marked with silvery lines or- veins, the central streak being of a pale copper colour. This singular hybrid has a good constitution ; but is, as yet, rather rare. A. interm'edius. — This is an extremely pretty species, and onewhichpossesses a better constitution than many others. It grows freely, and has leaves of a rich olive-green, marked with golden veins, the whole plant being 2 or 3 inches in height. A. .lAVANicus. — This appears to be rather uncommon in collections, but is of free habit and well worth growing. The ground colour of its foliage is of a dark olive tint blotched distinctly with light green. I have foiind this plant rather liable to damp off if grown under a shade or in a close case. It does well, however, in an ordinary stove temperature, if potted in light fibrous material, and carefully watered. When the plant is fully exposed it may be syringed freel3', always taking care to use tepid water only. A. Lowir. — This is the strongest of the whole genus, and is, at the same time, one of the best for general cultivation. The whole plant varies from .5 to 8 inches in height, each leaf being 4 or T) inches in length, and about one-third less in width. The foliage is of a deep velvety-green, the youngest leaves being shaded with warm yellowish-brown, and the whole sur- face covered with longitudinal and transverse markings of a bright copper colour or golden hue. Of this plant there is a variety with lighter-tinged foliage and brighter golden mark- ings than thi.s species. The finest plants of it I ever saw were grown by Mr. Diamant, gardener to Lieut. -Colonel Holdsworth, Green Royd, Halifax. These were growing in a case similar to one which I shall hereafter describe, and were the picture of health and beauty ; some of the plants were 8 inches high and .IS much through, and were grown in small pots plunged in living Sphagnum. When well managed this species is one of the finest of all dwarf-growing foliage plants. It is a native of Borneo, whence it was introduced by Mr. Hugh Low. A. (Macoijks) i'KTOLA. — This is smaller than the last-named species, but grows very freely under the same cultural condi- tions, and is e(pially easy to multiply by means of cuttings made of the rhi/.omo. Its leaves are from 2 to '■> inches long, and of a light velvety-green, profnscily banded and veined with j;old. This beautiful species should be one of the lirst selected by beginners, as it seldom disappoints the cultivator, and is invariably admired for its rich velvety texture and golden illuminations. A. SETACEUS. — An old inmate of our gardens, and an elegant plant when well grown. Its leaves are about 2 inches long, and of a bright velvety-green, charmingly netted with gold. Of this vei'y variable plant three or four tolerably distinct forms are in cultivation, each differing] from the other in the shape of the leaf and in the breadth and density of its markings. A. VEiTcnii. — This is nearly as robust in habit as A. Lowii, which it somewhat resembles. Its leaves are about 3 inches in length, of a beautiful pale green colour, veined and barred with a still lighter tint. It is a kind which should be in every collection on account of its robust habit, but it nevertheless seems to be somewhat uncommon in private gardens. A. XANTiiopiiYLLUS. — This, though an old species, is one of the best in cultivation. It grows, freely treated, like its con- gener, and, when well grown, is a very beautiful foliage-plant. Its leaves are about two inches in length, of a rich green colour, and soft velvet-like texture. Each leaf is striped down the centre with broad masses of orange, and the whole of the leaf is covered with an intricate golden network of the greatest brilliancy. GooDYERA DISCOLOR. — This well-known plant is not only valued for the beauty of its foliage, but is worth growing for its spikes of :nilk-white flowers, which are produced so pro- fusely on strong specimens during the winter months. All the Goodyeras grow well, treated like Anasctochiluses, but they do not, as a rule, require so much heat, and can be grown in any ordinary plant stove. The leaves of G. discolor, which is a Brazilian species, are of a dark green above and bright reddish-purple beneath. G. Dawsoniana. — This is a much larger-growing species than the last, each leaf being about S inches in length, of a deep and rich velvet-like green, traversed with copper-coloured lines. This plant flowers freely, and bears spikes of white flowers, a foot in height, exactly like the last. It comes from the Malayan Archipelago. There are several other species of Goodyera in cultivation, but these are two of the best for general culture. The compost best suited for the growth of both Anaactochiluses and Goodyeras, is one composed of fresh fibrous peat, chopped living Sphagnum Moss, and sufficient coarse well-washed sand to keep the whole open and porous. It is highly essential that the drainage be perfect, as nothing tends to prevent these plants from developiug themselves as stagnant moisture, especially at the root. When making their growth during the summer months the free use of tepid water is beneficial, and they must never be allowed to get thoroughly dry. AjiKcto- chilids are not difficult of propagation, as every joint of the rhizome is furnished with a latent bud, which seldom fails to push into growth when the top is removed, and the top itself may be treated as a cutting, or, if possible, remove it with a few roots. These plants are generally grown in flat pans, and covered either with an inverted bell-glass or a glass-ease. The finest plants of A. Lowii, A. setacens, A. Veitchii, A. intermedia, and some others, were growing in a case about 4 feet long and 3 feet wide. This case had a glass top, the sides and ends being covered with perforated sheets of zinc. It was placed on the slate bench of a waimi plant-stove, and effectually protected the plants from cold draugths, while, at the same time, it allowed a free circulation of warm air ai'ound the plants. This is especially necessary to the vigorous growth of these delicate plants, for they ai'e most impatient of stagnant moisture either at the root or overhead, and, if covered with bell-glasses, it is essential to wipe the latter quite dry, every morning, or the condensed moisture often induces the leaves to spot and decay. A plant-case, similar to the _one above described, is very useful, not only for these plants, but for many other stove foliage plants equally tender, or for propa- gating purposes, since nothing is more common, than for delicate seedlings to damp off in the close cases generally employed. The foregoing species are those best worth growing for their foliage, and will add interest to the most select collection of Epiphytes. F. W. B. Feb. 28, 1874.] THE GAEDEN. ISl A FUCHSIA GHANDELIBE. TuE aocompanyiug illustration shows one of the manj' ways in which Fuchsias may be trained so as to suit particular purposes. It represents a Fuchsia Corallina hanging down, chandelier-fashion, from the roof of the conservatory at Chis- wick House. A bi-anch was trained downwards from a plant that was planted, about seven years ago, against one of the supports of the dome of the conservatory. This shoot was stopped, three or four buds broke, and when these had grown a year or so they were trained somewhat in the shape of an umbrella. The branch in question has grown to its present size in three years, and is now a really pretty and interesting object, flowering as freely as the branches do that are growing more naturally. Its growth, as may be seen by the annexed A Fuchsia Chandelier. sketch, is at right angles with its support, and it often surprises me that the sap should so freely descend, as.it does, under such disadvantageous circumstances. C. Edmonds. HAEDT WINTER CONSEEVATORY PLANTS. Deutzia gracilis. — I consider this the most beautiful and graceful of all shrubs for the decoration of the conservatory in winter, and all will agree with me that little trouble is required to induce it to produce its white flowers in profusion at that season. In many places, where this Deutzia has finished flowering, it is stowed away behind stages, or in any out-of- the-way place, until a suitable time has arrived to turn it out of the pot, in which it has been grown in, and to plant it in .some out-of-the-way border, to prolong its existence until required for forcing again. The following mode of culture I h.ive, however, found to be the best : — Last spring we had two dozen of two-year-old plants in 7-inch pots, which, when they had finished flowering, were removed to a Vinery with a tem- perature of 60°, where they finished their growth; afterwards they were removed to a cool frame, until they had begun to grow again, when they were set on pieces of slate behind a north wall and there left to the mercy'of the weather. On the first of the following September, they were shaken out of their pots, root pruned, and potted in the same pots they previously occupied, and returned to the fr.ame, where they remained dry until the 5tli of November; after which, eight of them were put into a Cucumber-house, and by Christmas they were in -full flower and in the conservatory ; another eight succeeded them four weeks afterwards ; and the third eight is still in the frame, with no appearance of starting. No water is given to them until the buds begin to swell, and even tlien it is only applied in limited quantities, until both top and root are fah'ly in action. The Hawthorn (Cratajgus crenulata).— This should be largely cultivated as a winter or early spring plant for the conservatory. The white variety seems more willing to flower than the red or pink kinds, but all are worthy of attention, as they produce a grand effect among other plants during the dull season of the year. On the 1st of September we lifted six plants from a thicket, which had been planted two or three years ago, potted them in 10-inch pots, using a stiff clayey loam, with a good mixture of sand in it, and placed them behind a north wall, where they remained with no further attention until the 5th of November, when they were started in a Vinery, and they are now (especially the white sort) in a perfect sheet of blossom. The Labuknum (Cytisus Laburnum). — Although the Labur- num blooms early out of doors, a few plants of it a couple of months earlier in the conservatory are not objectionable. We grow two sorts of Cytisus here, viz., the purple and yellow. The yellow sort is on its own roots, and, although not yet in flower, it promises to be a mass of golden tresses. Both are grown in 10-inch pots, and, being rather tall, they do well for background plants. In summer they are set out of doors, watered occasionally, and allowed to grow unchecked. They are dried off a month before those in the shrubbery begin to throw off their leaves in order to give them a long rest prior to forcing. The soil we use for them is a light sandy loam, ■sfith a good mixture of peat in it, and when in growth they can scarcely be over-watered, and they are greatly benefited, too, by giving them an occasional application of liquid-manure. The points of the young shoots may be pinched off, but as few as possible of the shoots themselves should be entirely cut off, as these produce the following year's flowers. The purple Cytisus does best whip-grafted on the yellow stock, as the shoots grow stronger, and the buds become more plump when thus treated. The treatment suitable for the yellow kind answers for the purple, only the latter ripens its wood better and goes off to rest sooner than the yellow-flowered sort. The Persi.uj Lilac. — This, as usually managed, seldom flowers well when forced. It is a common plan to lift plants of it from a back shrubbery, cram them into a large-sized pot, and at once place them in a temperature of 60° or 6-5*. Even under such management I have seen flowers produced in November or December, but so miserable have they been as to be scarcely worthy of notice, and the shoots produced under such circumstances resembled knittiiig-pins more than healthv wood. We select stubby well-ripened plants, and lift them in November, root-pruning them to suit the pots into which they are to be put, leaving room for an inch or more of good sandy loam, which must be pressed in rather firmly with a blunt-pointed stick. This done, they are placed in an airy open situation, and are allowed to grow at will during the spring and summer, never permitting them to become dry, and encouraging them, now and then, with a little manure-water. Towards the end of August they are put under cover, and, when at rest, another shift, with a handful of half-inch bones placed over the crooks, is given them. About the 1st of October forcing begins, rather slowly at first, the plants being kept as near the glass as possible to prevent them from becoming spindly. Under this treatment excellent heads of bloom are obtained by the end of December. Lily of the Valley.— The Lily of the Valley may be had in flower, in pots, during four months of the year, viz., from the 1st of November until the end of February. I have seen it stand in a temperature of 60° for two months without the least sign of starting. For pot culture, we do not jilant out the roots at all, but grow them always in pots, shaking them out and potting afresh before starting them, which is done in a dung-fi-ame, from whicli light is wholly excluded until the buds have burst, after which the plants are gradually intro- duced to light. Care is taken not to let them become blanched in the frame, as, in that case, they start too fast. Thus man.aged, fine potfuls of this favourite little Lily may be obtained. Woitoii Gardens, Aijlushuvij. James Morrison, 182 THE GAKDBN. [Feb. 28, 1874. A Cool Fern Grotto. — In the Botanic Gardens at Glasgow, there is a small Fern grotto sunk a few feet into the ground and covered with green-painted glass. The walls are steep, and in the form of rugged banks, or rock-work, entirely covered with cryptogamic vegetation, which thrivesapace. The crevices between the stones being filled with turfy peat, all is kept moist, and frost is excluded by covering the roof, when necessary, with mats. Thus situated, speci- mens of Todea superba looked remarkably healthy, some of their fronds being 2 feet in length, and proportionally wide ; T. pellucida was, also, equally vigorous. Some time since, Mr. Bullen, the curator, received a plant of Todea Wilkesiana (of which an illustra- tion is given at p. 181, Vol. III. of TnE Gaiidkn) from Messrs. Veitch, of Chelsea ; when it arrived, he placed it in a Fernery in which inter, mediate temperature was maintained, but it never attempted to grow. By way of experiment it was transferred to this grotto a few months ago, and, since then, it has formed a well-developed frond, and others promise to succeed it. Hymenophyllum Tunbridgense, Wilsoni, and others, seem quite at home in the peat here, creeping over the stones as if in their native habitats ; and there are large masses of the Killarney Fern growing in pouches on the rock.work, and in clumps at its base. One of the prettiest objects, however, in this Fernery, is Lycopodium clavatum; this grows luxuriantly, creeping over the surface of both rock and turf, and forming a pleasing contrast with its truly interesting associates. This Lycopod, which is sold in Govent Garden Market under the name of " Stag's- horn " Fern, is a suitable plant for a cool moist rock-work. On rocks bordering the Caledonian canal, and on other mountainous and rocky portions of Ross and Inverness, I have seen this Lycopod carpeting the ground, and creeping hither and thither in all directions between the stalks of Heather and Cranberries, as well as over the ledges of the rock. It, however, likes moist land best. If the plants become dry overhead during the daytime, they are sure to be bathed with dew at night, both naturally and by evaporation arising from the dampness of the ground. — -W. F. A Remarkable Date Palm. — In the Revue HoHicole, M. Nardy describes a singular variety of Date Palm at present growing in the garden of M. Denis, at Hyeres (Var) . It is one of twenty young Date Palms which were planted in two pai'allel lines in 1815, and which now form a shady summer retreat. The young plants grew with various degrees of vigour, and now present a great diversity in the length of their trunks, which vary from 8 to nearly 20 feet. The subject under notice, however, differs from all the others in the remarkable arrangement of its leaves, which are gracefully disposed in a spiral manner round the stem, like the leaves of a Pandanus, in consequence of which M. Nardy has given it the name of Phcenix dactylifera spiralis. This tree has borne an abundance of very large fruit, from which seedlings have been raised, and M. Nardy is not without hope that some of those will reproduce the very interesting and pleasing peculiarity of their parent. Forcing Lily of the Valley in Holland. — In order to grow strong clumps of Lily of the Valley, in January or February, dig up single crowns and tie them up in bundles of ten or twelve together ; plant them in a soft loamy soil, well manured with cow dung, at a dis- tance of 10 or 12 inches between the bundles. The position should be a shady one, and the plants should not be disturbed for three years, when they will be found to have formed good clumps. Plants, thus treated, are remarkably well adapted for forcing. Forthis purpose, plant them in pots of suitable size, covering the crowns with an inch or two of soil, and then plunge the pots, for a fortnight or so, in Cocoa-nut fibre. By that time they will be well-rooted. The pots may then be placed on the benches of a hot-house, or plunged in a hot-house iu Cocoa-nut fibre, which should cover them to the depth of 5 or G inches. They should be left there until the plants appear above the surface of the fibre, when the pots should be taken out and put, for a few days, in a warm and shady place, after which they may be removed into a well-lighted house. This is the mode of treat- ment commonly practised in Holland, and, from experience, I can pronounce it a most satisfactory one. — C. J. L. VA.v deu Meer, 2, Clieshuni Terrace, Tottenham. Tree and Pyramidal Mignonette. — Although I find it easy to grf)W Mignonettf in the form of jiyramids and standards, yet few grow it successfully in cither of those ways. If I wish to have standards, I sow in July or Angnst in .32-sized pots, and as soon as tho plants arc largo enough, they are thinned out to one plant in each pot. As growth progresses I train this plant in an upright manner until it roaohcB tho desired height, say 3 feet. Tho side shoots must be removed from the stem, but in such a way as not to injure the foliage with which the stems should be furnished, and which, in my opinion, improves their appearance. The head may be trained upon umbrella-shaped wire, and tho flowers must be nipped out until the desired size is attained, when tho stopping should bo discontinued, and, in four or five weeks, the plants will be ready either for exhibition or house decoration according to the time of year. Pyramids are, however, my favourites, they bloom more profusely, aud have spikes of a finer quality than standards, and they likewise last longer. These may be trained in a stiff and formal way on wires, but trained to sticks is much more natural, and looks best. I find about 2^ feet in height, and as much in diameter at base, to be better than having a greater height. In October, when they ought to have filled their pots with roots, I shift them into their flowering pots, as I know of no plant that dislikes disturbance at the root more than Mignonette. I have tried it in various soils, but I have come to the conclusion that three-parts stiff loam, such as that which a good Melon, grower might choose, dry aud well-decayed cow-dung, with a good sprinkling of soot mixed, suits it best. Chop all this up roughly, crock well, and pot moderately firm ; place them in a cool house, from which frost is excluded, and attend to tying and similar work. Never allow the plants to become dry, and water alternately with liquid- mauure and pure water. — D. GitLErr, Court Garden, Great Marlow. Orchid Culture in New Jersey. — We had here a very fine variety of Lycaste Skinneri, with two fiowerson a stem, last autumn ; also, about forty stems of Cypripedium insigne with two flowers on each ; one plant had five stems with two flowers on each. I may add, however, that these plants were very showy, and that both the single flowers and pairs were extra large and fine. From a batch of plants covering a space of 12 feet by 4 feet, I cut nearly four hundred flowers during Christmas week of Cypripedium Roezlii. We have a plant which commenced to flower from two stems in the summer, the one stem had but four or five.flowers, which were comparatively soon over, but the second stem has at the present time (January 27) the ninth flower expanded, and each flower lasts on the average three weeks. Thus you will see that the plant has already been in flower about six months, and there are other buds to open, which will probably make up a dozen on one stem ; usually a second flower opens a day or two before the preceding one drops off, bat, of course, there are only the two flowers open at once, and that only for a short time. I consider this species to be one of the fiuest of the Cypripe- diums, both on account of its beautiful rosy colour and peculiar twisted tails, as well as on account of its beautiful pale green recurved foliage. The leaves of one large plant here measure more than 2 feet in length, and 2 inches in breadth. CattleyaTriana), I do not think, has been thoroughly appreciated in Europe, for I recollect some time ago complaints being made that it lasted but a few days in flower ; even if that was true, however, it would be worth growing, but I have plants of it with flowers in full beauty, which were open on the 1st of the month, and which appear likely to last another week. It is thus clear that they are good for four weeks when subjected to the ordinary treatment of the Cattleya-house, and to the bright sunshine which we get in this country. Of course, care is taken to keep water from the flowers. Out of a dozen plants in blossom at once, no two were exactly alike in colour, but all were lovely. The gems among the varieties of Trianoo were some pure white flowers with deep yellow throats j these were far superior to the best variety of Warseswiczi delicata, which was in flower at the same time. I consider the white Trianaj to be the most lovelv Cattleya I have seen, and can be only compared in purity with Coologyne cristata. — James Taplin, South Amhoij, U.S.A. NOTES AND QUESTIONS ON THE INDOOR GARDEN. Asplenium fragrans. — I saw some nice specimens of tliis pretty little Fern a few clays a<;o at the nurseries of Messrs. J. & R. Thyne, at GIasp;ow. Its fronds arc from 9 to 15 in. long-, and delicioasly scented. Messrs. Tliyne's foreman found it near the Falls of Niagara, in which neighbourhood it grows thickly. People liviiicc in the vicinity of the falls, I was told, often gather the fronds, and use them, when dried in tho sun, for stuffing beds. — W. F. The Crested Adiantum (Adiautum cristatam).— I have just seen a nice specimen of this rare and beautiful Maiden-hair Fern in Messrs. IloUisson'a Nurseries, at Tootin*,'', and think it one of the most interesting of the whole group. It has a sturdy habit of growth, something resembling a small plant of A. viUosum in general appearance, but easily distinguished by the peculiar manner in which the sori or spore-cases are arranged on the margins of the pinnules, so that they are seen when looking on the upper surface of the fronds, as well as from below. It is one of the rarest species in cultivation, and deserves g^cneral cultivation. — B. Darlingtonia californica.— I have a small plant of this, and wish to know how t(j be sncc ess fill in treating it, as it does not grow much, and seems to have declined in health since I boujjht it. It is now in a plant-stove.— J, Fii.vsER. [This plant is a native of California, where we have seen it growing amongst Grasses, Sedges, and Moss, in moist situations. You should gra- dually inuro your plant to a cool and moist temperature, such as that of a frame or cool pit, protected from actual frost. It should be potted in a com- post of fibrous peat and living S])hagnum, and, if plentifully supplied with water at the root, it ought to do well. It should never be rested or allowed to become quite dry. It is nearly, if not quite, hardy, and a plant in Messr3. Backhouse's Nursery, at York, has withstood one or two sharp winters planted out along with the Huntsman's Cap (Sarraceuia purpurea) in their interesting bog-garden. It ought to grow luxuriantly in Devonshire and Cornwall, planted out in peat and living Sphagnum, in amarah orartiQcial bog-garden.— En,] Feb. 28, 1874] THE GARDEi^. 183 r /- "- ^t -^i THE ARBORETUM. THE HARDIER KINDS OF VIBURNUM. Deciduous Varieties. 1. The Large-headed Guelder Eosk (Viburnum maoro- cophalura). — This forms a large bush or low tree, covered all over with coarse, starry, scurfy hairs. It is a native of the north of China, and was introduced in 1844 by Mr. Fortune who speaks of it thus : — " This noble species is found in all the gardens of the rich in the north of China, and there is a tree of it growing iu a garden on the Island of Chusan, at least 20 feet high, which, i;i the month of May every year, is covered with its snow-white blos- soms." He also adds that when it is grafted on the wild form of the species, it blossoms on small plants in pots, and is then not unlike a white Hydrangea, by which name it is known among the Chinese. Its leaves are exactly ovate, very blunt, slightly toothed on the edges, quite flat, on short foc>t-stalks,and about 3 inches long ; the flower-heads are terminal, and appear along with the young foliage in April and May. The flowers are pure white, and pro- duced in large compound cymes, which, in the sterile- flowered or cultivated form, are as much as 8 inches in diameter, not, however, glo- bular, like those of the Guel- der Rose, but rather pyra- midal, each flower being fully Vg inch iu diameter, and lasting in perfection for a considerable time. The wild form of the species upon which the Chinese graft the beautiful garden variety, displays none of the grand and striking appearance of the sterile - flowered one, which is one of the very finest hardy deciduous shrubs that we possess at the present time. 2. Tub Plaited - leaved GnELDEiiRosE (V. plicatura). — Tnis fine hardy shrub grows from 4 to 10 feet in height, and has glabrous reddish-brown branches. It is found in the north of China and Japan, and was first in- troduced in ISM' by Mr. Fortune, who says that it is found cultivated in all the gardens of the rich, and forms a bush from 8 to 10 feet high, which, in May, is loaded with its globular heads of snow-white flowers, which are about the size of those of the common Guelder Rose. Dr. Siebold says it grows irorn 4 to 6 feet in the woods of Japan, and is seen cultivated in nearly every garden in Japan. Its leaves are broadly ovate, abruptly pointed, tapering to the base, coarsely serrated on the edges, crimped or plicate, and dark green above, veiny and tomentose beneath, and about 3 mches long. The flower-heads are terminal, and produced in great profusion on the lateral branchlets in April and May, just as the young leaves are unfolding, the flowers are in globular heads, snow-white at first, but just before they fade. -''^:B'>'^- 7^. '^ -a -A-^' > f^ "^-^^ V i -^ Largo Guelder Rose (Viburnum macroccplialum). usually assume a purplish tint. In the wild state this kind has some of the flowers radiant and sterile, and others small and peutandrous, and is generally known under the name of Vibur- num tomentosum. Its Japanese names are Sije, Adsai, and Satsuma-Temari, or Globe flower. This Viburnum is quite hardy and a most beautiful shrub when in flower in May. 3. Tub Common Guelder Rose (V. Opulus). — This forms a large bush or low tree, from 10 to 15 feet high. It is a native of Britain and throughout Europe, in hedges and thickets, in damp and swampy places. Its leaves are broad, three-lobed, acuminated, unequally serrated, veiny, and quite glabrous iu every part, with the petioles beset with glands towards the top, and several oblong leafy appendages lower down. The leaves are bright green iu summer, but in the autumn they as- sume a beautiful crimson hue. The flowers are white, and produced iu pedunculate cymes with linear braeteas, and with several of the marginal flowers dilated, flat, radiant, and sterile. The berries are elliptical, bright red, and, when ripe, in Sep- tember, very ornamental. Of this there are the follow- ing varieties : — The Snowball Tree (V. Opulus sterile). — This only differs from the wild form in having nearly the whole of the flowers sterile, and col- lected into a compact, round, globular ball or head. It is sometimes named V. Opulus roseum, not from the colour, which is pui-e white, but from the shape of the head of flowers resembling a double Rose. Tub Variegated - leaved GuELDEaRosE(V. O.variega- tum). — This variety only difl:ers from the species iu having the leaves variegated white and yellow. The Dwakf Guelder Rose ( V. 0 . nanum ) . — This forms a singular dense little bush, rarely exceeding 1 foot in height, and which never produces any flowers. It originated in the nursery of Messrs. Lee, of Hammer- smith, and frequently bears thenameofV.pygmfeum. The kinds known as Viburnum edule, Oxycoccus, and molle are only slight American forms of the common Euro- pean Viburnum Opulus. 4. The Maple - leaved Guelder Rose (V. acerifo- lium). — This gi'ows from 4 to 6 feet high, aud has ]nlosc branchlets. It is a native of North America, from New England to Canada, and of Newfoundland, in rocky mountainous situations. It was introduced in 1736. Its leaves are ovate, cordate, usually three-lobed, acuminated, sharply and loosely serrated on the edges, downy beneath ; petioles, glandless, when young, stipulaceous at the base, and rather tomentose. The flowers are white, in terminal pedunculate corymbs, which are not radiant, and are produced in May and June. The berries are oval, compressed, and black when ripe in September. 5. The Wayfaring Tree (V. Lantana).— This small tree or large bush grows from 6 to 15 feet high, and has copious, 184 THE GARDEN. [Feb. 28, 1874 opposite, round, pliant, mealy branches. It is a native through- out Europe, and is common in Britain, in woods and hedges, especially on chalky or limestone soil. Its leaves are rather large, cordate, rounded, finely serrated on the edges, veiny, and thickly clothed beneath, but more spa.ringly so on the upper side, with starry mealy pubesoens, like that on the branches and petioles, and in the autumn, just before they fall off, turn to a dark red colour. The flowers are white, and produced in broad, flat, crowded, pedunculate cymes in May arfd June; bracteas, small, numerous, and acute; berries, com- pressed, and, in the young state, red on the outside, and yellow on the inner one, but when ripe, black, with a little mealy astringent pulp; seeds, large, flat, and furrowed. Of this kind there is a variety which has the leaves variegated with white and yellow. 6. The American Wayfauing Tiiek (V. Lantanoides). — This forms a robust-growing bush from tj to 10 feet high, with the branches thickly covered with a powdery tomentum. It is a native of North America, from Canada to Carolina, particularly in the forests about Quebec and Lake Huron, where it is called the Hobble bush ; it was introduced in 1820. It leaves are large, broad, roundish-cordate, abruptlj^ pointed, unequally serrated on the edges, and clothed with a powdery tomentum on the nerves and petioles. The flowers are white, and pro- duced in nearly sessile, large, terminal eoryms, with the outer flowers abortive and radiant ; the fruit is oval, and, when young, red, but when ripe in September, quite black. Its synonyms arc Viburnum Lantaua graudifolia, V. L. cana- denso, and V. L. latifolium. 7. The Indian Wayfaring Tree (V. cotinifolium).— This robust shrub, or low tree, grows from 10 to 20 feet in height, and has grey branches, thickly clothed with stellate tprmentum. It is a native of the Valley of Nepal, Kamaon, and the Hima- laya Mountains, at an elevation of from .5,000 to 7,000 feet, and was introduced in 1832. It leaves are roundish-ovate, cordate, entire, or slightly dentately serrated on the edges, densely clothed with stellate down on both surfaces when young, but when fully matured nearly glabrous above, grey beneath, and 4 inches long, and 23 broad. The flowers are white, tinged with iiink when young, obconical in shape, and rather large, they are produced in rather large terminal, nearly sessile, compound, spreading, woolly corymljs in April and May ; the fruit is oval, bright scarlet, and said to be eaten by the people in Nepal. This kind is rather tender, and requires protection in winter, or to be planted against a south wall, where it makes a fiue display, when in flower, in May. Its synonyms are Viburnum stellulatum, Mullaha polyca'rpum, and nervosum ; the Nepalese name for it is Phee-laroo, or the Eagle's bush. 8. The Dahurian Viburnum (V. Dahuricum). — This forms a somewhat spreading bush from 6 to 8 feet high, and has grey downy Ijranches. It is a native of the Dahurian mountains, and was introduced in 178-5. Its leaves are ovate, somewhat cordate at the base, crenately serrated on the edges, not very large and beset with stellate down on both surfaces. The flowers, are yellowish-white, tubular, somewhat funnel-shaped, bluntly five-toothed, and produced in forked, terminal, few- flowered corymbs in July and August. The fruit is oval-oblong, five-seeded, at first red, but finally, when ripe, in September, black and rather sweet-tasted. 9. TirE Dilated Viburnum (V. dilatatum).— This small hardy shrub grows from .3 to 4 feet high, with greyish branches and shoots, when young, furnished with a few rough hairs. It is a native of China, at Teintung, near Ning-po, and was introduced in 1846, by Mr. Fortune. Its leaves are ovate or obovate, pointed, regularly and ooarsely toothed on the edges, plaited and bright green above, pale beneath, and with a few rough hairs on both surfaces. The flowers are white, and produced in May and June, in small, spreading cymes, destitute of any tenderness to become radiant ; fruit, small, and nearly black. It is one of the least ornamental of all the s])ecies, as the flower-headsare small and not showy. Its synonym is V. erosum. 10. The TooTHKn-t.EAVKi) Vihurnum (V. dentatum).— This forms a rather slender shrub, from 4 to C feet high, with smooth shoots. It is a ii.ative of North America, from New York to Carolina, in mountainous woods aiul was introduced in ]7icturosquo battlements and towers of the noble castle. J. T. I Feb. 28, 1874.] T^HE GARt)EN. 189 THE KITCHEN GARDEN. THE YARIETIES OF THE GAEDBN PEA. "^ (From the Journal of the Boijal Horticultural Socieiy.J Division I. — Frame Peas. Ripe seed, white, almost round, small, smooth, and occasionally pitted. Foliage, pale green, but not blotched. Dillistone's Early (Carter's First Crop; Clarke's Rapid rroHjieJ . — The plant is of a slender habit of growth, produces a single stem 2 feet high, and bears on an average from seven to nine pods. The pods are generally single, but occasionally in pairs, almost straight, and containing seven Peas in each. The seed, when ripe, is white. Sown on February 23. The first flower opened IVIay 10 ; and the plants were in full bloom on the IGth. Slats appeared May 21 ; and the pods were fit for use on June 'J. This is one of the earUest Peas known, about three or four days earlier than Sangster's No. I, which has hitherto been regarded as the earliest variety. A striking feature of Dillistone's Early is, that its changes take place all at once. It blooms in a mass ; its pods all appear together, and the whole crop is ready to be gathered at the same time. The pods are con- siderably soialler than those of Sangster's No. 1. Sangster's No. 1 (Dickson's First and Best; Daniel O'Rovrke; Dickson's Clima.e ; Earhj Caraclacns ; Washington; Taber's Perfection; Hooper's Early Rival). — The habit of this variety is similar to that of the preceding, but it grows somewhat taller, being about 3i feet high. Each plant bears from eight to ten pods, which are 2:,' inches long, and upivards of half an inch wide, quite straight, and containing seven and frequently eight Peas in each ; they are generally produced singly, but occasionally in pairs. Sown on February 23. The first flower opened jNIay 12 ; and all-were in bloom May 2-l!. Slats appeared May 2/ ; and the pods were raidy for use June 12. The vai-ieties which appear as synonyms exhibited slight valuations as to character, some stocks being more pure and better selected than others, thus presenting in the mass a different aspect from the others. Caractaeus produced fully the largest pods, and had a dis- tinctive look. Taber's Perfection was rather later and a little more robust. Daniel O'Rourke and Hooper's Early Rival were exceedingly strong in growth and very inferior stocks. It appears that Isherwood's Railway has of late years advanced in earliness and become a synonym of Sangster's No. 1. Seven years ago it was the same as Early Emperor. Early Bmpsror (Morning ,S'tor;.— Plant of a slender habit of growth, always with a single stem, which is 2i to 3 feet high, and pro- ducing from eight to ten pods, which are from 2i to 3 inches long, generally single, but sometimes in pairs, and become perfectly straight as they approach ripeness. They contain about seven good-sized Peas, which, when ripe, are white. The samples of Early Emperor grown last year in the garden were very inferior and degenerate stocks of the true variety, possessing more of the character of the old Double-blossomed Frame, being even more robust in growth, and with smaller pods. Sown February 23. The first flower opened May 21. In full bloom May 30. Slats appeared Jime 3 ; and the crop was fi,t for use on the 19th. Ruelle Michaux, a variety from France, is an inferior form of Early Emperor. The same may be said of Clamart, which has also a near resemblance to Double-blossomed Frame ; it keeps on growing and podding, but it is not a desirable variety to cultivate. This is a taller grower and a heavier cropper than either of the two preceding, but, as an early variety, it is not to be compared with either of them. Early Frame (DouMe NUnhleJ.—ln adopting the name "Early Frame," I mean to include all forms known under that name, whether they are called single or double-blossomed ; for, in fact, there are none that are absolutely " single " or absolutely " double, blossomed." These expressions are not meant to indicate any peculiar structure of the flower as regards the number of the petals, but merely that the blossoms are produced singly or in pairs on the same peduncle. Great efforts have from time to time been made to preserve the single-blossomed character ; and, notwithstanding the care that has been bestowed upon the selection, growers have hitherto failed in rendering it permanent. There is, however, no real advantage to be obtained even if that character were secured, for the supposed earUness of the single-blossomed Frame Peas is now far exceeded by other varieties that have been introduced of late years. The variety 1 shall now describe under the name of Early Frame is one received from Messrs Hurst & M'MuUen, under the name of Marshall's Double-blossomed Frame— a very excellent and carefully selected stock of Early Frames. The plant is 3 to -1 feet high, and has a smgle stem of rather vigorous habit of growt-h, more stout and robust than that of Early Emperor, and bearing from nine to twelve pods ; but frequently as many as fourteen. The pods .are produced either singly or m pairs, and contain seven to eight Peas in each. The ripe seed is white. This is decidedly the best form of Earlv Frame 1 have met with. Sown on February 23. The first flower appeared May 14. In full bloom on the 2oth. Slats appeared May 28 ; and the crop was fit for use June 15. Beck's Gem (TomThimih; De Grace; Royal Dwarf; NainHatif £.r!(ra-;.— This IS the most dwarf -growing of all the varieties. It rarely ever exceeds a foot in height ; the stem is of a stout habit of growth, and branches at every jomt to within three or four of the top, producing from tourteen to eighteen pods. The pods are almost always borne in pairs, rarely singly ; and are produced at every joint, p.articiilarly towards the top ; they are smooth, of a dark green colour, and well-flUed, containing from five to eight Peas, which are almost as large as Imperials. The ripe seed is somewhat ovate, and of a greyish-pearly colour. Sown February 23. The first flower appeared May 19. In fall bloom May 2.5. Slats appeared on the 2Sth ; and the crop was fit for use on June 17. This is a very excellent Pea for forcing, and for early sowing under walls or other shelter. It is remarkably prolific, and cannot but be of great use in small gardens where sticks cannot be conveniently obtained or made use of. Early Kingwood (RingwoodMarroxo ; Essex Rival ; Flanagans Earhj ; Beck's Marrow).— Fla,at, with a moderately vigorous habit _ of growth, 3 J to 4 feet high, not branching. The pods are single or in pairs, in about equal proportion ; they are produced from within a foot of the ground at every joint, even to the extremity, and contain from six to eight large Peas. Ripe seed, white. Sown February 23. The first flower opened May 23. Was in full bloom on the 30th. Slats appeared June 2 ; and the pods were ready to gather on the 17th. Essex Rival, as grown in this trial, is an inferior stock of Early Ringwood, being later and with smaller pods. Auvergne (White Sahro; White Scimitar) . — This is, without doubt, the best second early of the Frame class in cultivation. The plant is of moderately strong habit of growth, 4 to 5 feet high, and bears from twelve to fifteen pods. The pods are generally single, and sometimes in pairs ; when fully grown they are 4k inches long, and over half an inch broad, tapering towards the point, and very much curved. They contain from nine to twelve Peas, which are very closely compressed, and are of the size of Early Frames. Even the small pods contain seven to nine Peas in each. Ripe seed, white. What was grown in the garden last ye.ar for Auvergne was a spurious stock, and resembled, and seemed inter- mediate between that variety and Dickson's Favourite, and inferior to both. It was quite unworthy of the name of Auvergne. Sown Feljruary 23. The first flower appeared May 28. Was in full bloom June 8. Slats came June 11 ; and the crop was fit for use on the 21st. Glory of Cassel. — An indifli'erent mixture of Auvergne and Dickson's Favourite, with smaller but well-fiUed pods ; pale green in colour ; plant less robust, and about two days earher. Leopold II.— Resembles Early Ringwood, the foliage and pods being of the peculiar pale green colour which that variety possesses ; pods, long, narrow, nearly straight, very badly filled, the middle Pea in each pod being wanting; quite worthless. Sown February 23. First flower opened May 25. Was in full blossom May 30. First slats appeared June 2, and were fit for use June 19. Bishop's Long-podded Dwarf.— Plant, robust, branching close to the ground, about 2i feet in height, producing from twelve to sixteen large broad pods, of a pale green colour, which contain from seven to eight large Peas. A fine-looking Pea, and a great cropper. Sown February 23. First flower opened May 21. Was in full flower May 30. First slats appeared June 3. Fit for use Juno 24. American Early Comet.— A later and inferior variety of Bishop's Dwarf. Dwarf Waterloo Branching.— Resembles in every respect Bishop's Long-podded Dwarf, but two days earlier. Carter's Farmer's Prolific. — Resembles Early Emperor in general appearance. It is very strong, robust, and wonderfully proUfic, producing from fourteen to sixteen pods, generally in pairs, on each stem ; pods narrow, very closely fiUed, containing about six or seven small Peas. Height 5 to 6 feet. Sown February 23. First flower appeared May 20. Was in full blossom June 3. First slats appeared June 5, and were fit for use June 20. This is a distmct Pea, more suited for the farm than the garden. Nabob (Laxton's). — Cross between Little Gem and Laxton s ProHfic Long-pod; plant of strong and robust growth, with large deep- green foliage ; height, 18 inches to 2 feet ; pods, long, curved, well filled, of a deep-green colour, containing from seven to nine medium-sized Peas, of a pale green colour. The pods are produced inpaiis from ten to twelve on each stem. It is the largest and most handsome earlj; dwarf round white Pea, and very productive, most nearly resembling in appearance Dwarf Waterloo Branching, only with larger pods and dwarfer. Sown February 23. First flowers opened May 27. Was in full bloom June 1. First slatted June 3. Fit for use June 24. Dwarf Dutch.— Plant, robust, in growth resembling White Prus- .sian, about 3 feet in height, sometimes branching, and producing from twelve to sixteen pods on each stem, in pairs. The pods are small, narrow, but very closely filled, of a deep green colour, containing about seven small Peas. Sown February 23. First flower opened June 3. Was in full flower June 11. First slats appeared June 15. Fit for use June 21. Peabody.— Plant, bushy, branching, very neat and compact in growth, the leaves being rather small and numerous, of a bright colour ; height, about 2i feet; pods, rather narrow, small, but extremely well filled, of a fine deep green colour, containing from six to seven rather small Peas of but poor quality. A very productive sort, standing the dry weather well. This belongs to the white Prussian class. Sown February 23. Fir.-^t flower opened- June 12. Was in full flower June 15. First slats appeared June 18. Fit for use .June 29. Crown {Buncli. ; Clnster).— This is a very distinct and singular Pea in the appearance of its growth. The pla.nt is ii to 5 feet high, of moderately strong growth. The stem gradually increases in thickness from the root upwards, frequently to the thickness of one's thumb, when it becomes broadly fasciated, producing all the pods, twenty-four to thirty in number, in a bunch at the top of tTie stem. The pods are small, round, but well filled, in appeai-anco like Emperor, containing from four to seven small Peas. Ripe seed, small, round, white. Sown Feburary 23. First flower opened June 1(3. WasinfuUflower June 17. First slats appeared June 21. Fit for use July 1. This is more curious than useful, being poor in quality. It is frequently called the Mummy Pea. 190 THE GARDEi?. tiFEB. 28, 1874. Division II.^Marrow Peas. Ripe seed, white, large, smooth, uneveiij compressed, irregular or egg- shaped ; sliin, thick. Foliage, blotched. Paradise Marrow (Paradise Early Marrow ; Excelsior Marroio ; Champii''n of Paris). — This is a rather strong-growing variety, 5 to 6 feet high, having generally a single stem, which is, however, occasionally branched, and produces from eight to ten pods. The pods are, for the most part, single, but sometimes in pairs, about 4 inches long, nearly three- quarters of an inch wide, and remarkably well filled with from seven to nine large Peas. Ripe seed, white, medium-sized, somewhat flattened and pitted^ So\vn February 2.3. First flower opened May 30. Was in full flower June 7. First slats appeared June 11. Fit for use June 24. This is a very excellent Pea, an abundant cropper, quite as early as Early Riugwood and Early Frame, and considerably earlier than Auvergne and ShSling's Grotto, to all of which it is in every respect greatly superior. Dixon's Early Dwarf Paragon.— Plant, robust, from 2 to 24 feet high, resembling Bishop's Dwarf. Stem, branching, producing from sixteen to eighteen pods, which are generally home in pairs ; they are of a tine deep green colour, but till badly, and contain from five to six medium- sized Peas. Dried seed, large, white, flattened, indented. Sown Feburary 23. First flower opened May 23. Was in full flower May 30. First slats appeared June 2. Fit for use June 24. Harrison's Perfection.— Plant with a robust habit of growth, haying a thick succulent stem, 3 to 34 feet high, and large dark green foliage. The pods are produced in pairs from every joint, averaging sixteen or eighteen on a plant, but they are very irregularly and badly filled, and contain only from four to six Peas. The Peas are large and thick-skinned. Ripe seed, white, medium-sized, and somewhat lentil- shaped. Sown February 23. First flowers opened May IG. Was in full flower May 2G. First slats appeared May 20. Fit for use June 20. When this was first introduced, it was considered a great acquisition, as being an early dwarf Marrow Pea, and as such it would have deserved all that was said in its favour, provided it had not the very objectionable property of filling irregularly. The pods early assume the appearance of being ready for use, but when opened are found to contain half -grown Peas, four to six of which only come to maturity. It ripens at the same time as Prizetaker and Fairbeard's Nonpareil, and is some days later than Advancer, which has the same habit, is far more productive, and has the additional advantage of being a sweet wrinkled Pea. A very good cropping Pea, but with indLflerently filled pods. Has long since been superseded. Laxton's Prolific Long-pod (Laxton's Prolific Selected).— Vlaot of a robust and vigorous habit of growth, having large and pale-blotched foliage ; height from 5 to 7 feet, producing from twelve to fourteen pods on each stem in pairs. The pods are very large, of a pale green colour, broad, much curved, and pointed, containing from seven to nine medium- sized Peas. Dri;d seed, white, indented. This resembles Prizetaker in general appearance, only being of a pale light green colour, instead of dark. This is the true variety, although most rarely to be met with, the other and commoner variety being but a bad stock of Prizetaker Green Marrow, and with the mixed coloured seed of that variety. Sown February 23. First flower opened June 1. Was in full flower June 5. First slats appeared June 11 ; fit for use June 25. Thurston's Reliance.— The plant grows to the height of C or 7 feet, and is very strong and robust. The stem is simple, and bears, on an average, from ten to twelve pods, which are generally single, but occa- sionally in pairs, and from 34 to 44 inches long. They arc broad and flat, shaped like the pods of the Blue Scimitar, and contain from seven to eight very large Peas. Ripe seed, white, large, unevenly compressed. This is a very distinct and very useful Pea, an abundant bearer, and the pods are of a tine deep bright green colour, which is a recommendation to it when grown for market. It comes in at the same time as the Auvergne and Shilling's Grotto, but it is of a more tender constitution, for, during the past summer, while the pods of these varieties filled well, those of Thurston's Reliance did not contain more than six to seven matured Peas ; a character, however, which it does not exhibit in iirdiuary summers. What was grown in the garden last season for 'J'hurston's Reliance proved to bo small-podded, worthless stocks of Victoria Marrow. Victoria Marrow (Cihhs's Defiance; The Rrdor) .—This is also Known by t)\y iiiinios of Waterloo Marrow, Giant Marrow, Wellington Itoyal Victoria, and 'fall Marrcjw. The plant is of a strong and vigorous lialjit of growth, having a simple stem from G to 7 feet high. The pods are produced near the top of the stem, sometimes single, sometimes in pairs in about equal proportion, and conUin from five to seven very large Peas. Ripe seed, white, large, uneven, and roundish. Sown February 23. First flower opened Juno 8. \Vas in full flower June 1.3. First slats appeared June IG. Fit for use Juno 20. Extremely vigorous in growth, quite fresh and green when Dixon's Favourite was dead. Princess Royal. — A very excellent cropper ; pods, large full, broad, pale green in colour, and vci-y handsome. Sown February 23. Fir.st flower opened June 1. Was in full flower June G. First slats appeared June 0. Fit for use June 2.5. It is very doubtful if this is the true Princess Royal of Dr. McLean. Division III.— Green Marrows. Ripe seed of a mixed white and olive colour, either small, round, and pitted, or large, irregular, and uneven. Fohage, dark green and blotched. Pofls, d;i.rk hkiish-greon, very glaucous. William the Pirst (Laxton).— A new hybrid raised )jy Mr. Laxton. The plant is from 44 to 5 feet high, somewhat slender in growth, like the Early Frame class ; stem, simple, and producing from fourteen to sixteen pods, generally single, but frequently in pair's. The pods are long and very handsome, of deep green colour, covered with a thick bloom like Prizetaker, much curved and pointed like the Auvergne, and contain from seven to eight good-sized Peas of a deep green colour. The ripe seed is small, round, indented, of a mixed white and olive-greeu colour, like Prizetaker. Sown February 23. First flower opened May 12. Was in full flower May 22. Slats appeared May 24 ; and pods fit for use June 14 — two days later than Sangster's No. 1, and nine days earlier than Prizetaker. This is the earliest Green Marrow Pea, and was awarded a first-class certiiicate. Unique (Laxton). — A cross between Laxton's Prolific and Little Gem. The plant has the habit of Tom Thumb and Little Gem, and is moderately robust, from 1 foot to 14 high ; stem, branching; producing from eight to ten pods on each, generally in pairs. The pods are rather long, broad, slightly curved and pointed, of the scimitar-shape, of a fine green colour, containing from six to eight bright green Peas in each. Ripe seed parti-coloured. Sown February 23. First flower opened May 15. Was in full flower May 24. First slats appeared May 27. Fit for use June 19. A fine long-podded and prolific early dwarf Pea, which received a first-class certificate. Frizeta.'k.er [Bellaniy's Earhj Green Marrow; Rising Stni; Prolific Long-pod — Green, seed; Carter's Hundredfold. These are all forms one of another, without any marked distinction.) — The plant is 44 to 5 feet high, of a vigorous habit of growth. The stem is sometimes simple and sometimes branched, and produces from twelve to eighteen pods. The pods are in pairs, very rarely single, and of a deep bluish-green colour, covered with a thick and distinct bloom ; they contain six to seven large Peas in each, which are of a dark bluish-green. The ripe seed is small, round, and of a mixed white and green colour. Sown Feburary 23. First flower opened May 28. Was in full flower June 3. First slats appeared June S. Fit for use June 23. This is a very excellent Pea, and an abundant bearer, but 1 cannot perceive any great difl'erence between it and Bellamy's Early Green Marrow, which I grew in a collection for the purpose of comparison in 1853, and a very excellent form of which was grown by Messrs. Noble, Cooper, & Bolton, under the name of Noble's Early Green Marrow. In that year the latter was sown as late as the 5th of Api-il ; bloomed on the 15tli of June ; slatted on the 21st; and on the 8th of July the crop was ready for use. Laxton's Prolific (Leicester Defiance. Mixed green and white seed.) — This consisted of mixed stocks of inferior Prizetaker and Laxton's Prolific (true). Laxton's Supreme. — Plant, robust, in appearance and character lUie Prizetaker, but having the foliage and pods of a much paler green, which marlis their distinction ; pods, very large, long, broad, but scarcely so well filled as they appear, contairung from seven to nine large Peas. Olive green, ripe seed indented. A large and very handsome Pea. Sown February 23. First flower opened May 30 ; Was in full flower June 4. First slats appeared June 0. Fit for use June 24. Superlative (Laxton). — A cross ;between Ne Plus Ultra and a hybrid of Supreme ; plant exceedingly strong and robust, having a strong succulent stem, from 7 to 8 feet high, and largo broad pale green fohage ; stem generally simple, producing from fourteen to sixteen pods, mostly in pairs. The pods are very large, about 7 inches long, and somewhat irregular in form, broad, much curved and pointed, of a pale green colour, containing from seven to nine large Peas of a pale gi'een colour and of no particular flavour. Dried seed flatfish, parti-coloured. Sown Feburary 23. First flower opened May 30. Was in full flower June 5. First slats appeared June 10. Fit for use June 2G. The largest-podded Pea, exceedingly handsome in appearance. The pods, however, do not fill to nearly their full extent, many of them being only half-filled. Received a first-class certificate. Mossy-podded (An.'itralian; Blankney Marrow). — Plant, G to 7 feet high, of strong and vigorous habit of growth, with deep-green foliage, which is maintained healthy fora lengthened period ; stem, gene- rally simple, producing fi'om twenty to twenty-four pods, mostly in pairs. The pulls are long, slightly curved, full, and round in form, of a bright grci'ii ct.)ln;ir, and frequently covered (especially whore slightly shaded) with minute excrescences in appearance like Moss, ^vhich give the pods a rough appearance ; they contain from seven to eight medium-sized Peas, closely packed together, wliich are of a deep green colour, and of poor flavour. Dried seed, parti-coloured, green, half-wrinkled. Sown Feb- ruary 23. First flower opened June 18. Was in full flower June 20. First slats appeared June 24; fit for use July 3. The Baron (Laxton). — A hybrid Green Marrow, raised by Mr. Laxton ; plant of moderately robust growth, not much branched ; height from 5 to G feet ; pods, produced iu pairs, from ten to twelve on a stem, very large, from 5 to G inches long, curved and pointed, of a fine deep green colour. Very much like Superlative in appearance, but more than a week earlier. They contain from ten to twelve large Peas of a fine green colour. Ripe seed, blue, indented. Sown March 21. Fit for use .June 27. Awarded a first-class certificate. Division IV.— Prussian Peas. Ripe seed, small, almost round, and smooth. Slrin, blue. Foliage, dark green, blotched. Harbinger (Laxton). — A cross between Dillistone's Early and Alpha. The plant has the habit of Dillistone's Early ; stem, from 24 to 3 feet, simple, producing from seven to eight pods singly. Tlie pods are small, rounded iu form, slightly curved, very tightly filled, of a light green colour, and contain about six fair-sized Peas of a fine colour and Feb. 28, 1874] THE GAEDBN. 191 good flavour. Bipe seed, small, round, blue. Sown February 23 Pir«it flower opened May 9. Was in full flower May 15. Slats appeared May 21 Fit for use June b The earUest Pea in the collection, being three days eaiher than Dilhstone's Early, and six days earlier than San|ster's No 1 Keceweda first-class certificate. Last season (1873) this Pea was not so much in advance of other early sorts. Eastes's Kentish Invicta.-The same as Harbinger in every other respect but seven days later. Sown February 23. First flower opened May 14 Was in full flower May 25. Slats appeared May 27 Fh tor use June 13. j -ji . j. ii. Carter's First Crop Blue.-Has the habit of Burbidge's Eclipse, but dwarfer. Height, 18 inches to 2 feet, robust, producing from eight t^ nine pods on each stem, single and in pairs. The pods a?e rather short but broad very slightly curved and bluntly ended, of a light green colour They contain from five to six Peas of medium size, and do not fill out we at all times. Ripe seed, large, round, blue. Sown February 23. First M:;io"'Xiivx:!vj:^ '^"^ *'°^^^- ^^^ ''■ ^-^ ^^^'^ ^^p--^ bnvbfj'^^'^^^J'^i^f'^'","^-"^'??* °^ "" "*™°= and robust habit of growth, wbTch^;?^ f-' '^•'^'^l^-gi-'^en blotched foUage, and a stem 3i felt high heilttfrn™ H ™'' TPp,' ^"'i g<=°erally branched at about half its ^Z"nL^ TJ -"T"^-- Tte pods number about eleven on a plant, and flattened bnt'"'f';r \^^"'- ^."^™ ready to gather, they are rkher Theven^tn;^^ 1 ^ '""'°T. S^''' ^^"^ ^^™"^'' "^ roundish shape. I hey contain, on an average, eight Peas in each, which are of a very dark ohve-green colour, rather thick in the skin, and very closeW packed-so much so as to be quite flattened where they come in contact ^ Ripe seed s very dark blue. On account of its fine dark green pod, this is an excel- lent Pea to grow for market ,- but it is one thai reciSre^ to I e ve?y care- ,.fully selected when grown for seed, as it has a great tendency to Y degenerate back to the Blue Prussian, from which it has evidently been raised. Sown February 23. First flower opened June 5 Was in fuU flower June 13. First slats appeared June 16 Fit for use June 27 a st?m1,tn„f^9°/r;T-'^^ plant has the habit of Blue Prussian, having a stem about 2i feet high, with deep green foliage; pods small round geneX^n ii'lr^'r'''""!^'' '''''' ""T^ ^""^ ''^"^''^ "'- on eachstem; fnTnllpf^f ^^ • ° % P^'*" !'■??'! ™'''"' '^^'i containing fro.n five to six small Peas. Ripe seed, round, light green, small, smooth. A worthless flowe/june°U ^f'TJ f ' ^"^''J^r'' "^'''^'^ ^'^^^ 12. wIs n ul Tji„i -^ ?"■'* ^™' appeared June 16. Fit for use June 27. ,fem 3f!»t f^f^'''^T^>''*°°*.™^"^'<''-^*™°g in it^ habit, having a hlTi '^^'fr '='"' m^* ',' sometimes branching, and with dark »reen blotched foliage. The pods are generally in pairs, from twelve to six een on each plant, and contain about seven closely packed Peas. The ripe seed 13 blue small and almost smooth. This is a very old and ponula? variety much used for extensive culture in fields and market gardens on accouu of Its great fertility-a character which it maintains fuperior to any of the other blue Peas most, and indeed all, of which during th"mst F?/rfl "'^ '^^l^'bited much less hardy constitutions. Sown February 23 First flower opened June 9. Was in fuU flower June 13. First slats appeared June 16. Fit for use June 30. -fust slats Evergreen (Laxton).-Plant 5 to 6 feet high. Habit of »rowth like Auvergne, with rather small pale green foliage. Stem , generrUy simple, producing from fourteen to sixteen pods in pairs The pods are rather small sl.ghtly curved, and bluntly pointed ; very closely fiUed with from seven to eight medium-sized Peas. The Peas are of a bnVht green colour, tinged with dark green. Flavour, very inferior. Ripe seed of a tZf'\v ^''^fi r'°"''-T ^"^"^ February 23. First flowe opened fn, , i T ?'i "" ^a""" *^°'^''. •^^°''„1^- ^"'^ ^l"**^ appeared June 16^ Fit tor use July 1. A very inferior Pea. Nimrod (Laxton) .-Plant, slender; in the habit of growth and genei-al appearance hke Alpha. The stem is simple, 3 to I feet hiVh pi-oducmg from seven to eight pods singly, which contain from six to oWhi Peas each, of a deep gi-een colour. Pods, round, full, much curved of a IZL ^1 ^.""i" 'S'°"'"' S'^,''>^Wing William I. Ripe seed, round, bu°h green indented. Sown February 23. First flower opened May 10 Was m full flower May 21. First slats appeared May 26. Fit for use June 11 Ton?^Thumt'"f (Cfrtej).-The hal.ft and growth are simOar to that of lom rhumb; height from 1 foot to l-i ; pods, large, broad of a fine fontain torn' I™"; "^^\'° ^l^''"^ P™^^'=«'i on each sfem The? contain from five to six large Peas generally ; but they frequently fin M ^io ^? "?"^i '?,''^'^' l^'"''- Sown February 23. First flower opened for^il T ^^V" ^f] """"l" ^^^^ 27. First slats appeared May 29^ f' t for use June 18 A larger form of Tom Thumb, with round blue seed Ihis received a flrst-elass certificate ^ "me seea. of ^^"31" (l-'^=^t«?)--Pl^°t, 3to4 feet high; habit, form, and colour of the pods resembling those of the Frame class. Stem, simp e producin ' from fourteen to sixteen pods, generally in pairs, con aiSnl from six t! seven medium-sized Peas, of a pale green colour, tinged .vith darker ereen giving them a very peculiar appearance. FkTOurveJy inferior Rine seed, small, deep mottled green, indented. Sown February 23 Fir t flower ooened May 16. Wat,,Vf..iia nr. „- i.r"'™'^^ ^'^^ J^rst ' ' rXr' "'"^'^'^^ s^'^eii, muentea. oowu J^ ebruary 33 TriVsf nign. ibe toliage is bright and not dark green, like the other varieties of this class. The pods are generally single, but sometimes in pairT and aro fZ ^%'?V°-'''' ™ ? P''°* ■ ^'^fy contain from seven to e^? good sized Feas The ripe seed is somewhat oval, of a pale blue colour This and Fairbeard's Champion of England were originally taken from tVe same pod, the former having a round, and the latter a wriuHed Ted It ^ the earhest of all the round blue Peas, and very superior in every respect Pebr^L, oT I' . fl^ """'^ '°*.° ^^'^ *"•» ""^ tl^'-«e -lays later. Sown ie rua,ry 2.3. First flower opened June 1. Was in full flower June 6. h irst slats appeared June 9. Fit for use June 24. vJ.nT^fp 'T'!-^ wV'TT'^'''', ™'y distinction between this and Har- bev H,-l *'"*'™ If ^^^ Wue-coloured seed, that of the latter being white ; fve^nf nfl T",''''l' ™'P'/, ■ ''""^ ""^'^ ^^« ^^''Sht, equally produc: me tf,^» ' I '^ i'"^''^'' *^'^ j;f y 'i^'""y' '^^'^ ^oth come into use nt the same time. Sown February 23. First flower opened May 26. Was in full flower June 5 First slats appeared June 8. Fit for use June "4 cro^Rlvnf'^'ff ^°^1^ Blue.-Plant resembling in its aspect Dtc- aml tb^ \o'l ''f™°=', '^°^'r'"-' f'-°ni '''at variety in the stem, stipules and the pods being devoid of glaucescence, the leaves having the usual g aucous hue. ThiD peculiarity gives it a very singular appearance The plant IS moderately robust, about 3 feet high, producing from fourteen to sixteen pods on each stem. The pods a?e Lhort, broad, sbVhtly curved very badly and.irregularly filled, containing only from four to five Peas in each, ot very inferior quality. Bipe seed lar|e, roundT blue flaSed and indented. Sow_n February 23.' First fiowe^ opened May\"l Was I? l^i^'L'i'^TP^' V ^"'^^l^^^, ^ppenred May 30. "^Fit for use June 26! Burbidge s Eclipse (Stubbs' nu-arf).-The plant is a dwarf but itbH ^uT? ^rV,^ "'^^''■^° ? f*^* ^'S^- Tl^« foliage is dark gre™; twelve pods, which are generally in pairs, rarely single. They contain rin^ijf -"f"" P^'^^'^'^'ch are of good size, and closely packed. The 7nll tb»fl ■?' ""'^T-' "^'-'-^ndof a blue colour. This is the dwarfest ot all the blue Peas, and is anexeellent bearer. Sown Febuary 23. First Junr%°P'°Fl?ffr' % ^^,^-'"tf flower June 8. First slats appeared move ,.ni,„5 f "f i'?"" 2o. Cbpstone Hero is a somewhat taller and more robust iorm of this variety. Mogul (La.xton) -A cross between Prolific Longpod and Little 18 S^'be To oTJT■^^™^'*• I'^^'^nibling Burbidge's Eclipse, and from IS inches to 2 feet high ; stem, branched, producing from eight to ten pods generally in pairs The pods are long, very full, rounded in form s7x to 3t''°V°'°*-'^'.°V ^''"'^^''^ Sreen colour, containing fr"n tlfjL °n- '?<"'"^"-f^ed Peas. Extremely handsome, prolific, but Sttn "^'^ seed, large round, blue, indented. Sowi February 2.3 First flower opened May 27. Was in full flower June 1. First ^lats appeared June 4. Fit for use June 25. Snnrii''.^^^^^ (Laxton).-A cross between Laxton's Standard and heTbt f'ol?it» 1^''^ ™^"'* '"''^ vigorous, growing to about 3 feet in bSnntL =^i large, pale green, of a very distinct character; stem, branchmg, producing from twe ve to fourteen pods on each, general y in pairs The pods are very long, curved, closely filled, roSnded in l^lZ'vi ^ T «"^^' ^'"^'^ ''"'"'^^ containing from seven to nine good- sized Peas of a fine green colour. Dried seed, large, light careen flattened ' Sown February 23. First flower opened junf2. ^vL'Tn fuU flow r June 8. First slats appeared June 11. Fit for use June 26. A Large very handsome, and prolific Pea, which received a first-class certificate • ,f°K'' {^liP?rial (Flack's Victory: Flack's Victoria) .-This Mj introduced about ten or twelve years ago as an improvement on Bedman^s Imperia , appears now to represent the varieties formerly known as Blue Imperial and Bedman's Imperial, and deservedly so, for it is the only one of the name really worth growing, when true, and it requires careful selectaon to keep it so, from its tendency to degenerateinto bVc Irussian The plant is of a robust habit of gro^vth, with a stem which is always fo'Sa^e"'°Tl"e'^ ^"T™"^ f °"* ? ^"* High,, producing dark green blotchid ioliage. The pods are from twelve to eighteen on a plant, generally in pairs but frequently single, and contain from six to eight very lar<.e Peas bro,'d ""tI? ''• °™'^^''.^P?' ^l^o^t lialf an inch long, aSd seven-twentieths' Februnr, '^1 T' T^ " ''"'"''' '"'^^fnlaly oval, and dark blue. Sown vtZfJ First flower opened June 4. Was in full flower June 10. J< irst slats appeared June 14. Fit for use June 25. Bedman's Imperial.-Bedman's Imperial was the first improve- ment on the O d Blue Imperial, but it has now been for manTyelrs Zel W^- fn '/""P'T'- Sown February 23. First flower Vened foi use JuJr26'' ^^^' appeared June 11 Fit Blue Scimitar (B?»e Sabre; Scimitar). -The plant is a stron- robust grower, 2i to 3 feet high, generally with a simple stem but somf-' times branchmg, and having dark green blotched foliage. l"he stm bears from twelve to eighteen pods, which are also of a dai4 green colour and very much curved and flattened. They are produced generally in pairs, and contain on an average nine to ten Peas in each. The rine see IS irregularly oval and dark blue. This is an old variety, and now very much grown by farmers and market-gardeners as a field crop, for the supply of the markets of large towns, the fine large dark green nods always commanding a ready sale. It is very proMe, and is, without doubt, one of the best varieties for culture on a large scale, but s one which IS very liable to degenerate, and demands ve?y careful attentZ t^T'w ''■ Tu fl '°'^''- T ^°r. ^t'"^'^ 23. First flower ope ed fo" use' Jule 30° "'"'' appeared June 14 Fit T ;+^ w?^^'^*®,'' (Laxton) .-A cross between Veitoh's Perfection and Ijitue Lrem ; plant, very robust and vigorous ; height about 3 feet • foliage, deep green, like the Woodford Marrow; stems, branching, pro-' ducmg from fourteen to sixteen pods on each, in pairs ; pods, very'larire broad scimitar-shaped, of a deep green colour, and containmgfrom seven to eight very large Peas, which are of a deep green colour. Dried seed very large, bluish-green, flattish, round, and sometimes indented. Sown l^ebruary 23. First flower opened May 26. Was in full flower May 30 ™. .1 rfi''PpP™''''i^'J°'' 2- . I'it foi- nsc July 1 . A large, handsome, and veiy proUfac Pea, which received a first-class certificate. 192 THE GARDEN. [Feb. 28, 1874. Division V.— Wrinkled "White Marro-ws. Eipe seed, white, compressed and wrinkled. Foliage, most frequently dark green and much blotched ; but occasionally light green, and slightly or not at all blotched. Pioneer (Laxton). — A cross between Dillistone's Early and Little Gem. Plant of the type of Sangster's No. 1, but with paler foliage, especially when in a young stage, which gives it a sickly appearance. Height from -3 to 3i feet, producing from nine to ten pods on a stem, generally simple. The pods are of fine size, nearly straight, pale green, and contain from five to six Peas. Ripe seed, rather small, wrinkled, white Sown February 23. First flower opened May 9. Was in full bloom May IS. First slats appeared May 22. Fit for use June 13. One day later than Dillistone's Early. The earliest white wrinkled Marrow, of fine quaUty, resembling Alpha, only differing in the colour of the seed. Alexandra (Laxton). — A cross between Prolific Longpod and Advancer. Habit and general appearance of plant like the Frame class. Somewhat straggling, attaining a height of 4 to 41 feet. The pods are produced singly fi'om ten to twelve on each stem ; they are large, some- what curved, and contain from eight to nine fair-sized Peas in each, which are very closed packed. The colour of the plant throughout is a pale green. Ripe seed, white, slightly wrinkled. Sown February 23. First flower opened May 12. Was in full flower May 10. First slats appeared May 24. Fit for use June 12. Of the same earUness as Sangster's No. 1. A very early wrinkled Pea, of excellent quality when cooked. Nutting's No. 1 (Carter's WJdte Qem). — Plant very robust and vigorous, with pale green blotched foliage ; height, 2 to 25 feet, stem, branching, producing from eight to twelve pods in pairs on each, which are borne almost close on the ground ; pods short, weU filled, rounded in form, slightly curved and bluntly ended, of a pale green, almost whitish colour. They contain from six to seven large Peas in each, of a whitish green colour. Exceedingly sweet and excellent. Dried seed large, white, wrinkled. Sown February 23. First flower opened iilay 21. Was in full flower May 28. First slats appeared May 30. Fit for use June 18. A remarkably prolific and handsome dwarf Pea, flowering at the same time as Alliance, but coining into use three days before that variety. Fairbeard's Nonpareil Marrow. — The plant is of a free, but not vigorous, growth, resembling the Early Frames both in habit and in foliage, the latter being light green and not blotched. The stems are branching, 3s to 4 high, and producing twelve to fourteen very full and plump pods, which are generally in pairs, and contains six or eight closely Dacked Peas. The ripe seed is small, white, and wrinkled. This is an early and very productive Pea, and comes into use at the same time as the Early Frames and the Early Ringwood. The Peas, however, are smaU, and, as a wrinkled variety, it is now surpassed. Sown February 23. First flower opened June 3. Was in full flower June 11. First slats (ippeared June 14. Pit for use June 25. Alliance (Eugenie; E femlied' s Early Prolific; Early White Wrinl-led Marrow). — Plant with a free habit of growth, having a succulent stem, and rather light green blotched foliage. The stem is simple, 3 feet high, and produces from twelve to sixteen pods, which are generally in pairs, and are produced at every joint. They are not well filled, and contain only five or six good-sized Peas in each. The ripe seed is white and "wrinkled. This differs from Climax only in having the ripe seed white. When first introduced it was a valuable acquisition as being a tolerably early dwarf white wrinkled Pea, but it is now far surpassed in every way. Sown February 23. First flower opened May 21. Was in full flower May 27. First slats appeared June 1. Fit for use June 24. Prince of Wales. — A finely selected stock of Alliance, a little later, and with better filled pods. Sown February 23. First flower opened June 1. Was in full flower June 5. First slats appeared June 8. Fit for use June 24. Nelson's Vanguard. — Resembles inits general chai-acters Alliance, but dwarfer than tliat variety, and with broader pods. It flowered, slatted, and came into use at the same time. Eajall (Laxton). — A cross between Little Gem and Laxton's Pro- lific LoDg-pod. This is intermediate in form between Advancer and Little Gem. The plant has the appearance of the former, but is dwarfer. Height, 18 inches to 2 feet. The pods are borne in pairs, eight to ten on a plant. They are very long and much curved, very full, giving them a rounded form, and contain from eight to nine fair sizi'd Peas in each. Dried seed, white, wrinkled, flattened. Sown February 23. First flower opened May 29 ; was in full fiowcr Juno 4. First slats ajipoared June 7. Fit for use June 24. Dean's Dwarf Marrow fHAihert Venn). — This somewhat resem- bles in its general appearance James's Prolific. It is, however, distinct from that variety, in the shape of the pods, they being more abrupt, and of greener colour. The plant is also dwarfer, not much exceeding 2 feet in height. It is remarkably rolmst and upright in growth. Itipe seed, large, green, wrinlded. Sown I''ebi-uary 23. First flower opened May 31). Was in full flower Juno 4. First slats appeared June G. Fit for use June 24. Standard ( Laxton). — A cross between Veitch's Perfection and Little Gem; ]ihint, robust, Ijranehing; height, 3 foot; foliage, light green. 'I'hc polls are borne in pairs, from fourteen to sixteen on each stem. Thoy are very long, much curved, like Auvergne, rounded in form and pointed, closely filled, shomng the form of the Peas tlirough the pod, and of a light green colour, 'fhey contain from nine to eleven Peas in each, of large size, of a fine deep green colour, and excellent in quality. Ripe seed, white and green, wrinlded and flattened. Sown February 23. First flower opened June 4. Was in full flower June 9. Fu-st slats appeared June 12. Fit for use June 25. A very handsome and prolific Pea. Wonderful (McLean's). — Plant, resembling in its general character Alliance, but more even and regular, stem not so succulent ; height, about 3 feet, producing from eleven to twelve pods on a plant, generally in paii's. The pods are large, very slightly curved and pointed, of a pale green colour. They are well filled, containing from six to seven large Peas of a light green colour. Quality excellent. Dried seed, rather small, very white, wrinkled. Sown February 23. First flower opened June 2. Was in full flo^ver June 8. First slats appeared June 11. Fit for use Juno 2lj. Two days later than Alliance, and a much superior Pea. Proliiic (McLean's). — Resembling Wonderful in its general charac- ters, but having much larger pods ; height, about 3 feet, of strong and robust growth, producing from twelve to fourteen pods on each plant. The pods are' large, broad, slightly curved and bluntly pointed, and con- tain from six to seven large Peas in each, which are unusually sweet and good. Sown February 23. First flower opened June 3. Was in full flower June 9. First slats appeared June 13. Fit for use June 28. This variety keeiis long in fit condition for use. Britisll Queen (Rollisson's Victoria; Shanleij Marrow ; Hooper's lacooiparable ; I ntperialWonder (excellent stock) ; Carter's Leoiathan (stromj stock); McMillan's Queen of the Marrows; William's Emperor of the Marrows ; Ward's Incomparahle ; Wonder of the World ; Cham- pion of Scotland; Queen of the Marrows ; Thome's Roijal Britain; Great Britain). — These are all forms, more or less selected, of the British Queen and Tall White Mammoth. — This is a free and robust grower, C to 7 feet high. The stem is generally single, but also sometimes branched when the seed has been sown thin, and then it is furnished with two or three laterals which are the same height as the main stem ; pods, generally single, but occasionally in pairs, and are to the number of thirteen to eighteen on a plant ; they contain five to seven very large Peas, some of which are more than half an inch in diameter. The ripe seed is white and wrinkled. British Queen is now an established variety, and justly esteemed as one of the best and most productive of the tall wrinkled Marrows. On a well-branched plant I have counted as many as thirty-one pods of all kinds, including those full-grown and those iust formed ; and, in a mild autumn, it is not unusual for it to continue growing, blooming, and podding as late as Christmas. I do not see any material ditference between this and Tall White Mammoth, with the exception that the latter is two days earlier ; the plants are exactly similar in habit, and are eciually productive. Sown February 23. First flowers opened June 12. Was in full flower June 15. First slats appeared June IS. Fit for use June 30. Challenger (Dean)— Sussex Hero (Wood & Son)— Wrinkled White (Chamberlain). — These proved to be good stocks of British Queen. The Prince. — Intermediate in form between Veitch's Perfection and Premier ; plant, robust and vigorous, much branched ; foliage, rather small, deep green. The pods, which are produced in pairs, are smaller than Veitch's, of a pale green colour, showing the form of the Peas through, like Premier. It flowered, slatted, and was fit for use the same time as Premier. A very vigorous and jirolifio form of Veitch's Perfec- tion, standing the dry weather well. The Prince (Selected) (Dean).— No improvement on the old stock. Dwarf Canada (Evershed's Marrow). — A somewhat taller and stronger-growing form of The Prince, coming into use a day or two later, but otherwise not distinct. Premier (McLean's).- Plant, robust, but not producing so succulent a stem as Veitch's Perfection; foliage, smaller and deep green; pods, borne in pairs, from sixteen to eighteen on a stem. They are lai'ge, broad, pale green in colour, showing the form of the Peas through the pods, and contain about six or seven very large Peas of excellent quality. Dried seeds, small, green and white mixed. Sown February 23. First flower opened June 5. Was in full flower June 14. First slats appeared June 17. Fit for use June 30. An excellent, somewhat earlier and hardier Pea than Veitch's Perfection, of the same class. Lincolnshire Defiance is very similar to Premier. Bland's Defiance (Bland).— A selection from Premier, but no improvement. Cowle's Wrinkled Marrow. — Plant, robust, resembling Premier in general characters ; pods, long, curved, rounded in form, of a light green colour, containing from six to seven large Peas. Sown JIarch 1. First flower opened Juno 5. Was in full flower June 11. First slats appeared June 19. Fit for use July 2. Lynn's Wrinkled Marrow.— The plant is a robust grower, 3 feet high, and with dark green and much blotched foliage. The stem is simple, producing from twelve to fourteen pods, which are in pairs, and contain from six to eight Peas in each. The ripe seed is white, wrinkled, and with a black hilum, like the Egg Pea. This is a very hardy variety, and, as such, is grown rather extensively in the neighbourhood of some of the manufacturing towns in the north ; but it is not a desirable sort. Sown February 23. First flower opened June 1". Was in full flower Juno 19. First slats appeared Juno 21. Fit for use July 1. Knight's Tall White Marrow.— This is a strong and robust grower, (i to 7 feet high. The stem is much branched, and keeps on gromng and producing pods till late in the season. The folia,go is dark green and much blotched. The pods are produced in pairs to the number of twelve to eighteen an a plant, and they contain from seven to eight Peas in each, whicli are very closely compressed. The ripe seed is white and wi'inkled. Sown February 23. First flower opened June 11. Was in full flower June 15. First slats appeared June 10. Fit for use July 3. Feb. 28, 1874] THE GARDEN. 193 James's Prolifie (James) — A selectioa from Wonderful ; plaut robust ; height, 3 feet ; stem, strong and succulent, occasionally branched, producing from eight to ten pods on each, generally in pairs ; foliage large, pale green, and much blotched ; pods, very large, broad, nearly straight and bluntly ended, of a very light green colour, similar in that respect ti Excelsior Marrow. They contain from six to eight very largo Peas, of a pale green or whitish colour, of excellent quality. Ripe seed, large, white and pale green, wrinkled. Sown March 1. First flower opened Juno 1-3. Was in full flower June 10. First slats appeared June 19. Fit for use July 1-1. An extremely handsome Pea when grow- iag, of iirm and erect growth, the pods being well sustained from the stem, and nearly all being fit for use at the same time. This received a first-class certificate. Dagmar (Laxton). — Plant, robust, branching; height, about 13 inches ; pods, produced in pairs, full, rounded, curved, and pointed, of a pale green colour, from oi to 4 inches long, and contain from seven to eight large peas of very fine quality. Very prolifie. Kipe seed, white, wrinkled. Sown March '21. Fit for use June 30, at the same time as Sangster's No. 1. A very fine early dwarf wriulded pea. Awarded a first-class certificate. The Shall (Laxton).— Plaut of the habit of Sangster's No. 1, simple ; height, about 3 feet ; pods, produced singly, but abundantly, very full, rounded, almost straight, or but very sUghtly curved, about 3 inches long, of a pale green colour, and contain from eight to nine very large peas, of very fine quality. Ripe seed, white, wrinkled. Sown Mai'ch 21. Fit for use June 30, at the same time as Sangster's No. 1. An exceedingly fine early prolific white wrinkled pea. Awarded a first- class certificate. Marvel (Laxton). — Plant of robust habit of growth, branching; ^'eight, 3 feet; pods, produced in pairs great abundance, very large, from 4 to 45 inches long, full, roundd, much curved and pointed, of a light greeu colom*, and contain from nine to eleven very large peas, of very fine quaUty. Ripe seed, white, wrinkled. Sown Mai'ch 21. Fit for use July 2. A remarkably handsome, large, and exceedingly productive white wrinkled Marrow. Awarded a first-class certificate. Division VI.— Wrinkled Green Marrows. Ripe seed, mixed white and olive ; foliage, dark green and blotched ; pods, dark dull green, very glaucous. Dr. Hogg (Laxton.) — A cross between Prolific Long-pod and Little Gem. It has the habit and type of Sangster's No. 1. Stem, sinqjle, rather straggling ; height, about oi- feet ; pods, produced singly and in pairs, from ten to twelve on each stem. They are long, narrow, much curved and pointed, very well filled, of a beautiful deep green colour, like William the First. They contain from seven to nine medium-sized Peas, which are of a fine deep green colour, like Ne Plus Ultra. Very sweet and of excellent quality. Ripe seed, green, much wrinkled. Sown Feb- ruary 23. First flower opened May 15. Was in full flower May 24. First slats appeared May 27. Fit for use June 16. A very handsome Pea, of excellent quaUty. The earliest green wrinkled marrow, only four days later than Dillistone's Early, and two days later than Alpha. This re- ceived a first-class certificate. He Plus Ultra. — CuUiiigford's Champion; Jeijes' Conqueror; EdwanW Invincible; Oliainpion of the World; and Late Wrinkled Oreen, are later and inferior forms of this. It is of a strong and robust habit of growth, 6 to 7 feet high, and with a branching stem and dark green blotched foliage. The pods are from twelve to eighteen on each plant, mostly in pairs, and contain seven very large Peas, which are of a dull green colour, like those of the Green Marrows. The ripe seed is mixed white and olive. This is one of the best Peas in cultivation, being an abundant bearer, as early as the Early Green Marrow, and having dark-coloured pods and Peas similar to those of that variety. Sown February 23. First flower opened .June 6. Was in full flower June 13. First slats appeared June 15. Fit for use June 29. Omega (Laxton). — A cross between Veitch's Perfection and NePlus Ultra ; plant, robust, erect growth ; stem, 3 feet 6 inches high, brauch- iug ; foliage, large, deep green. The pods are produced in pairs from twenty to twenty-four on each plant. They are long, nearly straight, rounded in form, and very closely filled, showing the form of the Peas through the pod, of a very deep grassy green colour, which is retained for a long time ; they contain about eight very large Peas, which are of a deep greeu colour, like Ne Plus Ultra, and of excellent quality. Ripe seed large, deep green, compressed, and wrinkled. Sown February 33. First flower opened June 9. Was in full bloom June 13. First slats ap- peared June 16. Fit for use June 30. A very excellent, handsome, and prolific Pea. Very distinct from all others. Keeps long in condition, after being fit for use, and stands the dry weather well ; would be most appropriately named Dwarf Green Ne Plus Ultra. Received a first-class certificate. Progress (Laxton). — A cross between Veitch's Peifeotion and Ne Plus Ultra. Resembling Omega in every other respect. It is a day or so earlier, and scarcely so large in pod. General Wyndham (Boi/e.s's Masterpiece). — Tho plant is of a robust habit, 6 to 7 feet high, and frequently branched. Tho foliage is dark green and blot^-hed. The pods are either single or in pairs, and number from ten to fourteen on each plant. They contain eight very large Peas, which are of the deep dull green colour of the Early Green Marrow. The ripe seed is white and olive mixed. This is a valuable acquisition, and has eridently been raised from Ne Plus Ultra ; but it is a much more robust grower, and produces much larger pods. 'The plant continues growing, blooming, and podding tUl very late in the season, and, when this is in the full vigour of gro^vth, Ne Plus Ultra is ripening I ofi'. Sown March 16. First flower opened June 13. Was in full flower June 17. First slats apjieared June 19. Fit for use July 1. The Peas, when cooked, are of a fine bright green colour, and unlilte those of any other variety. Munsted Marrow.— Plant, very robust, with broader and shorter pods than No Plus Ultra, containing from six to eight very large deep greeu Peas; ripe seed, very large, deep green. Distinct in character. Comes into use a few days later than Ne Plus Ultra, of which it is a broader and shorter-podded form. Sturdy (Laxton).— A cross between Veitch's Perfection and Ne Plus Ultra; plant, extremely robust and stroug.growiug; stem, 3 feet, branching very much, and flowering successioually ; foliage, large, deep greeu, slightly blotched. The pods are produced in pairs, h-om twenty to twenty-four on a plant. They are long, nearly straight, resembling Omega, but broader than that variety, of a beautiful deep dark green colour ; they contain from six to eight large Peas, which are of a fine dark green colour, like Ne Plus Ultra. Ripe seed, very large, deep green, compressed and wrinkled. Quality excellent. Sown February 33. First flower opened June 13. Was in full flower June 19. First slats appeared June 31. Fit for use July 9. This is the latest Pea by several days of any in cultivation, and, by its habit of growing and flowering succes- sioually, a continuous supply of Peas fit for use is miiintaiued for a week or ten days later stUl. Dwarf Green Wrinkled Marrow (Veitch). — Plant, very robust, much branched; height, about 2S feet; foliage, large, broad, bright green, glabrous, or destitute of the usual glaucous hue, being similar in this respect to Danecroft Rival; pods, large, broad, pale shming green, but rather rough. They coutaiu from seven to eight large pale greeu peas, which are very sweet and of good quality. Ripe seed, lar<»e, white, wrinkled. Sown March 21. Fit for use June 29. This is a perfectly distinct pea. It appears, however, to be somewhat tender, as, although the plaut grew well and flowered abundantly, but very few of the pods filled out, the produce being exceedingly small. Division VII.— Wrinkled Blue Marrows. Ripe seed, blue and wrinkled. Foliage, dark green and much blotched. Laxton's No. 1.— A cross between Dillistone's Early and Little Gem. This resembles Alpha in the characters and general appearance of the plant, but havmg straight pods, the same as Pioneer (white seed). Ripe seed, same as Alpha, small, Ught blue, Avrinkled. Sown February 23. First flower opened May 10. Full flower May 22. First slats appeared May 25. Fit for use June 12. The earliest blue Wrinkled Marrow, coming into use the same time as Dillistone's Early. Alpha (Laxton).— Habit and general appearance of plant like the Frame class or Sangster's No. 1 ; plant, rather straggling, weak, and somewhat tender, from 3 to 35 feet high ; stem, simple, with light or pale green foUage. The pods are produced singly, from seven to nine on a plant. They are long, rounded in form, narrow, much curved and pointed, of a pale green colour hke Sangster's. They contain from seven to nine good-sized peas in each, of a fine colour, and most excellent quality. Ripe seed, small, Kght blue, much wrinkled. Sown February 23. First flower opened May 12. Was in full flower May 23. First slats appeared May 26. Fit for use Juno 14. A very early and excellent wrinkled Marrow Pea, only two days later than Sangster's No. 1. Fertility (Laxton).— A cross between ProUfio Long-pod and Little Gem. This is scarcely distinct from Alpha, only having the pods a little more curved and the dried seed a little more green. It flowered, slatted and came into use at th-e same time. ' Little Gem (McLean's).— Plaut, very dwarf, from 12 to 18 inches in ^ height, but of robust and vigorous growth. Stem branching ; foliage, dark green. The pods are produced in pairs, from seven to eight on a stem. They are of fair size, rather broad, nearly straight, very full, and contain from six to seven fair-sized Peas of fine colourlind excellent flavour. Ripe seed, bluish-white, wrinkled. Sown February 23. First flower opened May IG. Was in full bloom May 25. First slats appeared May 28. Fit for use June 10. This is, indeed, a little gem amongst Peas, very valuable for forcing or growing in pots, from its extremely dwarf and proUfio habit and its earliuess, coming into use four days later than Sangster's No. 1. Laxton's Gem (Laxton).— Plant, robust, branching ; height, about 18 mcbes ; pods, produced in pairs, from eight toten on a stem, from 3 to 3J inches long, and a good deal curved and pointed, well filled, containinn- from eight to nine good-sized peas of very excellent quality. Ripe seed" green, wrinkled. This was selected as an improvement on Little Gem' having larger pods, and being more prolific than that variety. Sown March 21 . Fit for use June 23. Awarded a first-class certificate Early Emerald.— Plant, from 2 to 25 feet high. Tliis closely resembles Little Gem. It may be termed a somewhat taller and strono-er form of that variety. It comes into use a day or two later. The dried seed is small, green and white, wrinkled. Multum in parvo (Nutting).— Plant, robust, with large foliage resembling Little Gem, but very distinct in the character of the pods' These are produced generally singly, and have very short peduncles.' rhey are, generally, rather short and very broad, but well filled, contain- ing from 5 to 6 large Peas, of excellent quality. Ripe seed, large mixed blue and white, wrinkled. Sown February 23. First flower opened May 21. Was m full flower May 27. First slats appeared May 29. Fit for use June 19. Multum in parvo (Selected).— No improvement on tha true Multum in parvo. Carter's Premium Gem (Carter).— This was considered an im provement on Multum in parvo, Sown March 21. Fit for use June 23, " 194 THE GAUDBN. [Feb. 2B, 1874. Stamford Marrow (Laxton). — A cross between Supreme and Little Gem; plant of somewhat slender growth; height, 5 feet; foliage, pale green, blotched. The pods, which are produced in pairs from fourteen to sixteen on a plant, are very long, rounded and full, rather nan-ow, but much curved and pointed, of a pale green colour, like Alpha. They contain from nine to eleven medium-sized Peas, of a light green colour, very closely pressed, and excellent flavour. Ripe seed, pale green or blue, wrinkled. Sown February 23. First flower opened Slay 21. Was in full flower May 28. First slats appeared June 2. Fit for nse June 17. Advancer (McLean). — The plant is a free grower, of robust habit, and about 2 feet high, with dark green and blotched foliage. The stem is rather succulent and sometiuies branching, producing from twelve to eighteen pods, which are generally in pairs, and contain eight very large peas, which are closely compressed. The ripe seed is green and wrinkled. This is one of the most valuable acquisitions that has been obtained of late years. It is, in fact, a green wrinkled marrow, as early as Early Emperor. It is remarkably productive, the pods fill well. When cooked, the peas are most delicious. It was raised by Dr. McLean, of Colchester. Sown February 23. First flower opened May 25. Was in fuU flower May 30 . First slats appeared June 3. Fit for use June 31. TTniversal (Laxton). — A cross between Little Gem and Laxton's Prclific. This resemldes Little Gem iu every respect, but with much longer, more curved, and narrower pods. The pods contain from seven to eight Peas, and, in some eases, nine, of fair size and excellent quality ; ripe seed, blue, wrinkled, aad flattened. Sown February 23. First flower opened May 24. Was in full flower May 28. First slats appeared June 2. Fit for use June 21, five days later than Little Gem. Popular (Laxton). — Plant of rather slender growth, 0 to 7 feet high. The pods, which are produced in pairs from twelve to fourteen on each plant, are long, narrow, very tightly tilled and compressed, like Fairbeard's Nonpareil, much curved and pointed, of a light green colour. They con- tain from six to eight large Peas in each, of excellent quality. Rii:ie seed, pale green or blue, wrinkled. Sown February 23. First flower opened May 24. Was in full flower May 27. First slats appeared May 30. Fit for use June 21. An excellent Pea for a general crop. Epicurean (McLean).— Plant, robust, of full growth ; height, 3 feet, having the habit of Nutting's No. 1, but inferior to that variety. The pods are borne in pairs, from ten to twelve on each stem. They are rather small, not very well filled, containing from six to eight Peas. Excellent quality. llipe seed, white and green, wrinkled. Sown February 23. First flower opened May 27. Was in fluU flower June 2. First slats appeared June 5. Fit for nse June 21. Climax (FaiV/iead's E.ccelsior; Napoleon; TIte Claimant; Lncldnrj's Queen of ilie Marrows). — The plant is of strong and robust health, 3 feet to 3i feet high, unbranched. Foliage, rather light green and blotched. The pods, which are from thirteen to nineteen on a plant, generally in pairs, fill very badly, rarely containing more than four to six fully- developed Peas, the others being abortive. Ripe seed, green and wrinkled. This produces a great many pods, but they are badly filled. When first introduced, it was considered useful on account of itsearliness ; but now it is not worth growing. Champion of England. — The plant is of a strong and luxuriant habit of growth, with a stem from 6 to 7 feet high, which is generally simple, but occasionally branched, and having light green fohage, which is scarcely blotched. The pods are from twelve to eighteen on a plant, and are generally single, but frequently in pairs, and contain seven to nine very large Peas closely compressed. Ripe seed, pale green and wrinkled. This valuable Pea is now too well knowm to require any commendatory remarks. This and Fairbeard's Surprise originated in the same pod, the latter being a round and the Champion of England a wrinlvled-seeded variety. When sown, both varieties preserved their distinctive characters. Sown February 23. First flower opened May 29. Was in full flower June 9. First slats appeared June 21. Fit for use June 25. Fairbeard's Fortyfold. — A selection of Champion of England, having large scimitar-.shaped pods. Comes into use at the same time. Culverwrell's Early "Wrinkled Marrow. — A fine form of Champion of England, with large broad pods and large Peas. Ripe seed, large, bright green. Huntingdonian. — A large-podded and very excellent form of Champion of England. Laxton's Quality. — Plant resembling Champion of England in growth, lint with larger foliage of a much paler green and fully more roljust. The flower is also large and handsome. The pods, which are produced in pairs, from fourteen to sixteen on a plant, are very large, rounded in form, much curved and pointed, of a light or pale green colour, they contain from seven to eight very large Peas of a light green colour, and of excellent flavour. Ripe seed, pale green and white, wrinkled. Sown February 23. First flowers opened May 21. Was in full flower May 27. First slats appeared May 30. l''it for use Juno 24. Laxton's Quantity. — This, which originally was a round white- Beeded variety, proved in the trial to bo now but a form of Laxton's Quality witli straigliter pods. Lord Palmerston.— In the way of Veitch's Perfection, with broader pods, but not ipiite so long, and somewhat paler in colour, very uniform. Comes into use with J lair's Dwarf Marainotli. Knight's Tall Green Marrow {('nJlinriford'.i Champion). — Sown February 23. First flower opened May 29. Was in full flower Juno."). First slats appeared .luno 12. Fit for use .lune 25. Yorkshire Hero. — I'laat, moder.attdy robust; height, 3 feet, stem, simple, producing from twelve to fourteen pods on each, in pairs. The pods are sliort, broad, nearly straight, of a liglit green colour, and do not fill well. They contain only from four to six fair-sized Peas. Eipe seed, Ught green, wrinkled. Sown February 23. First flower opened May 27. Was in full flower June 5. First slats appeared June 8. Fit for use June 25. This very much resembles McLean's Prolific, Princess of Wales. — In habit and general appearance this very closely resembles Advancer. It might, indeed, be termed a good selected late stock of that variety. The ripe seed is hghter in coloiu' than that of Advancer. Sown I'ebruary 23. First flower opened May 30. Was in full flower June 8. First slats appeared June 12. Fit for use June 27, six days later than Advancer. Conquest.— Plant of slender growth; height, 5 to 6 feet. The pods are borne in pairs from twenty-two to twenty-four on each plant ; they are in appearance like the Early Emperor, small and narrow, con- taining from five to six small Peas in each, parti-coloured, light and dark green, of poor quality. Ripe seed, small, didl green, wrinkled. Sown February 23. First flower opened June 3. Was in full flower June 9. First slats appeared June 19. Fit for use June 27. A worthless and undesirable Pea. Gr. F. Wilson (Carter). — Plant, robust, having the same appearance as Veitch's Perfection ; height, 4 feet. The pods are produced in pairs, from ten to fourteen on a plant. They are very large, of a light gi'een colour, and contain from seven to eight very large peas in each, which are of a fine gi'een colour. Ripe seed, smaller than Veitch's Perfection, light green, wrinkled. Sown February 23. First flower opened May 29. ^Vas in full flower June 4. First slats appeared June 7. Fit for use June 27- This is an early form of Veitch's Perfection, coming into use seven days before that variety. Received a first-class certificate. Culverw^ell's Prolific Marrow (Veitch'^ Tall Green Wrtnlded MaiTowJ. — Resembling some of the forms of TaU Green Mammoth, of strong and robust growth ; pods, short, straight, pale green, contain- ing from five to six exceedingly large peas of excellent quality. Ripe seed, very large, bright green, wrinkled, very distinct in appearance. Sown February 23. First flower opened June 3. Was in full flower June 12. First slats appeared June 16. Fit for nse July 1. Tall Green Mammoth (Green Tall Square Mammoih; Com- petitor; i'pps' Monurcli). — The plant is a strong and vigorous grower, mth a thick succulent stem, 6 to 8 feet high, and branched ; fuliage, dark green, and blotched. The pods are produced in pairs, and are from twelve to sixteen on a plant. Ripe seed, large, green, and wrinkled. Sown February 23. First flower opened June 3. Was in full flower June 15. First slats appeared .June 19. Fit for use July 1. Thorpe- Perrow Early Marrow is a few days earlier, and vrith smaller and more pointed pods. General Havelock. — A small-podded worthless form of the same. Veitch's Perfection. — The plant is very robust in its habit, and produces a succulent stem, 3 feet high ; foliage, dark green, and only slightly blotched. The pods are genei-ally in pairs, of a large size, and from ten to fourteen on a plant. They contain from seven to eight very lai-ge Peas, which are closely compressed. The ripe seed is large, green, and wrinkled. This is an improved form of Hair's Dwarf Mammoth, than which it produces nmch larger pods, and comes into use about six or eight days later. It is decidedly the finest pea of its class, and one deserving of general cultivation. During the past season it suffered like many other varieties from the unusually cold wet weather, and dropped many of its blooms ; but in the previous summer it set every bloom, and matured a profusion of its large well-filled pods. Sown February 23. First flower opened June 2. Was in full flower June 9. First slats appeared June 15. Fit for use July 4. Mammoth Dw^arf Marrow. — This is of the same type as Veitch's Perfection, but with rather smaller and more curved pods, of deeper green, and a day or two later. Connoisseur (Laxton). — A cross between Ne Plus Ultra and Ever- green ; plant of somewhat straggling growth ; height, G feet ; foliage, dark green. Stem, branching, producing from twenty to twenty-fivo pods in pairs. The pods are long, nearly straight, well filled, of a deep green colour, like Ne Plus Ultra. They contain from six to seven Peas each, which are parti-coloured, hght and dark green, ofvery excellent quality. The ripe seed is small, very deep green, wrinkled. Sown February 23. First flower opened June 14. Was in full flower June 10. First slats appeared June 19. Fit for use July 7. [The above article consists of three reports from the Eoyal Horticul- tural Society's Journal. These reports were prepared by, or under the direction of, the Pomological director and other officers of the society, from trials at Chiswick, extending over a series of years. Wo have combined and reprinted them, believing they will be useful to our readers for reference. — Ed.] THE SEASONS. If this white benediction of the snow Fell not from Heaven upon our frozen fields. Thy summer festival would hardly know V'i^hat wealth June ripeneth or proud autumn yields. If never sorrow should come near tliy heart Nor any coldness dim the light of love. Thou could'st not know thy nature's better part, Or look for hone's best harvest from above. Unljrokon sunshine and perpetual he.at Make deserts only. Clouds that bring no rain Shelter no gardens ; and thine eyes, ray sweet, ^ Must know what tears are, fond eyes to remain. — Galaxy. Feb. 28, 1871.] THE GARDEN. 195* WOEK FOR THE WEEK. PRIVATE GARDENS. Greenliouse Plants. — Remove some of the most backward Cinerarias to a north house, so as to preserve their lateness ; water those that are in bloom freely, and occasionally with manure-water ; keep them free from insects by fumigation. Chinese Primulas required for seeding should not be burdened too much ; therefore reduce the quantity of flowers on each plant to one or two trusses, according to the strength of the plants. Remove into a corner of some pit the iinest Cyclamens for seeding purposes ; a dozen or so of flowers are sufiicient on each plant, and there is no necessity for artificial assistance in fertilisation unless new colours are aimed at. Keep herbaceous Calceolarias growing gently, by supplying them liberally with water and keeping them in a light and airy house and near the glass. Re-pot such show and fancy Pelargoniums as require it, and, if possible, place them on stages quite close to the glass in houses abundantly ventilated ; if a little artificial heat be given at the same time, a beneficial influence will soon be manifest in green healthy foliage and the firm stubby growth which are so productive of abundance of flowers. Violets that were bloomed in pots during the winter may now be transferred to a warm border. Give a little water to such Japanese Lilies as are beginning to grow. Hyacinths and Tulips should be kept as cool as possible, and in light houses. Laohenalias are now blooming pretty freely ; keep them near the glass, and treat them liberally. Re-pot young Fuchsias, pinch the points of the branches at the fourth or fifth joint, and j"' keep the plants in the warmest part of the house. Some of the old plants may be shaken out of their present pots and re. potted in others, according to size, in good open compost. In pruning the old plants, be rather sparing until they begin to grow. Statices should be re-potted and kept in the warmest part of the greenhouse ; the old plants may bo shaken out of last year's pots and re-potted in smaller ones, for once growth begins in Statices they must never suffer for want of pot-room. Save allseeds of SolanumCapsicastrum ; cut down the old plants, and use the young shoots for cuttings. Re-pot, and remove for the same purpose the suckers of Calla ajthiopica. Cut off the ends of the branches, and thin plants of Veronica Andersoni ; then start them into growth. Salvias in pots, and rested during the winter, if now pruned, re-potted, and kept in moderate heat, become fine flowering plants in a short time. Kalo- santhes coccinea should be re-potted in a compost of good loam and some thoroughly decayed manure. Cut back Bouvardias that have done flowering, and use the young shoots for propagating. Cut back, re-pot, and start into growth some plants of the Lemon-scented Verbena. Turn out into frames young Chrysanthemums, and see that none suffer for want of potting. Re-pot and stake choice Petunias, and sow some seeds in light soil in gentle heat, for conser. vatory blooming ; the surplus may be economised for bedding pur- poses. Train Tree Mignonette, and admit plenty of air to dwarf- growing plants in pots. Mimuluses of tho finer varieties, as well as Musk, may be potted in two parts loam and one of decayed manure, with some sand; they soon grow and form nice flowering plants. Wire baskets containing the latter, and also others planted with Saxifraga sarmentosa may now be made up either for the window or for suspending from the roof of the conservatory. Some Globe Amaranths may now be sown in moderate heat, and pricked off when the young plants appear. Balsams, Cockscombs, and other Celosias, Cinerarias for autumn flowering, Schizanthuses, &c., may be treated in the same way. Train Tropfoolums on their trellises, and give them a little manure-water once a week. Fern -iouse.^- Any potting that remains to be done here should be attended to at once. Many of the commoner kinds reproduce themselves freely ; therefore, keep a quantity of these in small pots ; they are useful for intermixing with large plants, the appearance of which is much improved by an admixture of small ones ; and, if tho latter are allowed to get somewhat pot-bound, their fronds will last in a cut state much better than those from plants more freely grown, and the better plants are saved from mutilation. All ought to be carefully picked over, removing such fronds or portions of them as are naturally decaying, yet do not cut out much that has life in it, as this has a tendency to weaken the plants. As tho days lengthen, raise the temperature a little. Potting should now be proceeded with, as it is best to shift Ferns before they begin to grow ; otherwise, they receive a check. Over.potting should be avoided, but, where good specimens are required, they should be shifted as they need it, and if for group. ing amongst other plants, they should be grown in comparatively small pots. Brown Scale is the greatest enemy of the Fern-house, and, with the approach of warm weather, this pest will begin to to increase apace if not checked. Every means should therefore be used to keep it down, as it soon renders the plants unsightly. As soon as growth commences, shade slightly during sunny weather. and allow more moisture in the atmosphere as well as at the roots. Give air on all mild days, otherwise the fronds push weakly, a con. dition that should be avoided, as leaves of that kind never maintain a healthy appearance so long as is desirable. If thrips makes its appearance, fumigate frequently yet not too strongly. Stoves. — Gradually increase atmospheric humidity and tempe- rature in these structures, though very sparingly, and apply water rather more liberally to the roots of the plants. Almost all stove plants will now require re-potting or top-dressing, and insects, if any, must be destroyed ; for, should they be spared till next month, they will reward such kindness by committing unlimited mischief. Plants of all kinds should, therefore, be thoroughly cleaned before they are re-potted. In the evening, place over some boiler " at work " or introduce into some warm house or pit, some soil, mixed and ready for potting purposes, for no stove plant should be shifted into cold soil. Shift Palms, using for the purpose a compost consisting of fibrous peat two parts, turfy loam one part, and some sand and finely broken crocks, an open compost, and plenty of water being requisite for such plants. Shake out plants of Impatiens and re-pot them in a mixture of loam, leaf -mould, well-decomposed manure, and some silver, sand. Give Gardenias a compost of loam and peat in equal propor. tions, mixed with sand ; the same compost, with a little more loam mixed with it, will also suit Browneas. Dalechampias should have leaf-mould, loam, and peat, in about equal proportions ; Stephanotis, fibrous loam, peat, and well-decayed manure ; Sanchezias and Ronde. letias, peat, loam, a little leaf-mould, and sand ; and Lagerstrccmias, peat and loam. Indeed, most hard-wooded plants grow freely in good peat and loam, with some silver-sand added ; and but few of them will object to the addition of a little leaf-mould. Gross-growing and soft-wooded plants, however, such as Musas, Crinums, Eranthemums, Torenias, Puyas, Pentas carnea, Gesneras, Lasiandras, Coccocyp. selums. Curcumas, &c., are very fond of some thoroughly decayed manure mixed in the soil in which they are potted ; leaf-mould. Mushroom-dung, spent hot-bed manure, &c., may be so used. Authuriums, Marantas, tropical Palms, and many other stove-plants, should now enjoy a brisk and moist temperature. Pitcher plants and prunings may bo economised for cuttings, that strike in any open material. Nepenthes should be re-potted in loose material, such as Sphagnum and very fibrous peat. Dracjenas and Dieffenbachias may be propagated from pieces of the roots and stems, inserted in Cocoa-nut fibre, or similar material, in a brisk heat. Plants of Bonapartea j uncea raised from seed may now be potted off singly into small pots. Take Aralias that have been struck from pieces of the root, and that are now pushing a few leaves, out of their propa- gating pans, and pot them separately. Prick off Gloxinias raised from seed into pans, or pot them singly into thumb-pots. Indoor Fruit and Forcing^ Department. — Increase tho day and night temperature of Pine-pits, in accordance with tho weather, and give a little extra moisture to the roots, especially those of plants swelling fruit ; but such as have nearly finished swelling should be kept moderately dry. Shift into fruiting pots all plants requiring that attention, and take off and pot suckers as they become ready. Do not starve young growing plants ; for, if once checked, they are almost sure to produce small and premature fruit. Syringe with tepid water the surface of the beds and about the necks of growing plants, especially on fine days. As regards Vines, thin and stop the shoots, thin the berries, and keep up a steady moist temperature. Thin young Peaches where too thick ; but do not make the final thinning until after tho stoning period is over, and until that time maintain a steady and moderately low temperature. Regulate and thin the young shoots, and syringe morning and after, noon with tepid water on fine days, and once every day, regardless of the weather. If a little top air can be left on at night, and artificial heat given to maintain the requisite temperature, it will be of material importance to tho crop. For Cherries, a temperature of 50' or 55°, will be suiBcieut until the fruit has stoned ; afterwards the heat may be increased 10' by sun-heat, and, when the fruit is colouring, a night temperature of 60' and a day one of 75° or 80°, with sun-heat, will not be too much for them. An airy house and a position near the glass is of the utmost importance in Cherry forcing, and a high temperature either by night or day before the fruit has stoned is ruinous. Give manure-water, occasionally, to Fig-trees swelling their fruit, and syringe them freely until they begin to ripen. Pot Figs are commonly used for the earliest crop, and, where houses are not specially devoted to their culture, they may be successfully ripened in the Pine-stove or early Vinery. Stop the young shoots at the third or fourth joint, and remove all root suckers, unless a few are wanted next winter for fresh plants. The earliest Strawberries will now be ripe, or ripening, therefore they are best kept moderately dry and airy. Introduce plants of them for succession into Peach, houses or Vinery shelves, or into houses built purposely for them For Cucumbers, keep up a bottom-heat of 75°, and an atmospheric. •196 THE GAEDBN. [Feb. 28, 1874. one a few degrees lower ; but, in the event o£ bright weather, an extra 5° would be rather beneficial to them than otherwise. If the heat from fermenting material be wanting, apply fresh linings or mix fresh dung with the old fermenting material. Sow a good suo- cessional crop of Cucumbers and Melons. Kidney Beans should be sown in succession fortnightly, or according to the demand; a Cucumber-hoase, Pine-stove, or early Vinery, suits this crop perfectly, and the plants must be freely syringed, to keep down red spider. Sow a few Tomatoes at once in a moderate hot-bed, or propagate by cuttings from old plants saved in pots during the winter ; plants from these cuttings fruit earlier than from seedlings. Dust some sulphur over the foliage of Potatoes grown in frames, to keep down Fungi, &c. ; apply water between the drills, but keep the necks of the plants dry. Khubarb will soon bo obtained abundantly from the open air, I.e., if a forkful or two of litter be placed over the crowns ; but a few roots for succession may still be taken into the Mushroom-houso. Keep up a constant succession of forced Asparagus, either by placing roots in moderately. heated frames, or by filling trenches between the beds with fermenting material. Start a few more Seakale roots. A temperature of 60' and a humid atmosphere should be maintained in the Mushroom.house. Protect Lettuces in frames from snow and wet, and plant some out as convenience and weather may permit ; sow some seeds for succession. Sow a few Capsicums in boxes, and pot them off singly, or prick them off when they are fit to handle. Sow some Celery seeds in a gentle heat. Sow some New Zealand Spinach in a brisk temperature, for summer and early autumn use. Thin Carrots in frames ; keep them dry, and shelter them from enow or rain, but expose thom freely in favourable weather. Sow some Turnips, Radishes, and Onions, in gently-heated frames, to precede those sown out-of-doors. Hardy Fruit Trees. — rinish the pruning and nailing of fruit trees on walls as expeditiously as possible, and give the trees a thorough washing with the garden engine. Some kind of protection must be afforded to Apricots and Peaches, so as to preserve their blooms from frost. Fruit trees and bushes may yet be planted, but the sooner the operation is finished now the better. Cuttings of Gooseberries may still be made, and inserted in nursery lines a foot apart, and from 4 to 6 inches asunder in the row ; cuttings put in in autumn are, however, preferable to those inserted in spring. The cuttings should be 10 inches long, and divested of all buds except three or four at the top. No buds should be buried in the soil, nor beallowed to exist on the 3 inches of stem just above the ground. Scions for grafting should be taken off, if not already done, and " heeled in " until wanted for use. Make fresh plantations of Strawberries if necessary ; remove all runners from old ones ; fork over the soil between the rows, and incorporate with it some well-decayed manure at the same time. If a dressing of rough litter be applied between the rows after the ground has been forked over, it will serve as a mulching, and the rains will wash down nutriment from it to the roots, while the surface will form a clean resting-place for the forth, coming crop. Kitclieii Garden. — Make plantations of Jerusalem Artichokes iu lines from 2 to 3 feet apart, in any odd corner of the garden. Plant Horseradish sets 15 inches deep, in deeply-trenched ground, iu rows 18 inches asunder. Plant the main crop of Potatoes. Autumn- sown Angelica should now be transplanted in rows 2 feet apart, in lather moist soil. Mint may be divided and transplanted alongside of the Angelica, iu lines 15 iuches apart. Seakale roots may be transplanted for next year's crop, and some seeds of it sown thickly in beds. Divide the roots of such plants as Hyssop, Chamomile, Pennyroyal, Sage, Savory, and Hue, and transplant them into fresh beds. Sow some Man'ow Peas ; a good plan is to plant four rows of Potatoes, then a row of Peas, and so on ; this gives the Pea crop more light than it otherwise would have. Sow a full crop of Beans, and draw some earth to those that are above ground. Sow some Locks for transplanting ; also some Parsnips in lines 20 inches apart, in deeply -trenched ground. Sow likewise some Cos Lettuces on a warm border, and plant out those that have been wintered in frames. Sow some round-leaved Spinach between rows of dwarf Peas or else- where; also early Horn Carrots at once, if the ground is in good order. Sow a crop of Onions as soon as the ground is in good con. dition for its reception, and, if Parsley has not been already sown, some may now be put in. Sow also some Asparagus seeds iu drills 18 inches apart, but do not transplant last year's seedlings till April. Gradually remove the protecting material from the necks of Globe Artichokes. Sow some Brussels Sprouts and other members of the Cabbage tribe for autumn use. Of Rocambole, Garlic, Chives, and Shallots, transplant cloves or offsets at once. Woman is like Ivy — the moro you are ruined the closer she clings to you. An old bachelor adds : " Ivy is liko woman — the closer it clings to you the more you are ruined." SOCIETIES, EXHIBITIONS, &c. THE EOYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY AND GUINEA SUBSCRIPTIONS. Will you kindly allow me a small space to answer objections raised to the guinea subscription plan. At the Wednesday meeting, the other day, I was placed near some good specimens of their respective brauches of the profession, two well-known nurserymen and two first. class gardeners. One of the former suggested that I was trusting too much to gardener subscribers ; as one of the gardeners sjioke out well for his class I left them to settle the matter between them, but afterwards had the objection raised more fully. Will you now allow me to answer it ? I never contemplated the social position of the society being lowered, or that tho reuovated society should consist, in a very large part, of gardeners, though I believe that a considerable accession of these more working bees would greatly strengthen it. A head gardener, to keep his situation in a large place, must be a superior man, and it is only the best of these (such as those who work so actively on our committees) who would take enough interest in general horticulture to make them afford the guinea annual subscription. In very many cases their influenco would make their employers join tho society. Judging from tho letters that come to me, the idea of the guinea fellowship has been most warmly taken up by people in as high social station as that of the present fellows, and they talk of influencing their friends (pre. sumably of the same class) to join with them. I see the acting council has published, in extenso, in one of your contemporaries tho society's accounts for the past year. Let anyone look through these, bearing in mind that much of tho cost of Chiswiok goes for furnishing South Kensington, and judge for himself whether a society with the guinea subscriptions of 5,000 fellows would not have far gx-eator working power than the society in its present state has with tho much larger income, of which the lion's share goes to keep up a square for the Kensingtoniaus. Geobge F. Wilson. Eeatherbanh, Weybridge Seath, THE LINNEAN SOCIETY. An article, which appeared in Nature about ten days ago, referring to what took place at this society's meeting, on the 5th instant, is stated by the Glohe to have been somewhat one-sided. It relates to certain changes made in the bye-laws, which are unsatisfactory to many of the fellows. Into all these changes, it is unnecessary to enter, as several of thom are of little importance. Their chief effects are to remove the disability of follows of the society to hold any office of emolument in its service, and to transfer the appointment of paid officials from the hands of the fellows to those of the council ; and to enable the council to pay for the editing of the " Journal and Transactions " of the society, which has hitherto been done by the honorary officers. Some objected to the last of these changes, others wished to retain the abnegation clause in its integrity ; but all who opposed the action of the president were, not unnaturally, averse to allowing the appointment of their paid officials to be taken entirely out of their hands. That there is some reality in this grievance may be inferred from the fact that the present librarian, who has performed the duties of his office most satisfactorily for many years, was appointed by tho society at large in opposition to the nominee of the council. But besides the possible inconvenience of the appointment of a paid official in such a manner as to render him responsible only to tho council, the objectors to this course have another argument on their side. This transfer of the power of appointment is in direct contra- vention of the charter of the society, which definitely places all elections and appointment of tho officers of the society in the hands of the fellows only. It is, of course, impossible for a bye-law to override the charter by which the society is incorporated, but the opposition feels that if the new bye-law is acted upon, tho position of the society may bo very seriously com]n'omised. Wo hope that, at tho ap])roaching genei'al meeting, tho fellows may be able to arrive at a satisfactory solution of their difficulty. OBITUARY. The current number of the Belgique Horticole contains a notice of the death, and a review of the life, of M. L. Jacob-Makoy, of Liege. Readers of horticultural journals are familiar with his name as that of oncof the most successful cultivators of Camelll.as, Cape plants, hardy Rhododendrons, Roses, and Dahlias. So far back as 1845, tho houses of M. Jacob-Makoy contained no fewer than 200 species of Palms, March 7, 1871.] THE GARDEN. 197 THE GARDEN. " This is an art Which does mend nature : change it rather : The Akt itself is Nature." — Shakespeare. but THE "WHITE LILAC IN "WINTEE. AriER the sweet Violet — sold by millions of bunches — perhaps the most welcome plant in the flower-shops of Paris in winter and spring is the white Lilac. It has for a good many years been popular in Paris and other continental cities, and more recently has been frequently seen in Covent Garden, invariably imported from Paris. The production of this white Lilac has long been a source of interest to cultivators, on seeing snowy fragrant masses of it in the shops so early as October. Many persons have supposed it to bo a white variety of Lilac, but this is not so ; it is the common kind forced into bloom in the dark, and, though the blossoms are of as pure a white as most white flowers, they are simply Ijlanched, just as the shoots of Seakale are blanched. At first, the white variety of the common Lilac would seem to be the most suitable for forcing in the above-named manner, but those who have ^ tried it found it much less suitable. In the dark it does i not make such a vigorous growth as the common Lilac, and, oddly enough, the flowers do not eome of so pure a white. The French force the common Lilac in great quanti- ties, for yielding these white blossoms, both in pots, and planted out in beds under glass. The plants intended to be forced are cut round with a spade in early autumn to induce them to form flower-buds more abundantly, and this also facilitates their removal in a compactly-rooted manner at a later period of the same year. They are at first, when taken up and placed in the house in which they are to be forced, kept somewhat cool, but soon the heat is increased till it reaches from 80° to nearly 100°, and abundance of moisture is supplied at the same time, both at the roots and over the tops ; in the last case by syringing with tepid water. The chief point, however, is, that from the day the plants are placed under glass they are not allowed to receive a gleam of light, the glass being completely covered with j.)a(7teso«s, or woven straw mats, such as are miich used on the Continent for covering frames, pits, and all sorts of garden structures in winter. Thus they get the Lilar to push freely, and gather its white blooms before the leaves show themselves much. The heat and moisture and complete darkness effect all that is desired. The Paris growers commence to cut the white Lilac at the end of October, and continue to do so till ib comes in flower in the open ground. Up to the present time, the white Lilac blossoms have rarely been seen with us except when imported ; but we are glad to say that a well-known and excellent plants- man, Mr. Howard, gardener at Bedford Hill, Balham, near London, has produced it this winter abundantly, and in a simple manner. In autumn, and at various periods throughout the past winter, he dug up some bushes of the common Lilac and placed them in a darkened stokehole-shed used for forcing Seakale, &c. This structure is heated by a hot-water pipe which passes through it, but not to so high-a temperature as that which is used by the Paris growers. In fact, the condi- tions are such as gardeners commonly employ for forcing Seakale, and any roots which they desire to force and blanch. - From this shed, in which the bushes have flowered abundantly through the winter, Mr. Howard has gathered quantities of pure -svhite Lilac, with all its fragrance perfect. Thus, Mr. Howard has proved that the production of this charming addition to our winter forced flowers may be effected wherever Lilac bushes are grown in the shrubberies, and where Seakale, Mushrooms, or the like are forced in a shed. As the Lilac, in a free-flowering condition, is usually a goodly- sized shrub, more head-room will, of course, be required for it than for the other subjects named. One grower in Paris found that ventilation, even that afforded by a broken pane, caused the flowers to commence assuming their natural colour. Among the coloured varieties found to succeed treated in this way, the best were the Lilas de Marly and Charles X. The Persian Lilac tried in this way has not been found to suit. THE TREE MEDICK (MEDICAGO AEBOREA). At p. 148, you ask if any of your correspondents have noticed this plant at Brighton or elsewhere. I have known it as growing freely in most exposed situations at Weymouth for the last twenty years, in front of some of the villas. It is planted against the palings, and entwines its branches through the rails, forming, when out with the knife or shears, a pretty close-growing evergreen hedge, generally covered with its bright orange flowers throughout the whole year. I may Just say that I was at Weymouth the other day, and picked somo flowers of the Medicagos there, and, as many persons are much interested about what grows well or best on exposed sea coasts, I will mention a few that I can say brave the most stormy locality. One locality I saw last week covered with sea spray as with a shower of rain. In this spot, upon a strong blue (Oxford) clay, I planted last year about 2,000 trees and shrubs, of as many kinds as I could, on purpose to try their sea.resisting properties. They were exposed to the N.E., E., and S.E. winds, and were close to the beach, up which the storms often hurl the dashing waves in wild fury, bathing everything in salt and water, and leaving every vestige of vegetation drenched with wet. In such a locality one would have thought all sorts of trees would have perished. I give below a list of some kinds that I found sea-proof, and this, too, after encountering one of the fiercest storms that has visited the Weymouth coast for several years. But it is not the winter storms that destroy the trees. April and May ara the fatal months ; just as the young growth begins, and the plants are full of sap, it is, at the sea-side as it is inland, the time when vegetation suffers most, when exposed to pinching frost and cold N.B. storms, the plant in full growth succumbs with more certainty at this period of the year, when the thermometer is at 6° to 8^ below freezing, than it does in midwinter with the glass below zero. I will mention one plant that the slightest frost iu spring destroys, whilst it will stand unharmed through the severest winter; this is theCupressus fnnebris. Such is the effect of spring frost upon it, that it has been found almost impossible to keep it alive. But to return to the sea- coast and the plants I find do best upon it ; these are mostly those kinds that have got thick, leathery, shining, or glaucous leaves, and those that are covered with cottony down. Amongst the first, I may instance the Euonymus tribe, as they, par exceUence, hold the first place ; no storm or sea-spray seems to injure them, however severe ; 1 planted many hundreds of them in the bleak place I mentioned above, not one has suffered, but, on the contrary, they are shooting their young growths as if it were mid-summer. Then follow Pittosporum Tobira, Camellia, Escallonia, Daphne, Mahonia, Griselinia (as hardy as the Euonymus), Olea ilicifolia, Phillyrea, Evergreen Privet, New Zealand Flax, Bay, Ivy, Rhododendron, Hydrangea, Veronica, Laurustinns, Arbutus, Ardisia, Brooms, Cotoneaster, Eleagnus, Eugenia, Eurybia, Garrya, Double and Single Fiu-ze, Evergreen Oak, Fulham Oak, and the evergreen sort called Austriaca sempervirena (this is a grand sea-side tree), Photinia dentata, Pyracantha, Cock's- Spur Thoi-n, Raphiolepis, Skimmia, Pyrus japonicus, Sambucus, Eibes sanguineum. Amongst Coniferaa but few will brave such a locality as I have mentioned, and of this tribe the best is Araucaria imbricata, the Silver Fir, andPicea Nordmanniana ; all others of the tribe perished in May, even the celebrated seaside Pine, P. austriaca, failed. Amongst woolly-leaved plants, I may set at their head Cineraria maritima. Stocks, Centaureas, Gnaphaliums, Cerastiums, Buddleia, Salvias, Santolinas, Lavender, and Rosemary. Of glaucous- leaved sorts, pre-eminent is Sea Purslane, Silene montana. Horned Poppy, Eryngium maritimum, and Frankenia fruticosa. Amongst many sorts of Grasses, I may mention Arundo Donax and con. spicua. Pampas Grass, and Daotylis glomerata variegata, and I must not forget Coronilla glauca, C. Emerus and valentina ; and of trees, Scotch and Canadian Elms, Turkey Oak, Beech, and Horse- Chestnuts. The above are what I find to resist the best in the most exposed places ; but, on getting a little away from the immediate beach, a greater variety succeeds. I have just finished planting some thousands of all sorts, at Weymouth, and hope to be able to give you an account of their behaviour next year. John Scorr. What is the best Stove for a small Conservatory ?— I have a conservatory 18 feet by 12 feet, with a span roof 15 feet to the top. It used to be heated by an ordinary portable stove, with a descending flue, which never acted, so the stove was taken away, a large copper pipe still remaining available for a flue. We have tried Joyce's stove, and several gas stoves, not connecting them with the piping above-named, but the smell is very bad, and we cannot sit in the adjoining drawing-room. I ought to say that the conservatory is too far from the other hothouses to be connected with them. Can any of your correspondents recommend any stove which we conld connect with the copper piping, which would contain fuel enough to last a winter night and just keep the frost out P — R. J. B. 198 THE GARDEN. [March 7, 1871. NOTES OP THE WEEK. We are informed, by M. Boissier, that the handsome purple- flowered Geranium, recently figured and described in the Garten- flora under the name of G. Backhousianum, is, in reality, G. armenum, described at p. 878 of M. Boissier's " Flora Orientalis." This plant, in its wild state, is only found in Armenia, whence, some years since, M. Boissier received seeds of it, which first germi. uated in the Botanic Garden at Geneva. The sap of the Rhododendron and Laurel aro strong poisons, and, when cattle partake of the leaves, death is often the result. A Scotch ox died last week from eating the dead leaves that had been thrown into a field some days previously. On Saturday evening, daring some rejoicings at Wardour Castle, the seat of Lord Arundell, ou the result of the Claimant's trial, a small cannon burst, and Mr. George Ford, the gardener, was struck by a fragment of the metal, and so much hurt that he died in the course of the evening. A boy was also killed on the spot. Ml!. Philip Baunes, long known to many frequenters of the Botanic Gardens in the Regent's Park, died the other day at the age of eighty-two. Thirty-four years ago he founded the Royal Botanic Society, and was the oldest fellow and father of the society. The current number of the Butanical 3Iagazine contains figures of the following plants : — Odontoglossum Roezlii, a handsome white-flowered Orchid from New Grenada ; Bauhinia natalensis, a white-flowered Leguminous shrub, from Natal ; Arabis blepharo- phylla, from California, a rosy-flowered species, now often seen iu good collections of hardy plants ; Nunnezharia Geouomceformis, a pretty dwarf Palm from Guatemala ; and Rhipsalis Houlletii, a singular-looking plant belonging to the Opuntian section of Cactuses, and supposed to be a native of Brazil. M. Jean Sislev, of Lyons, has recently sent to the Revue Horiicole an e.'vtraot of a letter from his friend. Dr. Henon, wlio is at present in Japan, in which the latter states that he was much surprised to find, iu the neighbourhood of Ikouuo, several specimens of Bananas growing in the open air, which died down under the winter frosts, but made fresh growth in the following spring. These, he adds, were cultivated for ornament only. It would be interesting to know what species of Banana is thus alluded to, as we do not suppose the climate of Ikonno can be much milder than our own ; and a hardier kind of Banana than any of those with which we are, as yet, acquainted, would be a material acquisition in our gardens and pleasure-grounds. In the British Medical Journal for February 21, Dr. J. Di.xon, of Whitehaven, publishes a case of a boy who exhibited severe symptoms of poisoning after eating Mistletoe berries. The patient was fourteen yeai'S of age, and was found lying in the street in a state of insensibility, within forty minutes of the time of eating the berries. The first impression was that he was in a state of alcoholic intoxication, but no trace of alcohol was found in the breath or subsequent vomit. An emetic of sulphate of zinc was administered, \vhich brought oli eight partly masticated berries. There were indications of considerable cerebral hypera)mia, which was appro- priately treated, and the boy was well the next morning. He stated that soon after eating the berries he began to feel giddy, and from that time had no recollection of what transpired. According to the llalleiiii Tkcrapeutiqne, an attempt made by a I'aris uiorchaTit to utilise the sewage of that city in the cultiva- tion of labiate plantain the plain of GeneviUers has been so successful, that ut the present time throe hectares of laud (71 acres) are devoted to the raising of Peppermint alone. The plant is said to grow with such vigour, that three collections are made in each year, whilst the essential oil obtained from it by distillation is asserted to be superior in delicacy of aroma and flavour to that imported from England. So satisfied aro the directors of the Pharmacie Centralo with the results, tliat they express their readiness, should any pharmacien be snOiciently enterprising to extend the experiment to the neighbourhood of the manufactory at St. Donis, to undertake to use all the produce. We have to record tho death of Dr. Neil Arnott, an event which took place tho other day at tho advanced age of eighty-five. To horticulturists ho was best known by his treatise on " Warming and Ventilation," and by the stoves which bear his name. For this and for other novel applications of science, to the preservation of public health, tho jurors of one department of tho Universal Exposi. tion of Paris of 1853 awarded him a gold modal, to which tho Emperor added the Crass of tho Legion of Honour. As tho inventor of the " Arnott stove," tho " Arnott ventilator," and the water bed, for which Miariy a sulTernr owes him a debt of gratitude, it is not likely that liis name will soon bu forgotten; but it deserves to bo roconh^d in his honour that ho constantly rel'usod to patent his inven- tion, from tho wide use of whi<:li he ijiight havo n%iped, had ho plcabud, a handsomo iuuouio. This, however, hu declined to do ; ho sought a higher reward than that which money could have given him ; and, accordingly, what he sought he found before his decease. In order that somo idea may be formed as to the enormous extent of land required to grow trees for building and other purposes, in Europe alone, it may be stated that no less than 500,000,000 of acres are at this moment estimated to be in cultivation as woodlands, which is a very large per-centago ou the whole area. The coloured plate of the current number of the Revue llorticole represents the flowers of Hydrangea acuminata, a very hardy, vigorous-growing, aud handsome species, from Japan. The umbel boars, ou its outer margin, a single row of large sterile flowers, the petals of which are of a fine rose-colour, and are cut or scalloped on the anterior edge. The centre of the umbel contains a great number of very small fertile flowers, the colour of which is of a much deeper rose. This species, unlike somo other Hydrangeas, thrives well iu the full sunshine. It is offered for sale by MM.. Thibaut aud Keteleer, nurserymen, Sceaux, Paris. One of our correspondents in I'aris writes to us (says the Pall Mall Gazette) that the most superb bouquets of artificial flowers are being prepared there for presentation at Chiselhursfc ou the IGth inst. In most of them Violets predominate. One, which is exhibited in the Boulevard Haussman, is of great size, and is com- posed of Red Roses, in the centre of a circle of white flowers, and an outside one of blue. The whole is, at it were, powdered with golden bees, and some Laurel twigs artistically twined, form the following inscription : — ■" To Napoleon IV. on his birthday, the 16th of March." One immense bouquet of Violets has already been sent to Ghiselhurst. It measures 3 feet in height, and is fully 21 yards iu circumference at the broadest part. It is composed of dark aud light-coloured Violets, surrounded with leaves of the same flower, and arouud the centre is a circle of flowering Heather, emblematic of the Scottish descent of the Empress. — — The last number of the Garteujlora contains a description and coloured plate of a very handsome species of Saxifrage, which, up to the present, seems to be very little known or appreciated by cultiva- tors. This species, which is named S. flornlenta, Moretti, is a native of Northern Italy, in the region of the Maritime Alps. It forms a dense and handsome rosette of lance-shaped, sharply-pointed, radical leaves, very closely crowded together, tho entire rosette being roundish in outline, i inches or so across, and nearly 3 inches deep. From the ceutre of the rosette it sends up a very stout flower-stem about 10 inches high, which, at blooming-time, is covered, throughout its entire length, with a great profusion of rose-coloured flowers, arranged in a thyrsoid panicle. Tho plant, as figured in the Qartenjlora, is one of the most effective species of Saxifrage wo have seen, and is well worthy the attention of all lovers of hardy plants. We believe Mr. Maw was the first to introduce it into English gardens. In the report of the directors of the Chiswick Gardens, it is stated that a trial of Grapes will forthwith be instituted there. Many new varieties of the Grape Vine, it is observed, have been introduced into our gardens within the last few years, aud it has been thought desirable to devote a house to tho growth of these, with a view to a closer observation of their peculiarities and merits. The small curvilinear Vinery in which the different sorts of White Muscats had been brought together some years since for a like object, which has been accomplished, has been set apart for this purpose. Such work as this, and the trials of vegetables and flowers which are every year made at Chiswick, well befit a society like the Royal Horticul- tural, which was founded for the advancement of horticulture. It is to bo wished that circnmstaucos permitted more of this kind of work to be taken iu hand, and that the strife and bickerings which have of late been too notorious might bo abandoned, and a united and unanimous effort made to put tho affairs of the society on a more secure foundation. At a recent sitting of the lustitiit Egyptien, Dr. Schweinfurth pointed out that many of the cnltivated plauts which are not known iu the wild state in Lower Egypt are represented by identical or nearly allied spontaneous forms iu the countries adjoining the Upper Nile. The common Lulfa, or Washiug-gourd (the fibrous skeleton of tho fruit of which is sometimes sold in this country as a substitute for sponge), is wild iu Central Africa, and only known as cultivated in Egypt. Ho finds the origin of tho Vino of Egypt in a wild Abys- sinian species. The Olive he seems inclined to refer back to tho shores of tho Red Sea ; while the Sycomore Fig, Doum Palm, and Date all seem to him to belong, in a wild state, to the south. From tho remarkable but woU-known fact that the Lotus (^felumbium) has disappeared from tho whole Nilotic region within historic times, aud that tho Papyrus is not now found beyond U' N. lat., he arrives at tho eonelusioii that tho climate of Egypt has lost tho eharacteristio features which formerly united it with that of tropical Africa, and that the natural prodiictioua of the country have gradually become more northern. Miscn 7, 1874] THE GAEDBN. ]09 THE FLOWER GARDEN. TALL BELLFLOWERS. By J. C. NIVEN, Botanic Gardens, Hull. The genus Campanula — with -wbicli, in its widely-distribiited representative, the common Hairbell of our heaths and hedge- rows, and the Canterbury Bells of our gardens, we are all familiar — is one to which the gaiety of our herbaceous borders is, in no small degree, indebted. The result of the close and careful analysis of the natural order Campanulaceaj, made by De Candolle for publication in his " Prodromus," led to a slight dislocation in the old typical genus of the order, by which sundry offshoots sprang into existence ; and, while a large majority of species of Campanula, according to old authors, were retained as Bell- flowers, certain distinct forms were made sponsors for new genera on account of special structural peculiarities, into the details of which I need not here enter, but content myself by saying that these peculiarities are co-existent with a distinct general habit and contour. Foremost amongst these new genera i stand Platycodon and Adenophora, to the former of which I wish now to direct attention. The title Platy- codon, which is of Greek etymology, literally means broad-bell, and has been given to this genus, which embraces a small group, in whi<;h, although the base of the corolla is somewhat contracted, the limb ex- pands broadly into widely-diverging segments. It has also a marked peculiarity in its unexpanded flower- buds, which are so much inflated as to justify the name by which it is known amongst Orientals, viz., the " balloon plant," a name which, no doubt, will acquire general popu- larity. Platycodon g'randiflorum. This was originally an introduc- tion from Chinese Tartary, about the close of the last century, and was then supposed, as coming from the East, to be, if not tender, at least only half-hardy. Under the somewhat restricted mode of culture to which it was subjected as a pot- nlant, it so rarely produced more thai! one flower on each stem, that there were some doubts as to whether it was jvistifiably referred to Jacquin's Campanula grandiflora, in which the flowers were described, from wild specimens, as usually occurring in terminal clusters. It was, however, found, on reference to the " Hei-barlum," that occasionally the stems were unifloral, even amongst the native specimens. Possibly, in a wild state, as in cultivation, the number of flowers depended very much on the circum- stances under which the plant was grown, and also the age of the plant from which the specimen was taken ; as, in my experience, I have never known, except in a solitary instance, more than one flower produced in the first season of blooming. The same remark applies to many of our very best long-lived perennial plants ; hence the frequent dissatisfaction expressed by over-sanguine cultivators, who forget that in proportion to the natural longevity of the plant is the time required to attain its full power of floral development. Platycodon grandiflorum is a thoroughly good herbaceous plant, perfectly hardy in light dry soils, but most impatient — as, indeed, is P. autumnale — of damp and undraiued situations, where its Platycodon autumnale. thick fleshy roots are sure to decay — sometimes from below, upwards ; but more generally from above, downwards, rotting off just at the neck. As the specific name would indicate, the flowers of P. grandiflorum are much larger than those of its closely-allied species P. autumnale, being as much as 2 to 3 inches across, of a deep blue colour, with a slightly slaty shade therein, reminding one a good deal of the old Lisianthus Russelianus, now so rarely met with in cultivation. They are produced in clusters at the summit of each of the branches, which proceed from the old root-stock, rising to a height of about 18 inches, and being very slender at the base. If neglected in the matter of supports in their early stage of growth, they are sure to fall to the ground, thus giving the plant, however beautiful its blossoms may be, an untidy appearance. This a little forethought will readily obviate ; but, be it noted, if such a result occurs from early neglect, it is almost impossible to remedy it when the flowers are nearly developed, as branch after branch will break away, if made to assume the iisually erect position, in the process of tying. When down, it will be better to leave them as they are, allow- ing the bloom to compensate, by its beauty, for any untidy appearance that the plant may present, merely taking the pre- caution to peg down the branches, else the sportive winds may whisk them round, and efl'ect their total dislocation from the parent stock. Possibly the best position for such a plant would he overhanging a rock-ledge in a sunny corner of the rock-garden, where a somewhat negligent character of growth would be inkeepingwithits situation, and its flowers, produced on a level with the eye, would be shown to great advantage. Like most of the Campanulas, it has a tendency to sport in colour, and to revert from blue to white through various modifications. Equally pretty and acceptable, as a garden plant, is the white variety; though it is by no means so frequently met with as the blue type. Platycodon autumnale. This species comes from China and Japan, and I am not sure if those botanists who look upon it as nothing more than a slightly modified form of the Siberian plant, may not be correct ; be that as it may, its genei'al characteristics, as regards growth and habit, are, under cultivation, both distinct, and con- stant, and give it a much better defined specific character than that which many universally recognised species possess. Compared with P. grandiflorum, it is both taller and more robust in growth, attaining a height of 3 feet under favourable circumstances ; its leaves are narrower, but more densely arranged than those of P. grandiflorum; and its flowers, though smaller in size, are produced in greater quantities and are pretty evenly distributed along the upper half of the stems — this arrangement is shown in the accompanying representation of the plant. From its taller stature, and, also, the fact that its young shoots are far more woody and vigorous in their growth than those of P. grandiflorum, its true position should be in the second or third rank of the herbaceous border. Besides a white variety, we flnd in this species, a tendency to become semi-double, by a soi't of " hose in hose" re-duplication of the corolla, similar to what occurs in maiiy of our Campa- nulas. This variation I have not noticed in the large-flowered species. Cultural Remarks. There are one or two specialities in the matter of cultivation that apply eqiially to both species. Fu-st, as regards removal ; if a strong well-established plant is to be transplanted, let it be done in the month of May, when growth has commenced ; the thick fleshy roots are sure to be, more or less, damaged in the process, and nature must be in an active state to repair such damage. If this be done during the winter, when the plant's energies are dormant, decay from the mutilated parts of the root upwards, is sure to take place, and the strong pro- bability is that the entire root-stock will become affected. The spade must be looked upon as a decidedly warlike imple- ment to use among these plants ; one unlucky thrust through their brittle crowns and they, the plants, are gone for ever. Indeed, the less such an implement is used, in borders devoted to the culture of herbaceous plants, the better. In cutting down the stems in autumn, it is usual, with a view to neatness, to cut close to the crown. This, however, as Nature herself teaches 200 THE GARDEN. [Marcu 7, 1874. us, is not at all times good practice, and this especially applies to the Platycodons ; if cut close, their hollow stems form couductiug pipes to carry water iutothe very heart of the plant, aud the result is decay from above downwards. The same caution is applicable to many other plants besides Platycodons. As regards propagation,, the best mode is that of raising seedlings. Unfortunately, our climate is ill adapted to the maturation of seeds in general, and especially so with regard to Platycodons ; they, however, seed freely on the Con- tinent, and from that source a svipply can readily be obtained. The young shoots, taken off when about 3 inches long, in spring, will strike if placed in a gentle bottom-heat, but not freely. I have seen it stated that the fleshy roots, cut into lengths and placed under similar treatment, will grow ; but my experience only realised the development of buds at the upper end, accom- panied by decay in place of root-development below, and the final result was failure. To those who possess sti'ong vigorous plants of either species, I would say: Don't disturb them, even at the pressing wish of your best friend who may covet a portion thereof ; rather get a packet of seed, and exercise all the patience you may happen to possess, and the result will be more satisfactory both to yourself and your friend than if your well-established plants had been mutilated in an attempt at division. BEDDING CALCEOLAEIAS. TirE following directions as to how these should be propagated may be of use to beginners. The Calceolarias bloom mostly in summer, and scarcely can a shoot be then found that does not contain an embryo flower-spike. Such shoots make bad cuttings ; and, besides, they are then , so soft and watery, that they do not strike well ; and, although, we miglit like to propagate our next year's stock at that season, they would grow too much before winter, and would not only require transplanting, two months' extra attention, and pinch- ing, but they would also occupy more frame-room during winter than later-struck cuttings would do. The proper time for propagating such Calceolarias is the end of September and October. For this purpose, prepare a cold wooden or turf frame on a dry basis, fill it to within 6 inches of the top with sandy loam, and over that spread some clean silver-sand. Then select nice stubby side-shoots, as firm as possible, pick out any flower-spikes that are visible, remove one or two of the base-leaves, cut horizontally below a joint with a sharp knife, and dibble them thickly, regularly, and firmly into the frames, giving them a sprinkling of water, through a fine rose, to settle the soil and to prevent the cuttings from flagging. Keep the frames close and shaded for a day or two ; but after- wards remove the shading, and only use it again during the succeeding month to counteract the effects of bright sunshine. Such cuttings take a long time to root ; but, if the atmosphere of the frame is kept dry, and the plants free from damp by dredgings of wood-ashes, dry dust, and old lime-rubbish, they will root satisfactorily during winter, and in spring will yield tops for additional cuttings ; but, whether employed for cuttings or not, they are best pinched off. These frames rcqiiire no further care beyond protection, by means of cover- ing the sashes, in the event of frost, and banking up the sides, if of wood, with soil. Wooden boxes, seed-pans, or pots might also be used for striking Calceolarias in ; in which case they might be wintered in any pit, greenhouse, or conservatory. Whether they are propagated in frames or boxes, they should be transplanted further ap.art than they previously were into other frames, filled with rich open soil, in which they will become fit for planting out by the middle of May, if the shoots have been attentively pinched when they required it. In autumn, too, it is a good plan to draw some earth around the necks of the old plants, so as to induce the emission of roots from that portion of their stems ; and, at lifting time, in November, to se]3aratc every rooted branch, and plant them as independent plants in frames. They will yield abundance of cuttings in spring, but it is from a few old plants, lifted and saved in frames for the purpose, we get our chief supply of such young-rooted plants. Spring propagation is often a matter of uncertainty, but, as fine a lot of Calceolaria cuttings as I ever beheld, I saw last year in the frame-ground at Battersea Park, and these wei-e struck in February. These cuttings were selected from old plants wintered in frames, and fully exposed every fine day by drawing the sashes completely off' them, con- sequently they were prettjy hard and well-seasoned. They had beeTi inserted in cool frames, precisely as advised for autumn cuttings, and a failure could scarcely be found even in four lights of them, and by bedding-out time they had formed very serviceable, well-rooted, stocky plants. Spring cuttings, however, are mostly rooted in hot-beds, in boxes or pans, and often as many of them damp off as survive to JDecome plants ; nevertheless, where the stock is deficient, this mode must be resorted to. It is best to strike them after the middle of March in pure sand, in a hot-bed or propagat- ing-pit, where there is no stagnant atmospheric moisture, and, when rooted, to pot them, or put them in boxes in light sandy soil, still keeping them in warm quarters, for a few days. After that, gradually shift them into places in which there is less heat. Powdered charcoal or wood-ashes, strewed on the surface of the soil amongst the cuttings, are great pre- ventives of damp, and a judicious use of the watering-pot should be exercised. W. F. A SPEING FLOWEE BED. I AM glad to find your artistic correspondent. Miss A. Hassard, recommending spring bedding, and I am sure that her arrange- ment of colours must be perfect. The accompanying plan, but little altered this winter from last spring, was so much admired by some of my friends, that I venture to send it to you. The oval is cut on the turf, the grass on the inside being slightly raised. In the centre stands an inverted root of a tree, about 3 feet high, densely clothed with Ivy, which hangs in a fringe all round ; the inside of the root is filled with Centaurea can- didissima, which gives it a cheerful appearance in winter, and, should it survive till spring, will furnish abundance of cuttings. In the oval, the curving lines 1 and 2 are crimson and white Daisies alternately crossing each other (8 inches wide) ; 3, (of which there are eight small ovals) is Pansy Imperial Blue Perfection (Henderson) ; 4, Pansy Sunset, bright yellow with black eye ; 5, a large blackish-purple Pansy, found by a neigh- bour in an old-fashioned garden, and increased by him. It is a far better bedder than the well-known Cliveden Purple. 6, Pansy Cliveden Blue. This forms the groundwork of the whole bed. All the Pansics and Daisies are planted thickly, which ensures a mass of bloom. All my other Pansy and Daisy spring beds are arranged in patterns, except where Tulips are used, when one variety only is planted as a groundwork. The oval before mentioned is nearly 5 feet in width of the flower- belt, and between 40 and 50 feet in extreme length. Pansy. Cytisua fragrans. — This makes one of the prettiest of all early spring bloom- ing window-plarita, and deserves to be more extensively grown than it is for tlilH purpose. It bears an abundant supply of sweet-scented yellow flowers, and is easily fj;rown in any ordinary apartment. All the attention it recjuiros is to cut it down after flowering, and either to syringe or sprinkle the plant every day while making its young growth. It does well in any room window if protected from frost. Masch 7, 1874] THE GARDEN. 201 GARDEN DESTROYERS. SLUGS AND SNAILS. These are often troublesome, both iu our outdoor and indoor gardens. They are equally at home in the plant-stove or Cucumber-house, ivith a winter tempei'ature of TO", or under a hand-light of Lettuce or Cauliflower plants, silently doing their work of destruction, unless prevented by hai'd frost. The means required for the destruction of these and other garden pests are almost as varied as the different plants and situations to which their depredations are extended. There are few Orchid-growers who have not had cause to lament their presence, in the shape of young growths, flower-spikes, and roots eaten ofl: ; for here their operations are not interrupted by excessive droughts or pinching frosts. The wonderful powers of instinct possessed by even such pests as these are scarcely known to those even who make their habits a life study. In the open air, where slugs and snails are more nume- rous, and whei'e their food abounds in greater quantity than iu plant and fruit houses, we have not an opportunity of fully seeing how they are attracted to a given spot where food suited to their taste exists. A bed of crisp Lettuce, Cabbage, or a row of winter Celery is a favourite haunt with them. Here, however, it might be supposed that, in their nightly peregrinations, they accidentally discovered their feeding- y- ground ; but, in the Orchid-house, the power which they exhibit of discovering food which they like is a subject for contemplation. I have often observed that a slug will travel over the surface of a pot in which is growing a Dendrobium nobile, a Cattleya, Vanda, or similar upright plant, for a score of times without ever attempting to ascend into the head of the plant — unless it is iu bloom, in which case they are certain to find their way straight to the flowers ; after which they will descend, and return to some favourite hiding-place, often at the opposite end of the house, returning regularly every night to feed on their dainty dish, unless means are taken to cut short their career. Being animal as well as vegetable feeders, they are extremely fond of fat. I have frequently dropped tallow about in places where they were least likely to find it, but seldom did many nights pass before they made its acquaintance. Slugs do serious harm in the Orchid-house by eating indiscriminately whatever young roots are made above the surface of the soil, as well as young growth and flower-spikes. They do not often exist here in great numbers ; but a few continually get in, often in the shape of eggs, in the potting materials, or they find their way in under the doors. As soOn as the unmistakable slimy trace is apparent, the best way is to get a few sweet Apples, if in season — of these they are very fond — slice them and lay them about plentifully ; look them over two or three hours after dark, when the slugs are almost certain to be caught feeding. Small bits of fat meat or crisp Lettuce leaves can be used in the same way. There is a small snail, not more than three-sixteenths of an inch in diameter, which, when full grown, smells strongly of Garlic if crushed. If numerous, it is very annoying, eating the flower-spikes and young growth when they first begin to push. Sliced Apples or Potatoes should be laid about in quantity on the surface of the pots, looking them over in the morning, and an hour or two after dark; perseverance in this way will shortly rid the Orchid- house of their presence. If tan is allowed to lie for any con- siderable time after it is taken from the pits before being nsed, it is sometimes much infested with this species of snail. I have seen it introduced by thousands in this way into a. pit of fruiting Pines, and, when they began to push, the snails set to them in such quantities as to cause every fi'uit to become deformed. In the Cucumber and Melon-house, and iu pitsand frames devoted to the cultivation of these plants, slugs are generally troublesome, finding their way in among the fresh soil, which is frequently required in such houses. The best way is to constantly keep some of the materials advised for the Orchid-house laid down to entice them, occasionally looking them over. Pieces of board about a foot square, laid down tipon the surface of the soil under which they take shelter in the daytime, make good traps. In the Mushroom-house, if troublesome, they must be sought for by candle-light diligently until caught. In Fern-houses, where masses of rock-work exist, they are sometimes very troublesome, destroying the young fronds of some Ferns as they appear, such as Adian- tums, Thamnopteris, some Polypodiums, &c. They have such facilities here for hiding and breeding that it is difficult to eradicate them if once they are allowed to get to a head ; con- tinual trapping with materials such as aljove advised, and frequent hunting for them by candle-light, will, if persevered in, clear the house of them. Slugs Out-of-doors. It is out-of-doors, however, that they exist in quantities, and it is here that they frequently sorely tax both the patience and the perseverance of the gardener. It is often said that slugs and weeds are the natural consequence of bad gardening ; this in some measure is true, but not always. If the land is kept continually stirred by the hoe, as it should be, for the due ad- mission of air and the destruction of weeds, slugs are destroyed thereby in great numbers ; and in gardens completely walled round, and where there is no Box edging for them to harbour in, a thorough system of good culture will soon reduce their numbers so as to render them comparatively harmless. But where the soil of the kitchen-garden is of a heavy adhesive nature, and happens to be adjoining to Grass land, with only a growing fence of some kind for a division, through which they can come by thousands — as they may be seen doing on a damjD April morning — the work of keeping them under is con- tinuous. All ground that has been trenched, ridged, or dug over in the autumn, should be gone over with the pick, when hard frost occurs, turning it up roughly as deep as the frost has penetrated. This will destroy numbers. In the spring and summer some recommend a few ducks in the kitchen- garden ; these will destroy very great numbers, and they will also spoil both Peas, Lettuces, and other crops, rendering their presence as objectionable as the pests which they are intro- duced to destroy. Numbers of slugs may be got rid of by placing small heaps of refuse vegetable tops on the ground for a few days, and then removing them to the rubbish-heap, which should always be liberally mixed with quick-lime before it is returned to the garden. But the most effectual method I have ever tried for destroying them in quantities is to pro- cure, in April, May, or June, a plentiful supply of air-slaked lime. On a warm damp evening at dusk (if in June, after a thunder-shower all the better), take and sow by hand the whole of the garden over vnth lime, so as to give the ground the ap- pearance of a sprinkling of snow. Thousands will receive their quietus on the first sowing, but numbers that have only got a slight powdering will throw oft" their slimy coat, lime and all. To make sure of these, the ground should all be gone over a second time forthwith ; and if trouble is taken to see the effect which the second application has upon those that have escaped the first dose, it will be seen that a very small quantity destroys them, owing to their not having the power to throw off a second slimy jacket. If the colour of the lime is objectionable, a little soot may be added, but not in such quantity as to weaken the caustic properties of the lime. Two or three applications of this description during spring and summer will greatly reduce their numbers. Plants most Liable to Attack. Care should always be taken not to plant on the same ground two crops iu succession that are particularly subject to the ravages of snails or slugs, such as Lettuce after winter Broccoli. I have seen half an acre of Peas, after winter Celery, completely destroyed, almost every Pea eaten off before they appeared above ground. In old gardens an occasional dressing of salt in the autumn or winter, half a ])Ound to the square yard, over ground that is trenched or dug over, will greatly benefit the land as well as destroy the slugs and other pests. Slugs are amongst the greatest enemies with which the Dahlia- grower has to contend. Many make a circle round the plant with lime or soot ; but this gets wet and becomes baked, and the slugs then crawl over it without difficulty ; and, if the dressing is kept renewed repeatedly, it becomes injurious to the plants. The short bristle-cuttings from the brushmakers are the best material with which to strew the ground round the plants. In either a wet or dry state, this material sticks to slugs as they attempt to crawl over it. Wheat straw chopped 202 THE GARDEN. [Maech 7, 1874. fine, or Wheat chaS, is also an excellent material for strewing round the collars o£ herbaceous plants, such as Delphiniums, Phloxes, double Rockets, or other choice plants. It is not only a protection from the slugs, but, also, from severe frost. Slugs are, often, very annoying amongst Strawberries when in considerable numbers, destroying much of the best fruit, and the mulchings l-equired for the Strawberries are very favour- able for the protection of the slugs. In this case I have found no method for their destruction equal to laying down every two or three yards, amongst the plants, a piece of flat tile, and looking these over twice a week through April and May. An active boy will go over a considerable breadth in a couple of hours, dropping the slugs into an empty flower-pot, or any vessel in which they can be taken and destroyed. If this is persevered in, by the time the fruit ripens they will be reduced in number so as not to do serious damage. In gardens that have been neglected, where slugs abound in large numbers, it frequently happens in a damp and showery spring that it becomes almost an impossibility to plant anything out in the shape of Cauliflowers, Cabbage, Lettuce, or anything they will eat. You may strew the ground with wood or coal-ashes amongst the young plants, dust with lime and soot until the plants are so overdone with it that they refuse to grow, and still find it impossible to keep the slugs in check. In such cases there is no resource but hand-picking morning and evening. This slow and unsatisfactory business should, how- ever, be dispensed with as soon as their numbers can be reduced by the more general means already advised, and, above all, by adopting a thorough system of cultivation. Deep trench- ing buries great numbers of both them and their eggs, so deep as to cause them to perish. The removal of all refuse vegetable matter as soon as the crops are cleared, keeping the grojind, as far as possible, amongst growing crops continually stirred, as also all ground from which the crops have been gathered — this, more especially in dry weather, is destructive both to them and their eggs, exposing them to the scorching sun, and to their natural enemies the birds. Large Wall-snails. The large wall-snail, that bears its house on its back, is some- times very troublesome, especially on Peach or Cherry walls. If left unchecked in spring, it quickly denudes Cherries of their leaves whilst they are young and tender, doing serious mischief. The growing fruit of Nectarines, being, unUke the Peach, smooth, is an especial favourite with them. It is surprising the damage half-a-dozen of these snails will do, every night breaking into a number of fresh fruit ; and they are by no means so easy to find as might be supposed. They get under the leaves and behind the branches, and continue their depredations until the last fruit is gathered ; and, when ripe, attacking Peaches and Nectarines alike. In the winter they take up their abode in any open joint in the wall whore the mortar has become defective, under the coping, or right over the wall at the opposite side, or under anything that may Ije lying near the foundation under which they can pass the winter. The best traps I have found for them are empty Seakale-pots, with the lids on, placed on the ground at intervals of a few yards on each side of the wall, a little before the leaves begin to fall. If these are examined once a fortnight during tlie autumn, the snails will be found attached to the inside of the pots, and before Christmas not many will escape. At the same time, every crevice in the wall on both sides should be cai'cfully looked over, for a number of the small fry will be in existence, and must also bo destroyed. T. Baines. NOTES AND QUESTIONS ON GABDEN DESTROYERS. Moles in Flower-'beds-— I eha-U feci much obliged to any of your corrcspon- (loTii-K who will kindly inform mo of some effectual means of getting rid of thcflc trouljlesome little burrowGrs. I have tried an iron spring-trap without much succcaa.— G. S. \V. Traps for Catching Blackbirds-— I beg to inform your correspondent *'H" (p. 10:1), tliat till; steel or iron rat-trapa for catching ))lackbirdH may bo obtained from any ironmonger in his ncigliboiirhood. 'Dicy are only the miniaiure Bteel traps, flo commonly used by ra'.oatchcn*, the larger ones bein^ used by gamekeepers for catching raljljit^, ca':s, and other vermin. I find the best bait for tying on the plates of the traps is a email piece of a ripe Apple or Pear, these being tougher to pock at than Gno-iobcrrios or Currants ; and the blackbirds, in their efforts to devour them, are invariably caught bythcirnecks or head, and killed instantly.— William Tilleev, Wdbeck, THE GARDEN IN THE HOUSE. NATURE -FEINTING LEAVES AND GRASSES. Before proceeding to give the following directions for nature- printing Ferns, leaves. Grasses, &c., I will make a few remarks on the machine for applying the necessary pressure ; arid, also, on the paper. I use Bradford's No. D. roller-press, which is better known in the laundry than in the printing office. It consists of two 12-inch India-rubber-cased rollers fixed in a strong wooden frame, with screws to fasten it to a piece of wood projecting from a wall. The pressure is obtained by means of a strong spring and screw, which are put in motion by turning a handle. Now, I am not sure that better impressions could be obtained by using a higher class machine, such as a lithographic press for instance ; I think, perhaps, it might be more convenient in working. To those who have one at command, I would say, try it ; I have not had the opportunity, I have used an ordinary copying press, but the prints are wanting in sharpness. With regard to the paper, choose that of a fair quality, and free from manufacturers' marks ; I think it is called, in the trade, " wove-paper." Albumenised paper answers well, and gives a photographic appearance to the print, but it is too expensive for general use. The size I have found most convenient, and quite large enough to take a good speci- men of most Ferns, is 17g by 11 inches the half sheet. If it is desirable to use a larger frond than the half-sheet will take in, I double it previous to drying, of course arranging it so that the character of all its parts may be seen ; or I cut it in half and take a print of each part on separate papers, which I have only to lay end to end and I get a full-length portrait. The necessary articles are rather numerous, but, with the exception of the press, they can be had for a few shillings. The price of the press I have just described is £2 2s. As regards requisites, I get a small jar of printer's ink (black) a little linseed oil, a 5-inch roller, such as is used by printers ; a piece of smooth slate, about 16 by 6 inches ; an old table-knife, worn thin ; a paper-knife ; a quantity of paper, as previously described ; four pieces of thin card-board, I85 by 12 inches ; two pieces of chamois leather, and a press. Cut the two pieces of leather a little smaller than the card-boards, take two of the boards, lay a leather on each, then stitch the board and leather together all round the edge, at the same time stretching the leather, just a little, to take out the wrinkles. This pair of boards I shall now call pads for the sake of distinction. The other pair may be fastened together with two or three strips of tape, so as to resemble a book- cover. Procure the fronds, leaves, or whatever is to be printed, dry them between sheets of blotting-paper under heavy pressure. If the rachis, or mid-rib, is too thick (as will be seen if the parts near it do not come out clearly in the print), it must be cut thinner with a sharp knife, taking care to preserve the scales on the part left. All being ready, proceed as follows : — Put a small quantity of ink on the slate, add a few drops of oil, and mix well together with the knife, then take the roller and work the ink all over the surface of the slate. I cannot give the exact pro- portions of ink and oil; the proper consistency will soon be found by a little practice. Now, the ink must be taken from the slate to the pads, which is best done by working the roller alternately on the slate and the leather until the ink is evenly distriljuled over the latter. Lay the pads together and pass them several times through the press, in order to get the ink well in. After this, just a touch over with the roller occasion- ally will be found sufficient. It is necessary to have an assistant (a little boy would do) to attend to folding the paper and to pass it through the press &c., as it is impossible for one who does the inking to keep his hands from being soiled. So far, all has been preparation, and some may think it rather a long one ; but it is not so much to do after all. Now for the actual work. Lay the dried frond or leaf 'oetween the pads, and pass them two or three times through the press. Then separate them carefully. If the frond adheres to the pads, the paper-knife will be found useful. Let your assistant open a sheet of paper and lay on the clean pair of card -boards, place the frond in the middle of the half-sheet and fold the other half over it, also fold the boards, and pass them once through the press. Eemove the frond and two faithful prints will be the result March 7, 1874.] THE GAEDEN. 203 Should they, however, be a little too black, which is sometimes the case, take another impression without re-inking the frond. In this way, I have freqently taken four ; of course, each is a little lighter than the pi'eceding one. It will be seen that the same froud may be used till some accident renders it imperfect. Care must be taken that nothing gets attached to the frond, for so fine a thing as a hair would spoil the otherwise beautiful prints. Anyone having a machine, the rollers of which are not cased with ludia-rubber, may get oa capitally with a piece of sheet-rubber the same size as the card-boards, cutting it half through down the middle, so that the part uncut may act as a hinge. Place the boards containing the frond or leaf within this, previous to putting it through the press. I forgot to say that the ink takes better if the paper is damped a little. The prints must be thoroughly dried before being laid togethei-. Teignmouth. Tuohas Smith. -v, ^^\_^Sfe;/^ c^fm, WREATHS AND GARLANDS. These rank among the prettiest styles of floral decorations, their only drawback being that some practice is wanted to make them nice and light-looking. Long pieces of wire are required for the foundations, and some bundles of Moss to keep the stems of both flowers and Ferns fresh. There are so many flowers suitable at all times of the year for this kind of decoration, that I need not enumei'ate them, as the selection must depend on the size and description of the wreath or garland intended to be made, and, as a rule, light and airy- looking flowers are the best to select. As each flower is bound on to the foundation after having been previously wired, it should be drawn out into the required position, and plenty of damp Moss should be bound round its stem, so as to preserve its freshness. Tor small sprays, use very little Moss, for, were it to appear, it would tend to make the wreath look heavy, but in a large garland its appearance does not matter so much; indeed, if the Moss is fresh and green, its being shown will be an improvement. Though the Moss should be damp, permit no water to remain therein, beyond what does so when pressed, after being washed, for, if water is allowed to drip from it, it would spoil anything the garland might happen to touch. A few sprays of Lygodium soandeus look light and elegant twined through wreaths of any description. Heavy flowers should, as a rule, be avoided, as, though in themselves they may be handsome, they tend to give a heavy appearance to the wreath, which no amount of dressing with b''ems or other foliage will obviate. I am of opinion that if fewer Camellias were employed, and more of other flowers substituted, such as Bouvardias, Stephanotis, &c., wreaths that are exhibited in the florists' windows would often have a lighter and more elegant appear- ance than they sometimes present. Sprays of Ivy intertwine charmingly in this style of decoration ; but young sprays of a good colour and with small leaves should be selected. Another creeper admirably suited for this purpose is the Japan Honey- suckle. A. H. simple little flowers arranged ia as follows : — Take an ordinary saucer and fill it with fresh. looking Moss, such as grows in woods or is sold in the market in bundles, and which has previously been well washed ; build the Moss up in the form of a little mound in the saucer, keeping the fresh points of tho Moss to the front, so as to make it look as fresh and velvet-like as possible. The water should be well pressed out of the Moss, but enough moisture should be left in it to keep the flower-stems placed in it fresh. Round the edge of tho saucer Fern fronds should be arranged, so as to hide the china ; and, for this purpose, tho tips of the oommoQ Brake are best. Then take the Violet blooms and make them into bunches, say, eight or ten in each bunch ; their stems should be then bound together with a piece of binding wire. The binding wire, besides keeping the stems together, makes them firm, and renders them capable of being bent into any position required. When as many of these little bunches are made as are considered to be sufiioient, they should be dotted over tho ground-work of green Moss. A few Snowdrops, if procurable, placed here and thore amongst the Violets, produce a charming effect, and a mixture of white Violets also looks very well in an arrangement of this description. Tho addition of a few fronds of Maiden-hair Fern, too, tends to lighten the general effect. The Moss should be well damped every morning, and, if this be not forgotten, tho Violets will keep fresh and emit their sweet perfume for many days. Some use the leaves of .sweet-scented Pelargoniums in place of Fern fronds, but the perfume of the Pelargonium leaves quite overpowers that of the Violets, therefore Ferns are best, and there are few places in which a frond or two of them cannot be had. A. Hassakd. Upper Norwood. A Floral Wreath. HOW TO ARRANGE VIOLETS EPFBCTIVBLT. These charming little flowers are difficult to arrange, so as to be effective, owing to the slendemess of their stems, but this difficulty may be obviated; and Violets, when properly treated, will last in per- fection for a considerable length of time. The usual way in which Violets are attempted to be kept fresh is to put them in water tied up in the bunch, as when bought, but the stems are never all of the same length, and the consequence is that, in reality, only about half of them reach the water, and the other half becomes withered, causing the whole bunch to be thrown out as dead, whereas only half of it is in that condition. The style in which 1 like best to see these Sibthorpia europsea as a Window Plant. — This pretty little plant is, perhaps, better suited for the window than for either the flower-garden or conservatory. It is easily calti- vated, being particular neither as to soil nor situa. tion ; it seems, however, to like a sandy loam mixed with leaf-soil, or decayed manure best, and the more light and air it gets the better it thrives. During late spring and summer it requires plenty of water, but in winter it should be kept moderately dry. When it begins to make fresh growth, it should be re-potted ; shake away part of the old soil, use fresh material and re-pot in the same sized pot in which the plant was formerly growing. lu the event of any of the plants, at re-potting time, being too large, divide them into two or more pieces, and pot each portion separately. Shorten back the old growths at potting-time, so as to induce the plants to break afresh. They may be readily propagated by means of cuttings, divisions, or seeds. They thrive apace either in stoves, cool green- houses, frames, or windows, but, under all circumstances, the pots, or baskets, containing them should be suspended, so as to permit the Moss-Iike growths to hang over the edges, and form a dense drooping coverlet for the pot or basket. Cocoanut-shells, or any other little ornamental pot or basket, may be used for this Sib- thorpia, which is one of those plants that grow better alone than when associated with other plants ; therefore, small pots or baskets should always be used for it in preference to large ones. When at the Lawson Nurseries, Edinburgh, a short time since, I saw some hundreds of a variegated form of this plant. Its leaves were deeply marked with pure white; and, if anything, I think the habit of the variegated sort is dwarfer and more compact than that of the common green-leaved kind. — W. Falconek. NOTES AND QUESTIONS ON THE OARDEN IN THE HOUSE Sonchus laciuiatug pinnatifidus.— This is a very gr.iceful plai't for cUnner-tablo decoration, as, havin<:r such finely-cut leaves, it has a Ijcautiiul light- looking appearance. It is a plant of qoiek "growth, and is easily increased by means o£ cuttings or seeds.— R. H. B. Button-hole Bouquets.— Very pretty little bonqaets of this kind may now bo seen in the shop windows and also in Covont Garden Market. A very effec- tive one may be made of white Hyacinth flowers, and a bloom or two of SciHa sibirica, or white Hyacinth, and a pip or two of Euphorbia iacquinifeflora, backed in both cases either by a fresh Rose-leaf or Maiden-hair Pern. The Rose-buds with then' own foliage are always fresh, fragrant, and effective, and Jew button-holes equal these for the winter months.— B. 204 THE GARDEN. tMAUCH 1, 18?4. THE ARBORETUM. ON THE TENDERNESS AND DECLINE OF THE LAKCH IN BRITAIN. I REJOICE to see that this subject is attracting the attention of your correspondents. I have been a close observer of arbori- culture in Scotland— no less than in the north of England— dunng fully fifty years, and began to plant Larches myself as long ago as in 1825 and 1828. Even at that time young plantations containing this popular tree, of which all were so confident in their praises, occasionally exhibited unexpected signs of sickliness, though the older woodlands on all sides of them, which had beeu formed twenty years previously or more, were full of fine robust Larch trees. In 1830, 1 saw the then magnificent forests of Dunkeld and Blair Athol ; but even then great misgivings were beginning to be felt by planters in the Lowlands, and not always to be accounted for Ijy the tree having been placed on dead-flats, on heavy tills, or on poor ferrugmous sub-soils unsuited to its Alpine nature. Ominous whispers were rife that the young Larch plantations were no longer healthy and prosperous, like those of an earlier date, but were liable to a peculiar kind of " blight," and to a fungus upon the stem. Afterwards came tales of downright destruc- tion of the saplings by frost in various places, and then we heard an alarm about a new malady of ulcerated stems aud effusion of resin on the diseased parts. All these ap- pearances were regarded as specific maladies or diseases. They were never perceived to be consequences of weakness and tenderness in the constitution of the plants affected, and especially presenting themselves after the young trees had suffered from frost-bite. Blights, whether of an animal or vegetable character, readily develop themselves upon the surfaces of the trees so weakened, and, with their sap, perhaps, chemically altered by the cold they have only barely been able to resist. Individual plants of hardier constitution will be seen altogether free from blight, from fungus, and from ulcera- tion. The Larch forests in the Tyrol are full of instruction to the arboricultural traveller, as I can personally testify. Nature never scatters the seeds of her own majestic trees from out of the cones until the latter are opened by the warm vernal sun m March and April, that is to say, not until the seeds them- selves have been thoroughly wintered upon the trees, and their maturity confirmed by the severe frosts of the climate ; whilst they continue to imbibe the resin and essential oils peculiar to their species. Compare such seeds, extracted by sun-heat from cones gradually matured until March, with the produce of British or North-German plantations, gathered, half-ripe, in November, from inferior trees, and then kiln-dried in order that the immature cones may be made to open and yield up their contents. Even if gathered in the Tyrol itself in November, they are not ripe. Can any one wonder that our Larches are now poor sickly plants, ready to perish from frost-bite or chilblain, which mother Nature vainly strives to medicate and heal by resinous effusion P In the so-called Larch-disease we find the ever- repeated old story. The after-symptoms of the malady are mistaken for the malady itself. Tenderness is the disease ; cold is the destructive agent ; ulceration and fungus are the consequences ; and resinous effusion and intumescence are Nature's efforts to heal the sore. Good and sound seed, from our British woodlands, may be procured in limited quantities from tlic summits of healthy Larches, when felled in February or March, after the cones have been fully wintered, and exposed to every frost and storm upon the trees. They may also be gathered in February or March from the pendulous Bido-branches of healthy trees. The largest cones, and the reddest or brightest, are ever the best. Extract the seed by laying them in the April sun upon a sheet, on the floor of a room or of a greenhouse. Give them two or three weeks to open, sprinkle them, at inter- vals, with water from a pan with a rose, in imitation of April sliowors, and at last thresh the cones with a stick repeatedly. The seeds must bo sown very shallow, and as thick as may be, in some half-shaded situation in the garden, nay, under an cast or west wall, and carefully protected from chadinchcs for some time after the plants liavc appeared. This is the way by which healthy Larches may be procured in small numbers, to be used as principal trees, and care- folly inserted in favourable localities in our woodlands. And, if we be willing to pay a proper price, similar plants will in time be supplied by nurserymen, both from British and from Tyrolese seed, in considerable numbers. But it is doubtful whether we can wisely adhere to the prac- tice of usuig Larch as a cheap nurse-plant for Oak and other hardwood. At all events, let us understand that the ordinary seedlings are only good by accident, when they happen to come from well-wintered seed, and from healthy parent trees. And here let me recommend a more general use of the Scotch Fir and the Spruce as nurse-plants. Moreover, we possess, both in England aud Scotland, a valuable but neglected variety of the Birch, very superior as a nurse (to Oak, Ash, &c.) to the white or ornamental Birch commonly cultivated, bat which last grows much too quickly and too tall for an ef&cient nurse. The variety desiderated is the common brown Birch of our open plains, which we see among the Oaks and Hazels in so many coverts, holts, and thickets. It comes suSiciently true from seed, though differing only as a variety from the white Birch, and united with it by intermediate crosses or sub-varieties between them. But this common brown Birch is the hardiest of all, aud is the most ready to i-eproduce itself as coppice, which is a great merit. It does not become too tall and domineering like the graceful and pendulous white Birch, which has been far too exclusively cultivated. The brown Birch is rigid and erect, of lower stature ; its bark often partly brown, partly white. Another nurse-plant of great value is the Silver Alder (Alnus incana), a native of Sweden, of Germany, and the Tyrol. It is as hardy as the Birch, and does not require so moist a soil as the common Alder. It both ripens seed well and throws up numerous suckers, so that it is quickly becoming known to planters. In conclusion, let it be remembered that cones of the Scotch Fir, or Pine, are never truly matured until February or March. If we gather them in autumn, we are sure to propagate an inferior and tenderer offspring, which will probably prove short-lived. Early luxuriance is no recommendation. Spruce-cones must be gathered up as they fall from the trees, during winter or in early spring. The cones of both these trees open readily in the sun. As a general rule, the cones of all exotic Coniferse should bo allowed to hang as long as possible, to be thoroughly matured by time and frost, ere we cull them. R. C. E. THE FEVER GUM-TREE. The many very iuterestiug accounts which have been pnbUshed with regard to the Eucalyptus globulus do not seem to have exposed all of its values. And we find in " Comtes Rendus," of October 6, a note presented to the French Academy of Scieucea by M. Gimbert, in which he describes another value equally as great as those with which all are so familiar. From reports received from various reliable sources, it seems to have been determined that in localities where the Eucalyptus flourishes there has been a complete disappearance of intermittent fevers. " A tree," says the author, " springing up with incredible rapidity, capable of absorbing from the soil ten times its weight of water in twenty -four hours, and giving to the atmosphere antiseptic camphorated emanations, should play a very important part in improving the health of malarious districts." It has the pro- perty of absorbing, directly and rapidly, the water of shallow marshes, thus preventing fermentations which are produced, and ])aralysing the animal miasma proceeding from them which might arise from them. The predictions with this regard, which were made in 1869, have in all cases been realised. The author furnishes a few of the numerous results, which are very interesting. The English were the first to e.xperimeut in their sanitary plantations in Capo Colony, where they were eminently successful. Two or three years were found sufficient to change the climatic conditions, and the aspect of the malarious districts of their possessions. Some years ago the Algerians took occasion to spread the Eucalyptus throughout the French possessions in Africa, and the following are some of the results obtained, as communicated by M. Trottier; — "About twenty miles from Alger, at Pondouk," he says, " I owned a property situated near the river Hamyzo, the emanations from which produced intermittent fever among the farmers and their servants evej'y year. In the spring of 1867 I planted upon this farm 13,000 plants of tho Eucalyj)tus globulus. In July of that year — the season in which tho fevers appear — the farmers were completely free from them. In the meantime, the trees had scarcely attained a height of more Maech ?, 18?4] THE GARDEN. 205 than 8 or 10 feet. Since that time the settled population has been entirely free from fevers." Fourteen thousand Eucalyptus trees were planted upon the farm of Ben Machydlin, in the vicinity of Constantino. It has for several years past been noted for its insalubrity, being surrounded with marshes throughout the entire year. The trouble entirely disappeared, and the soil became perfectly dry in five years. The atmosphere is constantly charged with aromatic vapours, the farmers are no longer troubled with disease, and their children are bright with health and vigour. The operations of the manufactory of Gue in Constantine were rendered wholly impracticable during the summer on account of the pestilential emanations from the marshes with which it was sur. rounded. M. Saulier conceived and put into practice the idea of planting a large number of Eucalyptus trees in these marshes, and in three years about 121- acres of the marshy soil were converted into a magnificent park. The water completely disappeared, and the health of the workmen has since been in good condition. In conse- quence of the large grove of Eucalyptus globulus on the farm of Maison-Carree, which is situated in a district in which the inhabi. tants formerly succumbed to the malaria, similar hygienic revolu- tions have taken place. It is stated by land-owners in Cuba, that, there also, the paludal and telluric diseases have disappeared from the malarial districts where the Eucalyptus has been cultivated. Accord- to Ramel, Australia is very healthy where the Eucalyptus flourishes, and unhealthy where the tree is not found. On the banks of the Var, near the entrance of a railroad bridge, is situated a garrison- ^. house, near which earth. works were thrown up to dam the river in order *' to build the bridge. The malaria arising from it made it necessary to change the guard each year. Two years ago, M. Villard, the engineer in charge of that section of the road, planted forty trees in the vicinity of the building, and since that time this post has been the most healthy in the country. These evidences fully establish the fact that the Eucalyptus globulus has a good effect in preventing the spread of malarial diseases, and that it may serve decidedly practical jjurposes in this particular. Throughout our entire South and South-west many valuable enterprises have been wholly impractic- able from causes stated above ; and, if the examples thus sot before us were followed throughout the South, there is no doubt that many of the dismal, swampy, and marshy districts, hitherto entirely worth- less, may be transformed into beautiful, pleasant, and healthy sections. — Monthly Report of the Bepariment of Anricnlttire. Thujopsis dolabrata from Cuttings and Grafts. — This Conifer may be readily raised from seeds, cuttings, and grafts, but the two latter methods are practised most. I find cuttings, too, make the best and longest-lived plants, and they strike freely if taken off in August and September, and inserted in pots filled with sandy peat, surfaced with saud, and half filled with crocks. The cuttings should be pricked thickly and firmly into the pots, and the pots should afterwards be placed, for the next two months, in cold frames, when, if the cuttings have callused, they may be removed to a close and gently heated pit, so as to induce them to root. When rooted, they should be removed to a shelf in the pit, and, after a few weeks, tranferred to another pit or frame, and, if the cuttings are in a thriving condition by next spring, they may be potted off singly in small pots. When grafted, I find that, although the stock and scion unite kindly enough, and, under favourable circumstances, grow well together for a few years, the union is never so complete as to ensure permanent success, for a rough blast of wind or unfriendly touch soon snaps them asunder ; whilst other Conifers, side-grafted in the same fashion and treated in the same way, are almost as strong at their union as elsewhere. I should advise those, therefore, who purpose grafting this Conifer, to graft it close to the ground, and, in re-potting or transplanting, to plant deeper each time than before, so as to encourage the emission of roots from the scion, which in this way will ultimately be able to support itself independently of the stock. — Forres. Red Pine. — What is the botanical name of the Red Pine from British North America ? Is it the Pinus australis, or Long-leaved Pine, which is described by Mahan (an American civil engineer) thus : — ■" This tree has but little sap-wood, and the resinous matter is uniformly distributed throughout the heart-wood, which presents a fine compact grain, having more hardness, strength, and durability than any other species of the Pine, owing to which qualities the timber is in very great demand." This author, though an American, does not mention Pitch Pine. Are there the following four distinct Pines from America : — White Pine, Yellow Pine, Ked Pino, and Pitch Pine, and what are their botanical names P — L. [The Bed Pine is not the Pinus australis, or Long-leaved Pine of the Southern States ; it is Pinus resinosa, and forms dry woods from Maine to Pennsylvania, westward to Wisconsin, and northwards. It is a tree of 50 to 80 feet high, belonging to the Scotch Pine section, with leaves in twos, and has reddish and rather smooth bark ; the cones are about 2 inches long, and sometimes aggregated in lai'ge and closo clusters ; it has been erroneously called the Norway Pine. The colloquial names, mentioned in the above inquiry, do all occur in North America, and most of them represent more than one species of Pine ; for they have been carried with them by the settlers to California, and there applied to other trees of allied nature which occur there. The White Pine is the name applied to the Weymouth Pine (P. Strobus) , and in California it is transferred to Pinus monticola. The Yellow Pine is the name applied to Pinus mitig, which occurs in the southern parts of eastern America, on dry and sandy soil, and reaches westward from New Jersey to Wisconsin. This is a valuable timber, durable, fine-grained, and fitted for flooring, &c. In California, the name Yellow Pine is usually applied to the Pinus ponderosa. The Pitch Pine is Pinus rigida. It extends along the eastern coast of North America, from Maine to the west of New York, and southwards, common on spare sandy rocky soil. This species belongs to the section with leaves in threes. The Pinus australis, also, is sometimes erroneously called the Pitch Pine. — A. M.] Ornamental Peaclies. — Of these, several varieties were sent out last spring by Mr. J. P. Berckmans, of the Fruitland Nurseries, Augusta, Georgia, who has a fancy for getting together the unusual forms of the Peach. Some are worthy of a place in a collection of oruamental trees. The pyramidal would hardly be taken for a Peach-tree if one was not near enough to see the character of the leaves. Its branches all turn upwards, and the general aspect is that of a Lombardy Poplar. The pui-ple-leaved was rather a disappointment. Its loaves, to be sure, are purplish-red in the spring, but it loses its colour as they mature, and the tree is then as green as any other. The young leaves of the second growth are also coloured. The Australian dwarfs are very promising. These are said to have originated from the Peen-To, the flat Peach of China. Two specimens that I have are beau- tiful bushes ; the joints are so close together that the foliage is singularly crowded. They have not bloomed yet, but are said to have double crimson flowers and good fruit. Mr. 13. sent me leaves of a curious cut-leaved variety, which he discovered in a bed of seedlings, and which we may hope to know more of. — Agricvlturist. Cost of Planting the Paris Boulevards. — The following items of the cost of planting a young Chestnut or Plane-tree (say, three or four years old) on the Boulevards of Paris, are given in a late number of La Mimicipalitd : — Excavation of the ground, which is generally heavy, 15 metres, at 4f . per metre = 60f . The same quantity of vegetable soil to re-place that taken out, at ^f. per cubic mfetre ^ 60f . A prop for the tree, 13 to 19i feet high = If. 50c. Drainage, by means of earthenware tiles = llf . 15o. Pipes for supply, ing water = 2f. 50o. Cast-iron grating round the base of the tree = 46f. 69c. Carriage of the tree and the prop, and placing them in position ^ 5f . Iron guard round the tree ^ 8f . 70c. Cost of the tree = 5f. Workmen's wages=lf. 69c. Annualinterestonthecostof every tree that has to be re-placed in twelve years = 18f. Total, 220f . 23o. Prom this is to be deducted the value of the soil excavated = 18f . 23o., leaving 202f., or £8 Is. Vid., the net cost of every tree planted. NOTES AND QUESTIONS ON TREES AND SHRUBS. Koslreuteria paniciilata.— To what height does this grow — does it blossom and is it hardy and ornamental ?— Scdsceibee. [Thia Chinese tree is perfectly hardy in the south of England, where it grows to a height of some 30 feet. It bears foliage not unlike that of the common Ash, and terminal panicles of yellow flowers, which are succeeded by bladder-like fruits. The tree is very oma- mentai, and may be seen at Kew.— Ed.] A Swarm of Squirrels in an Old Oak Tree.— Some men felling timber in a wood near Cudham, Kent, the other day cut down an old hollow Oak tree, when upwards of thirty squirrels rolled out, most of them dormant or in a state of aemi-sleep, but, upon being roused, they dispersed to various parts of the copse. A large stock of Nuts and Acorns was found, stowed away in the hollow of the tree, which had been collected as a provision for the winter. It is common to find squirrels laid up for shelter diu'ing winter, but it is seldom such a swarm is found together. Vitality of Tree Seeds-— An instance is mentioned in the Tralrie -Farmer by Dr. Hubbard, where seeds of the Bui-r Oak, buried beneath the sui'faco of a well-drained piece of land, remained thirty years in a dormant state, till thrown up nearer the surface, which caused them to germinate. It is famiUar to nurserymen that Peach stones buried compactly a foot or two below the surface will remain dormant for a time, and it would be an interesting subject of enquiry to ascertain to what length the period might be extended by deep and compact burying, for different kinds of tree and other seeds. Cryptomerias and Deodars from Cuttings —Can I increase tiiese by moans of cuttings, and, if so, at what season should I attempt the operation, and in what aspect should they be planted ?— Subscpibee. [Cuttings of Cryptome- rias and Deodars strike freely, if made of the half-ripened shoots in the autumn. They should be inserted in a soil composed of loam and silver-sand in equal proportions, and placed in a cold frame, facing the north. Let them be kept close and fi-ee from frost during the winter. In the following spring, if they are removed to some close pit or frame where there is a little bottom-heat, it will greatly promote their rooting.— Ed, 1 206 THE GAUDBN. [Maech 7,1874 A NEW EHUBAEB (RHEUM OFFICINALE). The following information respecting the new species of Rlieum, which is now considered to be the true origin of the Officinal Rhubarb, has been supplied by Profersor Baillon to M. Regnaud for insertion in a new edition of Soubeiran's " Traite de Pharmacie :"* — " Besides the Rheum rhaponticam, which yields the Rhapontio Rhubarb, Liuna)us recognised four species of the genus Rhetim, to which have successively been referred the origin of the true Rhubarbs of China and Russia. These were the Rheum Rhabarbarum (afterwards named R. undulatum by Linneeus himself), R. compactum, R. pal. matum, and R. Ribes. The latter, to which has been attributed the origin of Persian Rhubarb— or, rather, of the products which are received through Persia — has never been more than a culinary herb. As to the three other species, they have all contributed (from the root) certain European and native Rhubarbs. A species more recently discovered in India (R. Emodi or R. australe) has, like the preceding, been considered to yield the Chinese and Russian Rhubarbs ; but it would appear that it only produces a kind peculiar to India. As to the true plant, a native of Thibet, which furnishes to commerce both the Russian and Chinese Rhubarbs, it has only been known since 1867, in which year M. Dabry de Thiersanfc, consul- general pf Prance at Shanghai, procured from Thibet some stalks of the species which yields this valuable drug, and which, cultivated in the garden of the Faculty of Medicine, at Paris, and in the Vallce de Montmorency by M. Girandeau, have received from M. H. Baillon the name of Rheum officinale. It is a very large species, exceeding a man in height, and remarkable for the considerable development of its inflorescence. The leaves answer perfectly to the indications formerly given by Bokharian and Chinese merchants to Pallas and others concerning the true officinal Rhubarb plant — namely, that the leaves have a limb of a delicate green colour, in shape like an open fan, and also as analogous as possible to that of the leaves of the Riciuus communis, or common Castor-oil plant. This new Rhubarb (R. officinale) belongs to the same botanical section as R. palma- tum. The dimensions of the limb of the leaf extend to nearly 3i feet in each direction ; it is, however, a little broader than it is long, and the petiole is about the same length. In the plants of it that have been raised, some leaves have been noticed which were more than 5 feet long. When the plant has become fully developed, it has scarcely any roots, for these are gradually destroyed, and the plant draws its nourishment from the soil only by small adventitious roots which could not be employed in medicine. But, contrary to the other species enumerated, and of which the root can be prepared and employed, this developes above ground a stem and cylindro-conical branches, 8 to 12 inches high, and of the thickness of an arm or a leg. These are the only portions which, cleansed from the so-called bark, divided transversely and longitudinally, and properly dried and prepared, can be used in medicine. They bear leaves," and, after the fall of the.se, there remains on the surface only the brown dried base of the petioles, together with the remains of tho ocbreoo; these vestiges together constitute the pretended bark. In the axil of each of these aiirial leaves there is necessarily a bud. These acquire fre- quently a considerable development, and arc elongated into leafy branches. Each of these buds, detached at a suitable season, will, in its turn, easily take root from its base, and may thus be used to multiply the plant." A Decoction of Bouvardia triphylla, a Remedy for Hydrophobia. — A drug, which is sold under the name of Trompa. tilla, is said to be successfully used in Mexico for the prevention and treatment of hydrophobia, for which complaint it is freely given in the form of decoction. It consists of short segments of the stem and branches of this plant, varying from one-fourth to three-fourths of an inch in diameter, terete, and slightly bent. There is no percep. tiblo odour to either wood or bark ; the former is tasteless, the latter has a slight bitterish taste. The central pith is scarcely a line in diameter, and of a brownish or purplish-brown colour. Green Lanes. — EnglandsnrpassestheworUinthopcculiarbeauty of her green lanes. Italy has its skies, Greece its classic ruins, Egypt its pyramids, Switzerland its Alps, Germany its Rhine, America its Niagara; but none of these has a green lane such as there are thousands of in England. Tho green Vane is essentially English, and IS confined to England. There are green lanes neither in Scotland nor Ireland— wo mean Grassy roads arrayed in greenery, shaded by lofty old hedges. Beech trees, Alders, or Willows, leading to some quiet cot or farm-house, or range of pasture-lands ; and often leading on merely to some other green lane, or series of lanes, branching off to right or left, which are there seemingly without any other purpose than that they are there, to feast the eyes of country strollers with the sight of their quiet green beauty. • "L'UnionPharmaceutiriuo," Vol. XV., p. 21. SUNDRIDGE PARK GARDENS. Stjndkidge House is pleasantly situated in a finely undulating and well-wooded park, and is sheltered by a sloping hillside behind. Fine specimens of Larch, Birch, Elm, Cedar, Walnut, and fine old Hawthorns are dotted here and there, singly and in groups. The common Larch as seen in the park at Sundridge is one of our finest ornamental trees, which might even be planted with good effect on lawns, where its long lower branches, being undisturbed, would sweep down gracefully on to the moss}' turf ; its elegant habit is best seen when contrasted with heavier round-headed trees, and when its fresh green foliage makes its appearance about April, it forms an interesting object in any landscape. Sundridge House owes much of its interest to the grace- fully undulating and profusely wooded park by which it is surrounded, and from which some fine views of woodland scenery may be obtained. It is, indeed, in point of beauty, far before some Kentish parks of much gi-oatcr fame. Among the finer trees in the garden we noticed a fine specimen of Salisburia adiantifolia 50 or 60 feet high. It is now, of course, denuded of its curious foliage, and in habit reminds one of a very fine pyramidal Pear tree, the colour of tho shoots and spurs being nearly identical. The Conservatory. From a gardening point of view, the most attractive feature of Sundridge Park is the conservatory, and, as will be seen from our illustration, it is a very beautiful one. Our illustration represents the interior arrangement of this noble structure — one of the finest we have seen for some time, and one, moreover, which combines a hand- some exterior with every quality essential to the growth of the vegetation within. The last remark is borne out by the vigorous progress made by the beautiful specimens of tropical vegetation since their introduction. The house is 100 feet in length, by nearly forty feet wide, and thirty-five feet in height, and is constructed almost entirely of iron and glass, having perpendicular sides and a curvilinear lanthorn-shaped roof of pleasing proportions, supported on light iron-work pillars, which also serve as supports tor rare graceful climbers. The house has been designed and built by Mr. Henry Ormson, of Stanley Bridge, Chelsea, who has erected many of the best conservatories in the country. Our engraving, beautiful as it is, gives but a very faint idea of the interior, which would require at least half-a- dozen such views to do it full justice. The central portion of the house is laid out in beds, in which Palms, Ferns, Cycads, Camellias, and other rare exotics luxuriate with something of their native vigour. Around the sides, substantial stone benches have been ei'ected for smaller decorative plants in pots, and beneath these the hot-water pipes are placed and concealed from view by a neat and ornamental cast-iron grating. The hot-water apparatus is of the latest and most approved kind, while the genial temperature maintained is amply suffi- cient for the choice blooming Orchidsaud stove plants, whicharo grown for the purpose of decoration in ranges of plant-houses to the rear of tho conservatory. A notable feature is a pair of lean-to curvilinear-roofed houses behind the con- servatory, and connected with that structure l)y doors open- ing into an alcove, very tastefully decorated with virgin cork, and planted with Orchids, Filmy Ferns, and other choice exotics, the effect of which is cousidei'ably lieightened by a large mirror which extends the whole length of the alcove behind. These very agreeable adjuncts to the conser- vatory are very tastefully and systematically arranged in the natural style and planted out with Ferns, Orchids, and choice foliage plants, all of which luxuriate in the most vigorous manner possible. The doorways are fringed with masses of virgin cork, over which Lygodiums, Ficus stipulata, fresh green Selaginellas, Begonias, and bright-veined Eranthemums ramble in rich profusion, and with a vigour only attainable by planting them out in good fresh soil with ample room to extend themselves in all directions. Conservatories, arranged in the natural style and having the finest specimens planted out, are specially to be recommended, as they are not only effective, but much less trouble is entailed on the gardener than when pots or tubs are employed. Amongst the creepers MiROE 1, 1874] THE GAEDE?r. 20? VIEW IN TRE CONSERVATORY AT SUNDBIDGE PARK, KEKT. 208 THE GARDEN. [March ?, 1874. which adorn the ornamental trellises and pillars, we may allude to a fine plant of the white-flowered Lapageria, 12 or more feet in height, with leaves 4 inches long by 3 inches in breadth, and of a deep glossy green colour, which betokens the most exuberant health and vigour. Gobasa scandens variegata is now very effective, drooping in elegant festoons from the tapering columns as shown in our figure. Among the speci- men plants we may mention a fine Asplenium Nidus-avis with fronds fully 6 feet long. A fine pair of Aralia japonica varie- gata, and a fine specimen plant of Dicksonia antarctica, D. .squarrosa, Cyathea medullaris, and C.dealbata. At the time we saw it, the side benches were gay with forced shrubs and bulbs, A.zaleas, Roman Hyacinths, Tulips, Scilla sibirica var. prasoox, Sohizostylis coccinea, scarlet berried Solanums, and other decorative plants. The side stages arc margined with ornamental wire-work, planted with fresh green Selaginella, and the effect thus produced is very neat and effective, con- trasted with the bright-hued flowers above. What is pro- bably the finest specimen of the Double White Camellia in the country is here planted out. We do not know its exact size ; but perhaps Mr. Dedman, under whose care the house and collection are iu such excellent condition, will enlighten us on this point, and on the history of the plant — or, rather, tree ; for it is rare, indeed, one sees a finer evergreen indoors or out. THE KITCHEN GARDEN. VEGETABLES AND THEIR CULTURE. By T. BAINES, Southgate. Trenching. Where good gardening is carried out, the whole of the kitchen- garden should be trenched every three years, a third of the work* being done every season. Trenching a piece of ground is an operation of so common-place a character that everyone is supposed to know how to do it, in every description of soil ; yet, I have frequently seen ground trenched at considerable expense, that had much better never have been touched than done iu the manner in which it was ; simply, through the impression that if the work was done deep enough it must be right. All the best surface soil was buried and a quantity of raw unfertile stuff was brought to the surface, in which nothing would grow until some of the soil previously at the surface was again brought up and mixed with it. Whereas, if not more than a couple of inches of this under soil had been brought to the surface, and some 4 inches more of the sub-soil loosened up with the fork and left in the bottom, it would have been iu fit con- dition to have Ijeen brought to the surface at the next trench- ing. All vegetable-matter, in the shape of Cabbage-stalks, or similar refuse, should be buried in the bottom of the trench, and never taken off the land, as is sometimes done ; when placed thus, deep below the surface, such material gradually decays, affording food which the roots eagerly lay hold of, helping the crop over a dr}' time in summer, in a way that shows its value. Strong heavy soils are much benefited by a good quantity of leaves, even a foot thick if obtainable. Being buried in this way, they not only lighten the soil when, at subsequent trenchings, they get more intimately mixed with it, but, from the fir.st, they act as a drain to the soil above them, rendering it so much better to work than it otherwise would be. They also hold a good deal of moisture in which the roots of vege- table crops, during a dry time, delight. Judgment should also be exercised in the selection of the crops to follow each year's trenching. These should consist of the deepest rooting plants, such as Onions, Carrots, Beet, Peas, and Leeks, keeping the surface-rooting Brassica family for the shallower dug ground. Double Cropping. Some cultivators are fond of double cropping, but I have long come to the conclusion that there is much more of it done tlian is j)rolitable, oitlicr looked at from a labour point of view, or for its returns in the shape of a crop. The system of double cropping with some things is an advantage, but with others with which it is frequently practised, it is a loss, as well as aii inoonvenience, preventing the ground from being so well workedas it otherwise would be. Tall Peas and Celery often go together ; unless the rows of Peas are so far asunder as to prevent the possibility of any gain in the crop obtained from a given space of ground, the Celery always suffers by the drawing effects of the Peas, and, in gathering the latter, the ground gets so trampled as to require a good deal of labour before it is fit for earthing up the Celery. In a hard winter, Celery so grown never stands the frost so well as if grown openly by itself. Peas with rows of winter Broccoli betwixt them are open to the same objection; the Broccoli gets injured _ in gathering the Peas, and becomes drawn, rendering it iu anything but a condition to stand the effects of frost. The results of double cropping of this description is like " a wrinkle on Wrinkled Peas," with which a noted horticulturist favoured the gardening world a short time back, and which was simply to mix Dwarf Peas with tall ones in sowing, so that the sticks might carry pods lower down than it was natural for the tall Peas to bear, forgetting that the ground could only support so many and no more, consequently by sowing these dwarf Peas along with the tall ones, he must have so many fewer tall ones iu each row. By growing rows of Cabbages or Winter G-reens alternately with Potatoes, there is the advan- tage of the Potatoes receiving more room and air in their early stages than they otherwise would have, rendering them better able to withstand the attacks of disease later on in the season. I do not, however, mean to say that any amount of room that could be given will render Potatoes disease-proof in seasons when that malady appears in a virulent form ; but, where Potatoes are grown withplenty of room, they are generally less affected than where space is limited. If the Potatoes are mid- season varieties — the best for cultivation whilst disease so often makes its appearance — the Cabbages get plenty of time to grow after the Potatoes are cleared olf . The following crops, I have found, can also be grown together with advantage : — Tall Peas I always sow 6 feet apart, sticking them as soon as they are up, and then sowing a row of Spinach between them. This comes off before the Peas are fit to gather, dees no harm, and is, so far, a gain. Celery trenches I make 3 feet wide, planting two rows in each trench, leaving 3 feet betwixt the trenches (if less than this is left the points of the roots of the Celery will be cut in earthing-up) ; on this 3-feet space I make a shallow trench that will hold water, in the bottom of this I sow a row of Lettuce, thinning them well out (always sow Lettuce in summer, never jjlant, as they bolt in half the time the sown plants do) and giving plenty of water. In this way Lettuce can be got as large as York Cabbages, and all cleared off before the Celery wants earthing-up. Parsley. There are few things so continuously in demand as Parsley, and a plentiful supply of it through the winter is always desirable. For many years I have never sown Parsley more than once, and never transplanted it. Onions I sow in rows a foot apart ; at the time of sowing, I put a pmch of Parsley seed in a yard apart in every third row of Onions. When the Onions arc thinned, the Parsley is also thinned to a single plant in each place. This does not in the least interfere with the growth of the Onions, but as their tops begin to go down, the Parsley begins to grow in earnest ; and such Parsley ; every plant will run from 18 to 20 inches across. About the end of October I move a quantity of these plants with good balls, filling up one corner of the ground so as to be covered with frames. Parsley grown strong in this way will not suffer from frost near so much as the poor starved stuff often met with. A good way to preserve Parsley through the winter, and anything but ugly in appearance, is to take some flour barrels, get a 2-inch auger and bore their sides with holes a foot apart every way; put tj inches of soil in the bottom of the barrel, then draw the roots of a good plant through the bottom' holes, fill up with soil till the next holes are reached, draw in some more plants, and so on, until the barrel is full, then put four or five plants on the top ; place the barrels in a cool house whore they can get plenty of light. The produce, in both quantity and quality, will bo such as will not disappoint anyone who gives the method a trial, and they are not unsightly. The plants should be really strong for this purpose or the pro- duce will bo proportionately small. As to the cultivation, in Maech 7, 1874.] THE (GARDEN. 209 general, of vegetables there is nothing like growing everything in rows ; it takes a little more time to sow in this way than broadcast, but it saves a great deal afterwards in labour, by the freedom with which the hoe can be used amongst the crops. Manchester Market-gardening. The market gardeners, who grow for the Manchester market, and the surrounding districts, manage some double crops well. The quantity of Onions, especially autumn-sown ones, for di-awing small in the spi'ing, consumed in the manufacturing towns is enormous. The tons of Lisbon and Tripoli seed that some of the seedsmen sell every autumn would scarcely be credited. The ground is well prepared, generally by a crop of early Potatoes being taken off it ; it is laid out in beds, 4 feet 6 inches wide, and along with the Onions is sown a sprinkling of hardy green Lettuce, and Altrincham Carrots ; if the Lettuces run two or three to the square yard, and the Carrots one to the yard, they are thick enough ; the beds are then planted with two rows of Strawberries, kept clear from weeds during the autumn. The first thing to come off in the spring is the Lettuce. The Onions are begun with as soon as they are as thick as a common lead- pencil, going over all the ground, taking the largest first, and so on until they are cleared. The Carrots all remain for seed, __and interfere little with the Strawberries, which, being planted »'thin, get as much light as they require, and bear fine crops. When the Carrot-seed is ripe, it is gathered and bunched, the ground cleared, and the Strawberries allowed to remain for several years. This is the way in which the bulk of the noted Altrincham Carrot-seed is grown ; but not the choicest " brands," which are saved from selected roots planted in the spring, and which, for quality, colour, and general appearance, are unequalled by any Carrot in cultivation. I am not alluding to the rough green-topped roots, generally known as Altrin- cham Carrots ; but to a carefully selected root, as smooth as a gun-barrel, nearly all the same thickness from end to end. On the sides of the beds of the spring-sown Onions is grown Horseradish, for which the Manchester market is so noted. As soon as Onions are sown, the Horseradish is planted. Whipthong-like pieces, quite straight, from a foot to 18 inches long, are planted with a dibble, slanting inwards from the sides of the beds at an angle of 45° ; and I have seen Horse- radish produced in this way, in a single season, 3 lbs. weight per stick, straight, and free from forks. The Celery grown in that neighbourhood is unequalled, as regards quality and appearance, by any in the kingdom, and the quantity is I)rodigious. The soil is superior to that with which our London market-gardeners have to deal ; but, for some things, the climate is much inferior to that of London. Autumn frame-sown Lettuce for spring planting ont are rarely, if ever, attempted. Nothing but yellow Turnips are sown. White Turnips in the Manchester market are as unsaleable as yellow ones are in London. Varieties. The following is a list of the different vegetables which I grow, and which I have proved to be all that can be required as to edible qualities, weight of crop, and general excellence. The greater part are established favourites, with such new varieties as as are found superior to older kinds : — • Beans. — Early Long Pod and Taylor's Large. French Beans. — For forcing — Newington Wonder and Osbom's Early Forcing. For general crop — Long-podded Negro and Paris Eed Flageolet. This is synonymous with Canadian Wonder ; it is the best dwarf bean in cultivation. Excellent in quality, and a prodigious cropper. Runner Beans. — Scarlet Runner and Painted Lady. The latter, in some soils sets better in extreme seasons of wet and drought. Beet. — Barrett's Crimson. This variety should not be grown too thin in the row, or it is apt, in good soil, to get rather large. When cooked, it is a splendid colour, and it is not liable to run to seed. There is a mistake in many of the new varieties ; the colour is in the leaves instead of the roots, which, when cooked, are little better in colour than a common Mangold. Borecole. — Buda, Divarf Green Curled, and Cottager's Kale. In this latter I have always found two colours, green and purple, tinged. In planting, I discard the green, as it is very inferior in flavour and texture to the purple, which is an excellent vegetable, hardy, and not surpassed in flavour by anything except a summer Cauliflower. Broccoli.— Snow's (true), Backhouse's Winter White, Williams's Alexandra (the best late Broccoli extant), and Purple Cape. Brussels Sprouts. — Roseberry and Scrymger's Giant. Cabrage.— Cocoa-nut (Wheeler's), Early Dwarf York, Hardy Green Colewort, and Red Dutch. Capsicum. — Long Red and Long Yellow. Carrot. — French Horn and Altrincham Improved. Cauliflower. — Early London, Walcheren, and Veitch's Autumn Giant. The last is one of the most distinct and valuable vegetables introduced for some years. Celery. — A pink sort of my own raising ; and Williams's Red and White are really good varieties. Cress. — Plain-leaved and American. Cucumber. — Rollisson's Telegraph (True). Endive. — Green Curled and White Batavian. Leek. — Musselburgh. Lettuce, Cos.— London White, Victoria Cos (the latter is far the best Cos Lettuce, after midsummer, I have ever met with— large, fine flavour, and stands well), and Black.seeded Bath. Lettuce, Cabbage. — Hammersmith Hardy Green and Wheeler's Tom Thumb. Onion. — For autumn sowing. Giant Rocca and White Tripoli ; for spring sowing, Nnneham Park and Brown Globe; and James's Long- keeping for winter and spring. Parsley. — Myatt's. Parsnip. — The Student. Peas. — Caractacus, Sangster's No. 1 Improved, Advancer, and Champion of Eugl.ind. The above 1 sow all at the same time, and, by po doing, they come in nicely in succession. For later ou — Cham- pion of Scotland, Ne Plus Ultra, William's Emperor of the Marrows, and James's Prolific, which is the best of the Veitch's Perfection type, and is in every way an excellent Pea. Radish.— Olive-shaped Scarlet, Olive-shaped White, and Wood's Scarlet Short Top. The Olive-shaped are the best Radishes in culti- vation, and will force well. Savov Cabbage. — Early Ulm and Green Globe. Spinach.— Round and Prickly. T0.MAT0. — Earley's Defiance and The Trophy. Turnip. — Red-top American Stove. The best for all seasons. Vegetable Marrow. — Custard and Long White. Staking Peas. — To those who have to procure stakes at a great cost, the following method will prove advantageous, being very cheap, simple, and easily performed. A few rough stakes should be obtained, and driven into the ground on each side of the row, about 12 feet apart. These stakes should be of a corresponding height to that of the Peas, and when the required number for a line is inserted, some tar-twine, or other strong cord, may be tied to the end stake, and passed along the line of stakes, making a turn on each within a few inches of the ground, and, as growth progresses, raise the next turn a little higher, advancing in succession, until the plants attain their full height. These Tines being run on at the right time, the tendrils of the Peas will clasp firmly round them and support the plants quite equal to the well-known plan of sticking. Some ima"-ine an advantage to be obtained in this way of training, as the lines get a better circulation of air, and pods can be gathered at all times without injuring the hanlm. — J. C. M'A. To Preserve Peas from Mice. — Either from their acute sense of smell, or some wonderful instinct, mice soon discover the whereabouts of Peas and other large seeds usually sown at this season. They are always more troublesome now than they are later in the season, and, it is astonishing what a deal of mischief a small number of mice will do in a short time. Red lead is a good preventive when used as a dressing for the seeds before sowing. I, however, object to using anything of a poisonous nature, when the same object can bo easily accomplished by harmless and simple means ; and the best and simplest means of preserving early-sown Peas, etc., is to scatter over the surface of the rows a few sifted ashes, just sufficient to give it the thinnest possible covering. I suppose it has the effect of destroy- ing the scent ; at any rate, I have never known this plan to fail. It is scarcely necessary to say anything about mousetraps, for every gardener is acquainted with the common brick-traps usually employed in the open-air. The best trap I have ever used for catching mice in rooms or buildings, is one called Pullinger's Patent ; it does not require setting or baiting after the first bait of Wheat or Rico has been placed in the receptacle, as the mice cannot get at it. ^ I have, with this trap, caught a large number of mice in a short time. In comparison with other traps it is expensive, its price being 2s. 6d. ; but it is substantially made, and, with ordinary care, would last for a great many years, and would, in the long run, prove the cheapest. — E. Hobday. ^10 THE GARDEN. [Maech ?, 1874. THE PROPAGATOR. PEOPAGATION OF IVIES. Ivies are propagated by means of cuttings, layers, and grafts- Cuttings make good quick-growing plants, and they root freely and easily ; this, therefore, is the method generally adopted for increasing all the common kinds of Ivy. The variegated sorts may also be struck from cuttings, but some of the more delicate and slow-growing kinds are increased by grafting. Cuttings. For cuttings, select strong well-ripened shoots, cut them up into pieces about 8 inches iu length, and insert them firmly iu a bed or wall-border, in lines, from 9 inches to a foot apart, and '2 inches asunder in the row. Before planting, the cuttings should be cut across horizontally, just below a joint, and two or three of the lower leaves should be removed from them; the upper ones should be retained, and, if some leaf-soil and rough sand be added to the border in which they are inserted, it will materially assist them to root quickly. When cuttings are employed they should be put in in October or November, and left^ for twelve months undisturbed, and, unless the winter is very severe, they will require no protection, but, in the event of its being severe, straw or Fern may be strewn over them. Next autumn, lift and transplant them perma- nently, or set them in nursery lines a little further apart, so as to allow them to become stronger before they are finally planted out or for conve lience. Nurserymen generally pot them in 60-sized pots, and keep them out-of-doors summer and winter, plunged in beds, their shoots being tied to upright stakes. They are thus always ready for sale ; and, when potted, they can bo turned out free from root-mutilation ; when lifted, a large portion of their most serviceable roots are sometimes cut away in the operation. In planting out of pots the ball of roots should be carefully unravelled, every fibre being spread well out. Common Ivies are often struck at once in pots, and kept in pits or frames — in fact, generally underneath stages, but this is a practice not to be recom- mended, ijnless the situation is low and damp, and even then it is better to raise a bed for the purpose, a foot above the level of the alleys, than to be troubled with such cuttings indoors. Layers. Ivies naturally layer themselves as they trail along the ground, and, iu that case, all that is needed is to cut the runner across with a spade, lift it carefully with all its rootlets attached, and transfer it to its new situation. In layering Ivies artificially, select good shoots, stretch them out on the ground, place small pots uuder their joints .at intervals of about 15 or 18 inches apart, cut the joints half-way through and in a longitudinal direction for about half an inch ; then peg these joints into the pots, which should be filled with a sandy compost, placing some sand about tlie incision, and cover the joints over with the ordinary soil to the depth of an inch or two By doing this early in spring, and pinching out the point of the shoot after it begins to grow, layers thus treated will be found to be pretty well rooted by autumn, when they may be separated, and wintered iu frames if badly rooted, but, if well rooted, a sheltered ])lacc outside will suit them. When very badly rooted, they may be left uncut till spring. Ivy may also bo layered in the ordinary way without the aid of pots. Grafting'. Grafting is a good way of jiropagating Ivies, provided suit- able stocks are chosen, and, for this purpose, the common Irish Ivy is the best. Good plants from cuttings of this kind, struck out-of-doors in October, should be lifted and potted into GO-sized pots from July to October, using loam, with a little leaf-soil and sand mixed iu it, and the plants should bo kept in a close frame until they have made some good roots, and any that do not do so soon enough for autumn-grafting may be used for that purpose in the following spring. The chief point to be observed in grsifting plants in pots is to havo the stocks thoroughly established before they are operated on, otherwise they will be unable to contribute sufficient nourish- ment to the scion. It is unnecessary, however, to have stocks so young as to be ill-furnished with roots, for, whether they are one or three years old, is matter of little importance. Side-grafting is the method generally employed, and the scions are put on close to the base of the stock ; the ligatures used should consist of soft bast or worsted, and both grafting-wax and clay are unnecessary. The operation may be performed any time during autumn, or any time after Christmas onwards through the spring. A union between stock and scion is, however, sooner effected in spring than in autumn or winter ; hence, spring should be chosen, as a rule, for grafting. After the operation has been performed, keep all close for a few weeks, a little warmth being beneficial, but not absolutely neces- sary, and, as soon as a union has taken place, unfasten the ligatures, and, when the scion has become fully established, pinch off' the point of the stock, which, before that, should remain intact, and afterwards gradually reduce it as the strength of the scion advances, until it is ultimately cut over immediately above the point of union between graft and stock. At the first pinching of the stock, the plants may be taken out of close frames and placed on side-stages for a time ; then let them be transferred to a cold frame. If necessary, the plants may bo re-potted. The finer Ivies are usually grown for indoor decoration, but even when destined to bo pLanted out- of-doors they are best grown in pots until they have become good strong plants, when they may be finally planted. Wm. Falconer. THE LIBRARY. WHERE THERE'S A WILL THERE'S A WAY.* In " Where There's a Will There's a Way " Mr. James Cash has given an interesting account of the labours of naturalists iu humble life — an account which should be read attentively by everybody, but more particularly by gardeners who would wish to rise in their pro- fession. The book records the history of several Lancashire opera- tives, who, having, in many cases, quite accidentally, as it were, imbibed a taste for natural history, have followed it out during their hours of leisure, and in every case with the best possible results. Such achievements are valuable as indicating what may be done by moans of energy and perseverance, even with appliances of the most limited character. We have little sympathy with those who wait for " something to turn up," instead of manfully striking out a course for themselves, and following it up until success crowns their efforts. If societies or clubs organised on the same self-supporting plan as those of Lancashire were diffused throughout the country, an im. niense amount of good might be effected. The following extract with reference to one of our best mnsoologista will show tho style iu which the author has treated his subject ; — " Mr. William Wilson, as a botanist, enjoyed a reputation bardly inferior to that of Sir William Jackson Hooker — whose intimate friend he was for many years — and others, whose names have been more prominently before the public. His magnum opus, the ' Bryologia Britannica,' published in 1855, is acknowledged to be the best work on British Mosses that has ever been published, and at the time of his death, on the 3rd of April, 1872, a new and enlarged edition of it was in contemplation. As a bryologist, indeed, no man living was a better authority. The late Mr. Wilson's friend and correspondent, Professor Schimper, of Strasbourg, can be said only to have equalled him, and even that eminent man yielded tho palm to our countryman in the matter of manipulation. It is said that, when in Warrington, a few years ago, the professor was astonished to find Mr. Wilson sketching with one hand and dissecting with the other, and he could not find words in English to express his feeling — ' Non equidem invideo ; miror magis.' . . . Only a fortnight before Mr. Wilson died, the publishers of the ' Bryologia," Messrs. Longmans, wrote, saying that Dr. Hooker, of Kew (the son and successor of tho distinguished Sir W. J. Hooker in the curator, ship of the Royal Botanic Garden) had expressed an opinion that, as tho ' Bryologia ' was so frequently asked for, it would be desirable to reprint tho first edition as it was, unless Mr. Wilson was likely to be able to prepare a new one in a very short time. The hopes, how- over, of so many friends, who looked forward to the new edition from Mr. Wilson's own hands — and for which that gentleman had spent two years in gathering material — were cruelly disappointed by his death." » " Whoro There's a Will There's a Wn.y." By James Cash. London : Robert Hardwicko, 1S2, Piccadilly, W. Ma:rch 7, 1874] THE GAEDEN. 211 THE INDOOR GARDEN. TRICHOMANES EENIFORME. This, to which allusion was briefly made at p. 318, Vol. IV., is oue of the most remarkable of all the Filmy Ferns, and is well worth growing either imdcr a glass shade or in a Wardian case as an ornamenc in a sitting-room. The accompanying illustration gives an excellent idea of the habit of the plant, of which flue examples may be found in Mr. Williams's collection at Holloway. It succeeds well in an open fibrous compost of peat and turfy loam, intermixed with a little living Sphagnum, and coarse well-washed road or river sand, to keep the whole as porous as possible. When the plant is throwing up its young fronds, it should be watered freely, taking care to use water not lower in temperature than that of the room or case in which it is growing. It should be kept drier during the winter than in summer, but must never be allowed to get altogether dry. It should be sprinkled overhead occasionally with clean tepid water, and the glass with which it is covered should be regularly wiped every other morning. When iu good condition, it is one of the prettiest of all tender Ferns. B. Trichomanes roniforme. » PHAL^NOPSIS. The different species belonging to this genus have long been considered to be the rarest and most beautiful of all Orchids ; and, as no collection of the warmer.growing kinds is com- plete without them, a few re- marks on their culture may prove useful. These beautiful plants, with one or two excep- tions, come from the hottest and most humid portions of the earth's surface — viz., Java, Borneo, Sumatra, and other islands of the Malayan Archi. pelago ; while a few ai-e found on the Continent of India itself, their principal habitats being Moulmein, Rangoon, and the Eastern Himalaya ; one or two are, also, natives of the Philip- pine Isles. In cultivation, they require the warm humid tempe- rature of a plant-stove, or East Indian house ; for, of all Orchids, these are the least likely to adapt themselves to what is generally termed " cool treatment." P. Schilleriana, however, perhaps the hardiest of the whole group, grows moderately well in a warm Cattleya. house, or cool plant-stove, where the temperature does not descend below 50' during winter. But it is best to grow all the species together in a warm corner, where the winter temperature is regular, and never below 60°. When well-grown, few other Orchids rival these in graceful beauty, while they are not only profuse bloomers, but their delicate white or rosy-tinted flowers last in perfection for many successive weeks ; indeed, it is nothing uncommon for P. amabilis and P. grandiflora to be in flower for six or eight months out of the twelve, while it is a rarity to find P. rosea except in bloom. Mr. Robert Warner has had over 1,000 Phalamopsis flowers fully expanded at the same time in his collection at Chelmsford. Young plants, with only one or two leaves, frequently throw up flower-spikes, and, if allowed to flower, they often seriously injure themselves in so doing. It is best in practice to pinch off all flower-spikes as soon as they appear, until the plant has become thoroughly well established, for nothing tends so much to weaken their constitutional vigour as early flowering. Phalaiuopsis may be propagated by dividing plants that break from the base, and some plants do so very freely, especially if the leading growth becomes checked or injured in any way, while not unfrequently some of the species produce young plants adven- titiously on their old flower-stems. P. amabilis, P. grandiflora, P. Schilleriana, but more especially P. Luddemanniana, frequently throw off young plants in the way just named. When these plants commence to emit roots, they can be fixed on small flat blocks or rafts of teak or acacia-wood, and left on the parent plants until established firmly in their new quarters, after which they can be severed from the plant and treated as separate individuals. During the summer months, a little fresh living Sphagnum Moss placed around the fleshy roots of plants on blocks is beneficial, as it preserves them from extremes of moisture and exposure to the sun. Small plants do best on blocks suspended in a close warm corner of the house, and near the light. As they increase in size, they can be partially plunged in well-drained pots, taking care, however, not to hamper the roots with too great a bulk of finely-divided compost, which is apt to settle down among the drainage and become sodden, in which case the roots embedded will speedily rot. In Orchid, houses, which are naturally dry, the roots of nearly all Epiphytal Orchids seem quite willing to keep to the shade and moisture afforded by rough lumps of fibrous peat and fresh Sphagnum ; but only supply them with a genial temperature, saturated pretty regularly with the soft vivifying humidity in which they luxuriate so vigorously in their native habitats, and the roots will soon creep out into the light and air, wrap themselves round pots, blocks, or anything that comes in their way, or even bind themselves together in bundles. If Phalajnopsis are grown in pots — and we know that noble specimens are so grown — the compost used should consist of the best fibrous peat obtainable, carefully broken into lumps the size of pigeons' eggs, or larger, and mixed with an equal quantity of crocks and fresh living Sphagnum. The pots themselves should be thoroughly clean, and may be filled four. fifths of their height with fresh crocks well washed, placing a layer of small ones on the top, and a layer of good tough Moss above that, to pre. vent the smaller particles of the compost from washing domi and choking the drainage below. Elevate the collar of the plant well above the rim of the pot, and gently imbed the lower roots into the above compost, placing a layer of freshly-picked Moss over the whole, so as to form a rounded cone with the plant at its apex. Plants pot.' ted in this manner rarely fail to grow well, as the air has free access to the roots; and, unless this is the case, they soon go wrong, while it is almost impossible for them to be injured by any undue excess of water, as there is every facility for any superfluity of moisture to escape. The secret of Orchid-growing ia genial humidity in the atmosphere, small pots well drained, fresh living Sphagnum on the surface of the compost, and an abundant supply of tepid water, and a regular temperature when making their growth. Some of the finest specimens of Phatenopsis in this country ' are grown in pots. A superb example of P. Schilleriana in the col. lection of Mr. Milne, Yewfield House, Ai-broath, is growing iu a great tub, and bears nearly 200 flowers on a single spike ! Mr? Raw. son, of Mill Hill House, Halifax, has some remarkable specimens of P. amabilis and P. grandiflora with ten or twelve fine leaves each, and these are grown in common square wooden baskets, suspended near the roof of an ordinary span-roof plant-stove. On one plant of P. grandiflora I saw eighteen flowers on the tip of a branched spike all open at the same time, and these were nearly 4 inchess across, and of good substance. It is seldom one sees nine fully-expanded flowers on each side of the tip end of a single spike, as above described; although we occasionally come across a plant bearing fifty or sixty flowers open at once on several great branched spikes. Mr. Turner, of Leicester, grows his noble plants of Phala3nopsis on semicircular rafts made of teak, and surfaced with fresh Sphagnnm only ; and when I saw them, some months ago, they were perfect in health and vigour, Messrs. Veitch & Sons, of Chelsea, have a noble plant of P. Schilleriana growing on a teak-wood raft, partially plunged in a pot of fresh open compost, as above described. This specimen has ten or more fine speckled leaves in that state of fresh vigorous health so pleasing to the true plant-grower, and it is now bearing a noble spike of nearly a hundred flowers. I mention these diverse methods of treatment in order to show that there are several ways of growing PhaUenopsis in perfection. They grow best, as a 212 THE GAEDBN. [March 7, 1874 rule, in a warm, sheltered comer, not far from the glass ; and the beginner who would be successful, should try them in different posi. tions in his house until he is perfectly satisfied as to the position in which they do best. Fortunately, some species of PhalaBnopsis have been imported in quantity, and in excellent condition ; their price is, therefore, now moderate. Imported plants generally come on long blocks, and, occasionally, a part of the branch on which they grew in their native habitats is lopped off and nailed to the side of the case with the plant in situ. If these plants arrive during dull weather or in the autumn, it is best not to disturb thom until the following spring, when they may be removed, and either placed on other blocks or potted as above recommended. When well bloomed, the plants are very ornamental from a decorative point of view, or for exhibition purposes ; while their waxy flowers are invaluable for cutting, either for bouquets, vase decoration, dinner-table ornaments, or for arrang. ing along with fresh green Ferns or other foliage in ladies' hair, especially as they last in perfection for a considerable time after being cut. The following descriptive list comprises all the species at present introduced to our gardens : — P. amabilis. — This is generally known as " the Queen of Orchids," it has dark green foliage tinted with purple beneath, and its branched flower-spikes are borne very freely, its individual blooms lasting a month, or even longer, in perfection. The flowers vary from Sj to 3 j inches across, and are of pearly whiteness, except the lateral or side lobes of the lip, which are streaked with rosy-crimson. Good specimens of this plant have from eight to fourteen leaves, and bear spikes from 2 to 4 feet long. When well grown it is one of the best of Phalffinopsids, and its snowy blossoms are usef al for cutting. It is a native of Manilla. P. amethystina (P. Wightii). — This pretty little plant is rather rare in collections, and is not so showy as some of the other species ; still it is well worth growing, and lasts a long time in bloom. It has deep green oblong foliage, with wavy margins, and bears short- branched spikes, which vary from 3 to 12 inches in length. The flowers are little more than half-an.inch across, the sepals and petals being white, dotted with rosy-purple at the base. The lip is of a deep amethyst-purple tint, tipped with white, and having two slender horns at its base. It is a native of the Sunda Isles, and has flowered with Dr. Ainsworth, Mr. C. Stead, and Mr. Day, of Tottenham. P. cornu-eervi (Stag's-horn Phalasnopsid). — This is a peculiar plant, somewhat resembling P. Luddemanniana in habit, bat bearing shorter flattened spikes of yellow flowers, blotched transversely with brown. The flattened flower-spike is a peculiar feature ; hence its specific name. It grows well treated like its congeners, and is worth cultivation for the sake of variety. It was discovered by Mr. Lobb, and is known as Polychilos cornu-cervi. Native of Moulmein. P. grandiiiora. — This is now one of the commonest of all the species, and may be bought for shillings where guineas were formerly demanded for it. It is one of the best and most profuse flowering of Phalasnopsis, and grows well either on a block or in a pot near the light. There are numerous varieties of it in cultivation, all mi.re or less distinct, the Bornean plants being for the most part the best. The sepals and petals, like those of P. amabilis, are .pure white, the lateral lobes of the lip being tinted with golden-yellow ; and, in the best forms, the tails at the tip of the lip are yellow, spotted with crimson. The best variety is known as P. grandiflora aurea, or Euckerii, and has the^side lobes of the lip deeply stained with golden- yellow, while the petals are very broad and more rounded than is generally the case. The varieties of this grand Orchid not only vary in the size of their flowers, but also in the length and breadth of their light green foliage. Mr. Williams, of HoUoway, has a fine plant of it, with ten or twelve fine leaves borne on a stem nearly 6 inches high, and this is now producing two very strong spikes. Mr. C. Stead, of Baildon, near Leeds, has a fine plant of the narrow, leaved variety, with fourteen or fifteen leaves 10 to 15 inches long, and only 2 to 2i inches broad. This is a Bornean plant, and flowers very freely, bearing large flowers of good substance. Native of Borneo and Java. P. intermedia (P. Lobbii). — This plant is very beautiful, having white flowers shaded with rose, about the size of those boi-ne by a small-flowered P. Schilleriana, the lip being of a still deeper rosy-tint. In habit it resembles its allies, and it also does well under the same treatment. It is a native of Manilla. There is a fine variety of this species known as P. intermedia Portei, a native of the Philip- pine Islands, only a solitary plant having been found by M. Porte, its discoverer. Its foliage is light green above, and purple below ; being 8 or 10 inches in length. It is supposed to be a natural hybrid, and is one of the rarest of all known Orchids. The flowers are 2 inches across ; sepals and petals white, suffused with rose ; the lip being of a dark rosy-purple tint. P. Lowii. — This is a pretty little species that grows best on a block suspended near the light. Its boars' eight to ten-flowered spikes, about a foot high ; the flowers themselves being of a soft rosy.lilac tint. The front of the column is curiously prolonged, like the beak of a bird. In its native habitat it grows on limestone, fully exposed to the sun, and loses its foliage every year during the hot and dry season ; but, here at home, the plant frequently retains its foliage through the winter months. Its leaves are about an inch wide, and 2 or 3 inches long, of a dai'k'green colour, speckled with purple. Mr. Beckett, The Firs, Muswell Hill, has a fine plant of this species, with leaves neai-ly 4 inches long and 2 inches wide ; and it also does well in Lord Londesborough's collection. It should be kept rather dry during winter, and fully exposed to the light, or it is apt to lose its leaves. It comes from Moulmein. P. Luddemanniana. — This is one of the most beautiful and distinct of all the Phalasnopsids ; having leaves of a bright-shining green, and about 6 or 8 inches long. The flower spikes are very variable in length, but generally about 18 inches or 2 feet ; the flowers being of a soft amethyst-purple tint — in the best varieties blotched with brown — the narrow lip being set with a row of white hairs down its centre. There is a poor variety of this plaut, having pale yellow flowers, barred with brown, called P. Luddemanniana ochracoa, but the amethyst-tinted varieties are best. This plant grows very freely in a pot, and very often produces young plants on its flower-stems. There is a fine plant of the best variety in Mr. W. Hadwen's collection at Fairfl eld, near Manchester, which seldom fails to bear two or three young plants every year. Philippine Isles. P. Parishii. — This is the smallest, and, at the same time, one of the prettiest of all the Phatenopsids. Its leaves are about 2 inches long and of a grey or glaucous tint. The small violet and white flowers are borne five or seven together on spikes about the same length as the leaves. Although not so showy as the larger-flowered kinds, it is, nevertheless, well worth cultivation. Native of Burmah. P. rosea (P. equestris). — This is a pretty plant, similar in habit to the last named, and worth growing in every collection for its free- blooming qualities. Its flower-spikes are of a deep purple colour, and keep on producing flowers for months in succession. The flowers are of a soft rosy-lilac colour, scarcely more than half-an-inch across, but the want of size is made up for by the numbers pro- duced. There is a good plant in Mr. B. S. Williams's collection, and another at Kew. It is a free grower, and comes from Manilla. P. Schilleriana. — One of the best of all Orchids with variegated foliage, bearing great branching spikes 3 or 4 feet high, with from 100 to 200 rosy flowers fully expanded at the same time. Few of the other species rival this when well grown, and the plant is hardier in constitution than any of the others at present introduced. The leaves are of a deep green colour, variously mottled and marbled with silvery -grey. The sepals and petals are of a rosy-lilac colour, the lip being tinted with rose and spotted at the base with warm crimson-brown. It does best in a pot, although small plants luxu- riate well enough on flat blocks. It is a native of Manilla. P. Sumatrana. — The foliage of this plant resembles that of P. Luddemanniana, and it grows well under the same treatment as recommended for the last-named species. The flowers are white, barred with pale rosy-crimson, and about 2 or 2i inches across. It flowered with J. Day, Esq., of Tottenham, in 1865, but is still extremely rare in collections, although well worth growing. As implied by its specific name, it comes from the island of Sumatra. — Qarderier. Philesia buxifolia. — This pretty evergreen shrubby plant is a native of South America, and is hardy in the warmest parts of Eng- land and Ireland ; it, however, succeeds best when treated as a cool greenhouse plant. Its leaves are short and stiff, not unlike those of Box, and it produces a profusion of bright rosy-red flowers, the petals of which are thick and fleshy, and not unlike those of Lapageria rosea, but much smaller. Indeed, the relationship between the two genera is so close, that Messrs. Veitch raised a hybrid between the Philesia and the Lapageria, which they called Philageria. In this case the Philesia was the male and the Lapageria the female parent. The finest specimen of the Philesia with which I am acquainted is that in Dalvey Gardens, Forres. It is in a 1 1-in. pot, and is fully 3 feet high and 3i feet through, a dense mass of erect shoots. It is grown in an airy greenhouse, on a central bench near the glass. Mr. Berry, the gardener at Dalvey, finds that it does not bloom well unless it is considerably pot-bound ; therefore, he only re-pots it once in four or five years, using in the operation a compost consisting of peat and loam. It is now three years since the plant in question was last shifted, and the pot is as full of roots as it well can bo ; indeed, they are even over-running the surface. Its growths are rcmai-kably healthy and strong, many thick-branched shoots, fully 3 feet long, being annually produced. Whilst growing, this plant requires abundance of vv.atcr, and sometimes a little weak manure, water ; but in winter it should only be kept moderately moist. — W. F. Maech 7, 1874.] THE GARDEN. 213 BROAD-LBAVBD LAOHENALIA. (lachenalia penuula.) This is an old plant, but it is one which is rarely met with in collections of bulbous plants. In habit, it is quite distinct from its congeners, having very broad and massive leaves, of a fresh green colour, and not blotched or spotted, as is the case with many of the others. This species was lost sight of for some years, until it turned up at one of the meetings of the Royal Horticultural Society in November last, when it was exhibited in good condition by Mr. Chambers, of the Westlake Nurseries, Spring Grove, Isleworth. Our figure, made from a sketch taken at the time, shows the habit of the plant extremely well. The stout spikes are about a foot high, as thick as a swan's quill, slightly stained, or blotched, with crimson, the flowers being of an orange tint, tipped with green and purple. The segments of the perianth, as shown in our illustration, Lachenalia pendala, are all about the same length. It succeeds well, like the other species of the genus, in a cool greenhouse. Beineckia carnea variegata. — This is a pretty Httlo plant, with green and white variegated leaves that have a somewhat Grassy appearance, and are thickly produced on prostrate or pendent Dracoena-like stems. It produces annually a profusion of showy rosy flowers, and it is easily cultivated as a pot plant in a greenhouse. It grows well in peaty soil, or in loam mixed with leaf-mould, but in this respect it is not particular. Plants of this are \iaeful for grow- ing with Ferns in shady corners, where they thrive almost as well as if exposed to light. They are more suitable for growing in pots than in baskets, because when alone they flourish best. Their slender shoots or stems droop down over the sides of the pots in which they are placed so as almost to entirely hide them. This plant is readily increased by means of cuttings struck in a little heat, or from layers. It is very suitable for windows, as it is tenacious of life, and grows well in a low temperature, and in a shady place. — F. W. NOTES AND QUESTIONS ON THE INDOOR GARDEN. ■White Forced Lilacs.— What is the name of the White Lilac which forces so well, and when oujrhtitto bepotted for winter-flowering ? — STRiNGi. [TheWhite Lilac, seen in our flower markets in winter and spring, is the common purple Lilac forced in darkness, a system of culture largely practised in France. The plants should be potted (see' p. 181) in the October previous to that in which they are to be forced. — Ed,] Scarhorough Lilies. — A friend has sent me some bulbs under this name. What are they ?— G. S. [Tour bulbs are, doubtless, those of Vallota purpurea, which, though a Cape plant, is often called the Scarborough Lily. It succeeds perfectly in a greenhouse, and, if treated liberally iu summer, especially as regards water, it will flower freely in autumn. — Ed.] Camellia Cuttings.— When should these bo struck ? and what is the best method of striking them ?— T. G. H., Alston. [August is the best time for striking cuttings of Camellias. Select good fli-m shoots, cut them about 6 inches in length, and insert them in pots filled with peat and silver sand in equal proportions, and surfaced with the latter. Place the pota containing the cuttings under a hand-glass or frame in a gently-heated pit. When rooted, remove them to the side shelves, but do not disturb them at the root till next spring, when, if they are in good condition, they may be potted singly in small °" -■'-■i pots.— Ed.] THE FRUIT GARDEN. EASPBEERT CULTUEE. The main question at issue between Mr. Taylor (see p. 168) and myself seems to be this : What ought to be the duration of Easpberry plantations ? Mr. Taylor says, in effect, do not make a new plantation so long as the old one bears well, and he takes his stand upon a plantation in his mind's eye, from twenty to thirty years old, thereby suggesting that Easpberries ought, at least, to last that length of time. My advice is, do not delay making the new plantation till the old one fails ; it is obvious, however, that, whether the period of duration shall be six, ten, or more years, must depend, in some measure, upon local circumstances, always, carefully bearing in mind that it is not easy to do wrong by transplanting too frequently, whilst a mistake in the opposite direction would certainly, for a time, curtail the supply. In the ordinary course of cultiva- tion, I would not take cnttings or save seeds from a sickly plant, and, on the same principle, I would not willingly plant suckers from an exhausted Raspberry plantation. Raspberries are indigenous to Britain, and I have seen acres of them grow- ing wild iu woods, but, as might have been expected, I always found the strongest canes and the finest fruit on the out- skirts of the thicket where the roots had access to fresh soil, and the canes had more breathing-room. I consider the system of culture that permits them to remain from twenty to thirty years iu one place tied up in a most unnatural manner iu bundles is but one degree removed from their wild state in their native thickets. There are, I know, in a few spots, deep soils of alluvial origin, where the Raspberry will continue in bearing condition for many years ; but even there I am far from admitting that a more frequent removal would not be beneficial. These, however, are exceptional cases, and cannot be fairly considered as applicable to the majority of gardens. Mr. Taylor, in his closing remarks (to use his own words), offers me a nut to crack. In effect, he says, that some years ago he assisted in planting several rows of Raspberries ; that for the first two or three years they grew immensely, producing canes like Bamboos, and with eyes a foot apart, and then he adds — Strange to say, they produced very little fruit, and asks what was the reason ? I may be allowed to ask, does not this description of early luxuriance tend to confute Mr. Taylor's exhaustion theory started in the early part of his communication. The solution to the problem just propounded lies iu a nut-shell ; it is, I think, a clear case of " plethora," caused by over-feeding ; probably, the plants were planted in trenches full of manure ; at any rate, too much food of a stimulating character had been placed in contact with the roots. I have already stated that, in my opinion tlie land should be deeply trenched for Raspberries, burying the manure at the same time. When bearing commences, and the roots extend, they will, in that case, find food ready prepared for them. Plant without manure,but, if the soil is veryinferior, a compost, consisting of burnt earth, lime-rubbish, and loam may be advantageously used, a spadeful or so being put into each hole just to give the roots a start. Above all things, at the commencement of dry weather, do not forget to mulch ; the water-cart will not then be so often required ; in fact, I seldom water ; and, with a soil deeply cultivated and mulched, there is not much necessity for it in nine seasons out of ten. As to frost killing Raspberries, the destruction is not always fairly dite to the severity of the weather; there are predisposing causes, induced, in some instances at least, by the system of culture pursued. In the case of over-luxuriance, when I thin the young growths in summer, I leave the weakest and cut away the gross shoots, on the same principle that we pinch a gross shoot in a fruit tree, and, in the winter-pruning, do not cut the canes back to the orthodox 4 feet, but leave them longer, say up to 6 feet, or longer if necessary. If they are trained to wires, espalier-fashion, as I have previously recom- mended, and trained diagonally in an oblique direction, it will have a tendency to break the back eyes, and the best way of moderating growth is to leave the canes a good length and let them bear well. Suckers not required for new plantations should not be allowed to grow ; and, in forking over the ground, they should be cut off without injury to the roots. E. Hobday. 214 THE GARDEN. [March 7, 1874. THE DIFFERENT RACES OF STRAWBERRIES. In a recent number of The Garden we called attention to the second edition of the treatise " Le Fraisier," which the Comte de Lambertye has written on the history and culture of this fi'uit, to which much more attention has been paid by conti- nental cultivators than by our own fruit-growers. The follow- ing extract from the first section of M. Lambertyo's work, which describes the geographical distribution of the original species, will perhaps be interesting to some of our readers. After remarking that the French name of the Strawberry- plant (Fraisier) is derived from the Latin word fragrans, in allusion to the sweet smell of the fruit, the Comte proceeds as follows : — According to Jacques Gay — a learned botanist, who made a very attentive study of these plants — Strawberries may be classed under eight distinct species, which are thus distri- buted : — Three European — F. vesca, Lin. ; F. elatior, Ehrh. ; F. collina, Schrb. Three American— F. chilensis, Duch. ; F. Virginiana, Mill., Ehrh. ; F. Grayana, Elisa Vilm. Two Asiatic — F. Daltoniana, Gay ; and F. Nilgerrensis, the two last being natives of northern India. Descriptions of the Species. EUEOPEAN KINDS. 1. Fragauia tesca, Lin. (The Wild Strawberry). — This is the most common species of all, and is found in the moun- tainous parts of Europe, as high as the region of the Pines. In the Alps, it ripens its fruit in August, at an elevation of over 5,000 feet. It is found as far north as Iceland and Lap- land, and occasionally occurs in Asia and America. Of this species the following are the chief varieties : — (1) F. semper- florens, which in France is known under the name of des Quatre-saisons, or de tous les mois. (2) The very curious variety, P. muricata, or the Plymouth Strawberry, the petals of which present the strange anomalies of being five-lobed, and green instead of white, while the stamens are transformed into small leaves. The seeds on the fruit are also transformed into leaf-buds. (3) P. monophylla. (4) F. efflagellis. This variety does not produce runners. (5) F. multiplex, with double flowers ; and (6) F. hortensis. 2. F. ELATIOR. — Known in England as the Hautboy, and found in certain localities, here and there, throughout Central Europe. It is generally dioecious, from a partial abortion of the flowers, so that it is often found sterile in a wild state, and sometimes, even when grown in gardens. The chief original varieties of this species, which is known in France under the name of Capron, are (1) Capron royal, of which every plant is fertile, and (2) Capron framboise or Capron noir. All the Caprons, or Hautboys, have a peculiar flavour, very distinct from that of all other kinds of Strawberry. 3. F. COLLINA, Schreb. — This species is very widely dis- tributed over Central Europe, and extends partially into Asia. A peculiarity of this kind is, that the calyx covers the fruit in the form of a star, hence its French name of Fraise etoilee. Its principal varieties are (1) P. pentaphylla or F. heterophylla, and (2) F. Hagenbachiana, the variety in cultivatiou. This is known as the Bargemen Strawberry, and is the famous Majaufe de Provence of Duchesne. Jaccjues Gay considers it a hybrid between P. vesca and P. collina. American Kinds. 4. Fragauia chilensis, Duch. (the Chili Strawberry). — This plant, which is a native of Chili, and probably, also, of Cali- fornia, is only found on the Pacific shores of America. It is distinguished from all other species by the greater size of its leaves, flowers, and fruit. It was introduced into France in the year 1712. The flowers are liable to become sterile from abortion. It does not succeed very well in the neighbourhood of Paris ; but is grown on a large scale, and with much success, in the commune of Plougastel, near Brest. Its original varieties are — (1) P. Ananassa (the cultivated tjrpe, P. grandiflora) ; and (2) P. de la Caroline. This Chili Strawberry and its variety, F. Ananassa, are the origin of most of the large-fruited Strawberries which have been obtained by hybridiscrs. 5. F. Virginiana. — Mill. Elirh. The Old scarlet or Original scarlet of the English. This kind is named in the catalogue of Jean Robin (botanist to Louis XIIL), so far back as 1624. Either from natural hybridisation or from artificial crossing with the Chili Strawberry, it has been the parent of many varieties. 6. P. Gkayana, Elisa Vilmorin (P. Asa-Gray). — A North American species, closely allied to F. Virginiana. A variety of it (P. lucida) has shining leaves. Asiatic Kinds. 7. F. Daltoniana, Gay, and 8. P. Nilgerrensis, at present are only to be found in Europe in the condition of dried speci- mens in herbariums. Prom the foregoing original species, numerous varieties have been raised in gardens. A list of twenty-four of the best kinds, classed according to their distinguishing equalities, is given by M. de Lambertye, as follows : — (1) Varieties, which combine all the excellencies of fine flavour, fertility, beauty, and hardiness — Avenir, Gabrielle, Marguerite, Marquise de Latour-Maubourg, Sir Harry, Souvenir de Kieff, and Won- derful. (2) Varieties, which produce the most exquisitely- flavoured fruit — Avenir, Belle Lyonnaise, Carolina superba. Doctor Hogg, Gabriel, Madame Nicaise, Marquise de Latour- Maubourg, Quatre-Saisons, Savoureuse, Sir Harry, Souvenir de Kieii, and Wonderful. (3) Varieties which produce the largest fruit — Anna de Rothschild, Belle de Sceaux, Doctor Hogg, Marguerite, Napoleon III., Muscadin de Liege, Sir Joseph Paxton, Sir Harry, and Victoria (Trollope). (4) Varie- ties which bear carriage best, and which from the firm nature of the fruit are most suitable for making preserves — Avenir, Belle Lyonnaise, Bonte de Saint Julien, Carolina superba, Madame Nicaise, Marquise de Latour-Maubourg, Sir Joseph Paxton, Souvenir de Kieff, and White Pine-Apple. (5) The latest-ripening varieties — Anna de Rothschild, Bonte de Saint- Julien, Doctor Hogg, Napoleon III., and Wonderful. Points to be Observed in Judging Orchards.— The following is the scale of points adopted by the committee of the Michigan Pomological Society, for the purpose ot facilitating the examination of the iarge number of orchards in diiierent parts of the State, entered for the premiums offered by the society. •a f, 09 & a i § a 1 <1 ^ PM Ph C5 oa !5 Soil 15 5 6 15 10 10 20 10 10 10 10 10 10 25 10 10 10 10 10 10 15 10 10 5 15 15 10 10 10 15 20 10 20 15 5 16 52 10 6 25 15 Pruning 15 Health, and absence of insects... 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 Fruitfulness 5 S 6 5 5 5 — Any orchards receiving all the numbers as high as those given, would, of course, be regarded as perfect, and various lower grades of merit would be indicated by smaller numbers. This scale of points would vary somewhat from the above iu other States or locali- ties, when the different qualities or departments in management become more or less prominent or important, but such a table would be of great use to any committee about to make similar examinations. NOTES AND QUESTIONS ON THE FRUIT GARDEN. Fruits admitted by the French Pomological Congress in 1873.— Chen-y (of the Black Heart class), Pourprt^o HJtivo. Very large; stalk, long and Blender. A productive, very early sort. liaspborry, Surpasse Fastoll— A commendable variety, producing two crops of fruit. Pear— Beurri'' do Nivelles —An excellent late variety, raised by M. Parmentior. Pear, Jules d'Airoles- A seedling, from M. Li'^on Lcclerc, ot Laval. Flesh, delicate, juicy, melting, tender. Ripens in December. Apple, Bouquo preuve— A late-flowering variety, largel.y cultivated around Marseilles. Apple. Rose de Provence— Another good Apple, widely distributed in the south. Grape, Tschaouch Satra Usum— Handsome bunches, with largo white berries. Introduced from Turkey. Receipt for Making a Mixture for Painting Vines, Peaches, and Figs, — Take lib. of soft-soap or Gishnrst Coniiinund to every gallon of water, and let the water be boiling hot, so as to thnr-iunhly dissolve the soap. Add ilb. of flowers of sulphur to every gallon of water, and as much (|uick lime as will bring the mixture to the consistence of thick paint. Mix all well together when the water is hot. and, when the mixture gets cold, add a gallon of strong tobacco- lii|uor to it. When painting this mixture on Peach trees, it is safest to reduce its strength by adding a littlo more water, and some clay as well, so as to take off the whiteness of the lime, which is an eyesore to some when looking at the trees. Before painting this mixture on Vines and Pigs, remove all the rough bark, and, when tho mixture is dry, it will be seen where any part or crevice in the wood has been missed. Whore such occurs, apply the mixture again.— W. TiLLBBT, Wdlicck. Marcu 7, Hr-L] THE GARDEN. 216 • WOEK FOR THE WEBB:. Conservatories. The matei'iala fur keeping up an effective display iu conservatories will now have become more plentiful than during winter, and one of the most important considerations is, to see that portions of such things as will bear retarding without injury are at once placed under conditions to ensure their being made available later in the season. Where, indeed, anything like a continuous supply of blooming plants is required, it is quite necessary to have at command a house so placed that the sun will have little influence upon it, except for an hour or two morning and evening. A lean-to with a north aspect is best. Many imagine that such houses are only required by those who retard plants for purposes of exhibition ; this is a mistake. Hy selecting a portion of the stock of Camellias, Azaleas, Epacrises, Geraniums, Cinerarias, Cyclamens — iu fact, any of the numerous greenhouse plants that are used for conservatory decoration, the blooming season may be prolonged to almost double its usual length, especially if judgment is used in selecting varieties that arc naturally late in flowering. Camellias — candidissiraa, fine white; Bealii,red; Lavinia Maggi, striped ; — Azaleas — Brilliant and Juliana, both red ; E.'ctrani and coronata, both bright rose; Gledstanesii formosa, white striped ; — Epacrises — Eclipse, grandiflora, rubra, and niiuiata splen- dens. These, and others, which the careful observer cannot fail to note, can be retarded without injury, so as to come in at a time when 4hey will be found of great use. And it is not only during spring ^that such a house will be found of the greatest value ; it will also bo an excellent place in which to harden the stock of Ghent Azaleas, double-flowering Plums, Lilacs, Spira3as, &c., that have been forced, and which frequently, from want of a suitable place, are subjected to treatment ill calculated to render them of use the following season. Later in the season, too, it will suit Camellias well that have set their bloom, and which, from want of proper accommodation, are turned out of doors; still further on in the season, late-flowering Chrysanthemums may be kept safely iu such a house until the middle of January, at ^vhich time they will be found most useful. Largo Camellias, which have got loggy from want of judicious pruning when young, or through overcrowding, may be improved in the following manner: — Take, at once, a couple of healthy young plants, in 6-inch pots of any approved kind, place these on the surface of the ball of the plant to be oijerated upon ; then inarch the heads of each of the young plants as low down as they can be got on the opposite sides of the largo plant. These will become firmly united during the summer, when they may be severed from their original stems ; and, in the following season, before growth commences, the head of the stock may be cut away just above where the young plants have been inarched, when they will com. mence to grow apace, and, in a little time, make handsome plants. Moveable shading, of thin material, should be got ready, as bright sunshine on a March day makes short work of many things in flower. Piuch out the points of a portion of tho stock of Polar, goniums. These will be useful in July, after the early ones are over. Start another batch of Achimenes, Gloxinias, and Tydioas fur sum- mer decoration. Seo that Lilies, breaking through the soil, are not left where they have an insulBoicncy uf light ; otherwise they make weak growth, which no care afterwards will put right. Orchids. Last month and the present one constitute the recognised season for ro-potting Orchids ; it is, however, almost impossible to adhere strictly to this rale, other departments requiring so mnch attention at this busy time of the year; Orchid. potting and overhauling are, therefore, for the most part, done in winter. For such as are tpiite dormant, winter-potting is quite applicable, provided the plants are kept dry after the operation until required to start into growth. Lajlias, Cattleyas, Augrajcums, &c , also Oncidiums on blocks, and others, may be safely treated iu this way; whereas terrestrial Orchids, such as Phajus, Miltouias, Calanthes, Sobralias, Bletias, &c., should bo shifted just as they begin to grow. Now, when all Orchids are in a growing state, a moist atmosphere and a gradually, increasing temperature should be maintained. Sprinkle water on tho paths, walls, and stages, and keep a supply iu the evaporating troughs. Syringe the plants daily, in time to permit the foliage to get dry before nightfall. Take care that plants on blocks are not hung up immediately over pot-plants, as the drip from them injures the leaves of the latter. See lo the eradioatiun of insects, such as green-fly, thrips, scale, &c., by fumigating or washing with water in which some soft-soap and Gishurst compound have been mixed. Let traps for cockroaches, in the form of jam-dishes with some treacle and water iu them, be set amongst the plants, so that, when these pests fall into them, they may get drowned. Phosphorus paste also kills them. Ants may be trapped by means of sponges steeped iu sugar and water, or in other sweet substances, placed here and there amongst the pots. Ants congregate on them in thousands, when they may be destroyed by plunging the sponge into boiling water. After the water cools, wring out the sponges, re-steep them in the sweet matter, and place them again amongst the pots. Fresh bones form excellent traps for ants, which should be thrown into boiling water every morning, as in tho case of the sponges. Trap wire-worms with cut Potatoes, and woodlice by means of little pots containing dry Moss. Indoor Fruit Department. Pine-apples that have not been already shifted should now be re-pjtted or transplanted into beds. Whether grown in pots or jjlanted out in frames or pits, the heating material should be entirely or partially renewed. If fire heat is used for bottom-heat, greater care than would otherwise be necessary must be exercised in watering, as the bottom part of the soil frequently becomes dry, when that on the surface is apparently quite moist. Now that the store-plants are beginning to puih, the atmosphere, as well as the soil iu which they grow, must bo kept moist. Ventilate a little during the heat of the day, and cover the frames with mats at night. Fig-trees in pots will be swelling their fruits ; therefore, some liquid-manure given to them two or three times a week will be of great importance to the crop ; mulchings of manure answer the same purpose. Those on walls or on front trellises should be started in succession, by closing up tho house, syringing twice a day, and stopping the shoots at the third and fourth joints. Pot. Vines, if liberally fed, will produce good crops ; and, as they are frequently thrown away after bearing, as many bunches may bo left on them as they can properly mature and colour. Thiu Grapes in general, stop and rub off young shoots, encourage good foliage, and maintain a brisk moist temperature except iu late Vineries. All old Grapes yet ou Vines should now be taken off and jireserved. The dampness of the winter has been rather productive of mouldiness amongst those kept in water-bottles. Regulate the growth of Peaches and Nectarines, and disbud and thin the shoots as neces- sary ; thin out, also, all the smallest fruits, and syringe morning and evening. Keep Cherry-houses well aired. Introduce successions of Strawberry plants, aud place them on top shelves in Vineries or ]*each.honses, or arrange them near the glass iu pits or frames, when a little bottom-heat, given by fermenting material, is very beneficial to them. To plants whoso fruit is colouring, little or no water should be given, as it deteriorates the flavour. Sow the main crop of Melons and Cucnndjers, and pot off those already up; such as are large enough maybe transplanted permanently. Beds for the recep- tion of the seedlings should bo formed completely of fresh soil, for from the plants raised now the greatest amount of fruit is commonly obtained. Hardy Fruit Trees. Pruning and planting should now bo completed, and any training yet undone should also be finished. Espaliers requiring new stakes should have them supplied at once. Any trees loosened from walls for the purpose of " pointing " the latter i.e., filling up holes between the bricks caused by repeated nailing, should be fdstened to theni again, for the buds are now swelling fast. Fruit trees, however, are not nearly so forward as it was anticipated some two months ago they would be. If not already done, however, no time should now be lost in affording protection to Apricots, Peaches, and Plums on walls. If Strawberry plantations require increasing they should now receive attention. Old plantations of them, if not already done, should be mulched, which will both feed tho plants and keep the fruit clean. Koses. Koses are now in so forward a state as to almost necessitate immediate pruning iu order to have dormant eyes to prune back to. The present time is considered, wo believe, by amateurs early for tho operation ; but, fioni considerable experience, wo think pruning should be done earlier in the season than it is in general. Thin tho shoots well out, leaving no wood in the head that is not healthy and fairly vigorous. Study the individual habits of the Roses ; the catalogue descriptions of vigorous, robust, and moderate being in some sense guides. For instance, Marechal Vaillant, a vigorous kind, does not bloom if cut in close. Its shoots require to be left at least one foot to one and a half foot in length. Robust Roses, as Madame Vidot or Baroness Rothschild, with short stumpy wood, should be pruned to a prominent bold eye— the best on the shoot, high or low. The small wood of these sorts never yields blooms worth having, and must be cut clean out. Moderate Roses, as Mdlle. Bounaire or Xavier Olibo, need close pruning. They may be cut in almost to the old wood ; quite BO, when the shoots are weak. The eye to which the shoot is pruned should, it possible, look outwards. If this rule is followed, a hollow head will be formed, allowing air to circulate well amongst 216 THE GAEDEN. [Maecii 7,1^74. the foliage and flowers. Prune, if possible, after a day's drying weather, as, if the ground is in good order, Eoses do not bleed badly. Choose, likewise, fine weather to dig the ground, turning in some manure, unless this has been already done, when a mulching of some short horse-dung (road. droppings, fermented by having been in a heap, are good for them)may be applied early in April. Make good all vacancies in borders where the kinds to be planted are Hybrid Perpetuals, Noisettes, and standards of the Teas, and reserve places for dwarfs of Tea Eoses, which are better planted from pots in May. In the forcing.houses a few kinds started in November will be just opening. Souvenir d'un Ami, Madame Falcot, and the white Hybrid Perpetual Marquise do Montemart are amongst the first. Where plants are just breaking, syringe twice a day, which will also supply almost sufficient moisture to the plants ; 55° to 60° is a good day temperature, which may fall to about 50° at night. All pot-Roses should now be pruned, as after May, grown under glass, they do not compare favourably with the early flowers from out of doors. It is well, therefore, to get all pot-Roses over by the end of that month. Pot.Roses should always be pruned some days before being started, however slowly, into growth. SOCIETIES, EXHIBITIONS, &c. EOYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY, Marcu 4. This exhibition consisted almost wholly of nurserymen's productions, foremost amongst which stood those of Messrs. Veitch, who deserve credit for the liberal way in which they show their plants on such occa- sions. The proceedings of the Fruit Committee wore reduced to a minimum, two dishes of Apples, and six pots of French Beans being all the exhibits staged. The attendance of fellows and their friends was anything but numerous. "Miscellaneous Plants.— Messrs. Veitch staged a basketful of fine hardyrosy-purple-flowered Rhododendron, named Early Gem, a most pro- fuse bloomer, and its deep glossy foliage contrasted well with the flowers. The specimens staged were iust taken up from the open ground, and they certainly deserve a prominent position in a collection of early spring- flowering shrubs. The Roses in pots staged by the same firm, though small, were admirable. The pots in which they were grown were neatly covered with fresh Moss, which contributed much to their efFective appearance. Among the Tea-scented kinds we noticed Cociuette de Lyon, pale sulphur ; Madame Falcot, salmon ; Maroeliu Roda, creamy-white ; and Madame Willormoz. The hybrid perpetuals were ruost profusely- flowered, and included La France, pale silvery-rose ; Princess Mary of Cambridge, rosy-pink, fine in bud ; Paul Neron, crimson, with silvery baclis to its petals ; CamiUe Bernardin, rich crimson ; Marquise de Castellano, rosy-salmon ; Felix Genero, deep rose, densely imbricate ; Fisher Holmes, deep velvety-crimson; MadameVictorVerdier,withrevolute petals, andfinc vivid crimson in colour ; Richard 'Wallace, deep rosy-crimson ; and Madame Marie Rady, a finely-formed flower of a deep rose. Such plants as these are amongst the most useful of all plants for general decorative purposes, in pots or for culture. The Japanese Privet, Ligustrum japonicnm, was shown by Messrs. Veitch, contrasted with a much better variety, L.japoni- cura luoidum. The former has a dull and somewhat rusty appearance ; while the lattcrhas deep glossy foliage, as bright, but much larger than that of the broad-leaved Myrtle. One of the most iuterestiug features in the show was a collection of Clematis, staged by Messrs. Veitch. These plants bear great white, lilac, or purple, star-shaped flowers, very easily gi'Own. Miss Bateman, a large-flowered waxy-petalled variety, aud a most profuse bloomer ; Albert Victor, lilac-purple ; Lady Londesborough, very largo and fine soft Ulac; Lucy Lemoine, fine white semi-double, with lance-shapedsharply-pointed segments. This is likely to become afavourite. One of the most curious points in both the specimens of this plant is the production of variegated foliage and bracts among the foliage in the whorl, immediately below the flowers. Messrs. K. G. Henderson & Sons, of St. John's Wood, staged a group of Cyclamens, and a basket containing twenty-four well-bloomed plants of SoldancUa montana. Messrs. Standi.sh & Co., of Ascot, staged a nice group of Spirceas, Lily of the Valley, Hyacinths, aud other spring flowers. From Messrs. Barr & Sugilcn came a box of Iris reticulata — one of the finest of the early-blooming kinds. It has sharp angular glaucous foliage, and Vioars solitary dark purple flowers marked with golden-yellow. A nice variegated form of Imantophyllum miniatum was staged by Mr. E. J. Barker, Exotic Nursery, Little Hamjiton, under the name of I. Barkerii ; the briglit green foliage of the normal form is, in this instance, heavily striped witli creamy-yellow ; the plant staged was not well grown, and there is little doubt that a well-grown , specimen would obtain a first-class award. Mr. W. Bull exhibited a nice plantof Encholiriou corallinura with arched glaucous foliage covered with dark irregular marks, and bearing a crimson flower-spike with golden flower-buds. A cut specimen of a Medinilla, supposed to be new and named M. amabilis ; it is similar in habit to M. magnifica, but tjiUer, and hears large erect spikes of rosy- lilac flowers, without the large bracts so characteristic of the last-named species. Orchids. — A fine bank of these was sot up Ijy Messrs. Veitch, including the following rare species : — Angraicum citratum, a dwarf species, resembling a PhalEeuopsis in general habit, and bearing long spikes of creamy-white flowers, each furnished with a curious bent spur ; Dendrobium Boxallii, nearly resembling D. crystallinum in flower, with the habit of D. Wardianum ; it has white sepals aud petals tipped with rosy-lilac, the Up having a large central blotch of yellow. In this group was a fine plant of Dendrochilum glumaeeum, bearing fifty or sixty spikes of its graceful gi'ass-like flowers among foliage of the freshest and healthiest description. Epidendrum paniculatum is a tall-growing species, bearing a large terminal panicle of flowers, not unlike bunches of the comaon Lilac in form and colour. A plant of Dendrobium thyrsiflorum bore two tine drooping spikes of its elegant flowers. The sepals and petals are pure white, the lip being of the deepest orange-yellow colour, very much fringed around the margin. A plant of Odontoglossum Hallii bore five very large flowers ; and several specimens of O. Alexandrse, 0. gloriosum, Ada aurantiaca, Lycaste eruenta, and Vauda suavis made up the display. Mr. Bull staged a tiue healthy plant of Cymljidium Mastersii, bearing a seven-flowered spike of flowers. Mr. Denning staged a plant of Epidendrum Imperator, bearing two spikes of crimson blossoms with a white-crested lip. First-class Certificates were awarded to the following :— Clematis Lucy Lemoine (Veitch), a free-flowering variety with fresh green foliage, aud ample semi-double wliite flowers. Rhododrendron Duchess of Edinburgli, a vivid crimson-coloured variety, and a welcome addition to the already beautiful gi-oup of greenhouse species, Epidendrum Imperator (Donning), a tall-growing species with deep green glossy foliage, and long terminal spikes of crimson flowers, having an elegantly- fringed Up. The i^laut grows a yard in height. COVERING IN OOVENT GARDEN MARKET. It is, to a certain extent, gratifying to learn that at " an extraor- dinary general meeting " of the Market Gardeners, Nurserymen, and Farmers' Association, lately held at the Bedford Head, Covent Garden, it was announced that his Grace the Duke of Bedford had at length determined to cover in Covent Garden Market ; and a model of the proposed roofing was exhibited and taken into considera- tion by those assembled. Of the advisability of being thankful for small mercies there can be no doubt, especially when we reflect on the weary length of years during which the most desperate attempts were made to " get at " the late Duke of Bedford, and induce him to accede to some structural reform on his magnificent but shamefully neglected Covent Garden estate. London has every reason to be grateful to the present head of the princely House of Russell for entertaining a proposition which, if carried out, will shelter the stall keepers and their customers from the inclemency of the weather. It is, however, somewhat vexatious to learn from our con- temporary. The Garden, that the improvement contemplated will be slight indeed in comparison with what is really required. Several members of the association who met at the Bedford Head considered that the proposed covering was too low ; while, by others, a 4-foot opening left on either side was held to be most objectionable. They were told that the lowness of the roof and the side openings were rendered necessary for the convenience of those who occupied the upper rooms over the central avenue of the market. So that it is to be the old, old story over again; the story of a great public want being left but half fulfilled, and of a structure which needs pulling down altogether, and re-building in accordance with modern ideas, being cobbled and patched up in order to serve the " convenience " of persons possessing ostensibly "vested" interests. Boldly and liberally re-built, Covent Garden and the surrounding piazzas might bo made one of the most splendid public places in London, and, in a few years, would repay the Duko of Bedford thrice tho amount per cent, that his property yields him now. Patched and cobbled up, the market will not cease to demand reform, and some day or another it will have to be reformed altogether, by being abolished as a nuisance. ■ — Telegraph. OBITUARY. We have to record, with much regret, tho death of Mr. Frederick Barter, which happened on the 15th ult. on board ono of the P. & 0. steamers, between Malta and Gibraltar. He was a man who was a credit to his profession, though, for some years past, he has not practised as a gardener in this country. He wont out to India (after his return from the Islo of Ascension) in the winter of 1869 to fill a position under the Indian Cotton Commissioners, having been re- commended from Kow. Though his time (live years) would havo expired this year, failing health compelled him prematurely to return, iris father, himself an old gardener now nearly seventy years of age, had gono to Southampton to meet his arrival, when he received the sad news that ho had been buried at sea. Another of his sons, Charles, fell a victim to fever some years ago up the River Niger whilst botanist to tho Niger Expedition under Captain Baikie. Charles was once in tho Regent's Park, and sent home many new plants from the neighbourhood of the Niger. March 14, 1874] THE GAEDEN. 217 THE GARDEIN^. " This is an art Wticb does mend nature : chans;e it rather : but The Art itself is Nature." — Shakespeare, CAN PINE-GROWING BE MADE PROFITABLE ? ,' These are the things that do not pay, are they not ? " said a gentleman to me not long ago when looking into my Pine-pits ; and, when he said so, it occurred to me that he expressed a very prevailing opinion among proprietors, founded, it must bo admitted, upon facts in a good many cases. The question, too, is all the more pertinent now, because the English Pine- gi-ower is likely to find a very formidable opponent in his brother cultivator in the Azores, from which we are yearly getting an increased quantity of fruit of the best description, and which has already had the effect of reducing the prices in our markets considerably. As yet, however, the supply of these Pines has been confined to the antumn and winter months chiefly, and it is questionable if the St. Michael Pine- grower will ever bo able to enter into competition with the English grower during the late spring and summer months. English gardeners will, therefore, still have to be depended upon to keep up the supply during these months ; and ^'this, I maintain, they can do profitably. Let us begin with good-sized suckers in September. These should be divested oE their bottom leaves as far as the stem is of a brown ripe colour; and, after the heels have been cleaned with a sharp knife, they should be potted in 8 or 9-inch pots, deep enough to bury the stem considerably above the base of the bottom leaves. A good fibry turf, chopped small, to which may be added a good sprinkling of bone-dust, is the best soil that can be used ; but the Pine will do exceedingly well in ordinary garden soil, sifted and mixed with about its bulk of decayed hot-bed manure, and one-third or more of clean river or silver-sand. It may be said of the Pine — as is said of many trees and shrubs — it will thrive in any ordinary soil if it has head-room, light, and air. The pots should be crocked about li inches deep, and the suckers must be potted very firmly. I always ram the bottom layers with a wooden rammer, and then fill in around the sucker, making the soil as hard as finger and thumb can make it. A compact firm soil is one of the best aids to a woody and well-matured stock. When potted, they should be plunged in the succession pit near the glass, which should be kept clean. Shading in September will only be required on sunny days, and should be discontinued in a fortnight after potting, if all has gone well. A bottom -heat of 8b° must be kept up for three weeks, and a top-heat of 75° by night and 86° or 90° by day. The plants should be dewed over with clean tepid water morning and afternoon, except on very dull days, and little or no air should be given during that time. By the fourth week the plants will be fairly rooted, and, if needful, they may be watered thoroughly. Up to this date the syringing will have been sufficient if the soil was in a pro- perly moist condition at potting time, which it should he. After the plants are rooted, however, and a more liberal supply of air is given, they will want more water at the root, and when they are watered, it should be done thoroughly, each plant should get a good soaking. The Pine requires as much water as any ordinary stove plant, and unless ib gets it, it will not thrive. Towards the end of September syringing over head should be discontinued, and the bed only sprinkled, but the evaporating troughs may be kept full always. The bottom-heat should also be reduced to 80°, and by the end of October to 75'^, while the night temperature may range from 60° to 65°, and the day from 66° to 75°, according to the weather. These temperatures are adhered to here as nearly as possible all the winter, and, by long and constant experience, I find they are just sufiicient to keep the roots and leaves in healthy action without growing much, which is all that should be aimed at ; growth in winter, under a too high temperature, is only an elongation of the leaves, and is good for nothing. On the other hand, if the temperature, top or bottom, gets too low, the roots will perish, and the leaves will damp off in the hearts of the plants ; and if, through timid watering, the soil in the pots is allowed to get too dry, the plants will go to rest, and, probably, many of them will show fruit prematurely in spring. Against these accidents, growers always put in more suckers than they want, discarding the surplus stock in spring at potting time. By the beginning of March, soil, the same as recommended for the suckers, should be prepared for pottiug. It should have the chUl taken off it before using, and the potting should be done in some com- fortable place. At the same time the requisite number of 12 or 14.-inch pots should be got ready and crocked, and, when everything is prepared, the plants should be turned carefully out of their pots, the ball of soil just reduced sufficiently to disentangle the roots, and transferred to the larger size, potting firmly as directed in potting the suckers. The plants should then be transferred to their summer quarters, and plunged, at least 2i feet apart — if more room can be afiorded all the better. The bottom-heat must be raised to 80°, and the top -heat to 70° at night, and from 80° to 85° by day, and shading, dewing, and keeping close for a week or two must also be practised as with newly- potted suckers. The prospect of fruit now depends upon the treatment from this date. Towards the end of March the bottom-heat should be raised to 85°, the minimum top -heat to 75°, and the maximum to 85° or 90°, according to the weather. These temperatures should not be exceeded, but they must be adhered to as closely as possible, especially in the bottom-heat, till the end of August, always ventilatmg freely on all occasions consistently with keeping up the proper temperatures. Water, also, must be given at the roots as often as needful, and in abundance. In addition to watering the plants, I frequently in hot weather, deluge the bed in which the pots are phiuged ; it helps to keep the atmosphere sweet and moist ; but, with plenty of water at the root, a Pine will thrive luxuriantly without shutting up or syringing at all. Frequent waterings with weak liquid-manure should also be given during the summer. If these simple directions are fol- lowed, the plants cannot fail to thrive, and, by August, robust stocky plants will be the result, such as will be sure to bear fine fruit the following summer. By September the bottom- heat should drop to 80°, also the top-heat proportionately, and it should still further decline by October to 75°, and the top- heat to 65° minimum, and from 75*^ to 80° maximum. If this descent is gradual, the plants will complete their maturation and go to rest entirely by November, wheu the bottom-heat should not exceed 70°, nor the top 75° maximum, nor 60° minimum; nor will the plants require much water at this time, though they must not be allowed to become parched in the least. If fruit is wanted in May or June the plants must be started again by the end of November, and to this end the bottom-heat must be raised to. 75° and the top- heat proportionally, and this figure must not be exceeded till the plants show fruit. It is very often at this stage that the prospect of a crop is ruined. It is not at all an uncommon thing for growers to jump the bottom-heat to 85° or 90° at once, and, unless the fruit is almost already visible, which it should not be under proper management, the chances are a hundred to one that the plants will throw up a tuft of leaves instead of fruit, and they will not fruit after- wards. Anyone can satisfy himself on this point by experi- ment. I would undertake to make the best ripened plants miss fruiting by this treatment. It is exactly the same with forced Strawberries, Peaches, and other things, only a more rational practice is usually adopted with these. The Strawberry, par- ticularly, will not bear pushing at the first ; if it is, it will simply throw up a crowd of leaves, and the flower scape will rarely even get out of the socket, and if it does manage that length, the flowers wiU be weak and useless. Once the Pines have shown fruit, both top and bottom temperatures must be raised another 5°, and, after they have done flowering, they may be treated to the ordinary summer temperatures of the year before, which should be kept up till the fruit is ripe and the suckers are fit to be detached for another stock. _ If well- swelled glistening fruit, with the juice almost oozing out of the pips, is desired, watering must never be discontinued, even when the fruit is quite ripe, though dampmg overhead may be given up, and more air given. In other respects, the treaimeut during the fruiting period should be the same as during the growing season. J- S. W. 218 THE GARDEN. [Makcu U, 1S74. NOTES OP THE WEEK. The fine specimen of Agave nnivittata, in the sncculent-honse at Kew, is now bearing a flower-spike some 9 or 10 feet in height. This Aloe, which is one of the most distinct of the spicate group, has leaves prettily striped in the centre with yellowish green. We learn, from the Gartenflora, that the extensive herbarium of the eminent Greek botanist, Orphanides, has been purchased by Herr Ehodocanaki, of Odessa, and has been presented by him to the University of Athens. Mr. Wills writes to ns respecting the fine conservatory figured in last week's Garden, and requests ns to state that the plants in it were supplied and arranged by him. Better, or more suitable subjects, or a more effective arrangement we have not seen. A FAIR number of entries, it is said, have been made for the prizes offered by the Boyal Agricultural Society for disease-proof Potatoes. The competitors evidently have confidence in the virtues of their varieties, for, in the event of failure, they are liable, for cost of cultivation, to the amount of £20. Artificial nests have been suspended in many of the trees in the Bois de Vincennes, near Paris, with a view of attracting birds that may prove useful in destroying insects. The attempt was first made last year, with the result of filling about sixty per cent. of the nests. In his address at Trenton, Mr. Quin gives the Strawberry crop of New Jersey at 2,000,000 quarts in favourable seasons, worth, at 16 cents per quart, £60,000; Blackberries, Raspberries, and Grapes, about as much more. He estimates the Cranberry crop at 125,000 bushels of sound fruit (worth about £60,000), and more than half the entire crop of the country, and bringing into use thousands of acres of swamp lands which could not otherwise be employed. We (Pharmaceutical Journal) have been favoured with a communication from Mr. Daniel Hanbury, in which he states that having recently had occasion to search some old newspapers in the British Museum, he observed the following advertisement in the Mercurius Politicns, No. 435, September 23rd to 30th, 1651, which, though probably well-known to antiquaries, may be interesting to some of our readers : — ■" That Excellent, and by all Physitians approved, China Drink, called by the Chineans, Telia, by other Nations Tay alias Tee, is sold at the Sidtaness-head, a Co2>hee-house in Su'eetings Rents by the Royal Exchange, London." The common wood Nettle of America has been transplanted to Europe by M. Rossel for the purpose of being applied to textile purposes. It is known botanically as the Laportea pustulata, and is perennial. As it is, therefore, unnecessary to sow the seed each year, the plant has, in this respect, an advantage over hemp or flax, while it is said to necessitate less labour and expense in preparing the fibre. In a wild state, the Nettle attains a height of 2 or 3 feet ; but we learn that those that have been cultivated in Berlin have already exceeded this limit, and it appears possible that, by care and proper soil, even a still greater altitude may be gained. At a recent meeting of the French Academy of Sciences, M. E. Faivre read a paper detailing a series of experiments iu support of the theory that the fiuid which supplies the tissue of plants with food ascends beneath the bark. He found that, when strips are cut away from the bark of trees, the buds always continue to develop when a communication is still left between them and the lower part of the tree ; while, if this communication is completely destroyed, the buds wither away. If a complete ring was removed beneath the bad, it withered away the more slowly the greater the distance of the strip from the bud. The starch disappeared in these cases from the portions of the wood above the cut piece, and between it and the bud, while beneath the cut it remained unchanged. If cylinders of bark are left, bearing buds, they may be made to develop even into branches. The reports of the ravages made among the Potato crops in the United States last year by the Colorado beetle have naturally caused considerable alarm to growers in this co»ntry, as it is feared that this insect pest may bo brought over in the large quantities of seed Potatoes which are imported from the other side of the Atlantic. With a view to preventing its introduction, Mr. J. Algernon Clarke, secretary of the Central Chamber of Agriculture, addressed a letter, on the 10th of February, to Mr. Gladstone, calling his attention to the imminent risk to which the United Kingdom, especially Ireland, is exposed, and suggesting that the importation of Potatoes from the United States and British America should at once be prohibited. In reply, a letter was received last week from the office of the Privy Council for Trade, to the effect that, according to the American official reports, it does not appear that the eggs or larva) of the Colorado beetle have been, or are, deposited or conveyed in the tuber of the Potato ; ard, therefore, there is considered to bo no reason to prevent the importation of seed Potatoes from America into the United Kingdom until the case is proved to be otherwise. We think this a wise decision. Our correspondent, Mr. George Gordon, A.L.S., author of the " Pinetum," has been appointed one of the jury for awarding the medals at the Great International, Botanical, and Horticultural Congress, to be held at Florence, in May next. — — • A HORTICULTURAL Curiosity is now on view in the Crystal Palace, in the shape of a Hyacinth with no fewer than eleven flower, spikes, all excellent ones, issuing from the same bulb, the total number of bells being 170. The variety is Norma, a flesh-coloured kind. It is worth noting that (according to a report made to the Lyons Society of Industrial Sciences) the Broom (Sarothamnns scoparins) which grows so abundantly in many parts of this country, and which has been long known to yield a yellow dye, and a fibre which has been used as thread, may, by a little care, be made to produce a fibre quite equal to hemp, in strength and fineness. Messrs. Hooper & Co., of Covent Garden, have imported roots of a Begonia (B. octopetala) new to cultivators in this country. The foliage of the plant, as shown in a beautiful drawing before us, is of a fresh green tint, and, in shape, not uulike that of a very large fancy Pelargonium ; while the flowers, each as large as a crown-piece, are of pearly-whiteness in front, and deep rosy-carmine behind. It is a native of Peru, and is said to grow well in a cool-house. The second number of the Illustration iforticoJe, just pub. lished, contains beautifully-coloured plates of Authurium floribundum, a deep glossy-leaved Arad bearing milk-white spathes j Lasiandra lepidota, a very showy greenhouse Melastomad, bearing deep rosy, crimson flowers, each as large as a crown-piece, while, in general habit and mode of flowering, the plant has some resemblance to the well-known Pleroma elegans (it inhabits the cold regions of the Cordillera of the Andes) ; Pritchardia pacifica, a deep green glossy- leaved Fan-Palm, a native of the Fiji Islands and Polynesia, where it was discovered by the late Dr. Berthold Seeman. The first number of " Orchids, and how to grow them in India and other tropical climates," by J. Jennings, F.L.S., has just been published by Messrs. Lovell, Reeve, & Co. It is a royal quarto, printed on fine paper, and embellished by four coloured plates of the following choice Orchids, viz., Cattleya exoniensis (rosy variety) ; Dendrobium Wardianum, a richly-tinted form, first figured in the Botanical Magazine as D. Falconeri obtusum ; Angrajcum sesqui- pedale, a good figure of this pearly-white Orchid ; and the new Cypripedium Sedeni. The author treats his subject in a straight- forward manner, likely to be appreciated by amateur Orchid, growers, while some of his Indian experience will be valuable to our cultivators here at home. The Botanical Society of Edinburgh offers a prize of ten guineas for the best and improved essay on the reproduction of Lyco. podiacese, to be competed for by students who have attended the botanical class at the Royal Botanic Garden, Edinburgh, during, at least, one of the three years preceding the award, and have gained honours in the class examinations. The author is expected to give results of practical observations and experiments made by himself on the subject, illustrated by microscopical specimens. The essay and specimens to be given in on or before 1st May, 1876, with a sealed note containing the author's name, and a motto outside. Facilities will be given for can-ying on observations and experiments at the Royal Botanic Garden, Edinburgh. A prize of ten guineas is also offered, through the council of the Botanical Society, by Charles Jenner, Esq., for the best and approved essay on the Structure and Re-production of the Frondose and Foliaceous Jungermanuiacea>. This prize is subject to all the conditions specified above. It may be of interest to know that, in connection with the reception of the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh, at Windsor, on Saturday last, Messrs. Veitoh & Sons, of Chelsea, had the honour of offering to Her Majesty, the Princess of Wales, and the Duchess oC Edinburgh, splendid bouquets composed exclusively of the rarest Orchids, Roses, and Lilies of the Valley. The Queen and the Princess of Wales were pleased to receive their's personally from Mr. Harry J. Veitch, Her Majesty retaining also that for the Duchess of Bdin. burgh for presentation on her arrival at the Castle. The floral decorations for the banquet given on Monday, in honour of the newly- married couple, were very extensive. Five large groups of Palms, Musas, and other fine-foliaged plants, interspersed with choice flowers, were very effectively arranged on the grand staircase by Mr. Jones, Her Majesty's gardener at Frogmore; whilst, in the reception rooms, the fireplaces were, as usual, most tastefully filled by Mr. Tnruer, of the Royal Nurseries, Slough, who also supplied all the plants and flowers required for the banquet table. Messrs. Bromwich & Co., of South Belgravia, had the honour of supplying the bouquets for the drawing-room and boudoirs of Buckingham Palace, on Thursday last. March 14, 1874] THE GAUDBN. 219 THE INDOOR GARDEN. ATAOCIA CRISTATA. This very curious plant — one of the most extraordinary we are acquainted with — is a native of the islands of the Malayan Archipelago. Tliough by no means new, it is far less com- monly seen than it ought to be, considering the ease with which it is propagated, and the anomalous features it presents in regard alike to aspect and to structure. The love and admiration given to flowers, for the sake of their bright colours and their sweet scent, are well deserved, and there can never be too much of either. We must confess, at the same time, that we like to see intellectual interest in what may be termed the vagaries of nature. Nature's ways are very imperfectly apprehended so long as we rest content with Roses and Lilies, Fuchsias and Primulas. The plant before us was originally introduced into the gardens of Kew, under the generic name of Tacca. The other members of this curious Indian genus have multifid leaves, and the roots are tuberous. A. cristata, having undivided leaves and a rhizome, was sepai'ated by Presl, who gave it the name of Ataccia ; and in this he was followed by Bndlicher and Kunth, though both express their doubts as to the necessity of the new genus. What differences ' may lie in the essential charac- ters appear to be but trifling ; and a distinction founded alone, or chiefly, upon habit and foliage, is usually con- sidered unimportant. But, leaving the doctors to decide, we take the name as we find it, and commend the plant to every one who has a liking for the exceptional. The under- ground portion consists of a short and conical root-stock, marked with the scars of former leaves, and here and there throwing up some small gemmsB or tubers, by the re- moval of which it is readily multiplied. The actual roots consist of a few coarse fibres. From the crown of the root- stock rise three or four hand- some and dark green leaves, the petioles several inches in length, the large and elliptic- oblong blade acuminate, entire, and elegantly veined, the veins flowing in parallel curves. In the midst rises a stout scape, like that of a Hyacinth, twelve or eighteen inches in height, c[uite erect, and bearing on the summit a unilateral and half-pendulous umbel of twelve to twenty lirownish- purple flowers, each as large as the top of one's little finger. In figure they are not unlike the flowers of the Asarabacca, having a turbinate and six-angled ovary, to which the lower portiou of the perianth is adherent, while the six triangular lobes, all of the same size, are reflexed upon it in such a way as to give a circular mouth, of precisely the same truncate character as that of the Cyclamen. But here, instead of pure white, or lovely lilac-rose colour, we have sombre and lurid purple, and, moreover, the matchless twist of the Cyclamen is wanting. So completely are the perianth lobes laid back against the ovary that, at first sight, the flower seems only a circular muzzle, with half-a-dozen stamens for quaint front teeth. The petioles supporting these odd flowers are about au inch and a lialf in length. Intermingled with the floriferous ones, or, perhaps, rather behind, and somewhat laterally, are many more that are abortive, attenuated to a length of at least 12 inches, and hanging down like thin straigirt hair, a lock upon either side ; while, at the Ijack of all, stand up two enormous vertical bracts, and two smaller ones, the former resembling the sheaths of the common English Arum, Ijut flattened out, and of a cadaverous greenish-purple hue. The whole thing is so weird and gipsy-like that one almost starts at the supernatural mockery. Had the witches in " Macbeth " wanted a flower a-piece on a certain celebrated occasion, and, had the plant grown at home instead of ten thousand miles away, this Ataccia, of all the productions of nature, would have suited them best. Ovid would have been glad of it for an additional legend in the Metamorphoses. It is very easily pi'opagated; all that is necessary is to detach one of the geramas from the rhizome, and place it in a small pot of light loam and peat, giving plenty of water, and preserving it, at all events while the plant is young, in a close moist atmosphere. We have seen the Ataccia in many good collections of curiosi- ties, especially near Manchester, and, no doubt, it is to be had from the leading nurserymen. Leo Grindon. Ataccia cristata. GARDEN AQUARIA. The culture of aquatic plants seems, for the most part, limited to our large public and private gardens, such as Kew, Chats- worth, or Syon House ; but proper appliances for the culture of the smaller kinds cost but little, and, by adding them to our plant-houses, we may greatly increase the beauty and interest of our collections. A large and expensive structure for growing the Victoria Lily cannot be erected in every garden, but, every one who possesses a plant-stove, green- house, or conservatory, may, with but little trouble or cost, devote some portion of it to the cultivation of the more beautiful water-plauts. Aquatics and succulents may be grown by the merest novice in plant-culture, since they require so little attention after they are once planted. Watering plants is a source of trouble to most gardeners ; but, in succulents, this is re- duced to a minimum, while, in the case of aquatics, they are, of course, always well supplied, though a change is occasionally desirable. The introduction of a slate tank into the plant-stove occasions but little extra trouble and expense, while it may be made one of the most interesting features in the house ; or one side of the side-benches might be covered with several of these shallow tanks placed side by side. Their size will vary according to the width of the staging, but from 3 to 4 feet square, and a foot or 15 inches deep, will, in most oases, be amply sufficient. These portable tanks are, in many cases, preferable to permanent erections, as, during the winter months, they can be removed and stored away in any dry shed until required for the next season, or the water they contain may be emptied out and plants in pots can then be set hiside in the usual w.ay. In tanks like those above described, a groat variety of the smaller aquatics can be grown that will not be less interesting to the ordinary visitor than the more common terrestrial plants grown in pots. We want variety in our gardens, and the culture of aquatics is one way to set about obtaining it. Among the commoner aquatic plants there are some which should be in every garden, as the Aponogetons, their forked spr.ays of silvery bracts being most valuable for cutting. Vallisneria spiralis is always interesting as a microscopic object, and some of the smaller tropical Water Lilies grown in tanks like those above described, unfold their pure white, bright rose, or co^rulean blue flowers, as freely as those of our native ponds and streams. A little good sandy loam is the best compost in which to plant the stronger-growing kinds, while some of the smaller Pistias and Pontederias will float on the surface. These tanks arc valuable for assisting the 220 THE GAEDEN. [Mauch 14, 1874. growth of other plants as well as aquatics ; for example, Palms grow far more vigorously during the hot summer months, if the bases of their pots are sunk about 2 inches mto the water. This is best effected by setting the pot, in which the plant is growing, on another pot reversed beneath the water in the tank. Eichardias (Callas) grow far more robustly and flower better if the pots are plunged overhead in the water, and if they are sunk deep enough, say, from 2 to 3 feet, the plant will withstand our climate all the year round, and form a noble ornament on the margins of ponds, lakes, streams, or_ other ornamental waters. We will now give a short descriptive list of aquatics best adapted for growing in shallow stove-tanks indoors. Aponogeton distachyon. — An old plant in our gardens, having been introduced from the Cape in 178S, but never very generally cultivated. It is nearly allied to the Lattice-leaf or Lace plant of Madagascar, and has similar venation, but in the case of the Aponogeton the intervening spaces bstween the veins are filled with cellular tissue. It is one of the most accommodating of all plants, as it may either be set in a drawing-room window, planted in a little earth at the bottom of an inverted bell-glass, or it will grow vigorously in a shallow tank in the open air, where it seldom fails to flower freely throughout the spring and summer months. A. monostachyon bears pretty pink blossoms on its undivided spikes. It is smaller in habit than the last-named, and, being a native of the East Indies, requires the warm humid temperature of the stove aquarium. A. angustifolium, a narrow -leaved form, was introduced from the Cape in 178S, but is now lost to cultivation. The Water Fern (Ceratopteris thalictroides). — A rare Fern, and one of the few that grow well plunged in water. It grows beautifully in a shallow tank in one of the stoves at Chatsworth, and has recently been added to the Kew collection. It is of a fresh green colour, and a most vigorous grower in a hot moist stove. TJmbrella Sedge of Madagascar (Cyperus alternifolius) . . — We have here a forcible example of the adaptability of plants. Grown in a pot in ordinary compost, this makes pretty little plants 1 to 2 feet high, and well adapted for ordinary decorative pur- poses ; but, if planted in a pot of rich soil, and partly plunged in the tank, it often produces large growths 5 or 6 feet in height. In the Palm-honse at Kew there is a curious glaucous variety under this name, with stems between 4 and 5 feet high, the leaves at their apex being only 5 or 6 inches in length. There is also a pretty variegated form, very valuable for decorative purposes, although it is apt to revert to its normal green state. If the plant is grown in very poor soil, with at least one-half of sand, it comes beautifully coloured, each leaf being striped with pure white. This plant is always useful, especially for table decorations, and for grouping along with choice flowers in the drawing-room vases. Its foliage radiates in a grace- fully drooping manner from the apex of the slender stems, and is distinct from any other decorative plant. Iiimnocharis Humboldtii. — This plant bears beautiful, clear, soft yellow flowers among its floating foliage. The general port of the plant is similar to that of Aponogeton distachyon, but its leaves are heart-shaped, and the plant is sufiiciently hardy to stand out-of- doors in sheltered tanks during the hottest portion of the year only. Grown in the shallow stove-tanks above alluded to, it grows and flowers vigorously, forming a really beautiful object. Nymphsea ccerulea. — This is a pretty little plant, that grows and blooms well in any plant-stove treated as an aquatic. It has brii'ht green foliage and light blue flowers, both of which float grace- fully on the surface of the water. N. pygmaia is a charming com. panion to it, and might readily be grown in an inverted bell, glass a foot wide, as recommended for the Aponogeton. It has fresh heart-shaped leiives, and pearly flowers of the most pearly whiteness. Nelumbium speciosum. — This is the well-known " Sacred Bean " of Egypt, and is be.st treated as a sub-aquatic, or it can be grown in a tiib half filled with good sandy loam covered with about 12 inches of water, bo as to keep the roots in a consistent state of moisture. This makes a fine object, having largo peltate leavesborne on long stems, and great rosy-tinted Nyniph:ea-like flowers. Its I ee Is are liorno in a peculiar top-shaped head perforated with holes, somjthing like the rose of a watering-pot. It is easily propagated from seeds sown directly after Christmas. Common Water Lettuce (Pistia Stratiotes). — This plant is of a light and fresh green colour, and forms a most interesting object in the stove aquarium, as it floats on the surface of the water in a manner analagons to our common Duckweed (Lemna). Its leaves are arranged in a rosulate manner, and are 2 to 4 inches in length, L)j- ibout linlf thi-s\y.ed pot, filled with sandy loam, and inserted in the cases in the propagating pits. These, when rooted, would not make nice permanent plants, but they were used as stocks for grafting on in the following spring. Layers. This is a convenient mode of propagation, especially where old plants are grown in broken soil, i.e. not on turfed lawns, and it is also useful for furnishing us, at once, with large and well-formed plants. The operation is best performed in August and September ; it merely consists, as in the case of most other plants, in bending down the branches near the ground, so that they can be fixed in position bj' means of pegs pushed into the soil near the middle of the branches. A little slip or tongue should bo cut at the bend where, also, the branches should receive a slight twist, so as to somewhat check the flow of sap and cause the cuds to assume an easy upright posture. Some prepared compost, consisting of sand, peat, and some nice loam or leaf-soil, ought to be placed with the hand round the incision and bend ; then level down the other mould, and press all firmly. In this way all the branches that can be brought down should be layered. Thus the plants should remain for two years, without even pruning out the young shoots that the old stock will inevitably produce ; for, from these the batch of layers which are to succeed those at present layered should be selected. At the end of two years from the time of layering, lift the young layered plants, knife-dress them a little, if necessary, root and stem, and transplant them in nursery lines for a season or two till required. No sooner are these removed from the parent stocks, than the young shoots, made since they were brought down, should be layered ; and so on, year after year, whenever increased stock is wanted. Grafting. This is the method pursued when standards are required ; it is, however, more applicable in the case of plants for pot-culture than it is for those for outdoor use. Good clean stems of the common sort make the best stocks, and these are mostly selected from the strongest of the seedlings. A . vera is the favourite berry-bearing plant, and, consequently, more of that kind are worked than of any other sort. The operation is done in spring, by means of side-grafting in close gently-heated and well-shaded pits, and as the scions become united, the ligatures, with which they are fastened, are undone, and the heads of the stocks are gradually reduced. Gi-afting the Aucuba is a matter of no great difficulty ; therefore, wax of any sort is but seldom used, although a little of it is beneficial as far as excluding wet from the incisions is concerned. W. F. Curious Experience of a Hybridiser. — The notion car- rent among hybridists that the niale parent exorts its influence chiefly over the fruit, while the female gives character to the plant or tree, is, according to my experience, erroneous. In many of my experiments in crossing Grapes, Raspberries, Strawberries, and Cereals, I have found the pollen to exort an almost entire pre-potent influence, so that scarcely a vostigo of the character of tlio female parent was to be found in some of the cross-bred offsprings. Take, for instance, the Black-cap Raspberty crossed with White Four-seasons. Some of the seedlings bore whitu fruit, exactly like the male parent, and threw up abundance of suckers, but could not be iuducod to root from the tips of the canes like the female paront. Again, I have sown white sweet wrinkled Indian Corn, and early in the season removed its own pollen, and then, at the proper time, f m'nished pollen of some common yellow Indian Corn, then again, some pollen of purple Indian Corn; and when the Corn is ripe, I have found, instead of white sweet Corn, yellow Corn and purple Corn in the same car, and, in some instances, both yellow and purple in the same kernel, distinctly marked ; and yet the female pai'ent, the kernel of seed that produced the stalk, was white sweet wrinkled Corn, showing, in my opinion, three distinct results in the Corn experiment, viz.. the power of the pollen to change the colour and shape of the Corn ; its immediate effect upon the embryo grain to which it is applied; and also a proof of snperfcctation, or, in other words, of one seed being the joint issue of two male parents. — Mr. Arnold, ?/i Albany CuUiraior. The Lattice, or Lace-leaved Plant (Ouvirandra feneslralis). — This roproiluceH itself Irccly I'voni seeds, which heiilthy jiiitl vigorous plants ripen perfectly in this country. When ripe, the seeds drop all around the parent- jdant and tfrow. These seedlings, when stronj< enoueh to handle, nuiy he jilanted at once in a pan of loamy soil, and immediately plunged in the water a few inches below the surface. " Shonld the seedlinf^s have lixcd themselves to the pebbles, those may be removed with them. — W. F. March U, 1874] THE GAEDfiN. 223 THE FLOWER GARDEN. SOAELET-FEUITBD CUCURBIT. (abobea viridiflora.) Tuis plant is nearly allied to the common Cucnmber of our fi;ardeus, and, although not yet generally cultivated, it is a very graceful trailing or climbing plant, suitable either for the cool conservatory, or for out-door culture during the hottest part of the year. It is well adapted for inside window boxes, and, like most other members of the Gourd family, it does fairly in any moist warm border, or it can be grown in hanging baskets. The foliage is of a deep rich green tint, while in form the leaves remind one of the old green-leaved Stag's-horn Geranium grown in old cottage windows many years ago. The plant is specially interesting on account of its scarlef or bright crimson fruits, which are borne in the axils of the much-divided leaves, and are very orna- mental, as they contrast well with the foliage. The flowers are of a greenish or dingy white, and may bo considered as the least ornamental portion of the plant. Seeds of it have germinated freely with Messrs. E. G. Henderson, sown indoors in spring in light rich soil. RAEB ALPINE PLANTS. In a list of new plants just issued by Messrs. Backhouse, of York, we find the following, viz. : — Campanula Zoijsii : A dwarf species from the Tyrol and Carinthia, of great rarity, forming dense tufts bearing narrow pendent lilac- purjile flowers. Blooms very freely, and, though delicate in structure, is of free growth iu calcareous loam. — Gentiana allhiis : A distinct and very liandsome Gentian, intro. duced for the first time, form, ing dense tufts, 6 to 13 inches high, of dark brilliant blue flowers, which not only clothe the upper portion of the stems at each axil, but also form a dense terminal cluster. Allied to G. gelida and G. septemfkla, the foliage reminding of both these species. — Leucorriniim montannm : A charming novelty, which may prove a rival to the Snowdrop as an early spring flower. Blossoms pure white, nearly 1 J- inches across, borne on a profusion of stalks about 3 inches high, rising from each tuber. Leaves linear, very narrow. Blooms iu ihe wild state with the melting snow.— Pentstemon hamiUs : Densely clustered, 6 to H inches high, more than one-half of the entire plant being a series of whorls of brilliant azure, almost "gentian" blue. Very free and pretty for both rock-work and borders. Rocky Mountains. — P. secunditloriis ; Another now species from the same source, nearly allied to P. acuminatiis. Judging by the dried specimens received, it is eqnally valuable. The plant is rather taller, less glaucous, and has narrower and longer (linear, lanceolate) leaves, and more numerous rather shorter flowers of a deep rose, with blue segments. As the name implies, the blossoms of this species all " look " to one side of the spike. Being from a great elevation, and doubtless perfectly hardy, these and the other new Rocky Mountain Peutstemous will probably prove a great acquisition, the great defect iu the varieties of P. gentianoides (so well known iu gardens) having been their inability to bear severe frost. — Bomanzqflia sitchensis : A high Alpine from the Rocky Mouu. tains, with dense tufts of crenated leaves not unlike those of a Sibthorpia or dwarf Chrysosplenium. The numerous flowers, blooming early in spring, are pure white, and are borne on slender branching stalks 4 to 8 inches high. They seem tu combine the forms of Liuna^a borealis and Saxifragagrauu- lata. Distinct and pretty. — Sparaxis pulclierrima v. atro- purpurea : A very dark purple-crimson variety of the well-known species, sent by one of our correspondents in South Africa. The graceful- ness of this plant, especially for the margins of shrubberies or ornamental water, can scarcely be surpassed. — S. pulclierrima v. forihunda : Another distinct and highly- beautiful variety, found in- habiting a special district iu Caffraria. Flowers very nu- merous, often quite weighing down the slender wire-like branched spikes, which are sometimes nearly 3 feet in length. The individual blos- soms are of a deep shaded pink and white, more or less flaked. — Veronica sa^iatilis Grievei : A variety of the well-known species, differing in having flowers of a deej) rose colour. The individual blossoms are much larger than those of V. frnticulosa, and are far brighter and finer than those of the plant long known as V. saxatilis rosea, being fully equal iu size to the finest forms of the blue V. saxatilis, and of the same habit and free growth. Scarlct-fruiteil Cucurbit (Al:)oljra viridiflor which its possesses GLAND-BEARING BELL-FLOWERS. The genus Adenophora, like the Platycodon, is an offshoot from the Cam- panula, appropriately re- cognised by Fischer as something more than a mere section of that large generic group. Its most important distinctive fca- name is derived, consists a cup-like glandular disc. The tiire, aud that from in the fact that it ^ whose variation in development is of considerable value in determining the specific distinctions of an otherwise very closely allied group of species. Adenophora^. geographically speaking, Dahuria, where they enjoy a wide range of wild country, a district which, judging from herbarium and description, will yet yield many rnore interesting and lovely plants for our wild garden decoration than it has even hitherto done, and its con- home of the Siberia aud tHB GAEDEN. [March 14, 1874. tributions are by no means few. The opinion we naturally form of that vast tract of country known as Siberia is based upon historical rather tbail physical knowledge. However black and repellent the former may be, whoever has read Atkinson's charming work descriptive of his wanderings from the Ural Mountains to the Amoor River, must have been com- pelled to modify his opinion, so far at least as regards the beauties of nature, and the grandeur of the scenery. In general appearance the Adenophoras have an erect habit of growth, the stems rising from a dense fleshy crown to a height of from 2 to 3 feet, a development much greater than that with which they are usually credited; but, in strong rich soil, they have attained with me a height of even 4 feet under escep- tionally favourable circumstances. The upper half of the stems form a conical mass of flowers, individually small as compared with many of the Campanulas, but distributed with such regularity, and supported on slender, though, at the same time, rigid foot-stalks, interspersed with a few narrow bract- like leaves, giving a symmetry and regularity to the general group, such as are possessed by very few plants ; each flower, with its long exserted style, is seen individually, and thus possesses its own individual beauty, besides which the whole is enhanced by a general elegance of contour and lightness of arrangement. In colour, amongst the score of species described, with about a dozen of which we are familiar in cultivation, blue predominates, varying from the fairly deep tint of A. coronata to the light and delicate ccerulean hue of A. liliitolia, with all sorts of intermediate gradations. Possibly there may be a pure white form ; but such I have not yet seen. So frequent, however, is the white associated with the blue amongst the old Bell-flowers, that I have no doubt it will appear some of these days as a seedling sport. To give a description of '~ach of the species, seeing that their resemblance, viewed by the untutored eye of the ordinary cultivator, is so great, would be unnecessary ; I will, therefore, merely enumerate half-a-dozen of the most dis- tinct species— Adeuophora communis, A. coronata. A.. liUifoUa, A. Lamarckii, A. stylosa, and A. pereskiasfolia. In these there occur slight variations in colour and size of flower, and also in the form of the radical leaves ; the latter, however, being pro- duced early in the spring, lose a large portion of their character before the season is sufficiently advanced for the full development of the floral axis, which takes place during the months of July and August. As I befoi-e stated, the thick fleshy roots of the Adeuophora appear to revel in a strong rich Joam, and rather to rejoice in a moderately damp sub-soil ; they are impatient of removal, and should not be increased by division. Unlike the Platycodons, they produce their seeds freely; and, what is more, the seedlings reproduce very con- stantly the specific characteristics of the parent. The genus Adenophora should find a place in every choice selection of herbaceous plants, alike on account of the elegance of its habit, the chaste and beautiful appearance of its bell-like blossoms, and the time during which its blooming season lasts. Botanic Gardens, Hiill. J. C. Niven. NOTES AND QUESTIONS ON THE FLOWER GARDEN, The Common Ins (I. germanica).— The sword-shapod toliaKe of ibis plant, Just now so tresli ami preen, aiiart from its preat purple llowers produced later inthcF.casoii.rendcrs it well n-ortli growing in town gardens, where so tew other plants succeed. Cliunijs of this Iris look extremely well in out-door vases along with Irish Ivy during the early spring months, and it also makes line masses planted in moist nituations, or in shady borders.— J. C. L. Hyacinth Roots. — Your correspondent who writes on Hyacinths does not seem tii ho aware that they make two distinct set of roots. The first to support the IjlosBOming, which are thin ard fine, and can be seen in the water until the bloom is nearly over ; the second set then comes forward, thickand fleshy, to mature the iloom for the succeeding season. Then is the time, not to dry them up, but to place them within the roach of food and nutriment.— I. W. Graceful Wormwoods (Artemisia). —Artemisia gracilis is one of the most elegant of idimts. and well adapted for impaiting a grace to borders and Bnb-tropiciil gardens. A. argentea and A. .iudaica, with their beautifully cut, ffraceful, silvery foliage, are no less attractive than gj-acilis, and, for dinner'-tablo ilecoration. the three plants are most desirable when in a small state. They are easily raised from seed like half-hardy annuals,— P. B. Eosa diversifolia.— M. Carrii'-re invites the attention of I?osc-growers to this very rare and interesting variety, which, up to the present, is hardly known outside of the precincts of some botanic gardens. In its general appearance, il resembles the common Bengal Rose, but its fine claret-red, or nearly violet flowers, and its peculiar leaves so far distinguish it from that species as to render it a subject deserving of some consideration at the hands of our most eminent Rose-growers and hybridisers. THE FRUIT GARDEN. THE MADRESPIELD COURT GRAPE. ^ The efforts of raisers of new Grapes have been, for sotne time past) turned to the desirable object of obtaining a black Grape with a decidedly Muscat flavour, so as to be a fitting companion to the Muscat of Alexandria. The best type yet obtained in this way is the Madresfield Court Black Muscat, notwithstanding some have strongly deuounced it. It would appear to be a natural course of events with all new Grapes that they should be at first loudly be-praised, and then as vigorously condemned, until they either drop out of cultivation, or are recognised as undoubted acquisitions. The former fate is the rule, the latter the exception. The Madres- field Court Black Muscat is now being recognised as an undoubted acquisition. If the bunch is not large, it is of a good table and exhibition size ; the berries are long-oval in shape ; it sets freely, and with a decided Muscat flavour, it combines an extraordinary lusciousuess. Every Grape cultivator acknowledges it to be a fine- looking Grape, and to possess, in the main, all the characteristics of a fine variety, but many of them say it has a fatal tendency to crack just as it is becoming fully ripe. That this result has followed many attempts to cultivate it is, unquestionably, true, but, at the same time, ili can be well done without cracking. I have this season seen the Madresfield Court Grape growing at three famous Grape, producing establishments, where ordinary hot-house treatment was applied to it, viz., at Syon House, at Gnnnersbury Park, and at Heckfield. In each case magnificent development of berry, com. bined with high class flavour, was the result, and with only a very slight tendency to crack in one instance, and that, it would appear, was accounted for on ordinary grounds. One cultivator states that the tendency to crack is the result of improper cultivation. It would appear that it is when the berries are three-parts coloured that the cracking appears, and, therefore, it is at the colouring stage that airing is of the highest importance. His advice is to "air freely from the time the sun strikes the house in the morning until it goes off in the afternoon, leaving a few inches on all night. Avoid, by all means, a close, moist atmosphere for therein lies the cause of crackiug. Maintain a pure, dry, warm air in the house, say 65' at night, and from 70" to 75° in the day. By 30 doing I do not think anyone will have cause to complain of this noble Grape; for, by the above treatment, we have had some fine examples of it here for the last few years." The greatest and the most striking success to be recorded in connection with the Madresfield Court Grape, is the manner in which it has shown itself when grown in a cool house at Chiswick. Against a north wall there is a lean-to orchard-house, constructed after a design of the Rev. J. Fountaine ; this is a cold house, all the heat it gets being from the sun. In this house, Mr. Barron planted, some three or four years ago, three Vines — i.e., two Black Ham- burghs and one Madresfield Court — to iron pillars along the house, about 3 feet from the front ; a strong rod from each Vine is carried up the inside of the house, and one down towards the front, also ; the back wall of the house, has, planted against it, Black Hamburgh and Alicante. Here, the Madresfield Court is a grand cool-house Grape; it has borne a capital crop of nice bunches, the berries finely finished, and with a charming bloom, and without the slightest appearance of cracking. As compared with the Black Hamburgh and Black Alicante growing in the same house, the Madresfield Court has decidedly the best of it ; in fact, it was superior in flavour to the Muscat Hamburgh growing in a neighbouring Vinery, and assisted by artificial heat. The only other Grape that has the Muscat flavour, that will ripen in a cool house, is the White Frontignan ; but the Madresfield Court excels it in many respects. We have then in the Madresfield Court Black Muscat a Grape that can be grown in a cool house under quite ordinary treatment ; and whicb, when so cultivated, possesses all the qualities of a first-class Grape. R. D. VINES ON THEIR OWN ROOTS BEST. Let me first introduce the Mrs. Pince Grape, which, after five years' trial, worked on the Black Hamburgh, has proved little short of a complete failure. During the time just mentioned, the diameter of the stem at its greatest circumferenco did not exceed that of a vigorous Vine two years old, and no amount of coaxing could induce increased action. In consequence of debility, the bunches and berries were constantly small, accompanied by a slight deficiency of bloom. In short, it was evident that the stock was unsuitable for this variety. Now for contrary results. Towards the end of last August I happened to bo in Exeter, and paid .a visit to Streatham Hall, where the gardener, Mr. Beddard, is a first.class Grape-grower. On entering the first house, planted principally with Mrs. Pince I was surprised March 14, 1874.] THE GARDEN. 225 to find such a magnificent crop ; the bunches were large, the berries of immense size, and the colonr perfect. I said to Mr. Beddard, " Ton have certainly redeemed the character of this Grape from the repeated charges brought against it.'' He replied, " When rightly treated, it is not equalled by any late kind in cultivation." In this case it was growing on its own roots, I, therefore, at once, concluded that I was wrong in grafting it on the Black Hamburgh. The Lady Do(vnes Grapes, in the same house, were equally meritorious, and the same may be said of all the Grapes under his charge. On two occa- sions, and under identical circumstances, the Alicante worked on the Hamburgh proved as great a failure as the Mrs. Pince. The bunches and berries were small and deficient of colour. As yet, sufficient time has not elapsed to enable me to offer a reliable statement of the White Lady Downes, buc, from what I have seen of its character, I am by no means sanguine as to quality. On the same stock the Black variety is much improved, not more vigorous, but decidedly larger both in bunch and berry, and, I fancy, less subject to scorch. Whether ' grafted or grown on its own roots, I have never been able to manage the Madx-esfield Grape properly. I have never had any difficulty in producing large handsome bunches of it, and perfectly coloured; but just at the completion of the ripening process decay began, and soon destroyed the crop. The true Tokay, nnder most conditions, is a rampant grower, but I find, when grafted, it keeps badly, even when the roots are confined to the interior of the house. The West's St. Peter's is greatly benefited by being grafted, which increases both the size of the bunch and berry ; but when worked on the Barbarossa it deteriorates. I am beginning to be convinced that, except in very few cases, such as Snow's Muscat and some of the more delicate varieties of the Frontignans, the Grape Vine will always prove more satisfactory when cultivated on its own roots, than when grafted. Alexandek Cramb, in the Gardener. CHANGING DWARF PEAES TO STANDARDS. We observe that some recommeud planting deep, or banking up the soil around dwai'f Pears, for the purpose of converting n. Trunk of dwarf Pear tree. b. b. Pear stock inserted into it for new bottom. c Cut for receiving the Pear stock, d. Pear stock, cut slopingbefore insertiou. them into standards by the emission of new roots from the Pear stem above the place of junction between Pear aud Quince. The difficulty is, they are apt to send out a very few Pear roots, often only on one side, which tend to push the tree over, aud they are rarely as perfect as with a full spread of roots on every side. A better mode, and one attended with but little labour, is to set two, three, or four thrifty seedling Pear trees, a year or two old, on opposite sides, close to the trunk of the bearing dwarf tree ; when established one year, cut off the tops in wedge form, and slip them in under slits cut in the stem of the dwarf, as shown in the annexed figures. This should be done as soon as the bark begins to peel in the dwarf tree, when the points of the young Pear trees may be easily inserted. Grafting wax may be then applied, and the work is done. Usually, two Pear seedlings, or one on each side of the tree, are enough , giving, in a few years, two stout legs to the bearing tree, that larace it firmly, and in a few years more make one flat trunk. If three seedlings are used, they form a tripod, and if four, a four-sided stem. — Gultivator. Vines for a Hamburgh. House. — At page 92, " 6. S. D." makes inquiries about Vines for a Hamburgh house. For the three best suitable white kinds I would recommend him to plant Duke of Buocleuch, Buckland's Sweetwater, and Royal Muscadine, all well- tried varieties, which are sure to give satisfaction under the most ordinary treatment. For black sorts, I would plant Black Hamburgh, Black Prince, and Barbarossa (Gros Guillaume), at the warmest end of the house. It is remarkable that black kinds, suitable as com- panions for the Hamburgh, are very scarce. Apart from the whites enumerated, there are Golden Champion, Foster's White Seedling, Golden Hamburgh, Duchess of Buceleuch, White Frontignan, Chas- selas Musque, Napoleon, Syrian, Trobbiano, &c., all adapted for a Hamburgh house ; while of blacks (with the exception of the varieties of Hamburghs), I could not select four equally good and suitable neighbours. A Hamburgh house is the best place for the Duke of of Buceleuch. Had I a Hamburgh house to plant now, I would not trouble myself about variety, but would have the one-half Black Hamburgh and the other half Duke of Buceleuch. — J. M. THE LIBRARY. FLORE DES SBRRBS.* AvTEii a more or less impatient waiting of nine or ten months, the subscribers to this interesting and beautiful, but most irregularly published work, have at last been gratified by the publication, on the first day of this month, of an unusually rich and abundant instalment, consisting of half a volume, contained in two thick triple parts, each of which is enriched with twenty-eight beautifully coloured plates, some of them of great horticultural interest, and most of them exceed- ingly true to natrfre, and exact and accurate representations of the plants and flowers which they profess to pourtray. These we may now proceed to examine cursively and seriatim: — Plate 1. "Leucojum," or "Acis autumnalis." This is an exceedingly pretty little white bell-flowered gem, with grassy foliage, and blossoms closely resembling in shape those of the little Campanula puUa, of a pure white, the base of the bell, where the stalk joins it, being of a delicate rosy tint, and the flowers usually coming in pairs at the end of slight and grace- fully-drooping flower-stalks, from 3 to 4 inches in height. This pretty little plant is perfectly hardy, and come? from the shores of the Mediterranean. — Plate 2. " UmbiUcus spinosus." This, which is also known under the names of Crassula spinosa. Cotyledon spinosum, Sedumspinosum,Orostachyschlorantha,andSempervivumcuspidatum, is a very oi-namental and dwarf-growing species of the Crassula family, reproducing itself most freely in the shape of offsets, or young plants, thrown off from the root, and coming up all round the parent plant. This plant is found in Siberia, and also in both China and Japan. It will thrive well in the open ground during the summer, but must be lifted at the end of autumn, and wintered in a pot, as most of this family have to be in this changeable climate. — Plate 3. " Dolichos bicontortus." This singular leguminous plant, from Japan, is said to be quite hardy, and to produce large Pea-shaped blossoms, the outside petals of which, before the flower opens, are yellow, veined with black ; but, when the flower opens, the inside colour is violet and white, making quite a pretty flower. But the curious parts of the plant are the seed-pods, produced in pairs on the top of long stems, and curling themselves round exactly like rams' horns ; hence the name of "bicontortus," presenting a most singular and unique appearance. The plant, when grown at Bordeaux, reached a height of about 6 feet 6 inches. The flowers, however, are, unfortunately, extremely short-lived and can only be seen in beauty by early risers, as they expand at daybreak, and close their petals about 9 a.m. It is probably used as a vegetable in Japan. — Plate 4. " Amygdalus persica3foliu3 ruber," an ornamental-foliaged variety of the Peach, raised from seed in America. Its leaves are of a bright rosy-claret under, neath, a colonr which also pervades the stems of the young growth. The fruit is also said to be of excellent quality, and entirely red- fleshed, and theleaves are said to be never affected by the disease which commonly attacks Peach foliage, and which the French call La Cloque, but which has apparently no equivalent in the English language. — Plate 5. " Zea Mais, varieties Reuteri and erythro- sperma," pretty deep red and golden-yellow ornamental varieties of the Indian Corn or Maize.— Plate 6. " Solanum ciliatum." This hand- some bright scarlet-fruited aunual variety of Solanum, from the Brazils, produces clusters of ornamental fruit in great abundance, each fruit about the size of a small Plum, and possessing the merit of not shrivelling as the season advances, but maintaining their round and plump appearance for nine or ten months. This variety was sent out a year or two since by Messrs. Carter & Co., of Holborn.— Plate 7. " Dicksonia antarctica at home." This is a representation of a large group of these magnificent Tree-Ferns as seen in their native habitat in the ravines of Tasmania, during a snowstorm.— Plate 8. " Hybrid Grape, Pearson's Ferdinand de Lesseps." This produces fruit of a bright golden colour and medium size, and of excellent quahty and flavour. It is a cross between the Chasselas de Fontaineblean and an * " Flore des Sen-es et Jardins de I'Europe." Completion of Volume XIX. Tan Houtte, Ghent. 226 THE GARDEN. [March U, 187k American variety known as the Strawberry Grape, and was raised by Mr. Pearson, of Chilwell. — Plate 9. " Hyophorbe indica, or Areca butescens." A graceful-foliaged cool greenhouse Palm, from the Mauritius and Isle of Bourbon. — Plate 10. " Gladiolus purpureo auratus." This is a much too highly-ooloured representation of this species, which, instead of being the bright gold colour as painted in this plate, is, in reality, only a dull pale straw colour, only worth growing as a curiosity or in a collection of Gladioli, and by no means an ornamental variety. — Plate 11. " Gladiolus Colvilli and Colvilli alba." Faithful and accurate representations of these well-known, but too little cultivated, garden varieties of this beautiful and most ornamental autumn-blooming flower. Plate 12. " Dahlia vert." A curious variety of this well-known flower, raised by Herr Sieckmann, producing medium-sized fully double flowers of a bright clear green. — Plate 13. " Lilium tigrinum flore pleno." A beautiful fully double form of the common Tiger Lily, to which this plate hardly does justice, as the flower is, in reality, more double than it is there represented. This variety is perfectly hardy, and reproduces itself most freely by bulblets formed at the axils of all the leaves up the greater part of the flower-stem. ■ — Plate 14. " Cypripedium snperbiens." A fine, bold, large-flowered variety of the Slipper plant, from Assam. This variety has been already figured in the 16th volume of this work, page 161 ; bnt the portrait there given was executed by a negligent artist from an almost faded flower, and gives' no true idea of the beauty of the variety. — Plate 15. " Kasmpferia Roscoeana." A beautifully mottled- leaved foliage-plant from the East Indies, which requires the tem- perature of a stove. — Plates 16 and 17. " Rhododendron hybridura nigrescens." A double-page picture of one of Mr. Anthony Waterer's fine seedlings, all of which are quite hardy. This one is said to be extremely free-flowering, and is, as its name implies, of a shade of colom' very nearly approaching black. These plates are not so well or so carefully executed as usual, and, I should think, hardly do justice to the variety. — Plate 18. " Cocos Weddelliana." This is, perhaps, the most elegant and graceful-growing of all cool green- house Palms, making a most beautiful pot-plant for table decoration, when in a small state, from its elegant feathering foliage. — Plate 19. " Camellia japonica Etoile polaire." An e.xceedingly pretty variety of this well-known plant, with striped rose and white flowers, sent out by Messrs. Uenderson. — Plate20. " Wistaria multijnga." Anew and ornamental variety of this well-known wall plant, producing immensely long racemes of handsome Pea-shaped blossoms, the upper petals of which are lilac-blush and the lower ones deep purple. It was introduced from Japan by Von Siebold, of Leyden, and is perfectly hardy and marvellously quick growing, producing shoots of 13 feet in length in a single year, and most free-flowering, its flower racemes attaining twice the length figured in this plate, or over IS inches ; alto- gether, a most desirable addition to any collection of hardy climbing plants. — Plate 21. " Echeveria agavoides." This is a thick and solid- leaved variety of the Honse'Leek, introduced from Mexico into French gardens, and already used by a hybridiser there (Mon. Deleuil) as one of the parents of his new hybrid Echeveria scaphiphylla. — Plates 22, 23. " Azalea indica," "Mrs. Wright." Abeautifnl seedling variety of this lovely flower, raised by M. Van Iloutte, producing large semi- double flowers of a pure white, heavily aud I'egularly streaked and spotted with bright carmine, and with a slight greenish-yellow shading towards the centre of the flower. — Plates 21, 25. "Azalea indica," " Madlle. Louise de Kerchove." A most lovely semi. double variety, also raised from seed by M. Van Houtte ; no description of colours can do anything like justice to this exquisite variety, which must be seen in order to bo fully appreciated. — Plates 26, 27. " Azalea indica," " Cocarde Orange." A charming serai-double variety of medium-sized flowers, of the most fiery orange-scai'let, with lighter crimson centre, reminding one of Madame Iris Lefebvre, but an im- provement in clearness of colour on that fine variety. Mons. Van Coppenolle, of Ghent, is the fortunate raiser of this fine novelty, which was awarded the first prize for seedlings at Brussels when shown there last summer. — Plates 28, 29. " Azalea indica," " Sigismond Ituckor. ' This magnificent single variety is, perhaps, the very finest fur individual size ot bloom of the many fine novelties raised and sent out by M. Van iloutte, of Ghent. Its flowers, of immense size, are mainly of .a clear rosy. crimson colour, richly and evenly spotted on the upper ])etals with deep carmine, the whole flower being evenly and regularly bordered with an indented edging of pure white; altogetlier, a really first-class variety, which has already been seen and appreciated in London, having been awarded a Urst-cla.s.s certifi- cate by the Floral Committee of the Royal Horticultural Society when submitted to its notice durijig the season of 1873. This notice concludes the first half of the present instalment of this work. The plates contained in tlu; remaining triple part will be noticed and commented on in a future nuniher. VV. E. G. Jt'iiior Carllijn Chth. PENNY HILL, NEAR BAGSHOT. This is one of the far from common gardens in vchioli the most essential elements of garden scenery, trees, receive something like the attention which they deserve. Our attention was first directed to it by Mr. John Waterer, of Bagshot, who informed us that it contained some of the finest specimens of our rarer Pines. A recent visit made to the gardens showed this to be the case. The garden, which occupies a somewhat elevated and varied position near Bagshot, has not been long formed, and, therefore, old specimens of the common trees are not particularly noticeable ; but, among the newer introductions, there are remarkably fine examples, and instructive to the tree-lover, as furnishing evidence of the value of some of the recent introductions. One of the foremost among these is the Albert Spruce (Abies Albert!), which we figure here- with, from a photograph taken by Mr. Vernon Heath, of . Piccadilly. Some svtppose this Spruce to be not very distinct from the Hemlock Spruce (Abies canadensis), and this may be so from a botanical point of view ; but, judging from the fine and rapidly growing specimen at Penny Hill, we should say that they are essentially distinct in habit. No Pine or Abies throws up a freer or more graceful " leader " than this does, whereas the Hemlock is usually, in Britain, a low round-headed tree, which, from some unknown cause, does not thrive at all so well here as in its native country. There are two trees of the Albert Spruce at Penny Hill, one 2.5 and the other nearly 30 feet high, each as exquisitely graceful as the fairest young Deodar that graces an English lawn. Therefore, this tree may be assumed to be one of the most valuable for ornamental purposes, at least, that we have yet introduced. The remarkable Japanese Umbrella Pine is also in fine condition here, the largest specimen being 8 feet high by 6 feet in diameter, and in the most vigorous health. We have seen specimens as high, but not nearly so stoutly- formed and compact ; Mr. Bohn's capital examples at Twicken- ham being quite open and slender, compared to Mr. Hodges's superb specimen. This is as dense as a compactly-clipped Box bush. After the Araucaria, it is the most distinct in aspect of all Conifers that will endure our climate, and will prove a more valuable acquisition than was at first expected. Its complete hardiness is greatly in its favour. There are many fine specimens of such plants as the Libocedrusdecurrens,Nord- manniana Pine, the Giant Thuja (Thuja gigantea, commonly called T. Lobbi), Cupressus nutkaensis, &c. ; but we are more interested in the remarkably striking specimens of the Retinos- pora, which here flourish so as to remind us of their tree-like character. Retinospora pisifera (true) is 15 feet high, and 14 feet through — a plumy mass of healthy deep-green shoots, each with all the grace of a Fern. There are various exam- ples of Thujopsis dolabrata variegata, about 7 feet high, and in rude health, as are all the finer and newer kinds of Abies from Western America. Rarer still to see, however, is a speci- men of the fine Thujopsis Standishi, 10 feet high, and in stout health. Although our present notice mainly concerns someof the rarer trees, we would like, in conclusion, to call attention to a very charming feature — an American garden on the model of that in the Botanic Gardens, Regent's Park, designed originally by Mr. Marnock, and long embellished by American plants from the Bagshot Nurseries. The American garden at Penny Hill occupies a hollow; it is, of course, permanently planted, and never covered over, so that it is only in the disposition of the ground that it can be said to resemble the Regent's Park arrangement. It was a good idea to imitate the pleasant diversity of the " Park " show, with its small clumps and isolated specimens as well as large masses, and, we should say, there are few prettier elfects than that afforded by the American garden at Penny Hill, as seen from the rising ground around, when the bushes are in bloom. Some of the neatest and, in everyway, the best Holly hedges we have seen occur at Penny Hill, and that to the collective extent of over three miles in length. These were all planted originally on the level ground, and there is much evidence in favour of this mode of ])lantiiig instead of the ordinary one of planting on a slightly raised ledge. A peculiar aspect is imparted to various parts of the grounds by tall narrowly-pyramidal variegated Hollies; which are very strikingly associated with the green tapering Uonifei's. Makcu U, 1874] THE GARDEN. 227 THE ALBERT SPRUCE IN THE GARDENS AT PENNY HILL. 228 THE GARDEN. [Maech 14, 1874. SOILS AND FERTILISERS. USES OF LIME. Li5iE, when applied to the soil, says the Irish Farmers' Gazette, acts in a two-fold manner. It acts physically by altering the mechanical condition of the soil, imparting friability to stiff soils and firmness to loose soils. It acts chemically by decomposing acid compounds existing in the soil, and in this manner it forma new and wholesome compounds out of others which were injurious to vegetation. It exercises a powerful influence upon inert organic matter ; brings it into a state of active decomposition, and thus renders it fit for the support of other and more valuable forms of vegetation than it could have sustained in its natural state. Lime also acts on a variety of other substances, and sets them free to perform their office as part of the food of plants. It also forms a considerable proportion of the inorganic matter of many plants, so that it feeds them both directly and indirectly. Quicklime. Limestone is a carbonate of line, more or less pure, and, if crushed into a fine powder, it may be applied to the soil in that state. The usual mode of preparation, however, is to burn the limestone in a kiln, specially constructed for the purpose; and the effect of this process is to drive off the carbonic acid which existed in the stone previous to its being put into the kiln. Freshly-burned limestone becomes caustic lime or quicklime ; but if the burned lime is left exposed to the air for a sufficient length of time, it will re-absorb c0 feet high, with opposite, short, stiff branchlets, thickly clothed with foliage ; the shoots, when young, are downy, but, when fully matured, quite smooth, and, when leafless, of a chestnut- brown colour, furnished with small obtuse, smooth, imbricated buds. It is a native of the French Alps, and was introduced in 1812. The leaves are mostly three-lobed, but sometimes they are slightly five-lobed ; they are thick and somewhat leathery in texture, c(uite smooth on both surfaces, deep green above, light green beneath, nearly square, or slightly cordate at the base, on rather long foot-stalks, and three-ribbed beneath. The lobes are broadly ovate, a little pointed, bluntly and irregularly toothed on the edges, and nearly equal in size. The flowers are small and in loose corymbs. The fruit or keys are smooth and about one-third the size of those of the common Sycamore, with rather narrow cultriform wings, rounded at The Thick-leaved Maple. (Leaf natural size.) the ends, and somewhat spreading. This kind is frequently named Acer opulifolium in the nurseries, and is the kind de- scribed in the abridged edition oE Loudon's " Arboretum," under the names of Acer Pseudo-platanus opulifolium, A. obtusatum coriaceum, and A. Opulus coriaceum. The length of the leaf is from 4 to 4j inches, including the foot-stalk (which is from 1^ to If inches), and the breadth from point to point of the lateral lobes 3J to 4 inches. LEYCESTERIA FORMOSA. This useful free-flowering shrub, a native of Nepal, is suffi- ciently hardy to withstand our English winters, if not very severe, without protection. If, however, the stems happen to get cut down to the ground, they usually push up again in spring, a circumstance which suggests the advantage of mulching the soil over the roots in severe winters, as is often done in the case of Fuchsias. The flowei-s of the Leycesteria are produced in pendent racemes, the scales or bracts of which are more showy than the flowers themselves. They are in greatest perfection in autumn, associating in this respect with herbaceous Asters and Ohrysanthemums, but remaining longer in beauty than either of these. The Leycesteria does not attain a great height ; on the contrary, from 3 to 5 feet is its common altitude, but I have seen it grow in the Isle of Wight as high as 7 feet, the upper half of the stalks being bent down by the weight of inflorescence which they bore. Although this plant grows well in shrubberies, against walls, as isolated specimens on lawns, and in other positions, I consider an open but sheltered situation, well-drained, and fully exposed to the sun, best for it. Under such circumstances the wood gets thoroughly ripened early, and the chances of its succumb- ing to the winter's severity are less than they othei-wise would be, whereas its flowering properties are enhanced. It is not particular as to soil, for I have seen it do well in soils of almost every kind, but it dislikes a wet stagnant sub-soil. It is also, as far as known, rabbit-proof. It may be increased by means of seeds, cuttings, and division. Seeds, however, do not ripen well in this country, except, perhaps, under a sash. When ripe, gather the clusters, or, better still, perhaps, out over the points of the shoots, clusters and all, and hang them up in a light and airy room or Vinery at rest, until the seeds become hard. Sow the seeds in February, in pans of peaty soil, placing the pans in a green- house, and afterwards transferring them to a frame. A tem- perature of about 60° is essential until they germinate, soon after which they should be pricked off into other pans of similar soil, but not committed finally to the open ground until they are one or nearly two years old. The common way of increasing the Leycesteria is, however, by means of cuttings. Forthispurpose,in October or November select the best-ripened shoots, strip them of leaves and flowers, and cut them up into pieces, each having two or three joints, their entire length being about 5 or G inches. Select a warm border, dig it rather deeply, and incorporate with it a good deal of sand and leaf- soil. Insert the cuttings in clumps, keeping each cuttino- about Ij or 2 inches apart, and not more in each clump than can be easily covered with a hand-glass. Here allow them to remain till spring, but cover them up at night and during frosty weather. In spring, when they begin to grow, all dead ones must be picked out, in order to give the others more room. In June most of them will require shifting, therefore, prepare a border for them as before ; lift all the plants, select the strongest, and plant them in rows 9 inches apart and 3 inches asunder in the row ; the weaker ones may also be transplanted in the same way, but at a less distance apart. Introduce a few twigs of evergreens amongst them for a few days until they recruit themselves. Here they may be left until fit for permanent transplantation. The cuttings might have been put in cold frames, and, if t.aken in time, they may be struck in the open border and protected with branches. Division consists in separating the large root-stocks into two or more separate plants, when good specimens are at once secured. W. F. NEW CONIFERS. The following new Conifers have been recently introduced by T. C. Maxwell & Co., of Geneva, N.Y., and have decidedly valuable characteristics. Thuja occidentalis argentea. — A very curious and beau, tiful dwarf form of Arbor-Vita3, and wholly unlike any hitherto described. It is of a fresh green colour, with the branchlets dis- tinctly tipped with white. It is believed to be entirely hardy, havinc been exposed as thoroughly as the George Peabody, and with no injury. It is very attractive and pleasing in appearance, and has the same parentage as T. o. lutea. Maxwell's Dwarf Spruce (Abies excelsa Maxwellii). — A seedling, which originated on the grounds of T. C. Maxwell & Bros. ; leaves, short, rigid, dark green. Its habit is very compact, full, and regular, and, without trimming, its tendency is to form a dense hemispherical mass. The original plant is fifteen years old, and measures 24 inches in height and 38 inches in diameter. It is more vigorous than Pygmia, and somewhat larger. For novelty, this little tree is curious and interesting, and as a beautiful low evergreen, this dark green regularly rounded dwarf is exceedingly valuable. Glory of the Spruces (Abies alba aurea). — This tree has a unique beauty of more than ordinary character. In size and habit, it resembles the common American, fiom which it is a chance seed- ling ; leaves, long, curved, of a soft, glaucous colour, and very thickly set upon the branches. A rich golden-yellow distinctly marks and dorns the tips of the leaves upon the upper side of each shoot. Nora 232 THE GARDEN. [MAEcn 14, 1874. is this colour faint and undecided, but reliable, pronounced, and striking j so that this silvery.green and gold foliage at once attracts and fixes attention. Standing in front of a group of darker and larger evergreens, the effect is remarkable, — Agriculturist. Effect of Lightning on Trees. — The comparative immunity of different kinds of trees varies considerably. It is stated that the Oak and Italian Poplar have great susceptibility to injury, while other trees, especially the Birch, most frequently escape ; but much of the difference may be otherwise accounted for than by difference of susceptibility, which, however, gives probably a partial explana- tion. Oaks and Poplars are generally taller trees than Birches, and electric clouds must, therefore, more frequently come within striking distance of their tops ; such trees are more numerous than Birches, and more frequently grow apart from other trees, and when apart are more exposed to lightning. Again, the upper branches of those trees are larger in proportion to their trunks than those of the feathery Birch, arid can conduct stronger shocks than its slender spray can ; their roots also strike deeper into the soil, so that more electricity may pass through their trunks in the same time than through the trunks of those whose roots, being in shallow and dry soil, are partially in. sulated, or, rather, imperfectly connected ; if they were perfectly insulated they could not convey a shock at all. Further, a tree, when struck with lightning, is less likely to be injured if its trunk and large branches be wet, than if dry. But trees with heavy foliage, like Oaks and Poplars, will be longer in rjetting wet than Birch trees with light foliage, and be on that account more likely to be injured. From these, and other considerations, we do not think that the com. parative immunity of Birch trees from injui-y by lightning (and it is comparative only) proves Birch. wood to be less susceptible to injury than other wood, if other circumstances were similar. It very possibly may be so j it is not unlikely that, being a quick.growing tree, with many sap-vessels, it is so, but that is not proved by the mere fact that Birches are but seldomdestroyedby lightning, which is generally believed to be the case. — Q. Tree-planting in Nebraska. — Only on the banks of rivers and streams is there natural wood in Nebraska. But forest trees take kindly to the prairie soil, and are being planted by millions. The Hon. J. Sterling Morton, of Nebraska City, who has been one of the foremost in the tree-planting movement, suggested the expediency of setting apart a day in the spring-time every year to the special work of tree-planting. The first " Arbor-day," as it is called, was in 1871, and on that day two million trees were planted. Next year, and the year after, Arbor-day was dropped ; but the month of April was recommended to all to choose a day for themselves. This year, however, the State Agricultural Board has determined to go back upon the original idea, which is that, upon one special day in the year, each person owning land shall plant at least one tree. It was resolved that the time should be the second Wednesday in April, and that the State Legislature should be asked to make the day a legal holiday. Nebraska will thus get a spring-tide holiday, the main recreation of which will be tree-planting and attendant festivities. A premium will be awarded for the most trees planted on that day. It is now the custom of the State Board of A^ricultui'e to present a premium for the largest number of trees planted any day in the month of April, and, at a meeting of the Board last .lanuai-y, the prize was awarded to a farmer, who planted 27,800 trees on April 28, 1873.— Coerespoxdent. Idesia Polycarpa. — This fine hardy plant comes from Japan, and appears to have been distributed from the Botanic Garden of St. Petersburg. It was exhibited in 18G7 at the Paris Exhibition, by M. Linden, as a fruit tree from Japan, and was afterwards put into commerce under the names of Polycarpa Maximowiczii and Flacourtia japonica. The generic name Idesia was given to it by Maximowicz, and is now adopted by all botanists. A figui'e of it published in the Itnvni' HnHimle (1872, 171) represents a specimen bearing only ripe fruits, sent by Maximowicz to the Paris Museum, and which was described as coming from a cultivated tree, dO feet high, growing on tho island of Niphon, in the neighbourhood of Mount Fusi, while other specimens, probably wild, bearing only male flowers, were from the forests of Kinosau, in the island of Kiusiu. Whether or not it is likely to become a useful fruit-bearing tree may be questioned, but there can be no doubt it is a fine ornamental plant, and thoroughly hardy. Its trunk is said to be straight and robust, its branches spreading, and its leave caducous. The latter are alternate, cordi- form, acuminate, deeply toothed, having cylindrical rod petioles, 8 to 12 inches long, and bearing, at some distance from the base, two stout projecting glands, two, or often throe, others occurring at the point of insertion of the limb, which is thin, soft, 10 inches long, 8 inched broad, of a glancons. green, whitish beneath, with reddish venation. The flowers are dioecious and apetalous, while the fruits are bacciform, about the size of a large Pea, fleshy, of a fawn-red, or reddish-orange colour. This species, M. Carri^re observes, pre. sents a rather rare peculiarity in its growth, which is, also, met with in Magnolia grandiflora, namely, the development of a lower bud, which takes much larger proportions than the others, and tends to widen the head, to the damage of the central axis. Hence, if the plants are wished to grow up, pruning will be necessary. It prefers warm calcareo-silicious soils, and is found to propagate freely by means of root-cuttings. — Florist. Pruning Shrubs. — The " Gardeners' Monthly" givesa listof such shrubs as flower on the wood of the preceding year; and another list of those which bear flowers on the present season's growth — the former to be sparingly pruned in winter, so as not to cut away the flower-buds ; the latter bearing more severe pruning. Those bearing flowers on last year's growth are, Dwarf Almond, Snowy Mespilus, the Andromedas, Azaleas, and Kalmias, Rhododendrons, Calycanthua, Corchorus, Leatherwood, Fothergilla, Cornelian Cherry, Philadelphus, Deutzia, Mezereon, Hydrangea, Itea, Jasmine, Privet, Bush Honey, stickles, most of the early Spira;aa, the ornamental Currants, Weigela, Snowberry, Lilacs, and Annual Roses. Shrubs that flower in the present season's growth, arc Ceanothus, Amorpha, Colutea, Euonymus, Genista, Shrubby Hypericums, Coronilla, Scotch Broom, Althaea, Flowering Locust, Tamarix, and late Spiraeas. Our own opinion is, that these, and all other shrubs and flowering trees, are much better without systematic pruning of any kind, than with it. Oldest Worked Wood in the World. — Probably the oldest timber in the world, which has been subjected to the use of man, is that which is found in the ancient temples of Egypt. It is found in connection with stoue-work, which is known to be at least 1,000 years old. The wood, and the only wood used in the construction of their temples, is in the form of ties, holding the end of one stone to another in its upper surface. When two blocks were laid in place, then it appears that an excavation about an inch deep was made in each block, into which an hour-glass-shaped tie was driven. It is, there- fore, very difficult to force any stone from its position. The ties appear to have been the Tamarisk, or Shittim wood, of which the ark was constructed, a sacred tree in ancient Egypt, and now very rarely found in the valley of the Nile. These dove-tailed ties are just as sound now as on the day of their insertion. Although fuel is extremely scarce iu that country, these bits of wood are not large enough to make it an object with the Arabs to heave off layer after laj'er of heavy stone for so small a prize. Had they been of bronze, half the old temples would have been destroyed ages ago, so precious would they have been for various purposes. THE PINE. The mouutain owns its oread, and the stream Its naiad ; lo, the dryad of the Pine ! How stern and lofty ! sorrow, how divine Its munniiriugs speak ! but let the lightnings gleam Around it, and the storm hold fearful reign, Lo, the proud warrior ! with what calm disdain He braves the utmost fury ! all forgot His sorrow, for great souls remember not Their trials when great troubles come ; they call The poised soul up ; and great hearts do not bow To tempests, but with calm uplifted brow Dare the wild worst ; dark stormy ti'oubles fall Upon the strong to try them ; weakness bends. Strength grows more strong, and vain the storm its fury speuds. — Alfued B. Street. NOTES AND QUESTIONS ON TREES AND SHRUBS. Hardiness of the Chinese Arbor-vitse.— Mr. Sergeant, of Boston, informs lis that while thousands of the Virginian bedders were killed in tho Northern States, of which it ia a native, in the frost of 1871, tho Chinese Arbor-vitte everywhere escaped. Rate of Growth of the Adaiisonia in India-— The following are mea- surements of a tree in a garden at Alipore (Calcutta), Dec. 3, 1873:— Girth at base, 49 ft. 6 in. ; girth 4 ft. up, 46 ft. 6 in. ; girth above lower branch, 33 ft. ; girth of lowest branch at base, 22 ft. ; height, above 80 ft. Mr. Grote, in whose garden the tree grew, measured it March 23rd. 1850. Girth 1 ft. from tho ground, 42 ft. ; girth about G ft. up the stem, 38 ft. ; The base -measurement gives an increase of 7 ft. in the twenty-three years. — Junntal nf Botany. Zenobia (Andromeda) speciosa. — No planter should forget Zenobia speciosa, better known, perhaps, as Andromeda speciosa, whose flowers grow in clusters, and are of tho same shape as those of the Lily of the Valley, but much larger, and of the purest transparent waxy-white. There are several varieties, difTering in the shape of the leaves, and in the size of the flowers. One variety, called pulverulenta, from the glaucous under-atfrfAiCd of the leaves^ perhaps, surpasses the others Jn beauty.— j^'/t-rea^i March 14, 1874] THE GARDEN. 233 GARDEN DESTROYERS. THE WHITE THORN MOTH. (yponomeuta padella.) For many years past no one can have passed in spring through the suburban lanes around London without observing that the Thorn hedges seemed in many places entirely destroyed, the plants covered with webs as if an army of spiders had passed over them, and the leaves almost entirely gone. This destruc- tion is early, but not coeval with the expansion of the leaf. When the leaf first appears, the hedges rejoice the soul by their fresli green beauty. Return in a fortidght, and everything is blasted. This blast is not confined to London. It will be found all over the country, but, whether it is that it is really worst in the neighbourhood of great cities, or that observation is more rife or more acute there, it is certainly at Paris, London, Edin- burgh, Birmingham, and such places that we have most noticed the prevalence of this scourge. It is the work of a small moth, Tpoiiomeata Padella, closely allied to another species — Ypono- meuta cognatella, also one of our insect enemies, which has been already described and figured at p. 357, vol. IV., of The Garden. Their habits, manners, and mode of life are similar, with the exception that the trees the present species devastates are the Thorn, the Prunus Padus, and sometimes the Cherry. f The larva is of a brownish hue, marked on the back with two rows of spots of velvet-black. The head is shiny black, the under-side pale dirty green. The perfect insect differs from Y. cognatella in having the ground colour of the upper wings of a leaden hue, the internal margin alone approaching white. The White Thorn Moth. The plan suggested for the destruction of the Y. cognatella may also be applied to this species, viz., sweeping the hedges with a stiff broom, but it is a feeble attack on a powerful enemy. A. M. Effect of Feeding on the Colour of Cocoons. — The art of Bilk cultare is likely to be materially advanced by the discovery of Taillis (if it be true) that when the worms are fed on Vine leaves the Cocoons are of a magnificent red, and if Lettuce be used, they become an emerald green. Another experimenter has obtained silk of a beautiful yellow, a fine gx'een, and then again violet, by feeding with Lettuce or white Nettle. Taillis remarks, however, that the worms must be fed on Mulberry leaves when young, following with other leaves during the last twenty days of the larval stage of life. Great Swarm of Insects. — In a letter to the American Journal of Science and Arts, dated Cordoba, September 18, 1873, Dr. Gould gives an account of a remarkable swarm of large grasshoppers, or locusts, recently witnessed there. Myriads filled the air, invaded the houses, and covered the ground, from which they rose like thick clouds of dust, on approach of man or beast. These, however, seem to have been merely the stragglers of the main body. Going out to observe the phenomenon more closely. Dr. Gould saw, to the east, ward, what looked like a long trail of dense black smoke, extending over 160' of the horizon, and to an altitude of about 5°. A strong field-glass showed that it was no smoke, but a swarm of locusts. Its width there was no means of determining, but from the position of the focus needed for resolving the cloud at its point of nearest ap- proach, Dr. Gould estimated that none of the swarm passed within less than three or four miles. The insects were evidently transported with the wind, which blew from the north. Crickets. — My glass-houses are greatly infested with crickets, which injure my plants. I have tried every means I know of to destroy thom, hut without success. Can you give me any information in the matter? — E.,J. [Crickets aTe often troublesome in plant- houses, especially amongst soft-wooded cuttings or young seedlings ; but they are somewhat eccentric as to food. In some places they will devour greedily a particular plant ; and, in others, they may exist in ciuantities, and not even touch the same plant. I have even had crickets in some houses, and not been able to detect their molesting anything ; although, at the same time, there were numbers of things which they usually eat. Where troublesome, they can easily be destroyed by means of beetle-poison, laid down in the same way aa for the beetles.— T. Baines.] THE GARDEN IN THE HOUSE. MONEYWORT AS A WINDOW PLANT. (lysimacuia nuhjitjlaria.) This favourite British creeper (commonly known as Creeping Jenny, Moneywort, and Herb Twopence) is alike useful for the decoration of windows, herbaceous borders, rockeries, and rooteries. It flourishes as well in bright sunshine as in shade, producing abundance of long trailing shoots, thickly clad with opposite roundish shining green leaves, and, from early in summer till late in autumn, it presents a mass of bright yellow flowers, about as large as a shilling, set on short foot-stalks. For pot-culture, use strong plants and an open turfy soil, well enriched with rotten manure — particularly cow-dung — and, after the plants begin to flower, supply them liberally with liquid- manure. When grown in pots, suspended like baskets, the shoots hang down long and gracefully, and completely hide the pots, but even then the plants exhibit a flat-headedness that is rather objectionable. This may be obviated by the following plan, which we saw carried out in a garden in Somersetshire, and which we thought extremely effective : Pots rather wider in proportion to their depth than we com- monly use, and about 9 inches in diameter at top, had an inch deep of crocks in their bottom, and resting on these in the centre of each pot was a nice stubby plant of the common or narrow-leaved Myrtle, in large 60-sized pots. Good turfy loam, mixed with decayed and dried cow-dung, was then filled in all round, and iu this the Creeping Jenny had been planted in March, and grown on in one of the greenhouses till June, when the pots were fixed on brackets outside on either side of the windows of the house, and when we saw them a month afterwards — in July — the Creeping Jenny had hidden the pots, and was in full flower and leaf. The fresh and green Myrtles were pictures of health. Unless the plants in pots can get a good place free from drip in a frame window, or greenhouse throughout the winter, the safest way of preserving their vitality it to turn them out of their pots and plant them in the border for that season, and lift or re-pot them in March. They have a grand effect when planted near the edge of a window- box or vase, and permitted to scramble over the edge and hang down ; but, under no circumstances should they be subjected to drought. In the open border or rockery they soon make a home for themselves, provided they are kept out of the reach of other rank-growing plants, which might overgi'ow and choke them. As its shoots travel along the surface of the ground, the Creeping Jenny sends forth roots from every joint ; consequently, it is readily propagated ; for every bit of a shoot will form a plant if pricked into open soil moderately damp and shaded. Whole tufts or stocks of it, too, may be lifted in spring, just when growth begins, divided into as many little pieces as have roots, and every one of them will make a nice plant before summer arrives. It must not be expected that every plant will fill a pot ; it will take a few small ones or one large one to do that. Plants may be gathered from hedge-banks or moist meadows, for naturalisation in the garden. We have now a valuable variety of the Creeping Jenny with yellow leaves ; but it is scarcely so strong or vigorous in constitution as the green-leaved kind. It is very useful in the flower-garden, and particularly so for small culti- vators, as it requires no protection in winter, being quite hardy, and making a good subject for an edging in the spring. It may remain in this position during the succeeding summer. It retains its colour well, and, should it become over vigorous, it can be easily out in. It is propagated as easily as the commoi/ kind. W. F. A Spruce Cone Ornament.— One of the prettiest objects I ever beheld is a Spruce cone, filled with sand and Grass-seed, which sprouted and grew out of the scales. It is now .as large as a Cocoa-nut with the husk on, and of the most vivid green colour. The Grass grows with a luxuriance that is remarkable. To produce this charming specimen, the cone was baked in an oven till the scales opened out equally. It was then carefully filled with equal parts of sand and Grass-seed, a string tied to the tuft, and t^he whole suspended in the dark, iu a jar -with water enough to come half way over the cone. In a week it was placed in the sunlight, when the seed sprouted rapidly, and in a month filled a gallon jar completely. It has been taken out and hung in the window exposed to the air of the room. Bvery xuoraing it is thoroughly soaked in tepid water.— T)'i4nne. 234 THE GAEDEN. [Maech 14, 1874. GARDEN STRUCTURES. EIBBON POSTS FOE GONSBEVATOEIBS. The Ribbon Post Company have recently introduced a light and eleo-aut form of iron pillar, which will be found better adapted for conservatories than the pillars usually used in the construction of such erections. The ribbons are made around a mandrel, which is provided on its exterior with spiral intersecting grooves. The latter form a receptacle for the ribbons, which are wound on by machinery, without twist or strain, and in such a manner that the gradual decrease of the pole is compensated for. The first series is put on from right to left, beginning at the bottom ; the next, in the reverse direction, commencing at the top. The latter ribbons, of course, overlap, and are, at this stage of the operation, temporarily secured to those beneath them by bolts fitted in holes previously punched in both, so as to coincide exactly at the points of intersection. The core of the mandrel is then removed, causing it to collapse, when the pole is withdrawn and placed upon a cylindrical bar, ready for the insertion of the angle irons. These, previously punched, are secured by rivets to the intersections of the ribbons, the temporary fastenings being taken out. The cap, the nature of which depends necessarily upon the uses to which the post is to be devoted, is then put on ; and the base, consisting of various forms, strengthened with extra iron and inserted, for some little distance, with the ribbon, and VE.Fy\ND/\H SECT'lOt^ Ribbon Posts. secured to a plate, which affords a strong support, is added. The strength of posts, thus constructed, is said to be very great. Two, without angle irons, measuring 10 feet by 8 inches, supported a weight of 10 tons without ainkage, deflection, or collapse. The total weight of a telegraph post, 31 feet long, is about 431 pounds, and sncb posts ai'e ornamental and durable ; while, as supports for pillar, plants, their advantage over ordinary posts will be at once apparent. GLASS-HOUSES IN AMEEICA. ToUK correspondent's, " A. M.," picture of American glass-houses (see p. 20) is considerably overdrawn. Having lived in the city of Philadelphia for more than a year, and in its immediate vicinity for rather better than a year more, I am well acquainted with the establishments to which he alludes. Uis description of one nursery is, alas ! too true, with the exception of the statement that there were no tables or staging in the green. houses; for, having visited them several times, and once a few days ago, I am prepared to say that there are tables in nearly all the houses, excepting such as are devoted to the cultiv.ation of plants for supplying cnt flowers; in those thn stock is jilanted out. 1 may state, however, that the proprietor of that establishment commenced business under adverse circumstances, and when stern necessity compelled him to build his first houses in the primeval style described. Now, however, although he has acquired means, he, unfortunately, has not changed his ancient System. This case is, however, rather an exception than the general way in which green. houses are erected here. In another establish- ment " A. M." states he saw the roof stuffed with Sphagnum Moss ; in reply, 1 would say that we frequently have to resort to such means, even in the case of new houses, for the hot sun here so warps the timbers of a house that during the first year the ventilators often get twisted out of place, and we have to look out for small cracks in a country where the mercury frequently sinks below zero. There ai-e now a younger set of men in the nursery business, whose esta- blishments go to show that they have an eye to taste as well as to making money. I could name several nurseries where the green- houses are put up as well as you will find them in many London establishments. " A. M." must have been singularly unfortunate to have fallen into the very roughest of the many establishments about Philadelphia. The firm with which I am engaged as foreman has lately erected five new propagating-honses, and the plan on which they are built is so neat and economic that I will try to describe them. They are 100 ft. long by 8 ft. wide, a 2 ft. .walk runs through each, and on each side is a 3. ft. table. There is only one wall on one side, the other being merely boarded up to admit of ex. tension. The sash, 5 ft. by 3^ ft., rests upon solid oaken gutters, 1 ft. wide, and these are supported by stout posts of the same material. The whole is nicely planed and painted, and presents as neat and attractive an appearance as any five houses could do in England erected for the same purpose. In two of these houses we have 200,000 Conifer cuttings, and we are about to fill the other three with young Roses from the propagating.bed in order to establish them preparatory to planting in open ground. My employers pro. pose to cover a large space with houses like those just described, and, I have no doubt, the most modern improvements will be added to them. It will thus be seen that American horticulturists are not such an antediluvian set as my countrymen in England may imagine them to be. Walteii C. Fancoukt. West Chester, Pa., U.S.A. WOEK FOE THE WEEK. riower Garden. Sweep and roll lawns and walks as soon as the weather becomes favourable. Judiciously prune evergreen shrubs, such as Ancubas, Hollies, Bays, Box, Yews, Portugal and common Laurels, Junipers, Thujas, Cypresses, Ivies, &o., which may be out.growing the spaces allotted to them, keeping symmetry and gracefulness of form as much as possible in view. The knife is better than shears for such an operation, the latter being apt to mutilate the leaves. Roses should now be pruned, the plants having in many cases already made shoots neai'ly an inch in length. As soon as the snow has left us, herbaceous plants should be trinmied, and the crowns should be lifted, divided, and re-planted in deeply-worked well.manured soil ; some of the more tender kinds may, however, be left a little longer before being disturbed. Lilies of various sorts, and other bulbous plants, as a rule, thrive best and flower most satisfactorily when left for some years undisturbed. The stock of bedding plants may be increased as expeditiously as possible from cuttings, roots, and seeds. Greenhouses. Indoor plants have almost invariably started into growth, therefore, such as require a shift must at once receive that attention. Borders in which plants are growing should be lightly forked up, and if the soil is exhausted a dressing of loam, leaf-mould, rotten. manure, or good peat, may be added, according to requirements. Some plants need more water than others, and, in such cases, neatly-formod basins of soil should be made around them, so as to retain sutficient for their wants without overflowing. This is an excellent time for trans, ferring plants fi-om pots to conservatory borders, and, in doing so, disentangle and spread out the roots as much as possible. This may check growth for a time, but, eventually, other circumstances being favourable, plants so treated will succeed better than such as are planted with the roots coiled up in a bull. Camellias, Rhododendrons, Acacias, &c,, when grown in pots, are more under control than such as are [ilanted out ; bnt the latter are generally the most satisfactory, both as regards growth and bloom. Clianthus puniceus, it too thick, should have its shoots thinned out a little, so as to give sufficient light to the flowers. Passion-flowers should be pruned well in, and the soil in which they are growing should be thoroughly saturated with water, so as to induce them to start freely into growth. Cut in the branches of Uabrothamnnses. Several of the free.grovving Fuchsias are well suited for conservatory-roof decoration, or that of pillars, especially when jilanted out in borders. If trained to the rafters from the middle of April until they are completely denuded of side branches in the end of October or November, or for the purpose Mauch 14, IS?!.] THE GARDEN. 235 of resting them and admitting light to the other inmates of the house ; they form objects of interest, being richly laden daring all that time with both flowers and foliage. Forcing-houses. These, when not wanted for flower-forcing, may be usefully employed for Cucumber.growing. At present, however, keep them supplied with successions of Lilacs, Spirajas, Deutzias, and similar plants. Cuttings of Coleus struck early should be potted as they require it, pinched at the third joint, and the plants should be kept near the light. Iresines form attractive summer objects in conser- vatories ; therefore, treat them like Coleuses. The general stock of Begonias should now be potted and started into growth. Caladiums started in small pots should be shifted into larger ones before their roots become entangled. Continue to force Lily of the Valley ; place the plants that have been forced under the stages of the greenhouse for a time, and, after that, plant them out, where, if they are well cared for, they will, in two years, make good plants for forcing again. Some plants of Lilium auratnm should be introduced into this house for blooming in May. In making up baskets for suspending in tho conservatory, keep them in the forcing.house until they are in active growth, when they may be gradually hardened off, so as to withstand the cooler temperature to which they are to be subjected. Bring on plants of Dendrobium nobile where an early bloom is required, and place those for late use in the greenhouse. Keep up a young it' and healthy stock of Fuchsias, Heliotropes, Petunias, Balsams, Cocks- combs, Hebecliniums, Callas, Schizanthuses, and other plants for early blooming ; those treated more hardily flower later. Frames. Where bedding plants are largely grown, these must be extensively used, but the frames are not of so much importance as the protect- ing material. In all cases, the bottom should be dry, or at least incapable of retaining any considerable amount of moisture. The sides may be of turf, bricks, or wood, with rafters or transverse bars for the support of sashes, or for bearing up longitudinal spars or boards, to support mats, canvas, or other covering. Under all cir- cumstances, sashes are the best and most convenient, and these should be drip. proof, and cleanly washed. The material on which the plants stand inside may be sifted coal-ashes, clean gravel, or wood ; or a hard bottom, such as a walk, may be covered with 6 or 8 inches of light mould, into which dwarf-growing fibrous-rooted plants may be transplanted six weeks or so prior to being bedded out, after which the soil may be cast out, and a layer of ashes placed in the bottom for the reception of Fuchsias, Cinerarias, and other green, house plants. Whero frames are the only receptacles for bedding- plants, the exclusion of frost is often indifferently effected, fire-heat, when used, being sometimes of a parching character next the pipes, and only moderate at the other extreme, and coverings necessitate a long period of darkness just when the plants are most liable to damp off, and the atmosphere least drying. An excellent means of obviating so much darkness and damping, and, at the same time, of preserving the plants in health, is practised by Mr. Cannell, of Woolwich, who, with two rows of 1-inch pipe, run along the inside of the rafters of narrow frames, and three rows in the case of wide frames, manages to have the whole interior atmosphere equally heated, and the greatest winter enemy of soft-wooded plants — damp, kept in abeyance. These pipes can easily be heated from any ad- joining boiling, or by means of one purposely set for the frames, if the latter are extensive. The Kitchen Garden. This is a busy month in the kitchen garden, and one on which the year's success, or otherwise, to a great extent, depends ; for if matters having reference to cropping are not systematically per- formed in proper time, when the soil is in the right condition to receive the plants or seeds, little else but failure need be expected. In matters of cropping, do not stick to any certain rule as to the day of sowing or planting, whether tho soil and weather are suitable or not, but first make a good and kindly preparation, by thorough deep culture and turning over of the soil in as rough and open a manner as possible to admit sun and air. In short, turn and re-turn the soil till it falls to pieces like slaked lime, and is in every way so sweet- ened and pulverised that, by watching the opportunity for a fine day, a large portion of work may be performed. Having all things in order and in good condition is the very keystone of success. It is even better to be a little out of season than to begin cropping in the midst of disorder. Artichokes. — Finish planting Jerusalem kinds, and from the Globe varieties pull away decayed leaves, if any, in order to admit air to the stools and crowns, and set about early thinning out the weakest shoots. Asparagus. — Continue to get strong roots into gentle heat ; sow seed, and prepare for planting new beds at the end of the month. I always like to see the buds pushing forth before I take up the plants ; after which, do not allow them to lie about, but re-plant at once in rows two feet apart, and let the plants stand one foot asunder in the rows. A good deep drill drawn on each side of the line, and tho roots spread astride of the drill, will be the right way to plant them , and after two years' time every other row will furnish rare plants to take up for forcing. Beet. — Sow red for salad use for the whole year, and a small portion of white sugar Beet, for use in place of Spinach — should it be dry and hot in July and August, when Spinach is hard to be got. Beans.— Of these, plant a full successional crop of Long-pod, Broad Windsor, or some other approved kind. Broccoli. — Sow all favourite late kinds at once. Brussels Sprouts. — If not already done, make a full sowing of these without delay ; prick out and plant early, in order to ensure large, seasoned, well-ripened plants by autumn, so as to have good solid little heads all up the stems ; young, free-growing, late-sown plants will not button or head in to be depended on ; a hard-trodden, heavy soil suits them best. Cabbage. — Sow a small quantity of the Matchless, Nonpareil, Little Pixie, and London Colewort. Capsicum and Chillies. — Pot off; place them in moderate bottom-heat, and stop at 8 or 9 inches. Cauliflower. — Plant out now a full crop of winter-stored plants ; sow Veitch's Giant and other late kinds, and prick off, as soon as they can be handled, all early sown plants, first in boxes or frames, then on warm borders. Carrots. — Of these, sow a full crop on some open quarters from this time to the end of the month, in drills one foot apart, using fresh slaked lime as a dressing. This, and a slight dredging of dry chimney soot, applied in showery weather in May, suits Carrots perfectly. Celery. — Sow a pinch in succession ; but we never succeeded so well in the way of obtaining a splendid crisp, solids lasting crop as when we sowed the first week in April, on a gentle bottom-heat, thinly pricking out again on some gentle hot-bed. In this way some of the plants are soon ready for early planting out ; a batch is then pricked out on half-decayed leaf-mould or rotten dung, which can be easily removed with the roots in the form of good balls. In this way no check takes place, and the result is most satisfactory. Chervil. — Of this sow a pinch of curled, first in a warm sitna. tion, and, for succession, in a fortnight, on a north aspect, on account of its starting propensities in hot weather. Mustard and Cress. — Sow common and curled Cress as well as Mustard, on a warm border out of doors ; and Land Cress on a north border for summer and autumn use. Of Watercress make new plantings in shallow streams or damp cold spots, for summer and autumn use. Lettuces. — Plant out a full crop, and sow, once a fortnight, a pinch of summer kinds, both Cabbage and Cos. Onions. — Sow a full crop in drills, 1 foot apart, on well-prepared, thoroughly pulverised soil j if light, make it fii-m by treading or hard rolling. Vegetable Marrow.— Sow in a little heat, in order to have sturdy strong plants for turning out under hand-glasses when four or five weeks old. Sweet and other Herbs. — Sow in a gentle heat Basil and Mar- joram, and on healthy borders. Thyme, Winter Savory, Marigold, Purslane, Parsley, in full crop, Skirret, Hyssop, Fennel, Carraway, Borage, Balm, Burnet, &c. Radishes.— Of all kinds of these sow a full crop. Rhubarb. — Seed of this should now be sown, and large crowned roots divided, to make new plantations. Parsnips. — Sow a full crop in drills, 1 foot apart, on deeply- trenched, pulverised land. Peas. — Sow throughout this month on well-trenched, deeply- cultivated, thoroughly.pulverised soil, all the late kinds and tho tall sorts, 13 to 14 feet apart ; which is not only a convenient dis. tance, but ensures a full supply of light and air to the crop, which is doubled by this treatment ; and it forms a partial shade for such summer crops as are planted between the rows. Champion of England, Dixon's Favourite, Harrison's Glory, Laxton's Prolific and Quality, Maclean's Best of All, Prince of Wales, Wonderful, Nonpareil, and Veitch's Perfection are all good Peas for succession ; and for the last or latest crop of all, British Queen, Premier, and Ne Plus Ultra. Early Peas, stick and protect against cutting winds, and 236 THE GAEDBN. Mauch 14, 1874 dredge with dry dnst the base of all crops now up on dry evenings, to prevent canker and shanking. Savoys. — Sow a full crop now, and then again at the end of the month. Salsify. — Sow in drills 1 foot apart. Scorzonera. — Sow after the middle of the month. Seakale. — Sow in drills, or dibble Itoot apart each way, in order to have strong plants for foi'cing ne.xt winter ; if sown on well-pre. pared, pulverised, rich soil, and well attended to through the summer, strong clean plants will be the result. Spiuacll. — Sow the round summer variety in drills, between Peas, or other ways, once a fortnight. Sow New Zealand Spinach in heat. Turnips. — Sow in drills, a few, once a, fortnight, of any small short-topped early kind, in order to have Turnips young, sweet, and tender. THE LINN^AN SOCIETY. TnE special general meeting of this Society, convened by the council to consider certain alterations in the bye-laws, was held on Thursday' evening (March 5), at the Society's rooms at Burlington House, when the attendance of fellows was unusually large. Mr. George Busk, F.R.S., one of the vice-presidents, occupied the chair, and opened the proceedings with a conciliatory speech. Ho concluded with a suggestion founded upon a resolution of the council at its last meeting ; that, if a committee, to be appointed by those who differed in opinion from the council, would prepare and forward to it a report embodying their objections, and suggesting any amendments in the bye-laws which might seem to them desirable, that report would receive the fullest consideration of the council. In order to meet fully this conciliatory suggestion, Mr. Carruthers formally moved, that a committee be appointed to consider the bye-laws, and suggest to the council such alterations as they might consider desirable. This motion was duly seconded by Mr. Dallas. As an amendment, it was moved by General Strachey, that,inlieuof this amicable arrange, nient, the opinions of some counsel of eminence should be taken as to the legality, or otherwise, of the recent alterations made in the bye. laws, and, in the event of such opinion being adverse to the council, steps should be taken to repeal snch alterations accordingly. Contrary to what might have been expected, this amendment, which was duly seconded, appeared to meet with approval from the chairman ; and, after an animated discussion, in which, however, we are glad to say, nothing of a personal or objectionable nature occun-ed, the amendment was carried by a considerable majority. A resolution, moved by Sir John Lnbbock and seconded by Mr. Carruthers, was then carried, expressing the obligations of the Society to the late president, Mr. Bentham ; and a vote of thanks to the chairman terminated the proceedings. As it transpired during the evening that the opinions of two eminent counsel had already been taken as to the legality, or otherwise, of the recent changes made in the bye-laws, which opinions were, in some respects, at variance, the proposal to submit to the opinion of a third may, to some extent, be of advantage. But, inasmuch as it is gene- rally admitted that the whole of the existing bye-laws are in an unsatisfactory condition, which cannot be ameliorated by counsel's opinion on past proceedings, we think it is to be regretted that the suggestion of the council, as expressed by the chairman, was not accepted by the meeting, inasmuch as such an acceptance would have relieved the society of much embarrassment. The council assuredly took their defeat with complacency. The reason for this it is difficult to perceive, except upon the supposition that, subsequent to the meeting at which the resolution of the council, to which we have referred, and which was read to the meeting, was passed, they must have allowed themselves to be influenced by communications with the supporters of the amendment. Plants as "Weather Guides. — A writer in the Field says : — It is well-known that certain pl.ants are very sensitive to changes in tlic atmosphere, and by their behaviour, the opening and closing of their leaves and llowurs, serve as natural barometers to indicate the coming weather. A Prussian horticulturist — M. Hannemann, of Proskau — gives the signs he has found reliable with respect to the following plants. The small Bindweed (Convolvulus arvensis), and the Corn Pimpernel, or Poor Man's Weatherglass (Anagallisarvonsis), expand their flowers at tho approach of wet weather, whilst, on the other hand, the different varieties of Clover contract their leaves before rain. If fine bright weather is in prospect, the leaves of the Chickwced (Stellaria media) unfold, and its flowers remain awake and erect until mid-day. When the plant droops, and its flowers do not expand, rain may be expected. The half-opening of the flowers is a sign that wet will not last long. The Barnet Saxifrage (Pimpi. nclla Saxifraga), indicates the coming weather in the same manner. As to the small Cape Marigold (Calendula pluvialis) , should it open at 6 to 7 a.m., and not close till 4 p.m., we may reckon on settled weather ; if the flower continues sleeping after 7, it betokens rain. In the case of the Corn and common Sow Thistle (Sonchus arvensis and oleraceus), the non-closing of the flower-heads, warns us that it will rain the next day ; whilst tho closing of them denotes fine weather. Respecting the weather indications of Bladder Ketmia (Hibiscus Trionum) , the Stemless Ground Thistle (Carduus acaulis) , Marsh Man. gold (Caltha palustris). Creeping Crowfoot (Ranunculus repens). Wood Sorrel (Oxalis aoetosella), and other species of the O-xalis genus, rain may confidently be expected when the flowers of the first do not open, when the calyx of the second closes, and when the rest fold their leaves. We may also look for wet weather if the leaves of the Whitlow Grass (Draba verna) droop, and Lady's Bedstraw (Galium vcrum) becomes inflated and gives out a strong odour. Finally, the approach of rain is indicated in the case of the yellow Wood Anemone (Anemone ranunculoides) by the closing of the flowers, and in that of the Windflowors (Anemone nemorosa) by their drooping. Castor Oil Seed. — The Castor-oil plant is extensively cultivated all over India. The oil is extracted by bruising the seed and then boiling it in water, the oil being afterwards skimmed off. This is the only seed out of which the oil is extracted by boiling, as, in this case, it is found cheaper than the method nsed for other seeds, which is by pressure. The cost of the seed is one rupee (2s.) per maund (about 56 lbs.), and the price of the oil is from two to five seers per rupee, according to the abundance of the crop in the season. 'The proportion of the oil yielded is about half the weight of the seeds boiled ; it is only used for burning. In Cuttack, the plant is grown all over the province, a good deal in patches of newly cleared land in the jungles of the Tributary' States and Sumbulpore. The oil is extracted in two ways. It is used for burning and culinary purposes, and, also, medicinally. Both the native methods of extracting oil are wasteful and tedious, and, therefore, expensive. Em-opean oil-presses, and a knowledge of some methods of clarifying the expressed oil, seem only to be required to render the oil-seed crops of this extensive division of great value. Tho large seeds of Ricinus communis major are employed for lamp, oil, and the small seeds of the variety Ricinus communis minor yield the medicinal castor-oil. Paper Material. — Some of the American newspapers are now printed upon paper which is made from a reed-like Grass (Arun. dinaria macrosperma). The way in which this material is prepared for the manufacture by the Fibre Disintegrating Company would be too improbable for a hoax if it were not known to be a fact. The bundles of reeds are crammed into a metal cylinder, in which they are exposed to the action of steam at a high pressure, with which accordingly they become thoroughly permeated. They are then suddenly released, and, by the expansion of the steam, are not merely violently projected en masse against a sort of tai'get placed to receive them, but at the same time are thoroughly disintegrated by the iastantaneous dilatationof the compressed steam which has penetrated every part. A bundle of reeds is in this way converted into a disc of fibrous paper-pulp. There is something delightfully millennial in the utilising of artillery practice for literary purposes. A White Coal. — Our antipodes, that fragment of the most ancient of existent Continents, that laud of paradoxes, which would not allow the poor schoolboy his pet phrase of rara avis in tcrris, nir/roque simillima cygno, but must fain turn out a black swan, make animals with bii'ds' beaks (Ornithorrynchus paradoxus), and put the stones of Cherries outside of the fruit, has just revealed a new mineral — a white coal — which is fibrous, easily combustible, and burns with a light flame and no smoke. Nor is the material rare ; large districts are covered with it, and it lies on or very near tho surface. The coal is a species of lignite, and the colour is, most likely, due to the absence of bitumen. The Tree of Knowledge. — There is in America a physiologist who, tmlightcd, perhaps, as to his intellect by the lamp of a fish diet, proclaims to mankind that Apples are the proper food, after all, of the sedentary brain-workers. The Apple, according to this observer, who obviously investigates things to the core, contains more phosphorous, or brain sustenance, than any other member of the vegetable republic ; therefore, it is conducive to mental activity. This makes it clear that the Apple tree is, just as Eve thought, a " tree to be desired to make men wise." We can also now under- stand how it is that Apple sauce is always eaten with that foolish bird, the goose. — Fun. March 21, 1874.] THE GARDEN. 237 THE GARDEN. but " This 13 an art Whioh does mend natui-e : change it rather ; The Art itself is Nature." — Shakespeare. NOTES ON PEAS. The recent publication in the columns of The Gabden of the combined reports on the Peas grown at Oliiswiok during the past two years, comes to us at a convenient time, and, not the least service rendered to growers by these reports is the way in which the varieties are classified, so that by reference thereto it is now easy to ascertain to what particular section of Peas any particular kind belongs. There are, however, some sections omitted that might have been added with advantage, such as early, medium, and late, and there would have been some interest attached to an arrangement of the whole number into dwarf, medium height, and tall ; also, as to the comparative hardiness, or otherwise, of the earliest Marrows, in contra-distinction to the old white or blue round kinds. This latter point is one of particular intei'est, as, now that we have Wrinkled Marrow Peas that produce a crop but a very few days later than Dillistono's Early Hound, it is evident that the latter kind and its congeners must soon give place to the sweeter and better-flavoured Marrows, if these prove to be perfectly hardy. Of not less value would have been some practical information as to the difference in crop produced by a Pea that grows only 2 feet in height, and one that grows to a height of 6 feet. Gardeners have long favoured tall kinds, beheving that these produce the heaviest crops, and probably where they do well, that is the case ; but it must not be overlooked that all tall Peas grow to a height of from 0 to 3| feet before they produce pods, and therefore seldom have, after all, a larger space of fruitful haulm than such kinds as grow only to that height. We are sometimes favoured with woodcut illustrations of tall Peas podding from the ground upwards, but everyone knows that such, in reality, is not the case. Some of our best dwarf Peas will, on the other hand, begin to bear pods very near the base of the haulm, and then they give quite as large a pod-surface as the best tall kinds do ; then there is less danger of the haulm of dwarf Peas exhausting the soil, and becoming unproductive in dry weather, than is the case with tall Peas, which have so much more work for the roots to perform before a crop is Ijorne. Another point of interest is the relative amount of support in the shape of sticks required by the two classes of dwarf and tall Peas, as Pea sticks are, in some places, dear and difBcult to obtain. A few stout sticks will give sup- port to robust dwarf Peas, but tall ones need assistance to keep them in proper position. There is another evil in connection with tall Peas, whioh has come under my observation, when grown in bulk together, viz., that when great heat prevails, so far from one row shading another, and thus promoting a cool temperature, the reverse seems to be the case, as the air between the rows, not being renewed by a quick circulation, becomes exceedingly hot, and the blooms suffer materially in consequence. Tall Peas should always be grown in rows several yards apart, with crops of Potatoes, Onions, or any other dwarf crops between them, and, under these conditions, a much better crop is obtainable than when grown in rows close together. Whatever may be the belief prevalent amongst gardeners as to the value, or otherwise, of dwarf Peas, it is, at least, certain that this section is eminently adapted for small gardens ; nevertheless, in the face of this fact, tall Peas will continue to be largely grown. I have gone carefully through the Pea report and collated therefrom a list of twelve kinds, all of which are classed with the tall-growing sections, adding also their average height of growth and date of bearing pods fit for the table. The early section here do not exceed 4 feet in height, and are not tall in reality, but then they grow to twice the height that the earliest of the dwarf section do, and are, therefore, tall, by comparison. Tall Kinds. The whole of these Peas were sown on the same date, Feb. 23, and their successive periods of fitness spread over three weeks. They present a list of the very best of the tall riT FOE TABLE. HElaHT. . June 9 ... ... 3 feet. 13 ... ... 3i „ 13 ... ... 3J- „ 13 ,.. ... 4 „ 14, ... ... 4i „ 23 ... ... 5 „ 24. ... ... 5 „ 24 ... ... 5 „ 25 ... ... 6 „ 29 ... ... 6 „ 30 ... ... c „ . July 1 ... ... G „ kinds, being, in all respects, good croppers, fairly hardy, and of the best quality. It is obvious that no one would care to make a selection of the whole dozen for any one garden, but, whilst some growers will favour a couple of the first earlies, others will prefer a different couple. Dillistono's Early Saugster's No. 1 E.iste's Kentish Invicta . Emerald Gem William the First ... . Prizetaker Paiadise Marrow Laxtou's Supremo Champion of England Ne Plus Ultra British Queen Tall Green Marrow Except in its particular earliness, Dillistone's Early is the least satisfactory one of the lot, as it is a poor cropper, but Sangster's No. 1 is a reliable kind, and William the First, although a day or two later, will beat it hollow, both for colour and Cfuality. Kentish Invicta I find is this year being largely grown as a market Pea, a proof that it is a good thing, and I am much surprised to meet with it so seldom in private gardens. My impression of it, when seen at Chiswick, was greatly in its favour as an early Pea. Emerald Gem (grown at Chiswick both in 1872 and 1873), notwithstanding all that has been said about it, is a capital garden variety. All the others are too well-known to need further comment. Dwarf Kinds. Dwarf Peas present a wider, and, possibly, a richer field for selection, as there are few that are not good, and the bulk are excellent. There is here, also, no difficulty in selecting twelve sorts, all of which class as Marrowfats, even the earliest having, in this respect, the advantage of the earliest of the tall kinds, scarcely any of which have such excellent quality, I find the best here to be : — riT FOR TABLE. HEIGHT Little Gem ... June 16 ... ... li feet Blue Peter ... ... 18 ... ... 1.^ >, Nutting's No. 1 18 ... ... 2 „ First-crop Bluo 19 ... ... 2 „ Multum-in-Parvo 19 ... ... li ., Dean's Dwarf Marrow .. 21. ... ... 2 „ Princess Royal 25 ... ... 2i „ Wonderful 26 ... ... 3 „ I'^illbasket 26 ... ... 3 „ James's Prolific ... )) 30 ... ... 3 „ Omega 30 ... ... 2i „ Veitch's Perfection '.'.'. Ju y 4 ... ... 3 „ The bulk of this selection can be grown well without the use of sticks or supports of any kind, and can be specially commended to persons who have town gardens, or reside where stakes and spray are difiicult to obtain. The first half-dozen can be sown in rows at intervals of 2 feet apart ; the remainder should have a space 6 inches wider. Grown in this way, they present no obstacles to the planting and growth of a winter crop of Cabbages or Kale ; and, as soon as the Pea crop is gathered, the haulm can be pulled and the space between the rows of Winter Greens, either forked or deeply hoed through, and thus a second crop is well established, a result that could not possibly follow, were tall Peas grown. If I were about to grow any six kinds for succession in this list, I should select Blue Peter, Multum-in-Parvo, Dean's Dwarf Marrow, James's Pro- lific, Fillbasket, and Omega; and a selection of three for villa or small gardens would include Mnltum-in-Parvo, Dean's Dwarf Marrow, and Omega. Multum-in-Parvo is known as an improved Little Gem, as it has a larger pod and finer Peas. Dean's Dwarf Marrow has a remarkable robust erect growth, with branching habit. It represents a cross between Multum- in-Parvo and Premier, has fine pods, is exceedingly productive, and the Peas are of delicious flavour. Omega is the finest of all the late dwarf Peas, and presents one of the most service- able forms that Mr. Laxton has raised. It has been well described as a dwarf Ne Plus Ultra, but more hardy ; and higher praise could not well be rendered. A. D. 238 THE GARDEN. [Mahch 21, 1874. NOTES OP THE WEEK. Mr. John Waterek's annual exhibition of Rhododendrons will take place this year in Rnssell Square, Bloomsbury, instead of in the Royal Botanic Gardens, Regent's Park, where it has been so striking a feature for these last twenty-three years. The transference of the floral glories of Bagshot to one of the largest and best of our town squares is an event on which Londoners may congratulate themselves. Mr. Anderson informs us that the first portion of the Meadow Bank Orchids will be sold there by auction on the 6th and 7th of May, and that at that sale will be offered some of the rarest and best specimens in the collection, which is well known to be one of the finest in Europe. It is proposed to present Mr. Abraham Stansfield, of Todmorden, with a testimonial, as an acknowledgment of the services which he has rendered to the cause of education and the advancement of science, particularly botanical science. The Tod. morden Botanical Society owes its origin and continued success entirely to his unwearied efforts. A committee has been formed for promoting this object, in furtherance of which upwards of £50 has already been collected. — — ■ Near Erigne (Maine et Loire), says the Revue Horticole, is a curious Oak about sixty years old, whose parent acorn was deposited, probably by some bird, in a cavity in the trunk of a Willow, at the height of about 8 feet from the ground. The young Oak, pushing its roots downwards, has since killed the Willow, of which very little now remains, while the roots of the Oak have obtained a firm hold in the soil. The singularity of the case is that the base of the Oak, for a height of nearly 8 feet, consists of a collection of roots, which are fast becoming covered with alburnum or sap-wood. We observe that several lots of the new Masdevallia poly. sticta are to be sold at Stevens's on Monday next. Of this species Mr. Roezl says that when he first met with it at a certain distance off, ho believed it to be Odontoglossum na3vium, so much alike is the general appearance of the inflorescences of these two otherwise very different Orchids. The flowers have a light ground, richly dotted with dark purple, and are arranged in dense spikes. It is a free flowering graceful species of robust habit, and will form a striking contrast when associated with some of the high.coloured kinds. A Vine, says the Boston Journal of Chemistry, situated about three miles and a half from the town of Santa Barbara, California, has a trunk 4 feet 4 inches in circumference in the largest part. It begins to branch out at about 6 or 8 feet from the ground, and is then supported on framework, which it covers as a roof. The whole Vine thus supported now covers over an acre of ground. Several of the limbs are as much as 10 inches in circumference at a distance of 25 or 30 feet from the trunk. The annual yield of Grapes from this mammoth Vine is from 10,000 to 12,000 pounds. The clusters average, when ripe, from 2 to 2 J- pounds each. This Vine, which is about forty years old, is on rather high ground, and, it is stated, that the soil about it has never been manured at all. This Vine, curiously enough, as in the ease of Messrs. Lane's Vinery at Berk, hampstead, has a small stream of water running near it, which probably assists its growth. We have received from MM.Huber &Co., of Hydros, coloured plates of Dahlia arborea, a species quite distinct from Dahlia impe- rialis. In a circular, issued by MM. Huber, they say: — "It attains the height of about 7 feet, and forms a well-branched clump, with large leaves of a dark green, which contrast agreeably with the foliage of other plants. This inferiority of height makes it take up less room in the conservatory than the D. imperialis, and enables it to resist tho wind better in the open air. From the end of December it produces an innumerable quantity of well-formed mauve- coloured flowers, the successive development of which does not suffer from a temperature below freezing point. Tho form of the plant is, moreover, quite new in the genus, for it can only be compared to a gigantic Anemone; and its peculiarity of flowering copiously at a low temperature is a rare occurrence among succulent herbaceous plants." From the report of tho council of the Royal Dublin Society we learn that " For several years the state of the iron shed, used for theMuseum of Botany, at the gardens, has been brought under the notice of tho authorities. It is fast falling into decay, and, in a short time, will cease to bo a sufficient ])rotection to tho interesting scries of specimens temporarily placed there. The Science and Art Department, impressed with the importance of having a Museum of Economic Botany established in connection with the Botanic Gardens, succeeded in obtaining a grant from Parliament amounting to dE 1,000, for tho erection of an appropriate building for the purpose, and, although the site was chosen, yet the Council failed to induce the authorities to take any step towards the erection of tho building, and the vote was eventnally withdrawn." A Museum of Science and Art has recently been erected at Edinburgh, at a cost of nearly £90,000, but, it appears that an " iron shed, fast falling into decay," is considered good enough to form the Museum of Botany, which will supply instruction to the citizens of Dublin ! There will, it is said, be no provincial exhibition this year in connection with the Royal Horticultural Society. ■ Mr. Peacock writes to us to say that Agave univittata, which we stated last week was throwing up a flower. stem at Kew, is also now showing for flower with him at Sudbury House, Hammersmith ; it has grown a foot in three days. The display of Persian Cyclamens at the Victoria Nursery, Holloway, where Mr. Williams has made this flower a speciality, is now quite striking. Cyclamens of this class must ever be favourites for greenhouse or conservatory decoration at this season of the year. Messrs. Maule, of Bristol, have sent us a coloured plate of a new Japanese Apple, named Pyrus Maulei. Of its origin we cannot speak, as Messrs. Maule have omitted to supply us with any account of it. From the appearance which it presents, however, as shown in the plate, we should think it a variety of P. japonica, with very spiny branches and almost spathulate leaves. The Charleston News says, that the steamship "Manhattan," which left that port for New York February 25, had on board the first new Strawberries of the season, being a consignment consisting of about 100 quarts ; she also took a parcel of new green Peas, both being among the earliest shipments known. They were the growth of Florida, and indicate that the semi-tropical climate of that state is able to furnish fresh fruits and vegetables nearly all the year round. The extension of the Cinchona cultivation in Darjeeling con- tinues. Every year additional land is brought under Cinchona culture and it is calculated that 2,000 acres more will be cleared and planted within the next four years. With regard to Ipecacuanha, upwards of 20,000 plants and cuttings are now in hand, all of which promise well. Another interesting fact relating to the introduction of useful plants into India, is that of the success in the Terai of the Cacao (Theobroma Cacao, L.). The plants that were planted out about a year ago, were sent from Kew at the suggestion of Dr. Hooker, and they are now in a most healthy and satisfactory condition. At a meeting of the Royal Botanic Society, the other day. Professor Bentley delivered a lectoi-e on the Fever Gum tree (Eucalyptus globulus). This tree, which is a native of Australia, grows to the height of 350 feet, and a plantation of it is exceedingly useful in sucking up and dissipating moisture from marshy laud. The wood makes excellent building timber ; the bark furnishes a powerful astringent, which is prepared in Australia in the form of lozenges and syrup. A preparation, known as eucalyptol, is eflicacious as an antiseptic, stimulant, and disinfectant. Gums are obtained from it, and among other unexpected uses it is employed for flavour, ing soup and making cigarettes, which afford alleviation in asthma. It has been successfully cultivated in many parts of the world, but the climate of England is not favourable to it. Sixty plants of it were planted in the Royal Horticultural Society's Garden at Chiswick in the spring of 1817, the plants being two years old and 3 feet in height. They grew rapidly, and were not in the least injured by tho winters of 1847-8 and 1818-9, but were totally destroyed by the severe frost in January, 1850, when they had attained a height of from 18 to 25 feet. All, too, suffered alike. - — '^ Scotland is said to be, year by year, becoming less produc. tive in the matter of fruit. At a meeting of the Botanical Society of Edinburgh last week, Mr. MoNab read a paper on " Further evi. dences of Climatal Changes in Scotland," and mentioned that several old Scotch gardeners, as well as amateur cultivators, concurred with his opinion that many varieties of fruit now cultivated in that country were by no means equal to what they were from thirty to fifty years ago. Ribston Pippins and Nonpareil Apples are alleged to be inferior in size and flavour as well as number to the specimens formerly seen. The Jargonelle Pear, once extensively grown and thoroughly ripened on standard trees in various districts of Scotland, is now exceedingly scarce. The famous Carse of Gowrie orchards, which half a century ago were so remunerative, and in which seventy varieties of Apples and thirty-six varieties of Pears were cultivated as standards, still exist, but with a sadly diminished production of fruit. The Clydesdale orchards are in tho same failing condition. The Damson shows signs of becoming extinct, and the common Black Sloe and Bramble Berries are in like manner on tho decline. From the old minute books of tho Caledonian Horticultural Society, it appears that from 1810 they offered jirizes for Peaches grown on open walls without the aid of fire flues ; but, after 1837, these were discontinued, and the generality of the competition Peaches sent are grown on flued walls or in Peach-houses. Similar evidence was given with regard to Cherries, Gooseberries, and Scotch-grown American Cranberries, and oven the Filbert and Hazel Nuts are, it is stated, not by any meaus so flourishing as formerly. Maech 21, 1874] THE GARDEN. 239 THE FLOWER GARDEN. SAXIFRAGES. By J. C. NIVEN, Botanic Gardens, Hull. The Crustacean Group. There is, perhaps, hardly a single geuus of plants that pre- sents so great a diversity of aspect as the Saxifrages. Hence, it is not at all surprising that the uninitiated seem somewhat dubious, -when you assure them that our common Mossy Saxi- frages and the old Iiondon Pride are so intimately related as to come under one generic title. How much greater then must their astonishment be, when you further assure them that the same slender-leaved trailing plant is related, in an equal degree, to S. crassifolia, that coarse-looking species usually consigned to the back settlements of old shrubberies ? not that I wish, for a moment, to disparage even it, though its leaves put one a good deal more in mind of a Rhubarb than a Moss ; yet, this is really the case, and, what is more, they possess such well-marked structural peculiarities in common, that, though separate generic titles have been given to the more important groups, the old genus Saxifraga reigns supreme, and holds its head high above the influence of any revolutionary monographs that may be pub- lished. The question then, natu- rally, arises are we to endorse the monopoly and sticlc to the old patronymic? or, are we to resusci- tate the sectional genera, such as Robertsonia, Boykinia, Bergenia, and others ? For my part, I am, in this case, decidedly disposed to be conservative, and pxirpose retaining the old famiUar title of Saxifrage, which, being literally interpreted, means "stone- breaker," an admirable title, by the way, as, growing amongst rocks and spreading over the sur- face of large masses of stone, they insert their delicate roots into every crack and crevice, thus assisting, materially, in the slow, but sure, eroding process by which the hardest rocks are trans- formed into the first elements of soil. Taking then the genus Saxifraga, as our text, it will be obvious that it naturally divides itself into groups, and under the following groups we shall consider them. Thus we have the Crvistacean, including all those with silvery cartilaginous excretory formations occurring on the margins of the leaves ; the Mossy group, of which our own native S. hypnoides may be taken as the type, forming cushions of bright-green foliage ; the ligulate, or ciliated, gronp, with large fleshy leaves producing their rosy flowers in dense panicles, of which S. crassifolia is the type ; the London Pride, or None so Pretty, group, with which all are familiar, and for whoso typical representative we shall take S. umbrosa ; the sar- mentose group, with their long straggling runners and prettily-marked foliage, of which we can select no better representative than the S. sarmentosa, or Wandering Jew ; the opposite-leaved group, whose lovely crimson flowers are amongst the earliest of the whole family, for which no better sponsor can be found than S. oppositifolia ; and finally a some- what heterogeneous assemblage that we shall call the yellow- flowered group, of which we may take S. aizoides as typical. Pyramidal Saxifrage CS. pyramidalis). Having thus enumerated the several groups under which I purpose passing in review the various well-defined species of Saxifrage that are at present in general cultivation, I am quite sure no one will challenge me with attempting a botanical memoir ; I merely take their outward characteristics, and deal with them from a popular, not a technical, point of view. I may as well, at the outset, state that I once w'rote a monograph on the genus, viewing it from a sort of combined botanical and horticultural stand-point, but a long experience in raising Saxifrages from seed has sadly shaken my faith in the matter of specific distinctions, and I see, in the elaborate monograph recently prepared by Dr. Engler, of Breslau, that most of the fifteen groups into which he divides the genus are supple- mented with a list of hybrids, or presumed hybrids, which lists might, in truth, be largely increased. To anyone who is desirous to go thoroughly into the botanical characters of all the described species of Saxi- frages, the doctor's monograph will be found invaluable. Though I gladly avail myself of it as a sort of text-book in the matter of nomenclature, I may say there are points, and those not a few, in which my pi-actical experience will not permit me to endorse the ruling of the learned doctor. The Crustacean group, which I have selected as the most appro- priate to begin with, commends itself for the premier position by the very fact that to this group belongs the veritable Queen of Saxifrages — S. longifolia. No one who has seen the plant iu vigorous growth will begrudge it the regal dignity which it so well deserves, but the mere men- tion of this species must suflSco at present, seeing that I take as the typical plant of this section S. pyramidalis, so admirably delineated in the accompanying illustration. It will be recog- nised by many as an old friend and favourite. Usually speaking, it is said to be synonymous with Linnasus's old S. Cotyledon, but I have a decided notion that these two names really belong to two distinct species, or, if not, that the former is, at least, a well-defined variety of the latter, giving, of course, precedence to the older name. Wherein, then, rests the distinction ? Let us briefly compare their general characteristics. In S. Cotyledon the individual radical leaves, that form the large rosette which precedes the blooming process, are slightly glaucous and somewhat grey in colour ; they are scarcely obovate, whereas, iu the pyramidal plant, they are markedly obovate, and of a very deep green; the floral axis, which, terminated by the first expanded bloom, constitutes an admirable illustration of the form of infloi'escence known as a compound cyme, rises to a height of 2 to 3 feet in the former whereas, in the latter, it rarely exceeds 18 inches ; the true, leaves, thoughsomewhatmodified in size, being, in this case.con- tinued up the stem for a considerable distance. The secondary branches of the inflorescence of S. Cotyledonare erect, and thej-, as well as the primary axis and calyxes, are green in colour, whereas, in S. pyramidalis, the floral branches are drooping, and the whole of the stalks are covered with purplish glandular hairs. The calyx, also, has a crimson tint, and the flowers have narrower petals, and a far greater purity of whiteness. Another important distinction consists in the fact, that, whereas S. pyramidalis seeds freely, I have never yet 240 THE GARDEN. [March 21, 1874. succeeded in getting perfect seeds from S. Cotyledon. The distinctions I have enumerated may appear somewhat trivial, but they are wonderfully constant ; and, further, an excellent authority, who has seen the two species growing side by side ou the Swiss Alps, informs me that their distinctive charac- teristics are even more marked in a state of nature than under cultivation. Engler, I see, admits that there is a form of S. Cotyledon with purple hairs and most abundant flowers, which form is, no doubt, the same as our S. pyramidalis. Be they, however, species, varieties, or mere forms, they are both ■worthy, in the highest degree, of being cultivated — nay, more, of being well cultivated — and amply will they rejiay the extra attention bestowed on them. Occasionally, they may be seen under ordinary rock-gardeu treatment, producing large and jjorfectly pyramidal cymes ; for, be it noted, the pyramidal character is common to both, but, if you want to grow them to perfection, give them the benefit of liberal treatment. No better place for the experiment can be selected than the sunny south border of a kitchen garden, rich in all the good things for plant life, as such borders usually are. Let such portion as you purpose devoting to Flora — versiis Cauliflora — be on a dry spring day, well trodden down and consolidated ; select the strongest oil-shoot rosettes from the parent plants, such as show no indications of bloom any time during the latter part of March or beginning of April ; plant these in rows, at distances of l-'j inches apart, and 12 inches in the row. A little water and attention may be requisite till they get root- hold of the soil ; having done this, by the autumn you will find they have formed rosettes, 9 inches or more across, and, possibly, in some cases, a considerable number of offsets as well ; these, however, should all be carefully removed, so as to concentrate the entire energies of the plant into the blooming rosette. Leave them during the winter following fully exposed, and by the month of May you will be enabled to realise, to perfection, the beauties which both species are capable of affording. Pyramids of blossom will result from each rosette with a regularity of outline and symmetry of shape that once seen are never to be forgotten ; and, if the two forms are culti- \'ated in this way, under exactly similar circumstances, you will be able to draw your own conclusions as to whether I am correct in my surmise, that Saxifraga Cotyledon and S. pyramidalis are distinct species, or the same. I venture to think, without hesitation, you will adjudge them as being, if not distinct species, at least worthy of distinct names. Geo- graphically speaking, both plants have a wide European range, and are met with in abundance on the Swiss Alps, ou the mountains in Dalmatia and Carinthia, in Lapland and Norway, even as far west as Iceland, the only instance in which they are recorded as occurring beyond the bounds of their European home. HALF-HAEDY SUCCULENTS. (PACHYPHYTUMS.) Pachyphytums are fleshy-leaved plants, suitable for green- houses, frames, or windows, or for flower-garden decoration in summer, where they have a striking effect, either grouped with other succulents, or used as carpet-bedding plants. They may also be usefully employed as edgings to small beds containing plants of a low-growing character. They will endure a degree or two of frost without injury, if previously well-hardened, but it is safest to take them indoors about the middle of October, or thereabouts. When taken up, after removing a few of their lower leaves, pot them a little deeper than they previously stood in the flower garden, and use for the purpose as small pots as will conveniently hold the roots. This has a tendency to keep them dwarf. It matters little even if the old roots are considerably reduced in this operation, as fresh ones will be thrown out freely from the portion of the stem that is buried. During winter, keep them on the side of dryness, rather than wet. A good loamy soil mixed with some pounded brickbats suits these plants when lifted better than rich ma- terial. The leaves taken off when the plants were lifted from the open ground may be used as cuttijigs. Got some clean pans or 4-inch pots, drain them well and fill them up with sandy loam mixed with some finely-ground brickbats, and, around the edges of these pots or pans, insert the leaves thickly and firmly ; also, fill up the central space with them, but not thickly. In prepariiig the leaves, cut them clean across at the base with a sharp knife, and then spread them out on a shelf, where they will not dry too quickly, but where their ends will become, to some extent, healed over. I have seen such leaves lie about in this manner for a fortnight, and then, when their ends were inserted in soil, roots were soon emitted. If the leaves were inserted in soil immediately after being removed from the parent plant, they would probably all rot off at the base. At one time leaf -cuttings of succulents used to be treated as fol- lows : — After the cuttings were made they were inserted, top downwards, in sandy soil, merely keeping the cut part above ground, in order that it might become well dried, and, con- sequently, not apt to rot ; they were then lifted out and inserted in the proper manner. In this way a well-dried cut end was secured, and shrivelling from evaporation was pre- vented. There is no necessity, however, for treatmg Pachy- phytums so carefully, as they do quite as well when dried — as has been mentioned — on shelves or stages. When the cuttings have been put in, the pots containing them should be placed on a shelf as near the glass as possible ; they should be kept only moderately moist, free from drip, which is destructive to them, and never shaded unless the sun shines very brightly. They should be frequently looked over in order to remove any portions that may happen to be damping off, and, if the tem- perature of their winter quarters be a few degrees higher than 40°, they will form eyes much sooner than they otherwise would do, and be nice little plants before spring. In February, pot the strongest of them in thumb-pots, and prick off the others about 2 inches apart into boxes, and, if convenient, place them in an intermediate house till April, and they will form good plants for bedding-out the first year. Such warm quarters, however, are not necessary ; for a dry frame would suit them quite as well. In that case, however, the plants would be too small for use in the flower-garden during the coming year. Pachyphytums may be increased, by means of leaves, at any season ; but from February to October is the best time for that operation, and for that purpose good, well- matured, and firm leaves should always be chosen. If struck in spring, a little shading will be necessary in bright weather, and they should be potted or pricked off as soon as good young plants are formed. In this way, strong plants may be secured for next summer's outdoor display. Pachyphytums may also be raised from seed ; indeed, this is the readiest mode of increasing them, and the one attended with least trouble. The seeds should be sown in autumn, as soon as they are ripe, or in the succeeding spring ; but, if delayed longer, they come up badly, some being ready to prick off before the others have germinated. For seeds, prepare pots or pans filled to within 2 inches of the surface with crocks, then with sandy loam and very finely - crushed crocks or bricks ; sow regularly, and rather thinly ; cover slightly with a finely- sifted portion of the soil, and place a pane of glass over the surface of each pot. Place the pots in an intermediate house, near the light, and shade well until germination takes place, after which gradually inure the young plants to light ; let the pane of glass be tilted up a little, and after a short time let it be entirely removed. The seedlings will soon gain strength and burst into the rough leaf, when they should be pricked off into other pots, pans, or boxes, and finally potted singly. If the produce of autumn-sown seeds, it is safest to keep them in the seed-pots till spring; but, if spring-sown, prick them off as soon as they are large enough for handling. For seed-bearers, the tallest plants should be chosen, divested of many of their base leaves in autumn, kept as dry as is con- sistent with their safety in winter, and started into growth in spring. This invariably induces them to flower, and that early, which is advisable, as the seeds have, in that case, a better chance of ripening in perfection than they otherwise would have. Flowering plants should be kept in pots, indoors, in a dry airy house, and the seeds, when ripe, should be gathered and spread out to dry. When grown in pots in summer, and used for conservatory decoration, some rotten mjinure should be mixed with the soil. Pachyphytum brac- teosum, or " Silver-bracts," a striking plant with silvery leaves, forms an excellent subject for the centres of raised circular beds during the bedding season, Wm. Falconer, Mabch 21, 1874] THE GARDEN. 241 BROMELIA-LEAVED SEA-HOLLY (eRYNGIUM BROlIELI.EFOLIUil). This is a very interesting plant, and one of the most distinct and striking of this atcractive family. It forms a dense Tuoca- like tuft, composed of numerous, long, channelled leaves, margined with slender spines. The radical leaves are from 2 to 3 feet in length, and the plant, without the flower- spike, is about the same height. The flowers are whitish, and not so showy as many others of the family ; but the graceful habit and elegant foliage of the plant entitle it to a place in every collection. It is a fine subject for the sub-tropical garden, for dry commanding positions on rock-work, for ordi- Bromelia-leaved Sea-Holly (Eryngiuni BromeliEef olium) . nary borders, or as an isolated tuft on lawns. It is perfectly hardy, and an easily grown perennial. A. J. Perry. Culture of Ixias, Sparaxis, (fee. — Grown under glass, these flower in March and April ; out-of-doors, in May, June, and July. They are amongst the most graceful, attractive, and beautiful of Cape flowering bulbs. They differ considerably in style and habit of growth, but, being closely allied, they require the same cultural treatment. For in-doors, plant, from September to December, five or six bulbs in a 5-inch pot, using a compost of turfy loam, leaf-soil, and a little silver-sand. Make the soil firm about the bulbs, then place them in a cold pit or frame, plunging the pot in ashes, and with- hold water till the plants appear, then give sparingly at first. The lights should not be kept on except during very wet or frosty weather. Early in March, when the plants have made some growth, they may be removed to the greenhouse, or where there is a very gentle warmth, and placed on a shelf close to the glass till in bloom. For out-doors, choose, if possible, a light loamy soil, thoroughly drained, and with a dne south aspect ; if backed by a wall or green- house, all the better. Plant the bulbs from September to February, at a depth of from 4 to 6 inches, and 1 to 3 inches apart. The early plantings must be the full depth, and the later plantings need not be covered quite so heavily. As the roots should be kept as dry as possible during winter, the early plantings must be protected either with litter, or with 2 or 3 inches of dry leaves ; or the beds hooped over and protected with mats. The January or February plantings seldom require protection. — P. Bakr. Pelargonium Endlicherianum. — I have some doubts as to the general hardiness of this Pelargonium, of which an interesting notice appeared in your columns the other day. I have grown it for several years, and it certainly will not stand the winter here. It flowers freely, but does not ripen its seed with me. I do not find it easy to strike from cuttings, which are apt to damp off. I have at present only one old plant of it. I find the same diflionlty in propa. gating another interesting plant belonging to the same family, viz., Erodium incarnatum, of which I am seldom or ever able to preserve more than one plant through the winter. Cuttings of this strike freely, but, when potted, damp off. Can any. one supply me with a small plant of Erodium pelargonifeflorum ? I have hitherto failed to procure it. Messrs. E. G. Henderson's foreman, Mr. Jennings, has often told me of a very beautiful Erodium with large yellow fiowers, which they once had under the name of E. olympicum, but was soon lost. What was this ? and where did it come from ? Could it be the same as E. chrysanthum of Boissier's " Flora OrientaUs." Has anyone ever grown E. grui. num of the same author ? which, from his description, must be a very beautiful plant. Has anyone now the true Geranium Lambertianum ? It is not so beautiful as its congener — G. armenum — but still a most desirable plant. Some six years ago, I saw it growing luxuriantly in Lord Rathdonnell's Garden, at Green Mount, Co. Louth, and also at Glasnevin. I have not seen it since. Does anyone now grow those two lovely plants — Monsonia speciosa and lobata ? — H. Hakpur Ckewe, Drayton-Beaucliamp Rectory, Trine/. Worm-casts on Lawns. — These are often troublesome, espe- cially during wet weather. I am of opinion that their entire eradica- tion is impossible, but they maybe kept in check as follows : — Sweep the lawn with a birch or other rough broom, so as to disperse the casts, then strew the surface with common salt at the rate of eight bushels to an acre, choosing a moist day for the operation. Less than eight bushels would do good, and a bushel or two more would do no harm. This dressing not only banishes the worms from the surface, but, when used in the quantities just indicated, it has a beneficial influence on the Grass. The salt may be dissolved in water, and applied in a liquid state, but the labour and waste of time thus incurred are needlessly spent, as no better results are experienced by this method than when common dry salt is employed. Six bushels of salt and six or eight of soot well mixed together, and applied either in a liquid or solid form to a lawn of, say, an acre in extent, is not only an invaluable safeguard against worm casts, but is, also, a good dressing for the Grass ; even soot alone, applied at the rate of from twelve to sixteen bushels to the acre, is equally service, able for both purposes- Air-slaked lime, used at the rate of from twenty to thirty bushels to the acre, or mixed with soot, or salt, or both, also- forms a good dressing, especially for Mossy lawns, and it likewise destroys worms and grubs. — Q,. NOTES AND QUESTIONS ON THE FLOWER GARDEN. Hardiness of Alpine Plants.— T Have lost several of my Alpine plants this winter, owin^, as I believe, to the aljsence of snow, which forms their natural protection from frost and cutting mnds on their native mountains. On tho other hand, my herbaceous plants have not suffered in the least. Is the supposed greater hardiness of the former, because they are found at high altitudes, really to be explained by the fact, that they are always effectually protected iu winter by a deep warm covorint; of snow, which only disappears under the hot sun- shine of the advanced spring?— W. E., Leek. Wight-scented Stock (Matthiola tristis).— Can you tell me where this deliciously-scented flower can be had ? What is its moiie of culture and dura- tion.^ ■*! met with it once at the gardens at Wardie Lodge, but since theu have looked for it in vain in seedsmen's lists ; besides having lost a few offsets which were kindly given me at Wardie. —SALaioNiCEPS, [We are not surprised that you have failed to meet with this plant in seedsmen's lists. It is increased only by means of cuttings, and is reallyaframesuffrutescent species, possibly hardy oil dry rock-work or walls. It may, we think, be had of the leading London nurserymen, and, though not common, is less rare than you seem to imagine. — Ed.J Portulacas. — The single Portulacas, in brilUancy, delicacy, diversity, and beauty of colour, surpass all other out-door plants, thriving where most other plants get burnt up. They dehght in sunny situations and light soils, rapidly carpetiii^^ the ground with flowers and foliage. They are quite at home on rock- work exposed to the sun, on stumps of trees, in rustic vases, on banks, and wherever plants of a spreading or drooping habit are required. The double Portulacas are of the same brilliant and diversified colours as the single. Their saucer-shaped flowers being filled with petals, greatly enhance their general ea"ect, so that wherever beds can be formed of these, they will surpass in brilliancy all other dwarf bedding plants. — P. B. Nigllt-hlooming Hardy Plants. — The following enumeration of hardy plants, which bloom only during the night, appears in a late number of the BeJgiqiie Uurticolr, viz., Sle:?euibryantliemii]n noctiflorum, Silene noctnrna. Gladiolus tri->tis. Pelargonium triste, and Hesperis tristis. The flowers of the three last-named plants are usualy of a dingy-yellow colour. The Marvel of Peru (Mirabilis Jalapa) and the long-flowered species (M. longiflora), both begin to unfold their flowers at sunset. Another, now little known, although old- fashioned, night-bloomer, is the Petunia longiflora, an annual from Chili, which bears an immense corymb of large tubular pure white flowers. The Evening Primroses complete the list ; and, of these OEnothera biennis, CE. longiflora, and CE. stricta, are mentioned as particularly deserving of notice. 242 THE GARDEN. [Mabch 21, 1874. THE INDOOR GARDEN. TENDER BULBS FOR SPRING-FLOWERING. Bulbous plants are among the most useful of all flowering plants, as their general culture is of the simplest possible description, and many of them, as the Amai'yllises, may be dried off for a considerable period, and can then be forced into bloom any time, as required. Many of the bulbous plants bear very large and richly-tinted flowers in great abundance, and these are useful for cutting and arranging along with fresh green foliage in the drawing-room vases. Amaryllises are especially adapted for the latter jiurpose, their bell-shaped flowers being of great substance, and, in most cases, gor- geously coloured. We have a whole host of varieties of Dutch bulbs that flower at this season, such as Hyacinths, Tulips, Crocuses, and Jonquils, but, at present, we jjropose to deal •with a few less common species that are, nevertheless, equally well adapted for culture in the greenhouse or plant-stove. Eucliaris amazonica. — This is, in all probability, one of the finest and most generally useful of all stove bulbs when well-grown, and it can be had in bloom every month of the year, with but little difficulty. It is readily propagated by means e£ off-sets, which are freely produced by established bulbs, and these, it potted separately in a rich sandy compost, in their turn soon make strong.blooming plants. A good compost for this plant is one composed of half fibrous peat, a quarter leaf-mould, or rotten manure, andaquarter coarse well- washed river.sand. The pot should be thoroughly well-drained, and the plant liberally watered when growing. When the pot becomes filled with hungry roots, a little weak manure-water is an excellent stimulant. It is a plant' that requires growing on rapidly, and then resting for a week or two in a dry sunny house, in order to induce it to bloom freely. By resting, we do not mean that the plant should be starved until the leaves fall ; this would ruin it, for one season at least. When liberally treated in a warm moist stove, plants of this charming exotic will bear two or three crops of flowers every year. Some growers plunge the pots in a warm bed of tan when the plants are making their growth, and this helps the formation of roots very considerably ; frequent syringings are very beneficial to the growth and freah appearance of the foliage. These flowers are even more valuable than white Camellias, for cutting either for bridal bouquets or vase decorations, while, for ladies' hair, they are unriv.alled even by the chastest and purest of white Orchids. Griffinia parviflora. — This is a pretty little evergreen bulb, having leaves somewhat like those of the Eucharis in shape, but beautifully netted with dark green. It bears clusters of bright blue flowers on scapes 5 or 6 inches high, and is a very ornate stove-plant, well worth growing for variety in every collec- tion. It does well in a light, rich, well-drained compost. Amaryllises. — These plants ought to be universal favourites in every garden, as they are very readily grown, while the flowers of some varieties are most gorgeously coloured. Nearly all the varie- ties are deciduous, and may be dried off for months together, so as to take up but little space. The great point in their successful culture is to induce them to grow vigorously immediately after flowering, so as to get the bulbs plump and well-ripened for the next season's bloom. We have the following showy varieties now in flower, viz : — Amaryllis vittatum var. Harrisonia^, a pi'ofnse bloomer, and one which bears numerous long Lily-shaped flowers of a creamy, white, each segment having two bold crimson stripes down its centre, while its scapes bear more flowers than the other varieties; A. Ackermanni pulcherrima, one of the finest of all the varieties, bearing a fine bold flower of the deepest velvety crimson imagin. able, and should be included in every selection of these beautiful plants; A. Le Zouave, a bright reddish-crimson variety, profusely speckled with white, distinct and bright, well worth growing ; A. Spotted Gem, creamy-white, speckled with vermilion ; A. Ariadne, a very beautiful and distinct form, bearing pure white flowers, heavily streaked with crimson ; A. Leopold, a very large fully, expanded flower, of a creamy-white colour, the lower parts of each segment lieing of a rich maroon. crimson ; A. Sultana, a crimson- streaked kind of great size and substance. Besides the above, there are at least a hundred other varieties and seedlings, which, carefully raised, often turn out remarkably handsome for ordinary purposes of deoor.ation. Crinum amabile. — This is a stately species, almost worth growing for its bright green foliage, apart from the beauty of its flowers. The latter .are borne on tall scapes, and are as large as those of the common White Lily ; but even more beautiful, being delicately tinted with soft flesh. colour. This, and all its congeners, grow well in a compost of filjrons loam, leaf-monld, and sand. Pancratium fragrans. — This is a robust plant, bearing long. petalled white delicately-perfumed flowers, on scapes 1 foot to 15 inches in height. It has thick leathery foliage, of a deep green tint, and flowers very freely. Like the Eucharis, it blooms at different periods of the year ; and, if a dozen plants are grown, their flowers will be found very useful for the centres of bouquets, or other floral decorations. They like a hearty compost of fibrous loam and well-rotted manure or leaf-mould, while a little weak liquid.manure is very beneficial when the pots become filled with roots. Triteleia uniflora. — This is not a tender bulb ; on the contrary, it is perfectly hardy ; still, it is one of the prettiest of all greenhouse pot-plants at this season of the year, and, together with its blue-flowered narrow-leaved variety (which is generally met with under the name of Leucocoryne alliacea, the specific name being given in reference to its evolving a strong odour of Garlic when bruised), the plant requires no special treatment. Bulbs potted in the autumn flower regularly in the following spring. Urceolina pendula. — Of all stove bulbs this is one of the most graceful, but, unfortunately, it is deciduous, and its elegant canaiy- coloured drooping flowers are borne before the glossy green foliage makes its appearance ; still, the drawback can be remedied to a great extent by associating it, when in bloom, with fresh Palms and Ferns. Imantophyllum. rainiatum. — This is an excellent subject either for the greenhouse or conservatory, its fresh green foUage being always interesting, even when the plant itself is not in bloom. It flowers very profusely when thoroughly well established, but, like most other bulbs, the pots must be well filled with roots before it will make any effort to bloom. The flowers are of a bright orange tint, borne on stout two-edged scapes just above the deep glossy leaves. A few plants of this should find a place in every good collection, however select. B. HYBRIDISING ZONAL PELARGONIUMS. By Dr. John Denny's article in The GjVHden of 7th February, and that of Mr. Laxton, of 14th February, I am invited to answer certain questions respecting the hybridisation of Zonal Pelargoniums. I am very willing to reply, as far as lays in my power, and I am the more disposed to do so, as I am of opinion that horticulture, as well as all other arts and sciences, can be benefited by the international and friendly communications of all those who have the same devotion to progress. Aline Slsley is, as Dr. Denny supposes, an isolated result out of many seedlings from the same cross. The seeds (seventeen in number, of which only eleven came up) were sown the 16th January, 1872. The mother-plant originated from Madame Vaucher, impregnated in 186il by Gloire de Nancy, which produced single whites. These were again impregnated by Gloire de Nancy, and, till 1871, produced single whites, and a few pinks (also singles). I kept these seedlings, and, in 1871, impregnated one of the single whites with a double red of my own raising, which, also proceeded from Madame Vaucher, fecundated, in 1868, by Triomphe de Dumesnil (double red), and, in 1869, produced a single white, which was, in 1870, impregnated by Cottington (semi-double red), and produced, in 1871, this double red, the father of Aline Sisley ; mother and father Ijeing, thus, grandchildren of Madame Vaucher. Out of the eleven seedlings of 16th January, 1872, I lost four. The seven remaining were : — One double white (Aline Sisley), two single white, one single pink, one double pink, two semi-double cherry. Till then, Madame Vaucher had repeatedly produced single white, although fecundated by double red ; and several horti- cnlturalists here have told me, that they have not been able to obtain a double flower from her. As to the raising of Gloire dc Nancy by M. Victor Lemoino, by impregnation of Beaute de Suresnes by Auguste Ferrier, there can bo no doubt, M. Victor Lemoine being a most honourable horticulturist, and made no mystery of it when he sold it in 1865. As to the difficulty of crossing Boautc de Suresnes with any other variety, I have experienced it myself, although I have persevered in the attempt for the last five years. To ascertain whether this diffi- culty was general, I have written to MM. Victor Lemoine and Crousse, of Nancy ; Bmile Chato, of Paris ; Bruant, of Poitiers ; and Gassier, of Suresnes. The latter, who is the raiser of Beauto de Suresnes, answered, that he obtained, in 1856, a pink Zonal, which he named Roseura nanum, and which produced in IS.'iS, Madame Gassier. In 1862, Madame Gassier produced Beaute de Suresnes, which, again produced, in 1866, Surpasse Makch 21, 1874.] THE GAEDfiN. 243 Beaute de Suresnes. All these were raised without artificial fecundation. The four other horticulturists replied that they have never experienced any difficulty in fertilising Beauto do Suresnes with the old double varieties, Auguste Ferrier and Martial Champflour, and also with their offspring Gloire de Nancy and Madame Lemoine, and that it was from Beaute do Suresnes that they have obtained all their double pinks and reds. They also say, that if I, and other cross-breeders, have not succeeded, they think that we do not possess the true Beaute de Suresnes, and, M. Gassier is of opinion that we possess Surpasse Beaute de Suresnes, which is very shy in producing seeds. All this is very likely, but may proceed from other causes, and, probably, from the male parent chosen by Dr. Denny and myself ; for my own part, I havo constantly fecundated Beaute de Suresnes with doubles of my own seedlings ; and, I am the more disposed to think this to be the cause of my failures, that Boule des Hesperides, which produced with me a great number of double varieties like Victoire de Lyon and Charles Darwin, refused last year to be impregnated by my now double whites, salmons, and other yellowish shades, although I operated on more than twenty plants. This seems to show that some plants of the same family are not congenial, and have dislikes. The consequence of all this for me is, that there are great uncer- tainties and mysteries, which I do not feel myself compe'.ent to solve. I have not yet found a criterion to guide me or a rule to follow. The only thing, I think, beyond doubt is the influence of the male parent ; and I, therefore, have, till last year, always impregnated ■ single flowers by double ones, to obtain new double varieties. But, as I also think that to all rules there are exceptions, I last year changed my proceed- ings, and fecundated singles by doubles, doubles by singles, and doubles by doubles. I will publish the result next autumn. My only rule (if it may be called so), is to sup- press all the old single varie- ties, when I find among my seedlings one equal to them. Amongst about 200 single varieties I grow to obtain seed, I have only kept, of the old varieties, Beauto de Suresnes, Jean Sisley, Oracle, Darkness, Mina Hahu, Corsair, Donald Beaton, Crimson Nosegay, Virgo Maria, Madame Vauchor, White Tom Thumb, Tricolor, Marie Mczard, AUia grandiflora, Eugene Buenzod, Lady CuUum, Boule des Hesperides, Arle- quin, Madame Jules Smith, Chant National ; and, amongst those with double flowers, Gloire de Nancy and Madame Lemoine. All the others are new seedlings of my raising. As to the existence of a double Zonal Pelargonium in Belgium about fifty years ago, I have written to M. Louis Van Houttc, and M. Edward Morren, but they know nothing about it. Respecting Rose-Charmeux, it has proved that all sports have a tendency to reversion. I suppressed it two years ago, because it had become quite single. I do not know the origin of Cottington, but am disposed to think, like Mr. Laxton, that it is also a sport, because for the last two years it has produced with me nothing but single flowers. I hope that I have replied satisfactorily to the questions of Dr. Denny and Mr. Laxton. "If not, I am quite at their disposal for any other information they may require. Jean Sisley. Lyons. each side of the pathway, thirteen plants being on each side. Another house is also devoted to the culture of this useful plant ; but, in this instance, it is grown in small pots, for decorative pur- poses. Here I counted 330 spikes, four and five being on each plant in an S-inch pot, and one which I noticed, in the same sized pot, was bearing six spikes. I also learned from Mi-. Selwood, the gardener, that this was the second time of flowering this winter ; the same plants, large ones, having thrown up 3S0 spikes, and, small plants, 221 spikes, in the latter end of October and the beginning of November last, making a total of 1,368 spikes during the season, averaging five flowers on a spike. These have furnished an abundant supply all through the winter. — A VisrroK. THE WINGED SPLEENWORT. (aspleniuji alaium.) This, by no means an uncommon species in collections, grows freely in an ordinary plant-stove treated like its congeners. When well develojjed, it produces a vasiform tuft of fronds which measure, individually, from a foot to 18 inches in length, and are of a pale green tint, in some cases almost glaucous! This variety is very suital^lc for a hanging basket or Wardian case. The accompanying illustration, though much reduced in size, is a faithful representation of a plant of it which we lately saw in Mr. Williams's Nursery at Holloway. It is a native of tropical America, and should be included in every collection, however small, of stove Ferns. G. Tho Winged Spleenwort (Asplcnium alatum) Eucharis amazonica. — One small house at Eaton Hall is entirely devoted to this lovely plant, and the display made by it is simply magnificent. When I saw it, the other day, no fewer than 437 spikes were in full beauty. The plants were plunged in beds on Phalsenopsis Sehilleriana. — This magnificent plant is the finest of the genus, and requires the treatment of Epijihytal East Indian Orchids. One character- istic of this species, which is not peculiar to any of the others, is, that if the flower-spikes are pinched out before the blooms are expanded, in the hope that they will, eventually, reproduce them a little later, disappoiul- ment will be the result. P. Sehil- leriana, as well as the other kinds, frequently produces flower-spikes in autumn, and may continue to do so throughout the winter ; so that many, espe- cially exhibitors, are inclined to pinch them, that they may- yield them stronger and more abundantly in spring. This treatment, sometimes, answers admirably for P. amabilis, grandiflora, rosea, &o., but for P. Sehilleriana it is inadmissible, as the plants refuse to reproduce their flower-spikes until another year's growth is completed. F. NOTES AND QUESTIONS ON THE INDOOR GARDEN. Asparagus raceinosus.— This, which is one of the most beautiful of all the half-dozen ornamental species of Asparagus now in cultivation, is at present throwing up its feathery growths most vigorously at Kew. Its leaves are an inch in length, and about a line in width, aud of the brightest green imagin- able. If grown in (|uantity it would bo most useful for bouquets, button-holes, aud indoor decorations of all kinds ; while the culture of the plant is easy in any ordinary greeuhouse, or even in windows. — B. Merendera caiicasica.— This curious plant is now in flower with me in a pot in the greenhouse. The flower-buds rise from the centre of four or five green leaves, much like those of Orchis fusca. The petals, which are singularly narrow and long, are at first white, changing to lilac-rose, with a white stripe down the centre. It was sent to me under the name of Colchicum Bisignaui. I have also M. Bulbocodiura, M. sobolifcra, and a single buDj of M. Aitchisoni, but have not at present succeeded in flowering any of them. — H. H. Chewe. Cliainsedorea Martiana.— This is a dwarf and highly-ornamental species of Palm,, well deserving of general cultivation for all kinds of indoor decoration. Its fronds are pinnate, gracefully arched, and not borne on a stem so high as most of its congeners. All the species are useful in plant-stoves when young, or in the tropical conservatory when they attain a considerable height, and they grow well in a compost of fibrous loam and sand. The pot should be well drained, aud the plants must have a copious supply of tepid water at the root. If the pots arc set in pans filled with water during the hot portion, of the year, so much the better.—B. 244 THE GARDEN. [Makcu 21, 1874. THE PROPAGATOR. MENZIESIAS. These hardy and free-flowering little plants, commonly called Irish Heaths, may be increased by means of seeds, cuttings, layers, and division. Seeds. Eaising Menziesias from seeds is a tedious undertaking, and therefore, seldom practised. Any one wishing to try the ex- periment, however, should get clean shallow pans, half fill them with broken crocks, over which place a layer of rough peat, and fill up with finely-sifted peat and silver-sand, three parts of the former to one of the latter. Sow the seeds, and merely dust a portion of the finest sittings over them, and over all lay a thin layer of damp Sphagnum. Place the pans in cold frames, and sprinkle the Sphagnum now and then by means of a very fine syringe, until the seeds begin to vegetate, when the Sphagnum may be removed. If they come up well, but not too thickly, leave them in the seed-pans undisturbed for a year, then prepare other pans precisely in the same way as for seed sowing, and into these prick ofl; the seedlings about an inch-and-half apart each way. Here, too, they should remain for another year, at first kept in the frames, but after- wards quite exposed to the weather, being only sheltered from heavy rain, snow, and hard frost. After they are two years old, they may be transplanted into beds out of doors, thickly at first ; but, on the next removal, to any place desirable. A peaty soil must be prepared for them in the beds into which they are first pricked out, but, afterwards, when they have gained some strength, the ordinary garden soil will be suffi- cient for them ; if some peat, however, is mixed with it, they will appreciate the admixture. Cutting's. These afford the readiest means of increasing Menziesias, aud they may be put in indoors or out-of-doors, and in spring or autumn. Out-of-door propagation by means of cuttings requires the assistance of a bell-glass or hand-light, and a shady and sheltered place, such as a border at the base of a wall, close wooden fence, or hedge. Excavate the soil where the cuttings are to be inserted to the depth of 3 inches, and replace it with peat as in the case of seedlings. In April or May, when the plants begin to grow, take some of the young shoots, make them into cuttings, and insert them under the hand-lights, which must be kept close and well shaded until the plants have struck root. Much dependence, however, should not be placed on these spring cuttings, reared out of doors, as many of them often fail, but those put in in autumn strike remarkably well, and just require the same preparation in soil as those inserted in spring. Autumn cuttings should consist of nice firm half-ripened wood of the current year, avoiding flowering points, and from an inch to an inch-aud-a- halE in length. Insert them firmly and thickly under hand- lights, which should be kept close, and covered over at night, if chilly, with a mat, using the same precaution against frost in winter. They may be inserted any time after the middle of Jul}', provided they are obtained from plants grown in open and exposed situations. Next spring, if well rooted, they may bo pricked out on a bed of peat, and some evergreen twigs stuck amongst them for temporary protection. Spring cuttings for indoor propagation may be obtained by using young growths from the out-door plants, or by having a few old plants in pots, and subjecting them to a little in- creased warmth, when they will start into growth, and yield rfuantitics of soft young shoots, at least two months before those in the open border, 'i'hese young growths, if used when about an iiioh in length, strike very readily. Prepare fj-iii. pots for tliem by more than half filling them with crocks, then with half peat and sand, finishing off tho surface with a layer of pure white sand. Insert the cuttings thickly, cover them with boll-glasses, place them in a gently- heated pit, and shade heavily. They may remain in these pots until they have become rooted and begun to grow, when they may be pricked off into pans, and, when too large for them, after full exposure in frames, they may be planted in the open border. Autumn cuttings consist of half or wholly-ripened wood from out-door plants, and are generally rooted indoors for the sake of convenience or when it is too late for inserting them out-of-doors. From July to nearly the end of the year they may be struck in this way, which is just the same as that practised in the case of spring-cuttings, but shading is not quite so necessary, and the cuttings take a longer time to root than those do which are put in in spring. Layers and Division. Layers take two years to root well, after which they form good plants. Make a little incision lengthwise in the stem, near its middle, peg it into the earth, and cover it with some sandy peat. Division is the most natural of all modes of propagation, and the one most practised in gardens. It merely consists in lifting good many-branched plants and separating them with a sharp knife into as many pieces as have plenty of good roots attached to them, and planting each division separately. Old plants seldom flower so freely or grow so vigorously as strong j'oung ones ; therefore, breaking them up is attended with good results, both in increase of stock aud improvement of quality. W. Palconek. THE FRUIT GARDEN. THE EASPBEREY. Allow me to relate my experience as regards the hardiness of this fruit. In the gardens at Brodie Castle, in the far north of Scotland, we had a fine plantation of Raspberries trained to upright stakes, and also over arches. They were growing in good alluvial soil, but in a portion of the garden much shaded by trees. During the night of the 31st of January, 1866, the thermometer indicated 10° of frost, and for a week about that time the frost varied from 12° to 30° each night. Notwithstanding this, however, I can positively assert that not a single cane of the Raspberries suffered. At Dalvey, not far distant from Brodie, where the climate is generally good and genial. Raspberries occupy a portion of the kitchen garden that is so much shaded by trees as to be almost useless for any other crop, and the soil, though light, is damp, therefore the wood was never thoroughly well ripened. We always made it a point to have them pruned, staked, aud tied before the winter set in, say in the end of October, and though some of the winters were so mild that we could scarcely get ice enough to fill our ice-house, still, some of them were very severe. One winter when I was there the frost came on in November, and lasted till March, varying in intensity from the freezing point to 30° below it. Even after thaw had set in, the frost lasted three weeks longer in the Raspberry ground than in any other portion of the garden. Notwithstanding all this, however, we never lost a cane through frost. Points of suckers and un- pruued wood I have seen killed, but these are of no use, as they would have to be pruned back below the frost-nipped portions. In Lancashire, Cheshire, the hills of Derbyshire, Hampshire, Surrey, Middlesex, and other places, I have seen Rasj^berries grown under a variety of circumstances, but I never yet saw fruiting canes injured by frost. As regards the age of plants before they begin to fruit, I have alway sf ound them to bear freely the second year after planting. I never yet found autumn fruiting of the summer varieties to be detrimental to the next year's crop, but, as we have such excellent sorts for that purpose as the October Red and Yellow, there is no necessity for prolonging the bearing season of the summer kinds beyond August or the first week in September, and a few bushes pruned back in the previous May will yield suflicient fruit for the dessert. The quality of autumn Raspberries, although certainly not quite so good as that of July fruit, is, neverthe- less, so good that they are eagerly sought after. As regards soil and situation, the Raspberry is one of the most accommo- dating of fruits; it will grow almost anywhere, and, indeed, I should always reserve for this crop, and some Monarch Gooseberries, positions in the garden, which, owing to their shaded character, would be almost useless for other crops, unless I required a few choice fruits for tho dessert or for exhibition purposes, when I would treat them more kindly. Market-gardeners about London grow Easpberries without March 21, 1874] THE GARDEN. 245 stakes, but I have always found them to bear the finest fruits when supported, and I have always found the qviality the same, whether spread out and tied to trellises, trained to upright stakes, or in arches. ¥. SELF-ADJUSTING LABELS. In nearly all the descriptions which we see for labels to hang ou fruit and other trees, a separate wire loop is recommended, to pass through a hole in the metallic label, for attaching it to the branch. This contrivance has the disadvantages of being complex, of wearing loose at the hole by swaying in the wind, and of cutting the limb to which it is attached, if not watched and loosened. A plan which we recommended and described some twenty years ago, we have found much simpler, cheaper, and, at the same time, self-adjusting. We have now some such labels which have been attached to side branches eight or ten years, without any attention, and which still retain their places without cutting into the bark. They are simply and wholly long strips of zinc or tin, narrow at one end and wider at the other— the narrow end being passed around the limb a little more than one turn ; as the limb expands by growth, the elastic strip of metal yields to the growth. The name is written on the wider end. The metal may be either tin, and the letters ^i Label in use. Showing a system of cntting without waste. scratched iu with a hard steel point ; or zinc plate, written on with a pencil, according to the mode recommended by President Wilder. — Cultivator. PEOPER MODE OF POTTING VINES. We have to-day (February 13) passed through our hands a consider, able number of fruiting pot-Vines that were struck from eyes last year. Before filling a span-roofed house 80 feet long with these, each plant was turned out of its pot and the drainage examined. The majority of these Vines were potted in very fibry but rather strong loam, packed very firmly into the pots. The drainage was ample and very carefully arranged : first a layer of larger crocks was put into the bottom of the pots, and it was finished off to the depth of 2i- inches with finely -broken crocks free from dust. All the plants thus potted and crocked were a perfect mass of fine healthy fibrous roots ; so fresh and nice were they that one of our assistants remarked that the roots had begun to grow. The fact is that the roots are just now in the same freah state as when they ceased growing last autumn. It was not necessary to turn them upside down to get the balls out of the pots ; they are such a mass of fibrous roots that all that was necessary was to take hold of the Vine-stem and lift the whole out of the pot en masse. The remaining number were grown in a more sandy loam, and potted much less firmly. The drainage, by some oversight, consisted of just a piece of broken pot over the holes in the bottom of the pot. We tried to lift these out of their pots in the same way, but found that instead of a lift of ball and roots from the bottom of the pot, they were only liftable little more than half-way. The layer of soil at the bottom of the pots was soured and pasty-like, and with next to no roots in it. As a whole, there is not half the amount of roots in the same sized pot, and the young fibres there are not so healthy and sound. Here, then, we have the result of a violation of one point of culture making attention to other points of no avail. We have no hesitation in saying that the difiierence of these two sets of roots arose from the difference of drainage chiefly, and of potting partly, and, as a contingent consequence, the difference of watering. The want of sufficient drainage prevented the water from passing away sufficiently freely, and the loose poti,ing held more in suspension than the pot full of firmly -packed soil did. And wher- ever these conditions exist, we have in all onr practice found fewer rootlets or feeders, and these tew of a different order from those in well-drained pot. In the case of Vines this is especially the case ; the roots are few in number, dropsical.like, and never ripen or survive the winter or period of rest in proper condition. Not only is this the case, but a pot firmly filled holds more soil, and, as a consequence, more nourishment. It also holds less water, for a pot with a given quantity of soil has room for less water than another with less and looser soil in it. Nor is this the only advantage ; the very resistance offered to the root of a plant by a firm body of soil causes it to make more rootlets and of a better quality than takes place in a loose soil. It is a fact, too, that a soil holding less water in suspension induces a plant to multiply its feeders and take more complete possession of the feeding ground afforded it. A plant iu the open ground will make more twiggy roots in a season of drought than in a wet one. The same holds good of plants in a pot. This is a point in plant culture generally that must be regarded as of great importance. Now for the deceptive part of the business in regard to Vines. A Vino in the circumstances as to potting and watering pointed out above as undesirable and injurious, may, and often does, make a stronger cane than another Vine under contrary and better conditions does. But I need not tell the expert that the cane or growth is of a different charac- ter. It is longer jointed, there is more pith in the wood, there are less compact and less symmetrical bunches formed in embryo iu its buds ; its roots do not come so rapidly into action as those of a fine fresh fibry character do. A word as to our mode of placing such Vines in their fruiting quarters. We have an objection to turning them entirely out of their pots into a border of soil, but think it desirable that the feeders should have more scope than is afforded in an 11 or 12-inch pot. We transfer the ball entire into Orchid-pots of the same size, with three tiers of large holes in them, and plunge them in the borders ; the roots, of course, get out freely all round the balls into the fresh soil — and for midsummer fruiters this is a great advan- tage. Too much water at the roots is a great evil in the case of young growing Vines, but it is one that is scarcely possible with perfect drainage and thoroughly firm potting. — The Gardener. Influence of the Stock on Pears. — One of the richest of Christmas Pears is Josephine de Malines, and it is also one of the hardiest, ripening here — a very exposed situation in Norfolk, not far from the coast — on bushes in the open ground. It seems, however, to be a Pear peculiarly susceptible of influence from the stock on which it is worked. It is here on the Quince, grafted on the common Pear stock, on the Hawthorn, and on its own roots, a pendent bough, which touched the earth, having become layered and thrown out roots. In the first form (ou the Quince) it bears early ; but the fruit, luscious, is somewhat under-sized. The wasps attack it first of all. On the ordinary Pear stock at ten years old it has not fruited. On the Hawthorn the shoots are thinner than on either of the preceding s it has had fruit twice, but they did not become soft ; so far it is not a success. On its own roots it has fruited three times (same age as others) and the fruit is very unlike that of the parents from which the bough rooted. The fruit is somewhat lai-ger, less covered with russet, greener in hue, more vinous, and less honey-sweet. It is also later in ripening. This day (March 2) I have been examining the trees ; on the ordinary Pear stock, if there be blossom buds, they are so backward that they cannot be easily discerned ; on the Hawthorn, ditto ; ou the Quince the knots of bloom are very perceptible — as forward as Doyenne d'Eto, the earliest Pear on its own roots ; but the blossoms are almost ready to expand — the forwardest in a coUec- tion of about thirty kinds — very abundant too, which is the first time they have been so. In the previous nine years of its separate exist- enoe, the blossoms have been sparse, but have set fairly. Our trial goes to show Josephine de Malines is best left to itself — i.e., on its own roots — but is a good Pear on the Quince. — G. G. NOTES AND QUESTIONS ON THE FRUIT GARDEN. Keeping Grapes.— A correspondent of the Rami Press keeps Grapes fresh anil in good condition till April, as follows :— Gather carefully, handle Uttle, break none, and then pack very carefully in alternate layers, with clean dry Wheat chaff, not over three layers to a box ; close the lid and keep the box in a dry apartment, where the Grapes may be as cool as practicable without freezing. The dry chaff absorbs all moistiu-e, and imparts no bad flavour. Fruit Crops and the late Frosts.— On the morning of the llth inst. 16° of frost were registered here, and all the early blossoms of Apncots, Peaches, and Nectarmes, were cut off where not well protected. I am afraid the earliest Pear blooms, although not expanded, will have likewise suffered, especially on south aspects. The show of blossom buds this year on Pears, Apples, Plums, and Cherries, is very gi-eat, owing to the partial crops during the last two years, and the fine summei: of last year having ripened the wood well.— Wihiam Tillbby, WeUieck, Ncittt. Tlic seasons alter; huavy-hcaded frosts F.^ll 111 ttie fresh lap of the crimson Rose.— Shakespeare. We hare had a rough week of it here. The thermometer on Tuesday and Wednesday mornings (10th and llth) indicated respectively 1J.= and 16 ot frost. Seine damage has, I fear, been done to Peaches and Apricots on the walls, in spite of protection ; but the blossoms this season were so numerous, and looked so strong, that I hope we shall save a crop.— E. Hobday, Samsfy Ahhcy, Mants. 246 THE GAEDEK. [Maxch 21, 1874. A HOLIDAY TOUE. Br THE EDITOR. Paris, March 12. — Devoted to his institutions, the Briton is very hard on his chmate. If anything remarkable in the way of vegetable produce comes out of other lands, the merit is not sought in the system or the cultivator, while all our own short- comings are accounted for by the climate, so that even those who heap most abuse upon it should be grateful to it for settling so many questions. But if here, on this 12th day of March, with a heavy fall of snow under foot, and a most bitter north- east wind raking the street, some would probably begin to suspect that there was, at least, one other climate in the world as little like that of Paradise as is our own. In such weather, however, the southward-bound traveller may go farther and fare even worse than in this famous city. The spring flowers in the public gardens only peep here and there through their white blanket ; yet there is even now something to interest the lover of gardens. Let us, then, in passing, enjoy it for a day. The Garden of Plants is, perhaps, the ugliest in the world as a botanic-garden ; the Grand Trianon, at Versailles, being quite its equal for ugliness, as a palatial one. But it has some interest, in spite of its management and design, both of which are bad, and will repay us for visiting the houses ou this wintry day. The house represented on the opposite page is one devoted to plants that endure ordinary greenhouse tem- perature, and it contains a few specimens of a type which we most require for use in our large cool-hL vises, not that all of these are in any sense peculiar to it, as, of late, the cool conservatories of our large plant-growing nurserymen con- tain numbers of fine species suited for the purpose. First, to arrest attention by its grace is a Bamboo, not the largo tender Bamboo which requires heat, but one of those hardy sorts (Bambusa viridi-glaucescens) which come from cool regions in India and China. In a cool-house, planted in a bed or border, and not in a pot or tub of any kind, and with not less than 12 feet of head-room, these are indeed beautiful plants. In a niche, in. the back wall of the house, there is a bust of Victor Jacquemont, the young naturalist, who perished in India, when there as a collector for the Garden of Plants, and author of those charming letters reviewed so favourably in the " Edinburgh " some time ago. Immediately in front of the niche, springs up a plant of the slender hardy Bamboo (B. gracilis), the shoots of which rush up by the fine bust, gracing it with long fairy wands, clustered over with leaves that toss from their branches as gracefully as the falling spray from a mountain rock. There arc no plants more worthy the attention of those who have to plant and arrange conservatories than these Bamboos. Another family, the Chamffidoreas, also, possess extraordinary merit for the same purpose. A specimen of 0. elatior, here planted out in a bed, at the first glance reminds one of a Bamboo, in consequence of having sent up many stems ; seen thus, this handsome Palm looks much more graceful than when grown to a single stem in a pot or tub. The fine effect is owing to the fact that the foliage is so compact, that no confusion is produced by a number of stems. It is probable that all the Mexican Chama3doreas will prove equally valuable for planting- out in conservatories. Other plants here, suited for the plant- iiig of like structures, are Cocos australis, Jubaja spectabilis, Rhapis Sirotsik, Livistona australis, Chamajrops Martiana, C. Hystrix, C. Griffithiana, and C. Palmetto, several kinds of Ph'cnix, and Areoa sapida, not to name others more frequently employed. This house sulTcred much during the bombard- ment of Paris, the whole end, nearly 40 feet high, being smashed in, one wintry day, by a shell. It was a sad time for those in charge ; .starving themselves, they had the additional misery of seeing their favourite plants perish from cold; and, as soon as the holes and rents made by the German .shells were patched up in the spring of 1871, came the Commune and its bullets, several of which are now imbedded in a fine Beaucarnca. Later still, fourteen of the defenders of the Commune were ranged against the terrace-wall on which the house is built and shot dead. Under circ-umstances like these who could expect good cultivation-' So the plants look about as poorly as possible, Ijut the real cau.se of this, and of the disgraceful state of the gardens generally, is not the Commune, nor the war, nor any number of wars— but, becau.se the chief of the horticultural department is simply a botanist, and, in no sense, a cultivator ; he is " professor of culture " without any knowledge of culture. There are excellent horticul- turists employed in the garden, whose efforts, however, are paralysed. The result of all this is, the ugliest garden and some of the worst-grown plants in Europe. The manage- ment of this place has such an important bearing on the proper management of public gardens generally, that we shall, probably, agam take an opportunity of alluding to it. The Paris Fruit and Vegetable Market in March. With its merry clatter of ten thousand tongues, and the many striking faces of the market-women, the Central Market of Paris offers, particularly in the early morning, a never- failing source of intei-est, even to those who confine themselves to the study of the human species. But we, who love Violets and those precious little fresh Rose-buds, that look as if born in May and gathered before they were kissed by the noonday sun, and on whom, perhaps, the brightness of some of the eyes and faces set in these snowy caps is not, in consequence, wholly lost, may be permitted another stroll along the well- known stalls. Many who see this market in perfection in summer and autumn do not know it in early spring. The bitter cold of the early March morning has no noticeable effect in reducing the numbers who usually throng the market, though it certainly must mar their comfort. The large extent of the Great Hall, however, saves them from such drenchings as the people suffer in Covent Garden on a wet morning. The piles of Mushrooms are, perhaps, the most striking things in the market. These are not in punnets, as in Covent Garden, but thrown out on wide benches, and heaped up as London hawkers heap up their barrows with Oranges when plentiful. As to quality, these Mushrooms are excellent indeed ; nearly round, on an average about the size of a Horse Chestnut, perfectly white, fresh and delicate in texture and flavour, they look as if each was selected by a good judge from the myriads that are often seen on a hill pasture on an autumnal morning. These Mushrooms all come from the pro- found depths and darkness of the old stone mines beneath Paris and its environs. Almost equally round, and chubby, and tender, are the little Carrots, so plump and small, indeed, that they are not bunched, but tumbled into barrels like Nuts. Piles of large Pumpkins strew the ground ; these have been kept through the winter, and form, when green vegetables are scarce, an important article of food. In the United States, long- keeping Gourds are quite as important a crop as the Turnip with us, if not more so. It would, therefore, seem desirable that their value should be better known in England, where they are as easily grown as the Vegetable Marrow, the only Gourd really popular with us. As compared with the large Gourd of the Paris market and the best Squashes of the Americans, it is of little importance as a food supply. The common gai'den Turnips are seen here, but are not so abun- dant as the Navet, which many think better, and which is pretty regularly supplied to Covent Garden from the Paris gardeners. But there is another very curious Turnip here — the Navet de Meaux. This is a singular-looking kind, usually more than a foot long, frequently curled in form, and only as thick as a Cucumber. These are sent to market in a peculiar manner. The top is cut clean off', a hole pierced an inch below the cut, through which a few straws are passed, which permit of a dozen roots or so being united in a bundle together. These Turnips remind one of the huge white Radishes that one sees in the Chinese (juarter of San Fraucisco, but are not nearly so well-grown as the snowj' and tender roots of the careful Chinese gardeners. Passing by many vegetables common to London and Paris markets, we observe that the Shallot offered everywhere here is the true kind, a distinct species with a slender bulb and a grey coat, whereas the Shallot now commonly sold in Covent Garden, and evidently a small variety of the common Onion, is a roundish bulb, with a shining dark brown coat. Some not very important vegctaljles, almost out of date with us, are here yet seen in abundance, such, for example, as the Rampion, with its long and slender creamy-white roots, which are grown to perfection in the light rich soil of the market-gardens. (Quantities of Green Peas, from the south, and piles of Globe Makcii 21, 1874] THE GARDBN. 247 COOL CONSERTATOEY IN THE GARDEN OF PLANTS, PAEIS, 248 THE GARDEN. [March 2l, 18?4 Artichokes, do not interest us much, because they are obviously products o£ a fairer clime ; but the great feature of the market is the quantity of excellent saladings of every kind, from the long and graceful tufts of Chicory (blanched in caves), to the fresh green rosettes of the tender Lettuce, which Paris is never without. Those sent from Paris to the London market, however good in quality, are never seen there to such advantage as here ; their spotless verdure is tarnished by packing and the journey. Though the whole process of growing these saladings is carried on within the very walls of Paris, there are many who suppose them to be (like the Green Peas and the Artichokes from Africa) the produce of a warmer climate. Let us see how they are grown, and glance at The Paris Market-gardens in Early Spring. The market-gardens immediately round Paris are now, for the most part, covered with glass — large clear bell-glasses^ about 18 inches high, and small shallow f i-ames. The gardens are very small ; seldom more than an acre, often less, and usually an oblong piece of ground, enclosed by white walls, with a house, sheds, &c., in one corner. There is no space for walks ; the ground is too precious and too dear. Small paths between the crops suffice ; the place is rarely seen by anybody except those who cultivate it. The large bell-glasses first strike the eye, from the healthy and beautifully green Terdure with which each is filled. A huge Cos Lettuce rises to near the top of the glass ; while, at its feet — pigmies round a giant — there is a ring of those dwarf tender Cabbage Lettuces so much seen in Covent Garden in winter and early spring. The icy breath of the north is blowing over the garden, as over all Prance and England to-day ; but the plants are cut ofl: from it, and sitting in the sun within. We have all laughed at Smith's bottled sunbeams ; but bottled sunbeams are, fortu- nately for lovers of tender green-meat, among the actualities. Sometimes these glasses are thickly placed on shallow hot-beds, when used for winter and early spring crops ; sometimes on slightly-sloping beds of rich light soil. In frosty weather they are covered with straw mats, which are taken off during the day-time. The bell-glasses are used, for the most part, for the production of Cos Lettuces ; the shallow frames for the Noire Lettuce, so much in demand in winter. Among these Lettuces are, in some cases, already planted and thriving, the Cauli- flowers that will replace them by and bye, and come in for use early in the season. Whole frames are occupied with seedling Melons arud with seedling Tomatoes, with which the rich ground will be cropped before this day two months, and which will yield an abundant return. Radishes and many other saladings are gathered from these frames in like manner, and, in this way, the market is rendered almost independent of the season or the weather. The opinion prevails widely that the smaller the holding the worse the culture. It may be so in some cases ; very small holdings and very high cultiu-e are the rule here. The owners are certainly as hard-working and, apparently, as poor men as any iudependent workers can well be, but they appear to gain, at least, as good a livelihood as the farmers who try to cultivate a hundred or more acres in the best parts of Canada. This' Paris market-gardening is, how- ever, so essentially peculiar and special that it would be unsafe to deduce any broad conclusions from it alone. The culture in the open fields round Paris is much inferior, and very scratchy and imperfect. Hence, the Parsnips and various other vegetables raised in that way seem very inferior to those seen in the London market. In and near Paris one rarely sees much variety in one garden ; the tendency is to special culture. Thus, one whole town and its environs is devoted to Asparagus, another district to Navet and Turnip culture. Mushrooms form a speciality, and oven the forcing of Asparagus is some- times made the main effort of a life. One may look in vain in any of these gardens for cither Rhubarb or Seakale. It is odd to reflect how slowly and curiously ideas sometimes travel. Go into the deserts of Utah and enter the garden of a Mormon elder ; or, farther still, six or seven thousand miles away on the coast range of the Pacific, and visit a Californian fond of his garden, and you will find Pie plant (Rhubarb) and Seakale as well known as the Potato. Cross the Channel, and in two hours we arc in a land where they are seen no more, except, perhaps, in very rare cases as curiosities, or in a public garden in their places in the botanical arrangement. COTTAGE GARDENING. By J. MAIN. It is universally admitted that a piece of garden-gronnd attached to a labourer's cottage is the greatest boon that can be afforded him, more especially if he has a young family to support. This object has always been recommended by the societies instituted for devising means for bettering the condition of the labouring poor of this kingdom ; aud on the recommendation of these societies the present allotment system was founded. The produce of even a very limited spot of garden. ground, if well managed, not only adds greatly to the domestic comfort of a working man, but is actually the means of improving his moral character, by giving him employment in his hours of leisure, and an amusing and profitable occupation on a spot which he can truly, and with pride, call his own. But the occupation of a piece of ground is not sufficient unless accompanied with plain directions for the guidance of the labourer in his management thereof ; for, although a majority of our rural population are pretty good gardeners in their own homely way, many there are who need advice, and almost all are ignorant of the most economical methods of culture. This information is so plainly detailed that the directions can hardly be misunderstood. When a labourer is so fortunate as to have a garden attached to his cottage — or if he be equally fortunate in having an allotment in some neighbouring field — his first care should be to ascertain whether his piece requires draining, and next, to be sure that it is properly and securely fenced, if fencing be at all necessary. Draining and Fencing. Land is frequently liable to be too wet for the successful onlti- vation of kitchen vegetables, from various causes. It may be too damp from its being situated on the lowest dip of the surrounding surface, to which rain or melted snow naturally flows ; or the soil may be constantly too moist from its disposition to retain water like a sponge, such as is met with in bogs. It may be in the same drenched state from having a thick bed of clay beneath the staple, or from having land-spiings oozing out of a bed of gravel above it. Now, from whatever cause land becomes too moist for the purposes of the cultivator, its improvement can only be accomi^lished by thorough draining ; aud, unless this be effectually done, the crops will not only be deficient or inferior, but the manure bestowed will be quickly consumed, and washed, as it were, out of the soil. Although a cottager should be apprised of the necessity and effects of drainage, it is but seldom thai; he need be at much trouble in laying his ground dry ; for, even in the worst cases, a ditch round the outside will generally be sufficient, taking care to make at the lowest corner some kind of outlet, either into a common and lower ditch, or sinking a swallow through the holding soil, from which the water may soak away into some lower and more porous layer of the ground. Few cottagers need very much advice as to fences. Simple boundary lines are often all that is necessary. In allotment pieces, a footpath all round is a suiEcient mark, and better than any kiud of hedge, which is usually a harbour for slugs and hurtful insects. But if the cottage-garden abuts upon a waste or common field, then a good fence is necessary. This should either be a ditch and hedge, or a deep ditch and paling — the former is the most common and most lasting. Trencliing and Manuring. When a labourer enters upon the tenancy of a piece of ground, whether it be an old enclosure or a new allotment, he should, in the first place, resolve to trench the whole plot, unless it has been very recently done to his hand. This, however, he need not think of doing all at once, because he will find it more convenient for him to do it piecemeal ; for, at whatever time he may get possession, it behoves him to see what may be done on the instant in the way of getting some kind of crop on part of the ground, and for which simple digging may suffice. The trenching, however, should always be kept in mind, and executed as opportunity allows, and immediately cropped. Trenching is useful to the most shallow rooting plants ; and for deep-rooting kinds it is indispensable. It deepens the staple, and renders all subsequent operations more easily performed ; it buries weeds and a weedy surface, turning what is useless into the food of succeeding crops. Trenching not only allows a greater range for roots, and permits the sinking away of heavy rain from the surface, but in dry weather allows the ascent of moisture from below to keep the loose surface more moist. The depth to which trenching may bo done depends on the natural depth of the staple, and on the nature of the sub-soil, or undorlayer. If the latter be pni'o gravel or strong clay, too much of these must not be brought to the surface at once, unless the clay be of that kind which falls to powder by the action of the weather. If the sub-soil as well as the surface be loam, there is no fear of trenching too deep, even as far as 2 feet ; and, in respect of a clay or a gravelly undersoil, though not brought to the surface, Mauch 21, 1874] THE GARDEN. 249 the bottom of each trench should be deeply broken up with the mattock, in order to move and deepen the staple. Whatever the nature and character of the staple may be, it is certain that all and every description may be impi'oved. Manuring as frequently ag possible assists and betters every kind of land. Clay is improved by any lighter kind of earth or decayed litter, or saud, ashes, and the like ; because these break the tenacity or toughness of the clay, and render it easier to cultivate, and allow the roots of plants greater scope, besides admitting a freer passage to both air and rain-water. A light sandy soil is improved by the heaviest kind of manure, or by dressings of clay or loam, because manure laid upon sand sinks into the ground, and, being quickly absorbed, of course requires more frequent application. Loam of any kind or colour is the best for gardening purposes ; it only requires to be well laboured by occasional trenching, dug at least once in the season, and hoed frequently to keep the sm-face loose. But as it is, like other kinds of soil, liable to be exhausted by cropping, it must be kept in heart by occasional dressings of manure. Obtaining sufficient supplies of manure is one of the greatest difficulties which the cottager has to encounter, especially if he keep neither cow nor pig ; and unless he lives by the side of a free common it is not in his power, nor is it worth his while to trouble himself with either, except under circumstances hereafter alluded to. But an industrious man may collect as many matters of one kind or other as may be sufficient to dress one-third, or at least one-fourth, of his ground once-a-year. For this special purpose he should have a hollow pit or place between his house and garden, into which every kind of drainage from the former and refuse *from the latter should be thrown. To this may be added all sorts of litter and cattle-droppings from the lanes, roads, or commons, together with ashes, lime rubbish, marl, or chalk — all which, when thrown together and tm-ned once or twice till sufficiently rotten, will be found excellent manure. As the success of a cottager's garden depends solely on his ability to keep his ground iu heart, every exer- tion must be made to secure this advantage ; and if, at any time, he happens to have more of any kind of crop than he wants for the immediate use of himself and family, this he should exchange for some kind of dressing ; or, if he sells it, the sum should be laid out in the purchase of good manure for his garden, for, by such exchange or purchase, he will be sure to reap a double advantage. Another thing which the cottager who is short of dressing should be aware of is, that manure in a liquid state is most effective. When single plants, as Cabbage, or a bed of seedlings of the same, or of any other kind, require watering, manured water — that is, such as had some kind of dung steeped in it — should be used. The drainage from dung- hills is most valuable for such purpose, if not too strong ; but its strength is easily reduced by the addition of a portion of clear water. In some countries, where the soil is dry sand, the cultivators have cess. pools sunk on purpose for making this liquid-dressing, which answers the intention admirably. By the knowledge and application of such means, fine crops of kitchen vegetables may be produced, while, if they are neglected, a very different result will be the consequence. Rotation of Crops. Another means of keeping ground in good heart is by following a judicious rotation of cropping. It is bad management to grow the same kind of crops repeatedly on the same spot, and, therefore, the crops must be made to change places every year. This will be prac- tically explained hereafter. The proportion of crops to the whole garden and to each other is a material affair for the consideration of the cottager. That crop which remains longest in use, and which, con. sequently, is most serviceable in a family, will, of course, command the greatest share of the ground. In all cases. Potatoes will have, undoubtedly, the preference, not only because they are a good sub- stitute for bread, but because a safely -secured winter-store of them is of the greatest importance to the labourer. Supposing, then, that the principal part of the ground is occupied with Potatoes, the re- mainder will receive those that are the next valuable as eatables, namely. Cabbages and their varieties. Carrots, Parsnips, Onions, Tur- nips, common Beans, and, above most of the latter, the useful rough Runner Kidney Bean, so extremely useful in a cottager's family. There are some other vegetables which may be recommended for a labourer's garden, but they will be noticed hereafter. There is one circumstance which every manager of a garden, especially those who are confined to a limited spot of ground, should ever be well aware of — and that is, the practicability of having a constantly recurring succession of crops on the same piece of ground. This is a practice which farm or rural labourers in general are but little acquainted with, though, when judiciously planned and executed, it is of the greatest advantage. Mixed crops are allowable in cottage gardening — for iustanco, a sprink- ling of Radish and Cos Lettuce seeds may be sown with the Onions, and when the Radish and Lettuce are drawn, being ready for use, the Onions sufier no injury. Broad Beans are sometimes planted at the same time and in the same drill with Potatoes, and without any very visible damage to the latter crop. But, in order to keep the ground iu full employment, all the crops, that is, the standing crops, must be sowed or planted in drills or rows, with the intention that, before the first crop is off, another shall be put into the intermediate spaces to follow in succession. This is quite practicable with all the Cabbage tribe, or with any other kind of vegetable which may be used in any stage of their growth. Of this description are the Cabbage, Savoy, Onion, Lettuce, &c. ; and when such are planted alternately with others, which must stand to acquire full perfection, the first may be used out of the way as soon as they press injuriously upon the second. In this way many more useful vegetables may be raised on a given portion of land than by the old-fashioned custom of sowing broadcast, only one patch of each of the common sorts occupying the ground for the whole summer. Even the Onion-ground may be planted with Cabbages just before the former are fit to pull, which plants, whether Savoys or common Cabbage, become fine useful stuff before Christmas. This constant routine of cropping and re-cropping may be considered as out of the power of a day-labourer to perform ; but, whether he may have time or not, it is highly proper that he should be made acquainted with every practical matter which he may endeavour to turn to his advantage. First Year's Arrangement of Crops. The management of a cottager's garden must commence when he takes possession. As Michaelmas is the usual term at which cottagers shift their quarters, and, moreover, the most suitable period at which to begin any system of gardening, we shall therefore commence our series of instructions from this said quarter-day, and proceed onwards with the season. The very first thing requiring attention, ag already mentioned, is to see that the fence, if one be necessary, is in sufficient order ; and the next, to get ready a hollow near the house to receive all the drainage, slops, ashes, and offal therefrom, together with any rank herbage or weeds which may be cleared off the surface. Then, beginning at the bottom of the upper half of the garden, let a good large piece be dug on which to plant two or three hundred early York or ISattersea Cabbage in rows one foot apart. The plants should be examined to see if there be any knots or clubbing on the root or bottom of the stem, in which case the affected plants should be rejected. Dib in the plants as deep as the lower leaves, and fix them tightly in the soil — now the labourer need not be afraid of planting too many in this order, because every alternate row must be used as soon as wanted, so that the intermediate space may be dug or not, and planted with long-podded Beans about the end of January. The rows which arc left for the principal crop of Spring Cabbage will be in use during May and June, and they should be gathered by rows in succession. When the first row is used, begin the second, clearing off completely as the Cabbages are wanted. The advantage of this mode of taking the crop is, that it allows the cleared ground to be dug and re-cropped if requisite. From the time the Cabbages are planted until tho Beans are put in, the ground should be frequently hoed between when the surface is moderately dry, but not at all if wet. When the Cabbages are planted, there is nothing more to be done in planting or SDwing till the spring — but, before that season, the cottager must be getting the rest of his ground ready for the spring crops. As much of it ag pogsible should be trenched ; and, if he can manage to trench the whole, it would be a good job out of hand. Every labourer knows how trenching is done, and, therefore, advice on this point is needless ; it may just be observed, however, that the trenches may be made 2^ or 3 feet wide, and as deep as the staple allows — the first is wheeled to the other end to fill the last trench. The top-spit or spadeful of the second is turned to the bottom of the first, and the remainder is raised to form the new surface, this being repeated over the whole piece. In the autumn or winter-fallowing of garden-ground the surface is either laid flat or in ridges. If the soil be light and sandy, it can hardly be laid too level, because such soil requires no ameliora. tion by frost, nor any exposure to the sun and drying winds to exhale away its moist riches. But if the soil be naturally heavy and clayey, then the surface should certainly be laid in ridges, not only that it may be mellowed by frost, but that it may be rendered as dry as possible before seed-time. These last observations are applicable to digging as well as trenching, for strong land should always be laid in ridges dui-ing winter. There is another advantage of ridging land to a cottager who may have an opportunity of getting it into this state during the autumn ; it is, that in the spring, when so much business is going on in the fields, any portion of the cottage-garden is much more readily got in order for either seeds or plants than if it had to be dug at that busy time, when every hour of the labourer's time is so valuable to his master and himself. During the winter the cottager must also set his head to work about proportioning hja 250 THE GARDEN. [Maech 21, 1874. ground to the quantities of vegetables which he may wish to culti- vate for himself and family. This he ought to arrange for himself, because, withont knowing the size of the garden, a writer can hardly give advice that wonld be useful on this part of the subject ; but, that he may not be left without some kind of guide in this affair, we shall presume that he has half-a-rood or twenty poles of garden, which is not more than is really necessary for a married couple having three or four children. Calculating, then, upon this quantity of ground, we shall set down what we think should be the proportions of the crops respectively, and which will serve as a scale to direct every cottager who may have either more or less of the supposed quantity of twenty poles. We may next suppose that the piece of ground is in the shape of a long square, 38 yards long and 16 yards wide or over. This area will contain about 20 poles j of this, 19 yards in length must be marked off at one end for Potatoes, and which should be either trenched or dug in autumn or winter, to be ready for planting in the ensuing spring. This division will therefore lie fallow till April. Next to this, mark off 7 yards in length for Cabbage, which should be dug and planted, as already directed, as soon after Michaelmas as possible. About the middle of January, let us suppose that the second, fourth, sixth, and eighth rows of the young Cabbage have been used, point over with the spade the spaces where they stood, and immediately thereon dib in by line six rows of long.pod Beans at -t inches apart, and cover in. If the ground be loose and puffy, tread it well before the Beans are dibbed in, as they strike root best in firm soil. Thus there are 19 yards left for Potatoes, and 7 in length occupied by Cabbage, leaving 12 yards to be cropped in March and April. This reserved portion may be divided into four parallel beds of nearly 3 yards each : — the first Parsnips, then Carrots, next Onions, and last a bed which may be a seed-bed of Cabbage sown with Radish, Lettuce, and early Dutch Turnip. A narrow slip of this last or uppermost bed may be parted off for potherbs, flowers, &c. We have now set forth how the garden may bo cropped in the first year, and mentioned what we consider the most profitable kinds ; but it is necessary to revert to the manner of sowing and management during their growth, and here we may repeat that all will be the better for a sprinkling of manure, but, as it is not likely that this will abound, whatever can be got together must be reserved for the Potatoes. The other crops about to be particularly noticed, may be assisted in their early growth by manured water as already alluded to. The Parsnip. This very nutritious root is luckilj- easily cultivated, and when sown in drills on deeply dug or trenched ground, yields a bulky return, which, when strored in dry earth or sand, remains long useful. The drills may be 11 inches apart, the seed sown thinly on shallow furrows opened by line with the corner of a Turnip-hoe and lightly covered with the same. When the seedlings have risen 2 inches high, they should be thinned to S-inch distances, and the ground always kept well hoed between the rows to kill weeds and benefit the plants. The seed is very light and cheap, 1 ounce being as much as a cottager will require. There are two sorts ; the common long one suitable for deep soils, and the short hollow, crowned sort, which is of superior quality, and best fitted for shallow soils. Parsnips may be sown either in March or April, and they will be fit to take up in October. When dry and freed from earth and remains of the leaves, they may be stored among dry earth in any corner of a shed, or other place safe from air and damp. The Carrot. This well-known and extremely useful vegetable is, in every respect, except in qualities, very much like the Parsnip, requiring the same treatment as to sowing in drills, thinning, hoeing among during the summer, and taking up and storing in October or November. In thinning the seedlings, they should bo left 2 inches apart, and when they have gained a useful size, every other one may be drawn for the pot, leaving the main crop at i or 5 inches asunder. There are several sorts of Carrots, but the Short-horn and the Altringham are the best for the cottager. A clayey soil is unsuitable for Carrots ; but wc have known ingenious labourers, whose gardens were a stiil clay, grow very fine Carrots notwithstanding. Their method was this : the ground was prepared by deep digging, and, at seed-time, ranks of deep holes were made by line along the bed with a crutch-headed taper-pointed dibber ; the holes were filled with rich, mellow compost, and on the surface of each two or three single seeds were dropped and slightly covered with a little more of the compost. When the Hcedlings appear, one only (tlie strongest) is left, which grows rapidly, and gains a perfect natural form and good size. The ground intended for Carrots had better bo sown at twice, one half in March and the other half in April, because it is found that if the worm (a pest we know not how to banish) attacks the crop, the earliest sown suffer most. Carrots may be sown at other times than in spring, but these sowings are never a profitable crop. The seed requires to be well rubbed between the hands over a cloth before it is sown, otherwise it cannot be distributed equally, the seeds being apt to cling together if not well rubbed. The Onion. This is one of the most useful of all cultivated garden vegetables to a cottager ; it gives an agreeable relish to almost everything else, and therefore requires the especial attention of the labourer. The ground should be well prepared by manuring (if possible) and careful digging. Sow in drills, 10 inches asunder, about the middle of March, rather thickly, because, as they are useful as soon as they are of the size of a crowquill, the drills may be thinned regularly as they are wanted either to use or sell, taking care that all the strongest are left 4 inches apart to come to perfection. The bottom of the shallow furrow made to receive the seed should be firmly trodden with the foot before sowing, and slightly covered with the rake. The intervals must be kept free from weeds by the hoe, and the drills by the hand throughout the growing season ; and, in August, sooner or later, the Onions will be ready to pull. When pulled, they should be laid together upon a bare part of the ground for a week or ten days to harden. After this, the greater part of them should be roped, as the most convenient way for a cottager to keep them, or otherwise kept in a dry loft. There are many different sorts of Onions, but the Spanish and Deptford are two of the best for the cottager's purpose. Onions are also sown in the autumn to draw young for spring use ; but this will be again mentioned at the proper time. Radish, Lettuce, Turnips, Peas, and Herbs. On the remaining bed, to be cropped in March (it being about three yards lengthwise and the whole breadth of the garden) room may be found for a small seed-bed of Cabbage and Savoys mixed, another for white Silesia Cos Lettuce, another for Short-top Eadish, and the remainder for early Dutch Turnip. All these are sown Ijroadcast, but regularly, over the fresh-dug surface and raked in. The Turnip-seed should be sown last, as early sowings soon run to flower. If it be advantageous to the cottager to raise a crop of early Radishes for sale, he may take a bed off the Potato ground ; sow at Christmas, or soon after, pretty thickly on the fresh-stirred bed, rake the seed well in, and smooth the surface with the back of a spade, and cover the whole bed with dry Fern or short littering straw G inches thick. The covering is kept on till the seedlings are above ground, and then the covering is drawn off every mild day, but always kept over at night till all fear of frost is past. The labour and care of raising early Radishes is of little use to a cottager unless he is sure of having a ready sale for them. We have, as yet, said nothing of Peas, because we do not think they are profitable to the cottager ; but, if he resolves to have a few, one row only of Knight's Marrow will be enough. They may be sown any time in Februai'y below the Cabbage across the garden, and, if sown thinly, earthed up once, and staked when 5 inches high, are very productive, but, as already said, not profitable. When the beds of Parsnips, Carrots, and Onions are sown, the allej'S between should be immediately planted with Cabbage, if plants can be had, for every foot of the ground should be cropped. At this time (March) the narrow slip at the upper end of the garden maybe furnished with a few herbs for seasoning soup or broth ; namely, a plant or two of Thyme, Mint, Sage, Savory, and Marjoram, with a drill of Parsley sown as an edging. Above all, half-a-dozen or more roots of Rhubarb for the leaf-stalks, which will bo found most useful in the family. Seedling plants or odd roots may be had of any market-gardener. Potatoes. Preparations must now be made to get in, next month (April), this, the cottager's principal crop. Much of his domestic comfort during winter will depend on his having from ten to fifteen bushels of good sound Potatoes pitted near or well-covered up in some safe corner within his house. We have allowed one-half of his ground for this crop ; and if the sets be properly planted, and the crop properly cultivated during the summer, we calculate that the yield will be at the very least fifteen bushels, besides those used in summer. This is a fine store for a labourer to look forward to, saying nothing of his store of Parsnips, Carrots, and Onions, all most useful additions; but he may rest assured that unless they are used with economy, twice the quantities would be of little use to him. We have been much among labourers who had gardens ; but with all the authority of a master, and with all the best advice of a friend, wc never could prevail with many of them to make the best use of the advantages they possessed. To begin on the Potatoes as soon as they were of the size of Walnuts, thus devouring bushels at a meal, was a common March 21, 1874] THE GAEDBN. 251 piece of extravagance ! Selling the whole crop for one.fourth of the Talue, to save the tronble of taking up and storing, was a frequent occurrence ; and great waste in the cooking was, in many cases, too Tisible. But, on the other hand, some, who husbanded their resources Uved comfortably, and showed the manifold advantages they and their families derived from possessing a small piece of garden. The ground reserved for Potatoes will hold ten rows at 2 feet apart, and will require about U bushels cut into sets to plant the same, placing the sets about 8 inches asunder in the drill, covering full 8 inches deep. The sets should be as large as the size of the Potatoes will allow, each hav'n<' at least one eye, rejecting, or not counting on that at the bottom, as no shoots spring from it. The best way of cutting the sets is first to split the Potato down the middle ; each half may be divided into two or three sets, according to the number of good eyes, taking as much of the substance of the Potato with each eye as possible. Some curious growers make sets of the crowns, which they keep and plant by themselves, for the purpose of being first used, as the tubers from these sets always come earlier than those of the other sets ; but this is a refinement in the culture with which a cottager need not trouble himself. There are a great many varieties of the Potato ; some are very early ready for use, such is the Frame ; others finely-flavoured and handsome in shape, as the Lapstone Kidney. These, however, from their scanty yield, are unfit for the provident cottac'er. The best for his purpose, as uniting quality with quantity, are the Champion and the Early Shaw ; these are best for immediate, use as soon as their tops decay ; but for long keeping and storing, the Devonshire Apple and Yorkshire Reds should certainly be preferred. jT'Two-thirds of the whole piece should be planted with Reds, and the other third with the Shaws and Champions ; and, as soon as the tops of these last decay, they should be taken up and the ground imme. diately re-planted with Cabbages; Savoys, or other Winter Greens. When the tops have raised 5 or 6 inches high, they should be earthed up for good, for once earthing up is enough ; but the vacant spaces between the rows should always be kept well-broken up and loose, by a heavy hoe, fork, or mattock, taking care not to go too near the roots to disturb the runners. When the flowers appear, let them be picked off, for this adds as well to the size as to the number of the tubers. In choosing the kind or kinds for planting, procure, if possible, those which have been named above, and which have been grown on a different kind of soil and in some distant place ; for no kind of Potato succeeds long together in the same garden or district. Much has been said and written as to whether Potatoes should be planted whole or cut into sets ; but it is now settled that a bushel cut into sets yields a much greater return than if they were planted whole. The yield, however, depends greatly on the quantity of manure bestowed ; if dressed as thickly as a farmer dungs for Wheat or Turnips, it may be dug in before planting ; but if manure is scarce, the next best plan is strewing it along the bottom of open trenches, on which the sets are placed and covered with loose earth. Where there is no shed or outhouse for storing Potatoes from the air and frost, pitting them in the garden is the most convenient way. A narrow pit about 10 inches deep should be made on a dry spot, in this a bed of dry Fern or straw is first put, then the Potatoes are laid in a ridge of the required length, and covered with a good coat of straw. Over this, earth dug from the sides and ends is piled over a foot thick, forming it like a ridge, and patted smooth with the spade to throw off rain ; a trench being left open all round prevents all surface-flow from' soaking in. Parsnips, Carrots, &c., may be pitted in the same way. Scarlet Kunners and other Beans. When the garden is all cropped, as above directed, the next object demanding attention is thinning the rising crops, and keeping the whole free from weeds by the hoe and hand. About the 1st of May, a row of Rough Runners — or Scarlet Runners, as they are more commonly called — must be put in, next to the Peas, if they are sown, between the Cabbages and Parsnips, pulling up a row of the former to make room. The ground for the Runners must be dug ; and a drill or furrow opened by line, in which the Beans are dropped, 2 inches apart, and covered about 1 inch. When the plants have risen 2 or 3 inches they must be earthed up as high as the lower leaves. If rods can be had for this crop 6 or 7 feet in length, so much the better ; but long rods are not absolutely necessary ; low branches, stuck regularly along the row, about 3 feet high, are quite sufficient, pro- viding the leading shoots are kept stopped — that is, pinching the points off— this causing a branchy growth and great fruitfulness. But the Runner is not nice as to station ; they climb up the side of a hedge or paling, cover a porch or arbour, with very little assist- ance. There is one thing relative to the Rough Runner which behoves every grower to Imow ; it is, that if the pods be not regu- larly gathered as they become fit for use, the plants cease to be fruitful ; or if they get too dry at the root, the topmost flowers drop without setting pods. But a few of the first pods should always be allowed to ripen as seed for the next year. Attention to these par- ticulars will render the plants fruitful for the whole season. A handful more may be planted about the middle of June, and will grow till they are killed by the frost. The dwarf sort of Kidney Bean are not worth the cottager's notice, unless he grows them to sell for pickling. The Broad Beans that were sown in January or February, among the Cabbage, may now want topping, especially if the black fly has attacked them ; this will at once encourage the pods to flll, and get rid of the insects. The seed-bed of Cabbage, which was sown in March, must be looked to ; and as the pieces of Radish and Turnip, which were sown at the same time, will now be used, a barrowful or two of dung should be laid on and dug in, and immediately planted with Cabbage-plants from the seed-bed. The Silesia Lettuce, sown in March, should be thinned by drawing part, to be stuck in round the edge of the Onion.bed. The plants will be ready for the purpose about the 1st of May ; those left in the bed should not be nearer than 12 inches from each other, it being a very large growing sort. No directions are required by the cottager concerning Cauliflower, Broccoli, Celery, Ac, these not being either necessary or profitable to him. In April, however, he may sow a small bed of Scotch Kail ; which, if planted on the Onion-ground, without digging, in July, will be very useful stuff, if the winter happens to be severe. Two or three rows of Savoys may be dibbed in among or between other crops about the same time. When the various Crops come into Use. The crops above specified will come into use in the following order, viz., every intermediate row of the Cabbage planted in October may be used for Greens during the winter, and their places taken by Broad Beans and Peas, according as the Greens are cleared off. Next, every intermediate plant of the rows of Cabbage intended to stand to head may be pulled as wanted, to serve till the prime Cabbage come in during May and June. The Christmas-sowed Radish (if any were sown) will be ready in April ; and in May there will be also the thinning of Onions, Carrots, Turnips, and Lettuce, to eke out a meal or give a relish to the rasher. Cabbage will be plentiful in May ; and soon afterwards a row or two of Potatoes may be taken up ; not that we would advise beginning on the Potatoes so soon, but that the ground they occupy may be had to get in upon it another crop of Cabbage, Savoys, or any other sort of Winter Greens. Another seed-bed of the Sugar-loaf or Battersea Cabbage should be sown in June, to supply Coleworts (that is, open Cabbage) during the autumn and winter ; and if any piece of ground is empty at the same time, it may be sown with Turnips for winter use. If a little Leek-seed was sown among the Onions, the plants may be drawn and planted in a drill by themselves in some vacant spot, 4 or 5 inches apart, to stand for good. But if the Leek be preferred to Onions as a pottage-plant, a little bed should be sown in March, to furnish plants for putting out in rows about Midsummer. It is lucky that, in June and July, the labourer has not much to do in his garden, except gathering some of the crops, destroying weeds, and collecting everything which can be turned into manure for the service of the next season ; but, in the last week of July, or in the first of August, he must not forget to sow a seed-bed of early York Cabbage, to raise plants for putting out in October and the following months. If sown a week or two before the times stated, many run to flower without forming heads ; and, if sown later than the last- mentioned date, they do not come into use soon enough. About the end of August, if the duties of harvest allow, a bit of ground must be got ready at the upper end of the Potatoe ground— which crops are supposed to be taken out of the way for this purpose^ three small beds, one for Onions, another for Spinach and Lettuce, and the third for Radishes. The Onions should be sown pretty thick ; and, unless the winter prove very severe, the crop will be very useful in the spring, either for present use or for transplanting into an open spot of ground to bulb in the summer. The , Spinach and Lettuce, if they survive the winter, will be acceptable at a time when Greens are scarce. Radishes sown in August, if the autumn is not too dry, are in fine per- fection in October and November, and are then a kind of dainty. In August, too, the principal crop of Onions must be pulled and laid together thinly to dry, previously to their being roped and stored. And, when October arrives, there will be both Carrots and Parsnips, as well as the Potatoes, to be taken up and stored in safety, either in pits or otherwise ; besides getting part of the same ground dunged and dug ready for Cabbages to be planted, as directed in the autumn of last year. Plan of Garden. Having sketched a plan for cropping twenty poles of ground with the most useful kinds of kitchen garden vegetables for a labourer or mechanic, we may now make a moderate estimate of the principal products, to show the benefits accruing to the tenant for his expenses. 252 THE GAEDEN. [March 21, 1874. time, and labour. We have supposed that the form of the garden is a long square, 38 yards in length and 16 yards wide. This area con. tains 608 square yards, being somewhat more than one-eight of an acre, or twenty poles. The ground is divided into seven portions, and marked by yards lengthwise, in order to make the division easier for the tenant. The following plan shows the divisions of the garden for the first year's cropping, which are arranged as follows : — Yds. Sq.Yds. No. 1. One yard for pot-herbs and Rhubarb, &c. . . 1 . 16 2. Two yards for seed-beds and Radish .... 2 , 32 3. Three yards for Onions, with a pinch of Leek . 3 . 48 4. Three yards for Carrots 3 . 48 5. Three yards for Parsnips 3 . 48 6. Seven yards for Cabbage 7 . 113 7- Nineteen yards for Potatoes 19 . 304 38 608 Supposing the above crops are sown or planted at the proper seasons, as directed — the soil being previously prepared by digging or trenching, and manured, if possible — the crops may be expected to turn out as follows : — Potatoes, 20 bushels, besides two or three rows taken up in summer. Onions, 4 ditto, besides the thinnings for summer use. Carrots, 3 ditto, besides the thinnings. Parsnips, 4 ditto. Cabbage, 250 f uU-gi'Own, besides twice as many used as Greene. The roots, together, make above thirty bushels of excellent vege- table-food fot winter use ; allowing that the bushels, one with another, weigh 60 lbs., there will be an amount of 1,800 lbs., or above 9 lbs. per day for the winter halt-year. And, besides this winter store, there are Cabbages in use, either as open Greens or as full. headed, from January until June ; saying nothing of Radishes, Lettuce, common Beans, Peas — all of which will be in use before the end of that period, and soon followed by early Potatoes and the Runner Kidney Beans, one of the most profitable crops a cottager can raise. The cropping for the next year will be arranged according as is represented on the diagram, or sketch. No. 2, and which will be the easiest change ; and in the third year another change may be made by placing the Potatoes in the middle, and the other crops at each end. 1. Herb border —2. Seed-beds, &o. — 3. Potatoes — 4. Onions— 5. Carrots— G. Parsnips— 7. Cabbage and Beans, same as preceding year. The above plan of cropping twenty poles of ground will serve as a scale to the cottager who may have either more or less than the quantity mentioned. For instance, if he has but ten poles, then he has only half the measurement, and only half the amount of produce ; and, so of any other proportionate quantity. It is to be observed that twenty poles of good ground, well cultivated, will yield a greater quantity of vegetables than can be economically used by a labourer, his wife, and three or four children. In which case the overplus must either be sold or employed in fattening a porker for Michaelmas, and a baconer for Christmas. This, with such a garden, a labourer may attempt to do, provided he has the convenience for a sty, an inclosed yard, hog. tubs, bins, &c. ; and provided, also, he has a little ready-money to buy his pigs, bran and pollard to mix with the boiled vegetables, and Barley-meal to fatten off with. A pig-sty and a garden assist each other greatly ; and, at the same time, a cock and two hens, of a good breed, may be kept for their eggs — a pleasant addition to the household fare. General Rules as to Culture. To the foregoing directions and remarks may now be added a few general rules, of which no cultivator of a garden shonld be ignorant, as success depends on circumstances which are often unheeded or neglected : — First. Never work the soil, by spade or hoe, if heavy and drenched with rain, for, if moved in that state, it naturally settles down too closely together again, and remains in the worst condition for encouraging the spread of roots. Soil cannot be too dry for working ; and moving it in dry weather causes it to attract moisture from the air. — Second. Always sow in time and upon freshly-stirred soil, and while it is loose and moderately moist. Some seeds, as the common Bean and Onion, affect a firm bed to strike root in, and, consequently, the first are dibbed, and the last trodden into the soil. — Third. Always plant in newly-dug ground, unless the surface be already occupied with a crop shortly to be cleared off, in which case strong plants of a succeeding crop may be profitably introduced. — Fourth. Destroy weeds before they come into flower ; and when any kind of earth or rank herbage of Grass or weeds is collected for the compost heap, see that the whole is well fermented, and turned once or twice to kill the seeds of weeds, or promote their germination before the compost is used in the garden. — Fifth. Never allow a single square yard to remain vacant dui'ing the growing season ; and that this may never be, the cottager should always have seed-beds of Lettuce, and particularly Cabbage or some one or another of the Cabbage tribe, to supply plants for both regular and irregular cropping. Although the cottager may amuse himself by cultivating a greater variety of vegetables than we have mentioned, he must not neglect the more useful kinds, for they require unceasing attention. He may, to be sure, grow Cucumbers and Pumpkins ; the first are always an agreeable relish to the bacon in warm weather ; and the second make an excellent family pie or pudding in autumn, mixed with Wildings or Crabs gathered from the hedges. A labourer may grow Cucumbers plentifully in the simplest way ; about the beginning of May he digs a pit 3 feet square, on a border lying well to the sun, making it 1 foot deep, and laying the broken earth round the sides ; this pit he fills with any rank growing weeds. Nettles, Flags, or long Grass, from the sides of ditches; let these weeds be somewhat withered before they are shaken and trodden into the pit ; the weeds are then covered with about 10 inches of loose rich mould ; when the heat rises to the surface (if the labourer can neither beg nor buy a pot of plants from a neighbour) he may drop a few seeds iu the centre of his little bed ; when the seedlings rise and have produced one rough leaf, they will require a little fresh and dry com. post put round and among the stems, and the little bud at the bottom of the rough leaf pinched oS. The pit is hooped over and covered every night with a mat or old sack to keep in the heat, which will continue till that of the season is sufficient. Pumpkins may be grown in the same way; but they require the richest soil that can be got to swell the fruit to a good size. No directions have been given about growing Cauliflower, Broccoli, Celery, Endive, Asparagus, Artichokes, and several other kitchen, garden vegetables, because these should never encumber the garden of a cottager, being to him unprofitable plants. There are, however, a few more particulars which may be of use to the cottager in the management of his garden; and first, of saving seeds. The only seeds worth his while to save are those of Onion, Scarlet Runners, Radish, and Cos Lettuce; as to Cabbage, Savoy, Carrot, Parsnip, &c., there is such risk in saving them true, and they cost so little if bought, that the amount can be no object to the buyer. When attempted, however, the finest and truest specimens of the crop should be chosen to produce seed. A few plants of Radish and Lettuce may stand where they were sown ; a score of the first pods may be left on the Runners, and half-a-dozen of the best Onions planted in a row, on an open spot of the garden, in the month of February, will yield seed enough for the following season. Indeed, saving Onion-seed should be a particular object with the cottager ; as having a few ounces to sell will enable him not only to buy all his other seeds, but a load or two of dung besides. Quantities of seeds required in a small garden, viz. : — One pint of Peas is enough for a row of 20 yards in length. One do. of Beans do. 27 do. One do. Runners do. 36 do. One do. Dwarf Kidney do. 26 do. One do. Marrowfat Peas do. 32 do. 1 oz. Onion seed sows 15 square yards ; J-oz., 7 square yards; 1 oz. Carrot, 15 square yards; 1 oz. Parsnip, 15 square yards; J oz. of Cabbage, Savoy, Borecole, Broccoli, Cauliflower, is enough for a seed, bed of 4 square yards ; i oz. of Turnip sows 11 square yards ; of Radish, 2 or 3 oz. for spring sowings, and IJ oz. for autumn ; a bed of Asparagus, 5 feet by 30, requires 160 plants ; an acre of Potatoes requires from 15 to 20 bushels of sets. The above particulars will serve as rules for apportioning other kinds of seeds, according to their size and the extent of the ground to be sown or planted. We have not mentioned fruit trees ; as there is not room in a cottage-gardeu for anything of the kiud, except, Mauch 21, 187-1.] THE GARDEN. 253 perhaps, arow of upright-growing Gooseberry trees, tobe planted across the lower end of the garden ; these should not be too much thinned in the pruning, but be kept iu a thick bush. like form for the sake of having an abundance of fruit ; all of which is to be used green for puddings and pies in the season. Ripe Gooseberries, or any other fruit, are of but little use in a labourer's family. A few Red and White Currant trees may be mixed with the Gooseberries, if desirable. — Journal of the Boyal Agricultural Society , THE ARBORETUM. THE MONTEREY CYPEESS. (CUPRESSUS MACROCAHPA.) Tins species may be regarded as the representative or equivalent of our largest European Cypress (the Cupressus sempervirens) on the Pacific coast of North America. Like it, it reaches a great age and a great size ; its foliage is similar, and, as in it, the fruit is large and hard, differently shaped, indeed, being oblong instead of round, but of the same character, and nearer it than any other well- defined type of Cypress. It has Ijeen known since 1838, when Mr. Lambert gave the Horticultural Society a few seeds of it, without name or indication of locality. It then received the manuscript name of Cupressus Lambertiana, and, as it was easily propagated by cuttings, it soon got pretty widely distri- buted in gardens in England under that name. It was afterwards re- ceived, through Dr. Pischei', of St. Petersburgh, as a new species of Cypress from California, but still unnamed and undescribed. It was next introduced in greater numbers by Mr. Hartweg, who had been sent out to Mexico and California by the Horticultural Society to collect plants for them. In sending it, he gave it the name of C. macrocarpa, from its large seeds, and it was de- scribed and published under that name, in 1849, by Mr. Gordon, in the Journal of the Horticultural Society. So it stood for a number of years, those who may be styled the old holders calling it C. Lam- bertiana, and the new holders calling it C. macrocarpa. But, like many other plants — we bad almost said, more than most other plants — the Cypresses indulge iu individual variations, every seed-bed produc- ingpeculiar modifications ; and, as with other species so with this, it was soon observed that varieties showed themselves, among which the most remarkable, from their opposition of habit, were two, one growing straight and narrow, more or less pyramidal, or approaching the fashion of the Lombardy Poplar — the other more spreading, and like the Beech or the Cedar. Horticulturists, finding that they had two names and two marked varieties of this Cypress, forgetting the origin of the names, naturally set themselves to apply them to the two varieties. At first, of course, confusion became worse confounded, but gradually the gardening world have got to dis- tinguish the two varieties, and habitually to apply the name C. macrocarpa to the upright-growing plants, and C. Lambertiana to the more spreading plants. Mr. Gordon has ascribed this diiference to the first plants having been chiefly cuttings ; but it is beyond doubt that the upright and horizontal varieties arc both found as seedlings in beds raised from seeds of the same tree. As these two forms are generally so well marked as to make it an easy task to assign any plants either to one or the other, it would seem that there can be no harm — nay, that it is rather desirable — that they should continue to be known by separate titles ; and as it is never desirable to disturb accepted titles when it can be avoided, we should suggest that the horizontal-growing form should continue to be known by the title of C. macrocarpa, var. Lambertiana, and the upright- growing one by that of C. macrocarpa, var. fastigiata. The tree is fast-growing and beautiful at every stage of its growth, and iu every form. Its verdure is exceedingly rich, dark, and luxuriant ; its branches reddish ; and the long whip- like shoots impart a peculiar grace to it. Unfortunately, it cannot be absolutely depended on as hardy in every position or district in this country. Notwithstanding, however, its liability to be cut off when a bad year comes, the beauty and grace of this tree, even in its young stage, are so great that we may be sure it will always hold a place around our English country houses. When killed it must be replaced. It should, perhaps, be noted that a variety of Cupressus Lawsoniana (a much hardier plant) has been met with, possessing exactly the same habit and port as the fastigiata variety of C. macrocarpa ; its colour, how- ever, is not equal to that of the latter, although very beautiful in its own way ; but the green of C. macrocarpa is peculiarly rich, and we remember no other Cypress which possesses it. It is particularly distinguished from other species of Cypress by the great size of its cones, which are nearly two inches long, and are borne iu clusters of three or four. The shape and arrangement of these are well represented in the accompanying illustration. There is, we believe, a variegated variety of this Cypress ; but the green form is that to which planters will, probably, attach most value. Cones of the Monterey Cypress (C. macrocarpa) Profitable Hedges. — By substitu. ting Willow for Thorn, hedges can be made profitable ; they are, it is said, more effective as a Bhelter, quite as strong, reared in a much shorter time, and at less than half the cost. The Willow has been recommended for hedges by Linnseus, Loudon, Miller, and other writers of note ; and the only way in which the neglect of such advice can be accounted for is simply that the matter has never been suffi. ciently brought under notice. A Willow hedge, 200 yards long, planted in ground well dug over, cleaned, and manured — planted with cuttings 12 inches long and 6 inches apart, requiring 1,200 cuttings, value about 253. — became in two years a good strong hedge, capable of resisting any pressure an ordinary hedge would be subject to. The Willows being crossed diagonally, rendered it almost impossible for anything to break through. The dressings or spray of the first two years were coarse and worthless, but in the three succeeding years the dressing has sold to basket-makers for 20s. each year, which has paid the entire cost of planting, labour, and rent of land which the hedge occupies. Another hedge planted upon the same principle has, at the second year's dressing, paid the cost of the plants. The above hedges were planted with the Bitter Willow, which neither cattle, game, nor vermin will often materially injure. — Florist. Spring-Flowering Shrubs.— The common Almond is now very showy iu many gardens around London. C.ydonia japonica is also blooming freely on warm sunny walls, and, its white-flowered variety is deserving of culture for the sake of variety. One of the prettiest ot hardy-flowering trees, Prunus (cerasifera) divaricata, is now covered with milk-white sloe-like blossoms, in the grounds at Kew ; and, we have likewise seen odd flowers of the richly- scented Magnolia Soulangeana opening their delicately-tinted petals in warm sheltered positions. 251 THE GARDEN. [March 21, 1874. THE LIBRARY. FLOEE DES SEREES.* In fulfilment of the promise made in your last issue, I shall now proceed to examine and comment on the twenty-seven plates con. tained in the remaining triple part of this beautifully illustrated work. — Plate 1. " Stapelia Planti." This is a most beautifully executed portrait of this remarkably striking and handsome species. For anything like a complete collection of portraits of the Tarieties of this family, many of which are extremely curious and ornamental, I must refer your readers to a magnificently illustrated book in twelve volumes, imperial folio, only to be found in the library of the British Museum, and entitled " Hortus Sempervirens Kemeri," in which, if I remember rightly, about thirty varieties are figured. The variety here figured is said to be the most vigorous growing, and easily cultivated, of the family, and is a native of Natal, it was first figured and described by Professor Decaisne, in the " Botanical Magazine." — Plate 2. " Caragana jnbata," also known as Robinia jubata. A most curious black. stemmed small shrub from Siberia, profusely armed at all points by innumerable long and sharp Thorns, and producing small Acacia-like foliage, and Pea-shaped flowers of a dullish shaded white, with a brownish veining towards centre of upper petal, and a blush of light rose-colour towards centre of lower one. This is, of course, quite hardy in this country. — Plates 3,4, 5, and 6, are devoted to four varieties of Provence Roses, named respect- tively, Alexandre Laquenant, Ciceron, Due D'Eughien, and Peron de Gossart. These Roses are all, more or less, dark-shaded varieties, and three of them are medium-sized, and the fourth decidedly a small flower. They are apparently (from the remarks accompanying them in the work), published by M. Van Houtte as a sort of protest against what he seems to consider the unfair preponderance of admii-ation and attention bestowed by the horticultural world on the Roses known as Hybrid Perpetuals, almost to the exclusion of the Provence family, which he seems to think entitled to a considerably larger share of attention than they at present receive. I do not think that the publication of portraits of these four varieties will do much if anything, to induce the horticultural world to alter its opinion, as (independently of the Provence Roses only blooming once in the year, whereas, their rivals bloom twice, and for prolonged periods, in both summer and autumn), the blooms of the finer varieties of the Hybrid Perpetuals far exceed in beauty and brilliancy of colour, as well as in size of bloom, those of the varieties here figured, which, being put forward for a special purpose, may be presumed to be among the newest and most remarkable of the family to which they belong. — Plate 7. " Combretnm micropetalum." From Paraguay ; a very handsome free-blooming golden-flowered variety of this family, with conspicuous red.tipped stamens, which, as in Stiftia chrysantha, seem to form the most attractive portion of the flower. As this variety is said to do well in a cool greenhouse, it will be more welcome, to those who do not possess stoves or hot- houses, than the more generally known Combretum purpureum, which requires artificial heat. — Plate 8. Hardy Ghent Azalea, " Louis Hellebuyck." This is a most beautifully executed plate of a most lovelv novelty in this ornamental family of hardy plants, raised from seed by the celebrated Belgian hybridiser after whom this variety is named, who devoted his whole life to the cultivation and improvement of this class of plants, and from whose widow the stock of this, and the five following varieties here figured, has been acquired by M. Van Houtte, who is now distributing them to the public. This variety produces fine large trusses of blooms, each of which is of unusually large size, and of a beautifully clear rose- colour on the four lower petals, with a broad and distinct white band running down the centre of each. The upper or middle petal is a most beautiful and striking contrast to the others, being of a bright and clear gold colour, tipped and edged with white. It is altogether an exceedingly fine variety, and a great acquisition to all collecticna of hardy plants. — Plate 9. Hardy Ghent Azalea, "Madame Alex." Hardy. A lovely and delicately shaded variety, producing largo trusses of light rose-coloured flowers, each petal being suffused with white intensifying towards the centre. — Plate 10. Hardy Ghent Azalea, " Mina Van Houtte." A lovely double-flowered variety, pro- ducing rather smaller trusses of bright and clear rose-coloured flowers. Plate 11. Hardy Ghent Azalea, " Louis Aime Van Houtte." A deep carmine form of the last-named variety, producing medium, sized trusses of double flowers. — Plate 12. Hardy Ghent Azalea, " Francjois do Taye." A pretty semi-double light pink flower, pro- duced in larger trusses than either of the two last-named. — Plate 13. Hardy Ghent Azalea, " Bijou de Gendbrugge." A most curious and beautiful variety, producing medium.sized trusses of semi-doublo flowers, the outside and inside edge of the petals of which are a deep • " Flore lies Scrroa ct .Tarclins de I'Europo." Parts X., XI., ami Xtl., of Vol. XIX., Van Uoutte, Ghent. rose-colour, and the centres and duplioature petals pure white, pro- ducing a most striking and remarkably novel appearance. — Plate 14. " Liriodendron tulipiferum, fol. aur. marg." A most beautifully and evenly gold-margined variety of the well-known Saddle-leaf Tulip. tree, raised from seed by Mr. F. E. Gay, of BoUwiller, on the Upper Rhine, from whom M. Van Houtte has purchased the stock. The variegation in this variety is said to be perfectly and evenly constant. — Plate 15. " Mucuna pruriens." A curious climbing plant, from the East Indies and Antilles, requiring the temperature of a stove, and producing immense bunches of deep purple flowers, somewhat resembling a large Clianthus, with red inside, and conspicuous green calices. The husks of this plant are used in Barbadoes as a sub. stitute for sinapisms, and also when infused in beer as a remedy for dropsy. — Plate 16. " Robinia Pseud-acacia Decaisneana." An exceed- ingly delicate and pretty variety of this well-known hardy flowering tree, raised about two years ago from seed by Monsieur Villevielle, jun., of Manosque in the department of the lower Alps, who named it after the celebrated Professor Decaisne of Paris. Its flowers are produced in racemes, and are of a delicate white, shaded with pink ; it is said to be free-flowering, and also perfectly hardy in this country. — Plate 17. " Thymus Serpyllum, fol. aur. marg." A pretty variety of golden.variegated Thyme, much resembUng the variety sent out last season by Messrs. E. G. Henderson, under the name of Golden Fleece. — Plate 18. " Hardenbergia ovata rosea." A pretty little trailing plant, from South Australia, and requiring the temperature of a cool greenhouse. Its flowers are produced in small bunches from the axils of the leaves, the two upper petals being pure white, and the two lower ones deep pink. This plant has already been figured in the " Botanical Magazine," tab. 2,169, under the name of Kennedya species ?, and also in Edward's " Botani- cal Register," tab. 298, under the name of Glycine species ? ; it was introduced into Europe by M. A. Van Geert. — Plate 19. Trizonate Pelargonium, "Achievement" (Turner), one of the finest and bright, est coloured of Mr. Turner's many introductions in this once popular, but now, considerably overdone family of ornamental-leaved plants, which commenced with Mrs. Pollock, which created so great a sensation when sent out by Mr. Grieve. — Plate 20. " Pelargonium Endlicheri- anum," a curious dull.red flowered variety, from Mount Taurus, of purely botanical and no horticultural interest. Why such plants are ever figured in such a work as this, I am quite at a loss to under, stand. — Plates 21, 22, 23, 24, and 25, represent in one fine double, and three single plates, four varieties of a most beautiful set of hardy hybrid Azaleas now being sent out by M. Van Houtte, and belonging to the variety known as Azalea mollis glabrior. The entire set con- sists of twenty named varieties of the most varied and beautiful colours, and producing flowers of large size, almost, if not quite, rivalling those of the greenhouse or Indian Azalea in beauty. Owing to the names of some of the original plants of this set having gone astray through some mischance or other, M. Van Houtte is unable at present to give the separate distinctive names of the four varieties here figured, but, as he origi. nally possessed only a single plant of each variety, and the young plants propagated from them are kept in separate batches, he can guarantee purchasers of the set obtaining a plant of each separate variety. The first variety figured on the double plate is of a clear golden-yellow, with a distinct punctuation of bright orange on the upper petal, which adds immensely to the appearance of the flower. The second variety figured is a most perfectly -formed flower, of a beautifully clear and deep rose colour, quite the finest thing of the kind I have yet seen among hardy Azaleas. The third variety figured is a pure white, with distinct yellow spotting on the upper petal, but with a rather smaller individual flower than the last, named variety, but equally perfect in shape. The fourth variety figured is of a beautiful deep fiery. orange colour, with a lighter shading towards the centre of the flower. This flower is not quite so large in size or so perfect in form as the first, named varieties of this lovely group, but, for brightness of colour, will be a great acquisition to any collection of these plants. — Plates 26, 27. " Mains baccata flore roseo pleno." A most beauti. fully executed plate of an exceedingly ornamental and very large flowered variety of semi-double Apple, apparently most free-flowering, the outside of the petals being of deep rose-colour, while the inside and central petals are almost white. This fine variety was imported from the extreme east of Siberia ; so, is perfectly hardy in this country, coming into bloom at beginning of May, and of easy propaga. tion by grafting on the Paradise stock. Thisplantwillbeagreatacqui. sition to every collection of hardy flowering trees. These remarks bring to a conclusion our notice of the nineteenth volume of this beautiful work, and we have only now to look forward with pleasant expectation for the first quarter of the twentieth volume promised by M. Van Houttr towards the end of the present month. Jimior C^i''lto)i Cluh, W. E. G. Mabch 21, 1874.] THE GARDEN. 255 WOEK FOR THE WEEK. Flower Garden. By means of neatness and order endeavour to render all ornamental grounds as enjoyable as possible. Walks and Grass must be fre. qnently rolled when there is no frost, and no greater improvement could bo undertaken than to make Grass verges and lawns perfectly level. Wo do not mean like a billiard-table or croquet-ground, but, where the ground naturally slopes, the fall should bo uniform and regular. Where verges are irregular it is easy to turn back the turf and to make the ground quite level, and then re-turf, beating quite firmly with iron rammers ; but do not give the edges the final trimming until such time as the Grass has taken root, and all danger from hard frost is over. Smoothness, we need scarcely remark, is one of the main constituents of beauty ; therefore, a lawn which is not tolerably smooth, can never please. Turn up vacant flower-beds to the ameliorating influence of frost, and renew the soil in such as may require that being done ; turn gravel walks, surface-dressing them with a coating of fresh gravel, and lay box-edgings. Frequently examine half-hardy plants protected during severe weather, and endeavour to render their covering efiicient by giving additional protection when necessary ; also protect bulbs during severe frost. Plant and re-arrange flowering deciduous shrubs, keeping in view ultimate effect ; and, so dispose of the stronger- growing varieties as not to overgrow the more delicate kinds. Even Hawthorns, beautiful and desirable though they are, frequently occupy the front rank of mixed shrubberies when they would have been better placed further back, or set in groups ; but all the stronger- g*owing kinds are in better keeping as park ornaments. The best for dress grounds are the different varieties of CratiOgus Oxyacantha, as, for example, Paul's New Double Scarlet. This is a splendid variety that merits extensive cultivation. C. O. multiplex, the best double white, C. 0. punicea, the finest single scarlet, and G. 0. rosea superba, may be accepted as fair types of the kinds that will give most satisfaction. The double varieties just named are splendid sub- jects for pot-culture. If not already done, mulch all newly-planted trees with leaf-soil, dung, or spent tan ; top-dress Hollies, Rhodo- dendrons, and such plants as may requii-e stimulating with rotten manure and soil. Prune deciduous plants and climbers, and train such as may require it. Mulch dwarf Eoses of every description. More particularly is this necessary with such varieties as are worked on the Manetti stock. In planting Roses on this stock it is important to see that the place of union of the bud with the stock be underground. The great propensity of this Italian Briar to produce suckers, together with its tenderness, is, in our opinion, an objection to its use. We give the preference to such Roses as are grown on their own roots ; these, when well-established, give less trouble and produce the best results. The more delicate varieties should be budded on the Briar stock, which is hardier in constitution than the Manetti ; and we would advise the inex- perienced to plant the most vigorous growers. Prune climbiug and hardy pillar Roses. By pruning, we do not, however, mean the whole to be clipped over with the shears ; on the contrary, use discernment in the execution of this operation. Strong-growing Roses, such as the Boursault, require well thinning out, shortening the young wood but little. Prune Moss Roses by cutting out the old wood and shortening back the young, pegging down the shoots on the beds which afEord the best means of growing this Rose. Austrian Roses should have all weakly wood cut clean out and the head thinned, but do not shorten the shoots at all. Provence Roses may now be pruned, but the pruning of Roses in general had better be deferred for some time to come. Pits and Frames. In such as are heated, give no more fire-heat than is absolutely necessary to expel the frost, and give air as early in the morning as the state of the atmosphere will admit. Towards the middle of the month the stock of bedding-plants should be looked over ; and soft- wooded plants, of which there is a scarcity, should at once be placed in a growing temperature to produce cuttings for propagation. The Heliotrope is well deserving of extended cultivation, and is very desirable in mixed arrangements. The finest varieties for bedding are Etoile de Marseilles — a star, indeed ! — Surprise, and Jersey Beauty, the last very dwarf, and one of the best for bedding. As regards Geraniums in boxes and store-pots, a portion of the variegated sorts may be placed in heat when cuttings are required, but we would warn the inexperienced not to be in undue haste, as the loss of a week or two is often more than regained by the superiority of the cuttings put in later. Water carefully but effectually, so as to thoroughly moisten the ball. Cold frames containing comparatively hardy plauts,such as Gazanias, Centaureas, Echeverias, and Veronicas &o., must be attended to as regards covering when the weather is frosty. For those who have not the advantage of a propagating.pit, employed next it, over which a suBiciency of Fern or litter may be strewed to keep out frost ; during the prevalence of severe frosts and snow there is no necessity to remove the covering, as it will stand for a month, if needs be, in perfect safety ; but, in such a case, inure them afterwards to light by degrees, so that the transition is not too and who have to depend on heating material, now is a good time to get dung and leaves together, and thoroughly mixed, so as to become of a uniform moisture. Take advantage of wet weather to make labels and procure stakes of various sizes ; trim and tie them into bundles. Wash flower-pots and store them away for potting, and see that soils are procured in sufficient quantities, and in proper condition, for potting. Greenhouses. At present, conservatories everywhere are gay with Camellias, Heaths, Azaleas, Acacias, Cytisus, Daphnes, Epaorises, Hyacinths, and other bulbs, Cyclamens, Primulas, Mignonette, Cinerarias, Violets, Callas, Bouvardias, and many other things, the whole being intermixed with fine-foliaged plants, which serve to set those in flower off to good advantage. The temperature of these struc- tures may be kept at about 45' or 50' at night, allowing a rise of 10' by sun.heat. To plants started into growth give more liberal sup. plies of water, and keep the atmosphere moist by sprinkling from the syringe. Introduce flowering plants from the forcing pit to take the place of those done flowering. Give air plentifully in tho morn- ing, shutting up early in the afternoon, and begin tho re-potting of greenhouse plants ; and, such as intend to exhibit their plants, must now be busy training, accelerating, or retarding them. Shade a little from bright sunshine Azaleas and Camellias that are in flower, and such as have done flowering, place in an intermediate tempera, ture, and encourage them to make growth. Ferns. The general potting of these should have been done last month ; but, if the operation has been delayed until now, it ought to be at once accomplished. If the plants have begun to grow, they will be more liable to suffer from shifting than they otherwise would be ; but with careful attention in the way of shading, maintaining an equable but gradually-increasing temperature, and supplying a moderate amount of moisture, both to root and top, little danger need be apprehended. Ferns whose fronds spring directly from the soil require a richer compost than such sorts as Davallia canariensis, whose rhizomes grow above ground. To the former give a mixture of equal parts of good fibrous peat and loam, with the addition of some leaf-mould, plenty of silver-sand, and some small chips of fine sandstone. If the plants be required, however, for furnishing pur- poses, a little more loam and a little less peat will induce a hardier growth, and one better adapted for house -work than the luxuriant growth promoted by the first-named soil. Those with rhizomes above ground may be potted in fibrous peat and a little leaf-mould, pegging the rhizomes down on the soil. Some of the Davallias, Polypodiums, Phymatodes, Drynaria, and others, grow well on old stumps of Tree-Ferns, affixing themselves thereto like Orchids ; if the stumps are in the vicinity of other Ferns, spores of different species are sure to vegetate in their crevices, more particu- larly those of Adiantums, Gymnogrammas, Aspleninms, and Pterises. Syringing Fei'ns is an operation requiring skill and care ; for, although some genera are partial to such treatment, others are par- ticularly averse to it, more especially the Adiantums, Gymno- grammas, Cheilanthes, and other delicate and farinose kinds. Filmy Ferns are best grown in glass cases, or under hand-lights or bell- glasses, or a division of the Fernery may be specially set apart for their culture. Most of tho small delicate species thrive well on blocks of decaying wood, pieces of Tree-Fern stumps, or in pots ; whilst, for strong-growing kinds, like the Todeas, pot-culture is the best and most convenient. For pot-culture, fibrous peat, chopped Sphagnum, and some fine sandstone chips make a good compost ; and, for Todeas, the surface may be mulched with live Sphagnum. Tho smaller kinds of Ferns thrive well on little mounds composed of fibrous peat and sandstone chips, or on a block of wood embedded in turfy peat, from which they can emerge and scramble over the wood. These Ferns like a steady moist atmosphere, but too much artificial heat is detrimental to them ; in fact, a greenhouse temperature is almost sufiicient for the whole of them. In watering, let the water fall lightly upon the fronds ; but, in addition to these slight sprinklings, water must also be given to the roots, more especially during the growing season. Hanging-baskets should now be replenished with Ferns and Selaginellas, and Wardian cases should be examined and re-filled if necessary. A KURAL Vermont newspaper announces that its minimum charge for a first-class marriage notice will bo 15 lbs. of dried Apples. Notices with " poetry " cost 12 lbs. of Onions more. 256 THE GARDEN. March 21, 1874. SOCIETIES, EXHIBITIONS, &c. ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. Makch 18, 1874. TnoUGHearly-floweringbulbousplantsformedthechieffeatureof this show many misceUaneous subjects of great interest were, also, exhibited, and the display, taken as a whole, was unusually good. Cyclamens were shown in fine condition by Mr. Goddard, and Crocuses in pots by Messrs. Veitch. Hyacinths. — Class!. Fifty distinct varieties. First prize to Messrs. James Veitch & Sons for a fine collection of strong, healthy, well-grown, bells. Among them the following were well worthy of notice— Single whites. La Graudesse, very fine spike ; Snowball, short compact spike, pure wlaite, massive bells ; Baroness van Tuyll, silvery-white, good habit and spike ; Queen of the Netherlands, very fine spike. Single blue'; Prince Albert, fine purple-blue, good spike ; Moltke, fine bright blue, stout spike ; Baron van Tuyll, fine spike, silvery-blue ; Ai-gus, fine velvety purplish- blue, with white eye ; Admiral de Kuyter, fine massive bells, strong spike. Single reds, Ornament de la Nature, fine light-rose ; Solfaterre, bright-crimson, white eye ; La Joyeuse, fine spike, robust habit ; Garibaldi, bright shining crimson. Messrs. Cutbush and Carter, also, furnished good collections. In the class of eighteen distinct varieties, Messrs. Veitch were first with some very fine even well-grown bulbs — Czar Peter, fine blue ; De Candolle, good spike, lilac ; L' Innocence, fine spike, white ; and others equally good. Various fine collections were also shown by private growers. In the class of six new varieties, Messrs. Veitch, who were first, furnished Cavaignac, fine robust single blue, good spike, large flowers ; Grande Maitre, fine single blue ; Anna, robust spiko of pure white flowers, of great size and substance. This variety was a gem. Tulips. — Six kinds in twelve pots. — First prize. Messrs. J. Veitch, who had Sue well-grown examples of Prosperme, fine flower,deei3 rosy-crimson ; Eouge Luisaute, yeUow and crimson, flaked with rosy-lilac ; Wouver- man, fine violet-purple ; Vermilion, brilliant fiery scarlet-yellow centre ; White Pottebakker, fine white ; and Keizer Kroon, golden-yeUow, flaked with deep scarlet. Second, Messrs. Cutbush, who showed Queen of Violets, fine light purple ; Kose Grise de Lin, fine light rose ; Prosperine MoKere, fine riolet ; Kosa Mundi, fine rose. In the collections from private growers were also some fine flowers. Miscellaneous Subjects.— Messrs. J. Standish & Co. received an exti-a prize for a group of decorative plants, including the white Abutilon Boule de Neige ; white forcing Pink, Lady Blanche, a most profuse and deliciously-fragrant variety, well isorth culture, and several semi-double varieties of Azalea, which are much more durable for cutting than the single kinds. The same firm also exhibited a pan of the beautiful blue Lithospermum prostratum, well adapted for forcing ; and the beautiful white Tea-scented Rose Niphetos showing it to be a valuable kind for buds. A few Cinerarias with large flowers, and plants of JEchmea miniata splendens, a fine BromeHad, having curved glossy leaves and spikes of coral-coloured buds. Mr. B. S. WiUiams staged a fine group of rare Orchids, Palms, and Ferns, and other decorative plants, to which an extra prize was awarded. The same award was given to Mr. Bull for a miscellaneous group of choice Ferns, Palms, Orchids, and Cycads. Mr. Denning exhibited a nice group of winter-blooming Orchids, from Londesborough Lodge, including specimens of Cymbidium eburneum. Messrs. Veitch staged a remark- ably choice group of Orchids, including many rare and valuable species ; Odontoglossum Caradeni, pale yellow sepals and petals, and lip narrow, spotted with brown ; Miltonia Warscewiczii ; Odontoglossum Pescatorei ; 0. Andersonianum, a profuse purple-spotted form of 0. Alexandrae ; a nice plant of Angi'ajcum sesquipedale, bearing eight of its white wax -like flowers ; Miltonia cuneata, with sepals and petals of a dark brown colour, the heart-shaped hp pure white ; a fine plant of the rare and beautiful Dendrobium Wardianum, with two fine flowering- bulbs ; Vauda ccerulescens, a pretty little blue-flowered species, well worth general culture ; Cymbidium eburneum, and other species ; together with plants of Odontoglossum triumphans and the brown-speckled O. odoratum. An extra prize was deservedly awarded to this fine group. In class 10, for six distinct Orchids, Mr. B. S. Williams was first with fine specimens of Dendrobium Wardianum, Renanthera coccinea, Dendro- cliilum glumaeeum, Phalajnopsis SchUleriana, P. grandiflora, and a yellow Oncidium. Mr. W. Bull was second with Masdevallia Lindenii, PhaliB- nopsis grandiflora, Cypripedium villosum, Lycaste Skinneri, and others. Class 9, six Orchids. — First, Mr. Denny, gardener to Lord Londesborough, with Odontoglossum Andersonianum, a fine sub-variety, differing in the spots being conglomerated in the centre of each segment ; Dendrochilum glumaceum, a very fine well-grown specimen, profusely bloomed. A re- markably well-grown specimen of Cymbidum eburneum, ■with thirteen fine flowers. The rare Odontoglossum coronarium, bearing a robust spike of eighteen flowers, sepals and petals of a bright reddish-brown, looking as if varnished; margined with yeUow; lip, pale yellow; and a small but well - bloomed plant of Culbs, each surmounted by a single linear leaf, about 8 inches long and nearly au inch wide. From 'the base of the pseudo-bulb springs another leaf, from the axil of which issues a flower-stalk about 16 inches long, with numerous lateral branches, each bearing seven or eight flowera, of a fine light-yellow colour, and somewhat resembling a bat in shape. It continues a long time in bloom, and will probably be found capable of culttu:e in a cool- house. — W. M. EFFECTS OF HEAT ON PLANTS. The action of heat on plants has been made the subject of an elabo- rate series of experiments by M. Blondeau, who has contributed an account of his researches to the iloniteur Scientifique. The appa- ratus used was very simple, consisting of a sheet-iron muffle, through the cover of which passed the stem of a thermometer. The muffle, with water in it, was heated to the required temperature, which was kept constant by a Bnnseu burner. To produce low temperatures, ice or a refrigerating mixture was employed. JI. Blondeau first endeavoured to ascertain the effects of heat on annual plants, and the temperature necessary to destroy vitality in the various organs. He exposed to a temperature of 122° many kinds of seeds— those of garden vegetables, grain. Acorns, &c. — which were first proved to possess vitality. After remaining an hour at this degree of heat, they had all lost the power of germination. Either the embryo was killed by the heat, or the substances stored up in the seed for its nutrition had undergone changes that rendered them unfit for that purpose. Now it is well known that, when heat does not exceed certain limits, instead of being hurtful to vegetation, it favours it. If seeds are placed in tepid water at a temperature of 68° to 77°, the substances contained in the seed are softened, and become more readily absorbable by the embryo. If the embryo dies at the higher temperature of 122°, it seems probable that heat, raised to this degree, has become a poison, the effect of which has been to paralyse the organs and destroy the irritability of the tissues. It is a confirmation of this view that the vitality of certain organs, and even of the entire plant, is destroyed by the same temperature, while the tissues do not appear to have undergone any appreciable change. For example, the end of the stem of a Balsam plant was subjected to a temperature of 122°, a number of the leaves being thus exposed to the heat, while the rest of the plant was protected by a screen. Ou removal from the muffle after an hour, the exposed leaves presented nothing peculiar. Examined with the microscope, they showed nothing indicating the least alteration of tissue. Nevertheless, these leaves had been killed, for, after a little while, they became dry and withered. The vitality in the organs of the plant had been destroyed, without the tissues being changed. It might, perhaps, be thought that the effect was due to a rapid evaporation of water contained in the tissues. To settle this point, instead of putting the end of a plant in the muffle, it was simply immersed in water at 123°, and kept there a quarter of an hour. The part thus affected by heat did not continue to vegetate, but withered in a few days; showing that death was due to the direct action of heat, and that evaporation had nothing to do with the result. The entire plant, except the root, was then subjected to the temperature of 122°, the root being kept iu earth. The effects were similar. Removed after an hour, it soon faded and the stem became black, as if it had been exposed to a very high tern, perature. All seemed to indicate that the plant had succumbed to a poison, which had left no trace on the organs by which vitality is manifested. It remained to decide whether the vital force, which can be easily destroyed in the leaves and the stem, presents a greater resistance in the roots. Would heat have the same effect on the organs of nutrition as on those of respiration ? To deter- mine this, the pot of earth containing the root of a Balsam was placed in a water.bath ; the upper part of the plant being kept out and protected against the heat by a screen. A thermometer was inserted in the earth of the pot ; and when the temperature had been raised to 122° the pot was removed and left to itself. At first nothing remarkable occurred, but in a few days the plant gave signs of diminished vigour, and gradually withered and died ; proving that the toxical action was as energetic on the roots as on the other parts of plants. Another simple experiment served to determine the limit at which roots begin to lose their vitality. Having taken out of the ground several plants of Balsam, the roots were immersed in water raised to 86° and 101',° and, after a quarter of an hour, were re-planted. The only ones that recovered were those that were heated only to 69° ; none of the others took root again. All plants are more or less affected by this agent when it exceeds certain limits. In our gardens, the watering, which is frequently required, serves, not merely to supply water necessary to vegetation, but also to refresh the ground and prevent its attaining a temperature which may become fatal to plants. The absence of heat appears to have the same influence ou vegetation as the excess of heat. When the layer of earth in which roots of grain are situated, falls to 25° or 30°, the plant grows yellow, showing a diseased state which, commenciugin the roots, gradually spreads up the stem. If a leaf of Balsam, adlieriug to the stem, be introduced iuto a glass tube, surroinided with ice (care being taken not to bruise it), and be kept there long enough to be cooled down to the temperature of the glass, it will bo killed, and will present the same phenomena as leaves heated up to 122*^. Examined with the microscope, it shows no organic change, and yet it is unable to perform its functions. It soon withers, and falls off. 282 THE GARDEN. [April 4, 1874. GARDEN DESTROYERS. GAEDEN PESTS. By THOMAS BAIXES. Cabbage Grub, or Clubbing. Tuis insect often does very great mischief, especially in old gardens, where it is far more numerous than in uew soil. The damage it causes is often a serious matter for the gardener, as it destroys almost whole crops, and makes very inconvenient gaps, especially in summer Cauliflowers. When the grubs first attack a crop there is nothing to indicate their presence until the plants begin to turn an unhealthy colour; then they flac in the sun, and in a few days the crop is lost. There is no variety of the Cabbage tribe quite free from these pests, although the different kinds of Winter Kale, as well as Red Cabbao-e, are more seldom affected than Cauliflowers and sum- mer Cabbao-es. There are several means employed to lessen their numbers, and to render the ground distasteful to them, such as winter dressing with salt or lime, or a liberal applica- tion of wood-ashes; this all assists more or less to reduce their depredations generally, but fails to prevent the most objection- able appearance a crop presents when there are gaps here and there all through it ; and in ground that is much infested with the insect, I have found these dressings, which are usually pallia- tive, altogether ineffectual. After employing every means that I could hear recommended, with partial success, it occurred to me that there was uo chance but trying to make each plant unpalatable to the grubs. In the spring I procured some newly -burnt lime, which was laid under cover until it became air-slaked. I then took an equal quantity of soot and mixed it with the lime. In planting, the holes were made with the trowel in the usual way ; each plint was dropped into its hole, an inch or so of soil put over the roots, a good watering given, then a moderate handful of the soot and lime mixture thrown in each hole, and the remain- in" soil filled in. The ground where this was tried was an old garden that swarmed with the insects to such an extent that it was impossible to get a crop of either summer Cabbages or Cauliflowers bv any means I had previously tried ; but in this case I did not lose a plant. When the crop was gathered I examined the old stalks, and the mixture was there in close contact with them, still in sufficient quantity to ward off the attacks of the grubs. No insect either fully matured, or in the early stages of its existence, can bear the presence of soot. From that time— a good many years .ago— until the present, I never put out a single plant of any of the Cabbage tribe without their being so treated, and we rarely lose a plant through the grub, unless owing to a careless application of the raixtut'e. In this there is some difficulty, unless there is personal supervision. For instance, even after the clearest directions, a m.an will sometimes put in the mixture first, and water the plants afterwards. This, as will be seen, washes the stems clean, taking the mixture down into the soil, away from where it is required, and affording no protection to the plants. If carefully applied as described, it is effectual. Where plants are put in by the acre it is some additional labour, more from the number of times the ground has to be gone over in planting than from the mere application of the mi.xture. I have found that it takes about a third more time than planting in the usual way; but even so it is much more satisfactory than the appearance of broken crops, to s.ay nothing of the loss freiiuently caused by their total destruction. Wasps. The depredations of wasp.s are principally confined to their attacks upon ripe fruit. For some miles round the outskirts of large towns they never appear in such numbers as they do ill purely country districts, where they are not so much molested. It is here that the ravages tliey commit are the most serious, with some fruits almost defying any means to preserve even a portion of the crop. 'L'he Creengago Plum is an especial favourite with them. T have seen them destroy tlie whole croj) produced by nunibors of trees, not allowing any to get fit for table; as each fruit began to ripen on one side, the wasps commenced their attack. Tears, Peaches, and Nectarines on the open walls, suffer in like manner. Ripe Grai)es are especially their favourites, Wlien they attack a Yinery, they will quickly destroy the whole crop if left undisturbed. Like the majority of other pests that attack garden produce, they are best nipped in the bud. On fine mild days in early spring, the warmth of the sun brings the queens out, every wasp at this season representing a colony, and every means possible should be employed to destroy all that make their appearance thus early. A small price upon their heads at this season offered to children will prevent the progeny of these queens from ever coming into existence. If it should happen that the weather is unseasonably mild at the end of March and beginning of April, so that it brings the queens out early, the chances are that the wasps are not numerous during the after part of the season, as these early bright days are usually succeeded by sharp frosty nights, which destroy these prematurely-awakened queens. On the other hand, in late springs, they do not so soon make their appearance, and, consequently, escape the effects of the return of cold weather. It is in such seasons that they are the most formidable, in many places defying all means to cope with them, especially out-of-doors. Ill Vineries several methods are employed for the protection of the fruit, with more or less success. Muslin or thin paper bags, in which to enclose the bunches are often used ; but there are several objections to both, especially in the autumn, for, if the bunches are not frequently examined, odd berries begin to mould, which quickly affect the whole bunch. The moving of the covering also destroys the bloom, so indispensable to the appearance of first-class fruit ; and it frequently happens that, with a.ll the care that can be given, the wasps will find their way through the bags. By far the most effectual method to adopt is to keep them out of the house altogether. This can be done by the use of the hexagon garden netting, tacked over all the openings where air is admitted ; this is sufficiently open to admit all the air required, without the wasps being able to get through ; even if the doors are required open, a large piece of the netting can be temporarily hung over the doorways. When they attack choice fruits, such as Peaches, Nectarines, and Apricots, on the open walls, it is necessary not only to adopt means for their destruc- tion, but such also as will attract them from the fruit they are devouring. Ever)' tree bearing fruit on which they are busy at their woi'k of destruction should have three or four wide-mouthed bottles hung in it, half-filled with sweetened beer, or treacle and water ; this will attract them from the fruit, and they will also perish in large quantities. Traps may be made as follows : — take a bell or hand-glass, with a small hole in its top, elevate it on half-bricks, place some damaged fruit under it to allure the wasps, then place on the top another glass, tight-fitting in every way ; numbers of the insects will ascend through the hole in the top of the under glass into the upper one, from which they cannot find any exit, and soon perish. A number of these traps placed upon the wall coping, as also on the ground at the foot of the trees, will be found effectual, not onl}' for the wasps, but also for the large blue- bottle flies, which generally first attack Peaches, making inci- sions which are quickly taken advantage of by the wasps. An idea may be formed of the number of wasps existing in some ])arts of the country, as also of the quantity that may be destroyed when a sufficient number of traps are employed, when I state that I have seen a gallon-pot full of them taken in a single day by the above means. All nests that can be discovered should be destroyed. An offer of 6d. or a Is. apiece for the nests will be sufficient inducement to bring very great numbers of them in. The best method of taking their nests is, after dark, when the greater portion of the colony are at home, to thrust rags, dipped in gas-tar, into the nests, which set fire to, and when freely ignited cIo.se up the hole; not a wasp will escape death. The nests may then be dug out, and the young grubs destroyed. Or 1 oz. of gunpowder mixed with 2 oz. of sulf)hur, tied up in a paper, may be thrown into the nest, ignited, and the hole closed. Another method is to take an ordinary beer or wine bottle, containing a snuill ((uantit)' of spirits of turpentine, and, at nightfall, when the wasps areqniet in the nest, thrust the neck of the bottle into the entrance, and let it remain for a day or two. The fumes of the turpentine will suffocate all the wasps, and the nest may then be dug out, and the grubs destroyed. April 4, 1874] THE GARDEN. 28.^ THE FLOWER GARDEN. FERRARIAS. TuE genus Ferraris, named by Burmanu in honour of Jean Baptists Ferrari (an Italian Isotanist who flourished in the earlier part of the last century), is very nearly allied to the Irises, and contains two or three species which are deserving of some notice at the hands of our cultivators — amateurs or professional. Some time ago, one might occasionally see F. Favonia (better known, perhaps, as Tigridia Pavonia) here and there in gardens ; but, of late, from our own experience, at least, it has become comparatively rare. The greao defect of the Ferrarias is, that their flowers are most fugacious, and, although both pretty and singular, they last for so short a time (a few hours only) that we believe this to be the reason why they have, to a great extent, dropped out of cultivation. The flowers, however, notwithstanding their brief period of existence, present such a strange combination of the aspects of the Stapelias and the Orchids, that even a fleeting acquaintance with them well compensates fur the slight trouble involved in the culture of the plants. Our illustration (which represents F. undulata) Ferraria undnlata. will give, to those who are not familiar with these plants, a good idea of their general appearance. This species grows to the height of from 2 to 2t feet, and has imbricated sword- shaped leaves, like those of an Iris. The flower-stem is furnished with two or three bracts, from the axils of which, as well as from the extremity of the stalk itself, flowers are pro- duced. They are seldom more than two or three in number, and are of a very peculiar reddish-brown colour, with violet reflections, like the.shadcs of certain shot silks. In the centre is a whitish circle, and the margins of the petals are marked with yellow dots on the upper surface, while, underneath, the petals are entirely white. The plants are easy of cultivation in a conservatory or greenhouse, if potted in slightly peaty soil, and well watered during the flowering season. W. M. A USEFUL BOX FOR CUTTINGS OR SEEDS. To those who object to shallow earthenware pans for the raising of seeds or cuttings, on account of the needless amount of space they occupy, I recommend boxes made in the following manner. Procure a few slates of the Countess or Lady size ; the former are 20 inches by 10 or 18 inches by 10, the latter a size between the two, 16 inches by 9. r V inch deal, o or 4 inches wide. Cut 16 inches by 8. I use Get some strips of i or them in lengths to suit the size of the slates. Of these make the sides and ends of your boxes ; cut off two extra lengths to go across the bottom, an inch or two from each end ; let your slate rest on these to form the bottom, and your box is ready Box with moveable buttoni for Cuttings or Seeds. for use. In the course of time the lower edge will begin to decay, together with the cross pieces. When that happen^, tnrn the box upside down, after having nailed on two new pieces on what was the top. AVheu you have to remove the seedlings or cuttings, push up the slate from below, and you can remove them without injury. Crocks, Cocoanut-fibre, or auy other material can be used for drainage, and the super- fluous water will readily escape round the edge of the slate. These boxes will, of course, look better and last longer if th y are painted ; but that operation had perhaps be better deferred till after they have been used one season and have become thoroughly dry after use. One season will have had no injurious effect upon them, and if, as often happens, the wood used is not thoroughly seasoned, it is better on that account to defer painting to the autumn. It would be well at that time to remove the bottom pieces, and paint with at least two coats before they are replaced. Boxes so constructed can bo used directly they are made, and, if painted in the autumn, will be residy for use again the following spring. B. S. SAXIFRAGES. By J. C. NIVEN, Botauic Gardens, Hull. The Crustaceous Group. Saxifraga Aizoon. — The ever-living Saxifrage, as the literal translation of the name would imply, stands, as I stated last week, as the typical representative of several forms that we have long dignified by the title of species, and here I am disposed to agree with Engler — not exactly, however, to merge them all as synonyms, but to give them what appears to be their true position as distinct varieties. Before, however, we deal with them, I must say a few words as to the parent itself. Of compact and dense habit of growth, it presents a mass of small rosettes, whose leaves are bluntly obovate and slightly incurved ; the margins, as in all its varieties, lined with small cartilaginous serratures, and dotted with a dense line of crustaceous markings. It produces its flower-stems in abundance, rising to a height of 9 inches. The flowers are whitish, and grouped in somewhat dense cymes. It enjoys, perhaps, the widest geographical range of all the Saxifrages, being found in all the Alpine districts of mid and south Europe, extending northward to Lapland, and even Spitzbergen, and westward through Greenland into North America ; with such a wide range it may well claim for its progeny a marked amount of divergence from the parent form. S. Aizoon var. Intacta.— Possessing the dense habit of the old species, and differing very little, if anything, in the flowers, its claim to recognition rests on the much narrower and more erect leaves, the marginal markings being less conspicuous, and the general green of the leaf having a greyer tint during summer, and in the autumn assuming a chocolate-brown colour, which it retains during the winter. S. Aizoon minor.— This, hitherto called S. intacta minor, and of which latter no doubt it is a dense and compact form, I havo recognised as a variety of the more remote parental type, because I think it unwise to increase the number of names by the introduction of sub-varieties. Possessing, as it does, the narrow foliage of intacta, so densely arc its little rosettes arranged that they quite lose their individualit}', and scarcely a pin's point can be inserted in the dwarf cushion-like mass that it forms without damaging a leaf. Hence it has been appropriated by the flower gardener, as constituting an admirable ground-work of peculiar grey glaucous green, on which to exhibit some of his more tender pets ; it has a further advantage to recommend it for this purpose, that it is a shy bloomer, and hence 284 THE GARDEN. [Aran 4, 1874. does not assume the somewhat ragged appearance that all those which bloom freely do Immediately after the flowering season is over. I have seen it used as a substitute for the Selaginella in those geometrical glass arrangements for the dinner-table which are now amongst the waning fashions of the day. The effect was good as a matter of variety, and, placed in such a conspicuous position, it would be sure to attract close attention, and its many, though minute, beauties would manifest themselves that otherwise might be passed over unobserved. S. Aizooa recta. — This is, unquestionably, the same as the variety called gracilis, by Engler, and were it not so well known by the former, I should willingly adojjt the new name, as it conveys a correct idea of the habit of the plant. It differs chiefly from the typical form in the arrangement of the rosettes being far more lax, each one having space for perfect development, and each sending out several slender surculose runners, which, from their extremities, ultimately develop fresh rosettes. Its flowers are smaller and less dense in their arrangement, and I have found it retain its character very constant from seed. It is met with abundantly in the Alps and in the Tyrol, where, from its lax habit of growth, it freely intermingles with the adjacent forms of vegetation, instead of monopolising large patches to itself, as the case with the fore, going. S. Aizoon major. — This I take to be the best title under which to group three hitherto recognised species, namely, S. Malyi, S. elatior, and S. robnsta, they are in truth nothing more than large forms of the old species. S. Aizoon germanica is recognised by Engler uuder the title of orientalis. It differs from all the foregoing varieties, in the fact of having longer leaves, broadest at the base and gradually tapering to the point. It is not, with me, a free-grower, nor have I ever seen it bloom ; I have a strong suspicion that it would be more at home as a variety of S. pectinata, it lacks, however, the bright crustaceons mark- ings of that species, and is, very possibly a hybrid production. S. crustata. — A well-known beautiful and constant species. AVas looked upon by Sternberg as a lesser variety of longifolia. It forms a dense mass of hard narrow sulcate leaves, short and reflexed, and margined with very distinct markings, that retain their brightness both winter and summer. It is neither a very free grower nor an abundant bloomer ; its rosettes are irregular, and are clustered together on a very short axis, they are not readily divided, nor do they root very freely ; its floral axis is 6 to 8 inches long and its broadly ovate petals, as well as the dense arrangement of the blooms, give it a more than usually showy character in this respect. It is found wild at high altitudes on the Tyroleso Alps, and the Carpathcan and Caruiolian mountains. S. crustata hybrida — Originated with me many years ago as a seedliug from the true species, but presents, in its freer growth, broader and more upright leaves, unmistakeable evidence of a close relationship to the intacta var. of Aizoon. Singular enough, all the seedlings produced by a series of sowings extending over some ye.ars, show the same hybrid character, nor have I ever found a single seedling represent the true reflexed character of the loaves in the original species, even when the parent plant has been completely isolated during the flowering process. It is, however, quite possible that the true plants, as raised from the seed, will be of very slow growth, and hence they become smothered amid their stronger- growing brethren, illustrating that process of natural selection whereby the weaker succumbs to the stronger. Bo this as it may, it is a variety well worthy of culture, and grows freely and rapidly in any light garden soih S. carinthiaca. — Though I have not had it sufficiently long in cultivation to speak decidedly thereon, it appears to claim a much closer relationship 1,o crustata than to Aizoon, ot which Engler makes it a variety ; so I conclude that his plant and the one we have under the above name in cultivation are quite distinct. Its appearance is exactly that of crustata, with shorter leaves, smoother at the margin.s, and very slightly reflexed. Not having seen it in bloom, tho remarks I make may be obviously open to modificatinn. S. lantoscana, recognised by Boissier, and figured by him as a distinct species, is, as I before stated, looked upon by Engler as a variety of lingulata ; but failing, as I do, to soo tho grounds of relationship, 1 adoi)t lioissior's dictum in preference. It is a some- what nondescript plant in appearance, with the leaves irregular in shape, and " /.ig-/.agged " — if I may coin a word — across one another. The rosette arrangement, as I have grown it, is altogether at a discount ; the leaves arc narrow and blunt at the points, or not unfrnquently obliciuely cut, tho extreme end being generally recurved in a hook-like fashion. I have not seen it bloom, nor do 1 llnd any special description of its flowers. It is of equally slow growth with the true crustata, and derives its name from the valley of Lantosca, in the Maritime Alps, which locality appears to be its present only known habitat. S. cochlearis, of Reicheubach, like the foregoing species, is called by Engler a variety of lingulata; but, surely, it possesses such distinct character, in both growth, foliage, and bloom, that there need be no hesitation in endorsing Reichenbach's nomenclature. Here we have a dense compact-growing plant, with leaves of a dark green, beautifully margined with a crastaceous line, rather than dots, and not unfrequeutly suffused with white over the entire surface, as though Natui'e had let her paint-brush fall and smeared her delicate handiwork ; each leaf is about 1 inch long, the lower portion linear, the upper part expanding into a broad blunt-pointed blade, slightly recurved at the margins ; the flower-stem is covered with dark glandular hairs ; the flowers themselves are white, the lower portion of each petal being dotted with crimson dots. To my mind, there is no species in the whole crustaceous group that claims its right to specific distinction more thoroughly than does this. To my floricultural friends, I may remark that it promises to be one of the most valuable for decorative purposes that we possess. I believe we are indebted to Mr. Maw for its introduction into cultiva- tion in this country, as the result of one of his botanical rambles in the Maritime Alps. S. Rocheliana, one of Sternberg's old species, is a dwarf compact-growing plant, with broadish little leaves, horizontally expanded, terminated by a somewhat acute point, and channelled on the upper surface, each leaf having from three to five crustaceous spots at the apex ; the flower-stalks are erect, about 3 inches high, terminated by two or three flowers of a yellowish-white, the whole stalk covered with green glandular hairs. It is the very earliest bloomer of all the section, flowering, as it does, in February ; but such a liking have the slugs to its early-produced petals that, unless it be closely watched for these depredators, it might readily be taken for an apetalous plant, so scientifically do they excise the white petals. This species does not appear, by any authentic records we have, to enjoy a very wide distribution, the Carpathcan and Roume- liau mountains being its only present known habitats. It grows freely under rock or pot culture, and, like all the smaller forms of this group, appears to like a fair admixture of peat in the soil in which it is planted. S. coriphylla, of Grisebach, is looked upon by Bugler as only a variety of the former species. The general contour of the plant is, however, perfectly distinct, and this distinction is abundantly confirmed on a closer examination. Its rosettes are considerably elongated and less dense in their arrangement, as well as twice the size of Rocheliana; its leaves are long, blunt or rounded at the point, and gradually taper to the base, added to which, they are slightly incurved, smooth at the m.argin, and lined with a few widely separated small dots. The inflorescence in a young state is always bent downwards — not erect — the flowers themselves are large, the largest, in fact, of all the section, produced in compact heads of six or seven in number, and supported upon a leafy stalk about 0 inches high — the whole, including the calyxes, are covered with green glandular hairs; added to which, tho fljwcrs are a pure white, and are produced in the month of April. This brief description when compared with that of Rocheliana given above, will indicate at once how distinct the two plants are, as well in outward appearance as ia botanical character. It is a native of Bosnia and Albania, and occurs at a considerable mountain elevation. With me, though I have grown it successfully for many years in large pans, as well as in tho rockery last season, every plant appeared simultaneously to turn brown, with an evidently sickly appearance ; some I left to their fate, some I shook out, re-potted, and divided, but the result was in every case alike ; this spring, as I now write, I find they are all dead ; fortunately, I raised a lot of seedlings two years ago, aud, although they are yet small, they are in good health, aud everyone as true to the parental character as can possibly be, thus, confirming its specific distinction. NOTES AND QUESTIONS ON THE FLOWER GARDEN. Primula japonica.— Will this grow from seed and come to perfection in tho eaiiic year? anil is it quite hardy, as advertised by Mr. Ball in The Gabdkn ? — Twim. [The Boeds of this plant are somewhat capricious as ro^riu-ils ves;etating. SfUJietimes they come up iu a shorttimo after haviuj^ hocn sown, at other times the seed lies dcjriiiiiiit for many months. Plauta thiit come up during the s|iriii>,', or early summer, will make dowering plants the spriag following. Tho plant has stood the wmtora we have had since its introduction. How it would tare in such a winter as lsUO-61, remains to be proved.— Ed.] Phygelius capousis.— This really pretty plant ought to be more generally growii thiiM it is ; altiiuu!,'h a native of Southern Africa, it is perfectly hardy in most situations, and may be readily increased I-ty means of cuttings, or seeds, which ripen freely. A plant of it put out in tho open border here ( Derby) some two or throe years ago, now covers about a square yard, and has been much admired during the summer and autnmu months. It blooms most profusely until cut off by frost. In spring, the dead topi, like those of outdoor Fuchsias may bo cut down before it starts into growth.— J. W. MoiibEt. April 4, 1874.] THE GARDEN. 285 THE FRUIT GARDEN. THE FIG APPLE. This interesting little Apple is said to bo that which was eaten by Eve, and, it' so, singularity of form must have had more attraction for her than beauty. The following is a description of it, made from fruit grown at Merriott. Pigue d'Hiver (D'Adam, Petalless, Sans Fleurir, Sans Pepins, a Trochets), third .size, second quality, January to March, conical or pyriform, and drawn in or twisted at the base; skin, yellowish, dotted with russet, and tinged with carmine on tlie sunny side ; stalk, about 1 inch long, set obliquely in a shallow cavity; eye, large and open, placed in a very wide and deep basin ; flesh, whitish, firm, and crisp. This variety is always seedless, and Poiteu, in his " Pomologic Pran^aise," says the petals are so small as to escape general observation, but that is not the case here, as tlicy are pretty large, and tinted with rose. It is probable that this is the Apple described by Pliny under the name of Spa- douium, because it is seedless, and, as no other Apple has ever yet, as far as I know, been found uniformly sterile, it is only reasonable to svippose that this variety is the fruit to which he alludes ; if so, it must have come down to us through a long series of years, and shows how tenaciously wo hold on to our old fruits, even when they have been immeasurably surpassed ,,.by finer sorts. There is another Fig Apple described by The Pig Apple. Bauhiu, which must be entirely different from this one, as he would, doubtless, have taken notice of its abnormal charac- teristics, such as the absence of stamens and seeds. It is very' possible that his Figue Apple was what we now grow as Figue d'Ete or Letire. To prevent mistakes, we grow an Apple here called Adam's, but it is an American variety, and entirely different from the Figue d'Hiver. J. Scott. Merriott, Crewkerno, Somersetsliire. SPEING PEOTECTION OF PEUIT TEEES. This is an important subject at this season of the year, and one which will require the attention of all horticulturists who are interested in saving their fruit crops. We have expe- rienced an exceptionally mild winter ; and this, by bringing on the fruit or blossom-buds somewhat prematurely, renders them still more liable to suffer from late spring frosts than would be the case after an early and severe winter. While the buds are safely encased in their closely-imbricated bracts, no amount of frost or sleet will hurt them ; but, after a mild winter, our fruit crops almost invariably suffer. In a word, it is not a long period of frost and wintery storms that does the mischief; but the mild open sunny weather which often occurs during December, January, and February, and then the cold wet winds or sharp " catches," which are peculiar to March, April, and even May. In a variable climate like our own, we must either pay considerable attention to the protec- tion of our fruit crops, more especially to Peaches, Pears, and Apricots on walls, or run the risk of losing a season's pro- duce. As a rule, our climate is not a severe one ; but sudden fluctuations in temperature more than counteract this advan- tage, and leave us actually worse off with regard to our fruit crops than those who experience far more severe, but regular, winter seasons. The French Peach-growers, many of whom depend on the sale of their produce for a livelihood, carry spring protection to its utmost limit, and understand the prin- ciples of shelter, on which success depends, far better than the majority of our horticulturists at home. The best of all spring protectors for our climate is, undouljtedly, a glass-case, wherein the trees are dry, and where a crop is almost a certainty; still, there are many who grow a few choice fruit trees who do not care to go to the expense of a glass-case, and for these there is nothing less expensive than a coping-board, 9 inches or 1 foot broad, with tiffany or Shaw's Hexagon netting hung in front during the night, and even all day when bright sunshine succeeds a severe frost. It is astonishing what a little protection in the way of a fold or two of any thin fabric will effect, not only in protecting the tender blossoms from sleet, hail, or cold rains, but, also, in preventing, to a great extent, the radiation of heat absorbed by the walls themselves during flue and sunny weather. In some of our best gardens, canvas blinds, properly fixed on rollers beneath the wall coping, ai-e employed; and this is a good plan to adopt, as such a provision effects a saving both in time, labour, and material. Broad or projecting copings are specially valuable, and in the Peach-gardens at Montreuil, near Paris, narrow hurdles of reeds are used for this purpose ; these project about 2 feet from the top of the wall, and are upheld by slant- ing supports fixed in the masonry at regular distances ; and to prevent them from being blown off by winds, each is securely tied in its place. These are invaluable, as the trees are kept dry, and when that is the case, a sharp frost does but little harm. The spring protection of our wall-fruits has of late years met with considerable attention, and various glazed protectors have been brought into public notice, which doubt- less answer their purpose admirably when expense is not an object, but, when these cannot be afforded, other less expensive contrivances must be resorted to. Where other means are not at hand, an excellent shelter for wall trees may be constructed by anv intelligent laboui-er, by making frames of deal or pine, say 10 or 12 feet square, according to the height of the wall ; diagonal spars will hold them tightly together, and transverse bars, 18 inches or two feet apart, should be tacked on, through which Fir boughs may be drawn to afford protection, and at the same time allow the ingress of sufiicient light, and a free. cir- culation of air. These frames may be fixed against the coping and can be allowed to remain for weeks together in cold frost and rains. It is always advisable to close up each end of these frames where many arc placed together, otherwise a cold cur- rent of air will be always rushing between the screen and the wall. Bright sunshine after a sharp black frost is more fatal than anything else to fruit buds, and even where the buds are frosted they may often be saved by syringing them with cold water and shading them early in the morning before the sun shines on them. In all cases, the protecting material should project clear from the trees, at least 9 or 10 inches, and the lighter and drier the material used, the better will it act as a protector. NOTES AND QUESTIONS ON THE FRUIT GARDEN. A Queensland Fig Tree.— Mr. Walter Hill, the Government botanist in Queensland, reports to the authorities there that, while cuttius a given hue on the Ijanks i)( the River Johnstone, tor the purpose o{ examining the limil, an enormous Fig tree stood in the way, far exceeding in stoutness and grandeur the renowned forest giants of California and Victoria. Three teet troin t lo ground it measured loi) feet in circuintercnce ; at 65 feet, where it sent forth giant branches, the stem was nearly 80 feet in ch'cumference. Plum Culture iu Scotland.-The Damson is a fruit which used to bo very much cultivated for the market in many parts of Scotland. About thirty-nvo or forty years ago I saw in some districts of Ayrshire, trees literally bent uown with fruit. Such a sight I have not seen in Scotland, except in Ross-shu-e, tor many years; but even there lam mfornied that hoavj- crops are only partial. The Ross-shire climate has always been considered one of the best nortn oi ino Tweed for ripening fruit, both wall and standard. Of recent years, a consider- able extent of Plum orchards has been formed in many parts of the west coast district, where the climate seems well suited for their growth ; but instead ot Pamsons, plants .)f the Victoria Plum are most in demand for the purpose oi planting. — Jaiies McNab. 286 TfiB aARDEN. [April 4, 1874. A HOLIDAY TOUE. Bv THE EDITOR. PUBLIC GARDENS AT LYONS. One miglit here, at Lyons, far south of Paris, expect a fairer cHmate, but it is not so. Standing on the high banks over the Rhone, and, looking nortli-eastwards, what seems an angular snowy cloud is seen, clear, but far awaj', and one is surprised to hear it called Mont Blanc. From near its feet, and far away across the eastern sky, stretches a wall of whitened mountain-crests, pale and solemn-looking as a distant fleet of icebergs. This is an outlying line of the Alps, whence comes the icy breath which gives the fair city on the Rhone a less favourable clime than that of Paris. Hence it is by no means so interesting from a gardening point of view, but we may, nevertheless, find something worth seeing in the public garden or park. Prance, in the present genera- tion, has witnessed many improvements, but in no way made more progress than in the matter of public gardens. The sunny street, with its fresh air and green trees, is not a greater advance on the narrow, malodorous and darkened alley it replaced, than the Pare de la Tete d'Or, at Lyons, on such old botanic gardens as those which exist at Angers, Geneva, Milan, and other continental cities. The old botanists too often regarded the garden as a sort of supplement to their collection of dried plants ; and, as huge labels, with formidable names, straight walks, clipped shrubs, trees of many kinds and sizes, planted as thickly as Currant bushes, and all cut into the same size, to make them fit into narrow beds, suited to whatever scheme of classilication was the mode at the time, were among the most graceful features of these gardens, it was, perhaps a relief to turn to the dried herbs now and then for a change. The true idea that any place, worthy the name of a garden, should show us, as much as may be in one spot, the majesty of the woods, and the thousand infinite graces of vegeta- tion, is gradually finding expression in the Pare de la Tete d'Or, as in many other public gardens in Europe and America. Although called a " park," it is really a garden of some 250 acres, and combines in one establishment the French plan of a botanic garden in all its parts, a zoological garden, a school of sylvi- culture or demh-ologie, a large nursery for the supply of the town scjuares, &c., a very extensive and richly-filled set of Palm and hot-houses, and goodness knows how much besides one fails to see for want of some ofiicial pi'inted guide to its contents. In the maze of subjects, I had almost gone away without knowing that there is here a collection of all the Roses cultivated at the present day, a collection of nearly 1,500 kinds, among them being those rare Provence and other Roses of bygone days, so difficult to obtain now. Any private individual who undertook to form a similar collection would probably be laughed at for his pains, but it is, nevertheless, a capital feature in this garden, and one for which many a Rose lover will be grateful. With narrow-minded exclusiveness, botanists have hitherto virtually shut out varieties from the botanic gardens, countenancing or spreading the erroneous notion that such are not as ranch the production of nature as anything else, so that, in a severely orthodox botanic garden, no such collection of Roses would have a chance ; on the other hand, among the cultivators, everybody advocates the culture of the very best only, and the amateur takes the hint and writes to us for the " names of the best dozen Roses !" a dis- tressingly concise list, considering what a host of fair and variously-hued flowers own the name of Rose. Therefore, it would be well if, in every country, there were formed in a public garden such a collection. It would conserve for us the beauties of the past, and permit of our fairly judging of the value of contemporary ones by comparing them with living examples of their predecessors. Pew Roses disappear from our gardens from want of merit ; they are crowded out by the " swells " of the day, and if growers only strive as to who shall array these most gorgeously, there is more important work left undone. A very interesting classification of Roses, by the way, would be by the period, so to say— the Roses of Shake- speare and Pai'kinson, of Queen Anne, of our own day, and so on, each in a separate group. The notion may be worth the attention of some gentleman who has won every ]n-ize he cares about in the great strife of modern Rose-showing. In various parts of the Lyons garden thei-e are immense beds and groups of Roses (on their own roots, or grafted low on the seedling Briar), and pegged and pruned down close to the ground. Standards are in effect abolished ; this is as it should be. There is no plant so vilely dis- figured as the Rose ; as M. Jean Sisley, the well-known horticulturist (to whom I am indebted for much friendly guidance hereabouts), remarked, " a Rose on a standard is like a bouquet on a broomstick ! " Rose-growers, of tall and mighty frame, like Mr. Hole, no doubt find it convenient to have their competition blooms worked high on tall standards near the eye; but then, show Roses, as everybody knows, more frequently embellish the kitchen-garden or nursery-bed, than the lawn ; whereas, the uncalled-for standard disfigures halt the gardens in the land. So fully is this felt, if not expressed, even by the stifiest and most prosaic landscape-gardeners, that they speak of the Rosery as a doleful object, when not in bloom, and counsel that every effort should be made to keep it out of sight ! Now, any such effect is wholly the result of our manage- ment of the plant, which, even in foliage, is superior to nine- tenths of the bushes of any clime, and which only requires to be tastefully arranged iu our gardens to improve their aspect enormously. To this end much has to be done, and, previously, several widely-spread ideas have to be plucked up by the roots, viz., that the standard is in any sense necessary or desirable ; that the Rose-garden should be an obscure and isolated division of the garden, with all its wealth of beauty lost to the garden -landscape generally ; that Roses should bo iu beds to themselves, in lonely glory, with nothing but dark earth for a carpet beneath their naked stems, and neither Lily nor Gladiolus, fragrant herb nor graceful foliage, other than their own, clustering beneath or mingling iu sweet association with them. Fruit and Other Trees. A school of sylviculture is a happy idea. If such schools were founded in each important section of every civilised country, gardens would, probably, soon assume a greatly im- proved aspect. Every traveller knows that, so far as culti- vated regions are concerned, England is the most beautiful of countries. This is, to a very great extent, owing to her trees, long allowed to spread their bi-anches in peace, and never, it is to be hoped, fated to boil the soldier's pot. When one considers how vei'y little knowledge of trees there is through- out the land, a vision rises as to how much more picturesque and beautiful even England might be made, if a fair know- ledge of the many trees that grow with us were common among all classes interested in gardens. This, in any real sense, can only be attained in a large garden, with plenty of room for every kind to attain full size, and to be arranged in an effective manner. Here the collection was made, regard- less of expense and trouble ; numbers of trees are planted by the sides of the drive, and have sufficient space for fair development, but not enough for picturesque and varied grouping. Up to the present time, no arboretum we have seen has been designed with anything like a sufficiently broad idea of the subject; in fact it is only sirch parks as Rich- mond, the Fairfield, at Philadelphia, and the Bois de Boulogne, at Paris, that offer sites on which to form arboretums worthy of national aims. No attempt has been made to plant any such large parks as tree-conservatories, specially designed to show in due time the full beauty and expression of every obtainable tree worthy of culture. Some precious specimen Conifers, such as Araucarias, were brought from England to this park when formed, but of this tree, and many others long sujaposed hardy here, the frosts made a clean sweep during the first week of December 1870, just in the midst of the war, and when the frozen plain formed the bed of many a dying soldier. Whole colonies of Deodar, Atlas, and Lebanon Cedars were killed outright, and, almost without exception, all the evergreen trees and shrubs in the garden, including Hollies, Aucubas, Enonymus, and even the Colchic Laurel, generally supposed to be so hardy in England, perished. So much for the influence of these picturesque neighbours the Alps. The city of Lyons, like others in France, has its pro- menades, well-planted as usual with the Plane, which no cold here seems to touch, and sometimes with Acacia. Some thirty-five years ago, a municipal administrator of this city April 4, 1874.] THE GARDEN. 287 i"i ultra of perfection which one may expect in such a plantation. This group is composed of four species, and consists of about thii-ty plants, viz., Chamasrops bumilis, C. excelsa, C. Fortunei, andC. Palmetto, several of them laden with fruit, others just beginning to flower. To heighten the contrast, some tall plants of the red and yellow-striped Yucca have been mixed with them. The Phoenix dactylifera is the most common Palm in Portuguese gardens, and very often the traveller meets with some very tall specimens of it. There are at least a hundred strong plants in this garden, some of which, with very tall stems, were originally planted out as single plants, but they more frequently occur in groups of from between twenty to thirty specimens planted together. This species fruits here almost every year, but it seldom happens, except we get a very dry and hot summer, that the Dates ripen, and, even then, they are inferior to those imported from Africa. Phojuix rcclinata, from the Cape of Good Hope, is well represented here by fine plants, and its characteristic port. The recurved leaves recall to our memory the late Dr. Seemann's words — Ye bending Palms, that seem to look Pleased o'er your imago in the brook, .lapanesc plants, in general, do not seem to like the Lisbon climate ; and that is the case, too, with Rhapis flabelliformis, which, planted out here in different places, docs not seem ' to appreciate the privilege of growing in a royal garden. Though the Cycads are much less numerous here than the Palms (numbering, perhaps, only half-a-dozcn species), they April 4, 1874.] THE GARDEN. 293 excite just as mucli interest, and claim our admiration in no less a degree. First of all there is a most beautiful Dion edule, to "be noticed, showing far better health than any plants we have ever seen cultivated under glass. Only a few years ago. His Majesty had this Dion planted out in the open air, and the rapidity with which it has gi-own since then is somewhat prodigious. Quite in its neighbourhood we meet with an enormous trunk of Cycas revoluta with seven heads or crowns, of which two show the peculiar inflorescence, with a great many ripe seeds. There are at least a dozen veterans of this species at Necessidades, all imported trunks, not to speak of the many young plants obtained hei-e from seed. Pushing on, we make the aquaintance of more striking subjects ; first a splendid specimen plant of Cycas circinalis, from Malabar, then a stout Encephalartos horridus with a good many dark-coloured fronds, and at last a nice-looking species of Zamia. So we have hei-e, growing in the open air, CycadsfromJapan,Mexico, the Bast Indies,and the Capeof Good Hope. They are soon to be associated, let us venture to hope, with a few Australian species. What an interesting picture of the geographical distribution of this family, which seem to be well fitted for acclimatisation in southern Europe ! A few other Monocotyledons cannot be passed over in silence. The Bambusas are growing here just as luxuriantly and rapidly as in their native countries ; species in one par- ticular is of enormous height, and forms large tufts. But, per- haps, some of our readers would prefer to stop a little longer at a thick undergrowth of Bambusa nigra, in order to se- lect one of the sti'aight black and shining shoots for a walking - stick. These Bam- busas are grow- ing on the bor- ders of small artificial lakes, and are here and there mixed up with Cyperus, Papyrus, and several kinds of Hedychiums. These latter are not in flower at this time of the year, but they are covered with fruit, and the fleshy, red, shining seed-vessels ofl^er a nice contrast to the different shades of green. Strelitzia augusta is of great strength, and attains the height of a tall Musa ; House with ventilators in divisions (see p. 292). ii the other species, Strelitzia Eegina3 flourishes equally well here, and both flower abundantly every year. Dra- coBna Draco is a somewhat common plantin Lisbon, but in attaining such dimensions as in this garden, it always presents a most interesting and picturesque sight. Cor- dyline australis, DraWBua heliconi^folia, and some more of the Draoa3ua tribe, seem to be equally at home here, and one might suppose the same of a very old Testudinaria elephantipes. The tree, par excellence, in this garden is, perhaps, the Aran- caria excelsa, to be found here by hundreds, one might almost say, a great many of them showing stems of con- siderable height. But when this tree has attained a certain age, or, as it is, perhaps, more correct to say, has come to a certain hsight, it very often decreases in beauty and increases in stiffness. Very interesting it is to compare these species. Section of ventilator. which form large groups here, with the much less common Araucaria columnaris, of which we met with three really perfect specimens. There cannot be the slightest doubt that the latter, in showing a very compact and still very regular growth, is the finer of the two species. More than one good opportunity for comparison between allied species was pre- sented to us in this garden, and, certainly, if we examine the plantations in this way, they increase in variety and become still more instructive. Of Araucaria brasiliensis, there are here, as in other gardens of Portugal, very tall and fine trees ; this is, indeed, the most common species in the kingdom, and a good many cones, with perfect seed, are gathered from it every year. Araucaria Cookii and A. Cunninghamii are not forgotten, and are contending with the other species in rapid growth. Several kinds of Podocarpus and some plants of Thuja pendula may also claim special mention amongst the Coniferse., As Oranges, Citrons, and others of the Citron tribe, are so very common in this country, it is, perhaps, just as well not to mention themhere, but another genus belonging to Aurantiaceas, viz., Sclerostylis, of Blume, if we are not very much mistaken, is to be found in this garden, and certainly we shall watch it closely to see if it produces flowers and fruit. Another iute- restiug tropical fruit-tree is the Mangifera indica, which pro- mises to do well out-of-doors. The species of Aralias and Picus are so numerous in Necessidades, that a mere enumeration would be a diffi- cult task ; in- deed, theirnum- ber is legion. Both Aralias and Fie us thrive exceed- ingly well, and here, where they seem to have acquired their full size, one is well enabled to form an exact idea of the beauty and variety of their foliage. Other thick shrub- beries are made up of different kinds of Pitto- sporum and Myoporum, and, to avoid monotony, rich fiower- ing plants of Salvia involuorata, a few varieties of Lantanas, Plumbago capensis, Sparmannia africana, Adhatoda vasica, and a great many Eoses relieve the dark-coloured green foliage of the above-mentioned shrubs. Beautiful creepers cover the walls and, some- times, the trunks of some dead trees, left here on pur- pose. Long-flowered Solan- dras, with their almost leathery leaves, Rosa Bank- siaj, with very thick stems and whiteand yellow flowers, richly-coloured Passion- flowers, Tacsonias, and Bougainvilleeas, in three or four varieties, are the most prominent among them. Begonias, as they are employed licre, to border small walks, produce a very good effect, and Fuchsias, as well as Geraniums and Pelargoniums, cultivated for similar purposes, are very con- spicuous. Though glass-houses are not exactly required under the Lisbon climate, they are, nevertheless, wanted where plant- growing is extended over so many families from tropical countries as are found in Necessidades Gardens. A very long and, apparently, (juite new glass-house is destined for the cultivation of Pine-apples, of which there are a great many -Skfi-! 294 THE GARDEN. [Apkil 4, 1874 young and healthy plants, which promise to fruit next year. Some fine plants of Cocos nucifera, which gei-minated here, seem to live in suitable companionship with the Pines. But the most striking vegetation in this house is represented by a very strong plant of Vanilla aromatica, covering one of its long walls. This Vanilla produces abundance of flowers every year, and we are iu hopes, that it may, with a little artificial assistance, produce ripe fruits next year, an occurrence the more interesting, becauseit has not yet taken place in this country. The large conservatory, with cupola and gallery, contains some very choice plants, especially of Palms and Ferns. Among the former we noticed a very tall plant of Caryota urens, then fine specimens of Thrinax parviflora, Ohamasdoreas, and several Arecas and Cocos. A very valuable collection of plants arrived a short while ago from the Brazils, a present from His Majesty the Emperor of the Brazils to his royal cousin, King Don Fernando. Most of these plants had not suffered at all from the sea voyage, and some five or six big trunks of Lomaria imperialis, which have already pushed many young fronds, seemed to us the most valuable amongst them. A mere collection of rare and beautiful plants would not suffice to make this garden so attractive to the visitor if His Majesty had neglected or ignored the principal requirements of landscape-gardening, but here evei'ything is in its right place, and so we find a good exemplification of the union of science with a refined taste for scenery. From different points one may enjoy the loveliest views on the river and its opposite banks, and there are some vistas cut through groups of trees and shrubs, which really resemble fine paintings. The walks are laid down with elegance, kept in capital order, and very often bordered with thousands of Aloe latifolia, just now in full flower, and exhibiting, with their brilliant red spikes, a beautiful aspect. Some very nice artificial lakes, with undu- lating banks, and good pieces of rockery, produce still more variety, and, to give to the whole scene still more life, crowds of beautifully-coloured water-fowl add interest to the lake itself. We have almost finished our walk, let ns cast one more glance over this beautiful garden before leaving it. On our left there are the royal groups of Palms, straight before us our eyes meet with splendid Araucarias and not less splendid Magnolias, the branches of which are reaching to the ground, while on our right we have the magnificent Palace of Necessidades, the royal dwelling, so intimately connected with glorious and also sad events in the history of Portugal. Lisbon. Edmund Gokze. AN OEDINARY COTTAGE MADE BEAUTIFUL. TirosE who have not tried the experiment can scarcely imagine how the most prosaic forms of bricks and mortar may be made picturesque and tasteful at very small cost. The repulsive dreariness of the usual bare front of a modern labourer's cottage, with nothing to vary the aspect of its naked walls but the ugly scpiare openings of the windows and doors, may, with very little cost, a scintillation of taste, and a small modicum of outlay (scarcely more than a few shillings) be, in a single season, transformed into a picturesque rustic facade, positively attractive, instead of all but actually ugly. A porch should be the first addition, and a little bit of carpen- tering forming the roof, as shown in the annexed light, but spirited, little sketch, is the only matter requiring a trifling outlay. It should be supported on unbarked uprights, of any readily available wood ; four sticks of young Larch, from the thinning of an overcrowded plantation, being as good for the purpose as aTiything that can be suggested. A few ladder- like cross-liarrings should be added, and the foundation for an exquisitely pretty porch lias been successfully laid. Climb- ing plants are the next requisites. A pink China Rose, as flowering nearly all the year round, and its foliage being nearly evergreen, may be the first planted, for it possesses a never- fail- ing charm. It is so elegantly and daintily delicate both in flower and leaf, and yet dclics our most cruel frosts. It is one of those " things of beauty " which, as Keats has so poetically said, are " a joy for ever." There may be at its base the crimson dwarf of its own kith and kin, for the sake of contrast of colour. Two kinds of Clematis may next occupy posts of honour. On one side should be C. moutana, with its shower of snow-flake blossoms, and on the other the brilliant-flowered C. Jaokmanni, the huge and abundant drooping blossoms of which will servo in their season to surround our cottage-porch with a glory of purple flower-drapery, which no palace entrance could surpass in splendour. Then there may be dropped into the soil, in early April (but not too profusely) a few seeds of Convolvulus major, common climbing Tropasolum, and T. canariense. This combination will, in June, July, and August form a gorgeous mass of varied colour, which neither the plants of glowing tropical valleys nor the rarest of the exotic flowers luxuriating in the artificial heat of our palatial stoves can surpass. The crowning of our porch-roof with gracefully fantastic wreathings will arrange itself without aid, and with a wild grace and beauty that might have driven the designer of the Corinthian capital to despair; but care will be required to make the lower portion of our structure equal to its ci'owning cornice. The Grecian carver threw all his energy of device into the capital ; but our chief aim, if only for the charm of change, must be the base. Neither the Clematis nor the Rose give out either flowers or beautiful foliage near the lower portions of their stems. We have, therefore, to provide another and distinct source of ornamentation, and it shall be one even more beautiful than that formed by the Acanthus, which furnished the beauty-loving Greek with his charming device for the capitals of his elegantly-fluted columns. It shall be, on either side, a group of Perns, the most graceful fir -^i^P^-^^ 1 ) An ornamental cottapfe porch. of all the green carpetings with which Nature has clothed the eai'th. The few expressive touches of our sketch may serve to convey some idea of the graceful living base from which our rustic columns are made to spring. What a model for an architect of genius, who could combine such a hint with other fBsthetic requirements ! At the back of the porch, close to the cottage wall, and so as not to encroach upon the domain of the Rose and Clematis, a slow-growing Ivy may be added for the sake of its shining evergreen leaves ; and it should be one of the variegated kinds, perhaps, as they are none of them so profuse in growth, or so ambitious of taking the lead and smothering up their rival climbers as are their more rampant green congeners. About the windows the common green Ivy may 1)6 planted, if kept within bounds by occasional shearing. But such cropping should not extend to the top, in order that too much formality may be avoided, and also to afford an opportunity for the introduction of a China Rose or two, whose flowers, peeping out among the dark Ivy, which should bo left clustering about the eaves, will produce the most charming effect. I have often noticed examples of such a display of the delicate sea-shell pink of China Rose blossoms among the deep glossy green of the Ivy, and the combination never failed to l)e pleasing and highly picturesque. There might also bo a plant or two of the November and December- flowering yellow Jasmine, whose starlike flowers — brilliant as " patines of bright gold " — would sparkle among the sombre green of the Ivy at a time when the Rose-flowers are few April 4, 1874.] THE GAEDBN, 295 and far between ; and this effect, followed by the early scarlet flowers of a Cydonia japonica, which are produced in such profusion late in February and early in March, would carry on a display of floral colour till the season for the earliest China Koso-blooms to come round again. There should always be a narrow flower-border; even if there is no room for a small patch of flower garden in front, for there is always room for a narrow strip close to the wall, which should be so planted as always to present something fair to look upon. This is a very easy matter in the summer mouths, when numberless kinds of hardy annuals and perennials ai'e available ; but for late autumn, and the depth of winter, a little care and thought must be bestowed. The Anemone japonica, autumnal Crocus, and late Michael- mas Daisies, will carry on to December, when a large tuft of Christmas Eose on each side of the entrance will afford a gleam of brightness over a dreary period. There should also be groups of winter Aconites to follow, whose yellow flowers will warm up the pallor of the graceful Snowdrops, which must on no account be forgotten. These should be followed by red, blue, and white Hepaticas and clumps of one of Shakespeare's favourite flowers, the yellow Daffodil, " that take the winds of March with beauty ; " mauve and orange Crocuses will then begin to bloom, mingling their purple and gold with the rich tawney-browns of the Polyanthus, and the fresh pale yellow of the wild wood Primrose. After that, whole tribes of the good old-fashioned flowers of cottage-gardens l^egin to bloom in profusion ; and the gay colouring of the little strip of flower-border will then take care of itself. In this way the depressing bareness of the most formal and naked-looking cottage may be made absolutely attrac- tive, however humble its scale, or however unpromising its character; the dressing up of the bare door- way with a picturesque porch, similar to the one shown in the annexed sketch, being, of course, the most essential of the improve- H. N. H. EOPFEA FOR TYING PURPOSES. I HAVE used this, Grass I suppose I may call it, for tying both indoors and in the open air for some time ; and, for tying Peaches, Vines, plants, &c., I like it much ; but, if used under circumstances where it is constantly damp, it rots and drops to pieces, almost like tinder, in about three weeks. I may mention a case in point. About a month ago, I grafted a number of Maveohal Niel Roses on Manetti stocks in the way I have just described. When the grafts began to grow and they were lifted for potting, the Eoffea with which the grafts had been bound was completely decayed and dropped to pieces. Of course, I do not object to its use for this purpose on that account, as the plants were immediately potted in warm soil, and, the junction being covered, they felt no chock ; but, I mention it now, because I was surprised to see how thoroughly it had decayed in so short a time, whilst, in a dry place, it retains its strength for a long period. Twelve months' ago, I tied up a lot of heavy creepers with it on a lofty wall from 30 to 40 feet high, and, therefore, the ties had to sustain a considerable weight ; not one gave way, and they are now to all appearance sound. I have used it also in the Vineries, where, including the combined weight of fruit and wood, a strong material is necessary, and when the Vines were taken down tor cleaning, &c., the ties seemed perfectly sound. E. Hobday. Practical Uses of the Poet's Asphodel (A. ram.osus). — Everyone is familiar with the pretty white-flowered Asphodel of our gardens. In the south of Europe, and apparently on both sides of the basin of the Mediterranean, it is extremely abundant ; in times of scarcity its acrid fasciculated roots, after much boiling, have been eaten by the poor. In the Paris Exhibition of 1855, there were shown bottles of alcohol extracted from the Asphodel ; specimens of the residuum of the roots after being twice distilled ; paper, stuff from the stalks and leaves — card-paper and writing-papers of various qualities, manufactured fi-om the same, and mixed in various x'roportions with rags and common paper-stnff. The stalks and loaves contain a remarkably tenacious fibre, fine, strong, and flexible. The distillation of Asphodel root has been already pursued, and with considerable success, in Algeria; but the immense abundance of the plant in Tuscany, where it has hitherto been considered only a pernicious and most ineradicable weed, points to the advantage of endeavouring to turn it to account. — P. L. SllIMONDS. THE KITCHEN GARDEN. PREPARING AND SOWING ASPARAGUS BEDS. Now is the time to attend to this work ; fresh plantations may be formed, seeds sown, and winter coverings removed. Many sow the seeds where the plants are intended to remain, and, when up, thin them to the required distances apart ; but I think it better to sow them in lines, from 8 to 12 inches apart, in a well-manured bed, made on a warm south border, water- ing them iu dry weather, keeping down weeds, and stirring the ground amongst them occasionally with a hoe. Towards the end of autumn, when the tops have ripened, they should be removed, and a few inches of dung spread on the surface to protect the young crowns from frost. About the middle of the following March, the covering may be taken off, and by the 1st of April the young plants will be in good order for transplanting. In preparing a plot for this purpose, choose an open situation, free from trees or roots, and damp ground seems better suited for Asparagus than that which is too dry. About the 1st of November, the ground to be planted should be heavily manured and trenched two spades in depth ; the bottom of each trench should be forked up, and the dung carefully mixed with the soil iu the operation of trenching. A piece of ground, thus prepared, may now be manured with, at least, d inches of rotten dung, and trenched over again two spades deep as before ; but, this time, all the manure should be spread equally in the bottom of each trench. The width of the beds may be made a matter of convenience. Some grow their Asparagus in beds 2 feet wide, some in 4 feet, and others in 6-feet beds. Beds 7 feet wide, planted with three rows, with 2-feet alleys between the beds, answer every purpose. After the beds arc marked out, a line should be stretched from end to end, 10 inches from the outer edge ; the soil should then be cut down straight from the line with a spade, and thrown out towards the centre. The plants should then be carefully lifted with a fork, exposing the roots as little as possible, either to sun or air, and re-planted about a foot apart, spread- ing the roots regularly in the trench, and allowing the crowns to be about an inch below the surface. The first line being thus planted, the second should then be made in the centre of the bed, 14 inches from the first, each plant alternating with those in the first row, while in the third row they should stand opposite the first, thus alternating with those iu the centre row. After the planting has been finished, the beds should be carefully raked over and straightened up, when no further attention will be needed, except hoeing and weeding during the summer. As a winter-dressing, about 6 inches of rotten dung should be spread on the sm-facc, and the loose soil from the alleys should be spread over it. The latter can be raked back again previous to the plants starting into growth. The roughest of the covering should be removed about the begin- ning of March, but as much as possible of it should be care- fully forked into the beds. No cutting should bo done until at least the second year after planting ; as a rule, three years, indeed, should elapse before cutting commences, and, if vei'y large heads are wanted, four years. Jajies Mokiuson. Wotton Gardens, Aylesbury. NOTES AND QUESTIONS ON THE KITCHEN GARDEN. Chibbiug in Cabbages.— What can I do to prevent clubbing ? Our garden, which has been in cultivation about twenty years, ia frequently trenched and kept in a good state of cultivation. I have had gas-lime dug in in winter ; I have diiJped the mots of ray Cabbages in a mixture of soot, lime, and clay before transplanting them ; I have covered the roots with a mixture of burnt ashes and fresh soil; but nothing which I have done prevents clubbing. — R. Gallier, Edgehasfon. [See Mr. Baines's remarks on this subject in another column (p. 282). — Ed.] Depth, to Plant Peas.— Mr. F. R. Elliott gives an account, in the Gardeners Mnnthly, of some experiments performed fifteen yeai's ago to determine the best depth to plant Peas. IJuried 1 and 2 inches deep, they came up soon , bore early ; but did not last long. At 3 and 4 inches in depth, they came up three or four days later, did not bear quite so early ; but gave a heavier crop, and con- tinued for a longer time. At 5 and 6 inches depth, they appeared two or tliree daj-s latbr, gi-ew about aa vigorously as the others, and continued still later. At sand 10 inches, they were long in coming up, and did not produce so well. A few straggling feeble plants came up from 12 inch planting. Mr. Elliott thinks about i inches the most profitable depth in strong soils, and a little more in light soils. 296 w THE aARDBN. [AiRiL 4, 18?4. THE ARBORETU M. VIEGINIAN CEEEPERS. Of the species in cultivation the following are worthy of special mention : — Ampelopsis hederacea (Virginian Creeper). — This, which is found wild over a large portion of Canada and the United States, is a vigorous deciduous climber — reaching, sometime3, heights of from 40 to 50 feet — with large digitate leaves of a warm green colour in early summer, but changing on the approach of autumn to a bright red, giving the plant aVthat season a peculiarly grand appearance, amply compensating for its small inconspicuous flowers, which, being of a greenish-white, are not of themselves attractive. This shrub is one of the most ornamental of hardy climbers, unrivalled for cover- ing walls and houses, to which it clings closely and firmly with no other aid than that of its tendrils ; and that few plants withstand the smoke and dust of towns so well, is proved by the frequency with which it is to be seen growing, and even thriving, on windows and balconies in the most crowded thoroughfares, with no other soil than that afforded by a shallow box, or moderate-sized flower-pot. In order to keep it tidy, it should be trimmed or pruned annually, the best time for the operation being in spring, before in begins to grow. A. bipinnata (Two- winged Virginian Creeper). — This is another American deciduous species, found growing in similar situa. tions to the preceding. It has a much dwarfer habit of growth, rarely rising to greater heights than from 10 to 20 feet. The leaves are bipinnate, elegantly lobed, and assume that beautiful crimson tint in autumn so characteristic of the genus. For low walls and trellis screens, it is a most useful and handsome climber, and, like all the other species, not particular as to soil. A. Veitchii (Mr. Veitch's Ampelopsis). — This, the A. tricuspi- data of some writers, is a Japan deciduous species, first sent home to this countiy in 1864. Its habit of growth is much more slender than the American species, the leaves very small, varying in form from trifoliate to threo-lobed, of a bright reddish-green in summer, and changing in autumn to a rich shiny brown. It is a singularly elegant and distinct little plant, quite hardy and well-worthy of a prominent place on low garden-walls, screens, or, indeed, wherever a neat moderate-growing climber is to be desired. A dry light soil with a good proportion of well decomposed leaf-mould, or other vege- table matter, seems to suit it best, and the beautiful tints of its foliage are brought out to the greatest perfection when fully exposed to the sun. — -The Gardener. Holly from Seeds. — -Will you kindly tell me when to bow seeds of Holly, and what soil to sow them in ? if in a box or in an open border ? I gathered the seeds in January, and have kept them in silver-sand. — Subsckiijer. [As the seeds of the common Holly do not come up the first year, the berries are best mixed with dry earth in a large flower pot, and buried in the ground for a year ; but if the seeds are to be sown as soon as gathered, then the berries should be thrown into a tub of water and rubbed between the hands until the seeds are divested of the thick glutinous covering which surrounds them. The seeds should be sown either in the autumn or spring, in finely -prepared soil in beds in the open ground and covered about i of an inch deep ; and, if tho bods are covered with the fronds of Fern, they will protect the soil from heat and drought and greatly facilitate the progress of germination. The young plants will come up in June, and should not be disturbed for two years. — Ed.] The Monterey Cypress (Cupressus macrocarpa) . — I am glad you have directed attention to this Cypress, though I do not think the question is yet definitely settled as to the difference between it and C. Lambertiana. Some fifteen or twenty years ago, amoug the Conifers which were planted on Belvedere, near MuUingar, in Ireland, were some Cypresses sent as macrocarpa, and since called by this name. They are now very handsome trees, of considerable size, spreading like a Cedar, and rather dark in foliage. They have been, hitherto, quite hardy, transplant well, and are singularly fine and picturesque in character. At Koir, near Stirling, remarkable for the number of its Coniferous trees, are some Cyprcssus of the same age as mine. They are tall, columnar, handsome, and somewhat lighter in foliage than mine. They are known there as Lambertiana. I have had several Cypresses, described as macrocarpa, sent mo from different nurseries. Some were spreading, some columnar, but none equal to my own in vigour, colour, or constitution; indeed, I lost a dozen of them in ouo winter. If there are two trees so dissimilar in appearance as those called C. macracarpa and Lambertiana, springing from one species, and produced by seed, sometimes horizontal, sometimes upright, it is a very remarkable fact. But I cannot help suspecting that, whether my tree be Lamb;u-tiana or macrocarpa, it is not now a common tree ; that the true variety of tho Monterey Cypress is scarce, and that some other weaker and less hardy sort has been substituted for it. I do not think that the fact of the C. Law. soniana growing sometimes upright, sometimes spreading , is quite a case in point, as the character of the tree remains unaltered, and there is not the same dissimilarity of appearance which I have observed in the two forms of the Monterey Cypress — at least, there is quite sufficient ground for further inquiry on this subject. — Bkinslev Marlay. WORK FOE THE WEEK. Flower Garden. Spring flowers are now daily becoming so plentiful that herbaceous and shrubbery borders are getting quite attractive ; on lawns, too, are tufts of Crocuses, Snowdrops, Dog's-tooth Violets, and other favourite bulbous plants that annually spring up and unfold their beauties when once planted in such positions. They get cut down prematurely by the first turn of the scythe or lawn-mower, but the following year they spring up again, numerically increased, and with greater vigour than before. Under the wide-spreading canopy of large deciduous trees a spring carpet of white, yellow, and blue, furnished by early .blooming bulbs, is most desirable and pleasing, and in such a situation they thrive where not a vestige of Grass will grow. Only the commoner kinds, however, should be used in that manner, for the finer ones, if so treated, are apt to degenerate ; hence the necessity of a good position for them, where they can retain their foliage until the bulbs are properly matured, when the foliage may be cut over, and the surface of the ground carpeted with annuals or other shallow-rooting plants. Lawns should be swept, rolled, and, if necessary, mowed. Where they are covered with Moss it should be raked off, a top-dressing of finely-sifted soil applied, aud some Grass and white Clover seeds sown at the same time. The top- dressing should be equally spread, raked smoothly and level, aud then well rolled. Should the lawn be thinly covered with Grass, although free from Moss, a top-dressing of good soil with some guano mixed with it, and also a sprinkling of Grass and Clover seed will greatly renovate the turf ; before applying it, however, go over the surface with an iron.toothed rake, so that the old and new soils may the more readily unite ; soot, salt, or guano, applied alone in rainy weather, is also productive of excellent results. If the edges of lawns or Grass walks are well rolled before trimming them, that operation can be more neatly and accurately done. Turfing of lawns may still be performed, but the sooner such work is finished now the better will the Grass stand the summer's drought. In the absence of turf, seeds may be used, but in that case a long time elapses before a thick close carpet can be formed, and continuous attention in the way of mowing is requisite. Alterations in the flower-garden or pleasure-grounds may still be proceeded with. The planting of deciduous trees cannot, however, be too speedily finished now for a season ; evergreens may be transplanted later. Coniferous trees, as a rule, transplant very well in the spring time. In planting, pre- serve the roots as entire as possible, and do not bury them more deeply than is necessary ; stake such as require support. Instead of roughly filling in the soil, it should be well and carefully worked in amongst the roots with the hand, and a good soaking of water at planting time has also an excellent effect in settling the soil about the roots. Rose-planting should now be pro- ceeded with ; indeed, where the trees are grown on their own roots, this is a good season for trausplanting them. Roses in j general may now be pruned. A thinning of the shoots is sufficient i for strong-growing kinds, whilst some of the dwarfer and more com. pact sorts bear a severe shortening of the shoots with impunity. A good dressing of manure should now be forked into Rose beds or J borders. Transplant spring-flowering plants as occasion requires, I and dust some fresh air-slaked lime amongst them to keep off slugs. Transplant seedling Pansies, and pinch the tops out of old plants, to encourage the production of laterals and continuity of flowering. Transplant autumn-sown Mimuluses and annuals, such as Candytufts, Nemophila, and Eschscholtzia, where they are in bloom. Biennials, such as Rockets, Sweet Williams, Wallflowers, Hollyhocks, Canter- bury Bells, Foxgloves, Auchusas, &c., may also be similarly treated. Annuals for early flowering may be sown in light soils and in warm situations ; sow thinly, and thin out a little immediately after tho seeds germinate. Remove last year's shoots, if any, from herbaceous plants, aud give the borders in which they grow a good dressing of well-decayod manure. Overgrown specimens should bo lifted, divided, and transplanted either permanently or in nursery lines, as may be most convenient. Where mulchings of leaves, straw, or litter were placed around the necks of plants of Pampas Grass, Tritomas, &c., remove them gradually. The protection given to Jlyrtles, Loquats, Clematises, and all but hardy plants on walls, may now be partially, and, in mauy cases, wholly removed. Finish April 4, 1874.] THE GARDEN. 297 planting Box, Euonymua, SantoHna, Japanese Honeysuckle, and Ivy edgings. If any of these are turned out of pots, shake the soil from their roots, and spread the latter well out ; after such treatment they may remain stationary, or nearly so, for a few weeks, but when they begin to grow they will proceed with a vigour unknown to plants committed to the soil with matted roots. The golden-varie- gated Thyme is now popular as an edging plant, and deservedly so, for it is quite hardy ; old plants of it may now be lifted, divided, and transplanted permanently; any in pots subjected to an increased temperature will afford cuttings freely, and they will root as readily as Verbenas. An edging, formed by dividing old plants last autumn, has now scarcely a plant in it alive, whereas one formed in the same way alongside of it last spring has withstood the winter unscathed. Campanula carpatioa, Stachys lanata, Cheiranthus Marshalli, Cerastium, &c., make excellent edgings, and this is the right time for forming them. Bedding Plants. From greenhouse and other plant and fruit houses it may now be necessary to remove Pelargoniums into frames, in which they will keep perfectly well until bedding-out time. By keeping them in warm quarters, however, better supplies of cuttings are obtained. Proceed with the propagation of different subjects from seeds, cuttings, or division, as speedily as possible ; for, the stronger the plants are before they are planted out the better will they flower. Prick off, from the seed-pans into other pans or boxes. Lobelias, Wigandias, Petunias, Golden Feverfew, French and African Mari. golds, Amarantuses, Brachycome, &c. Sow some crimson-leaved Beet, for flower-garden purposes, in a very gentle heat or close pit. Pot off cuttings of all sorts as they become rooted ; and after they nave yielded up their tops for cuttings they may be placed in a position a little cooler than the propagating pit, unless a further supply is required. Re-pot autumn-propagated Pelargoniums, and place them in a close pit or frame for a time. Give them plenty of water, but do not allow them to be saturated so much as to generate damp. Prick into boxes of light soil, seedlings and leaf-cuttings or succulents, and keep them in a position near the glass. Put into frames 6 or 8 inches in depth of light soil ; pack it firmly and into it transplant the autumn cuttings of Verbenas, Ageratums, Lobelias, Calceolarias, Salvias, &c. ; from such a position they transplant with excellent roots. Similar frames are also extremely useful for Dahlias, for the roots, after being divided, may be planted iu them, 6 inches apart, or the roots may be started in a propagating pit or frame, and transplanted to these cold frames. Sweet Peas sown in pots and boxes should be removed to cold frames after they have germinated. Stocks, Asters, Marigolds, &c., may be sown in very gentle hot-heds, that are ventilated a little day and night, and shaded from sun, for after the plants have appeared they are extremely susceptible of damp. When large enough for being pricked out singly, prepare another frame in the same way for them, prick them thereon, shade well for a few days, and eventually completely expose them, but replace the sashes in showery weather or at night, when they may be tilted up. Instead of transplanting the Stocks and Asters in frames, a wall border with a south aspect will do equally well if a few sprigs of Broom or evergreen branches are stuck iu front of them ; indeed, seed of these plants may be sown out-of-doors in April with satis- factory results. Orchids. Sec that the plants are kept as free from insects as possible. White scale and a minute yellow thrips are their greatest enemies. The scale will thrive alike on those from the eastern or western hemisphere, on thick fleshy -leaved plants like Vandas, Saccolabinms, or Aerides, as well as on the thin leaves of Miltonias, Lycastes, and Dendrobes ; the thrips attack most frequently the thin.leaved plants, yet if allowed to get the upper hand they will do much mischief to the young leaves of Phalasnopsis, Saccolabinms, or Aerides. They usually secrete themselves down in the heart of the plants, where no amount of fumigation that can be used with safety appears to affect them. Continual syringing will keep them in check. Some growers object to sj'ringing overhead ; but, if it is done sufficiently early iu the morning to allow the plants to get dry before night, with a reduction of atmospheric moisture, no bad results will follow. For the eradication of scale nothing is more effectual than the sponge and a camel's hair brush carefully applied. Increase the tempera- ture 6' or 8^ by night, with 8' or 10° by day, according to the state of the weather. Shade with thin material during bright weather, yet never allow it to remain down when not required. Conservatories. These are now quite gay with early-blooming bulbous and other plants. Pots containing three or four Tulips, bordered with Club Moss, and set off in the centre with such Perns as Pteris serrulata, have a beautiful effect, and the same arrangement may with advan- tage be carried out in the case of Hyacinths. Forced shi-ubs are now particularly attractive, and should be mixed harmoniously with such plants as are not in flower ; amongst them are Lilacs white and purple, Weigelas, Eoses, Prunuses, Thorns white and scarlet, Spirsas, Dentzias, Acacias, &G. Cinerarias, Cyclamens, Zonal Pelargoniums, Chinese Primulas, Epacrises, Heaths, and Fuchsias, are also now in great beauty. Plants in general are making fresh growth, and, con. sequently, require more water. Prune and tie all that require such attention. Any that are in a backward condition in borders should be moved and have others put in their places. In planting from pots, loosen the ball of soil and spread out the roots, for, although this may occasion a little check for a time, the plants thrive better after, wards. All hard-wooded plants requiring re-potting should bo attended to at once, and afterwards kept for a time in the closest part of the conservatory. They should not be watered for some days after being potted, but the atmosphere should, if possible, be some- what damp. Climbers of various sorts should be thinned and tied, taking care in thinning to provide for a free display of flowers rather than a gross production of wood. Pines. Pay great attention to fruit swelling in all stages ; continue to allow an increase of heat by day and night, as the light increases. Maintain a kindly humidity, taking care to ventilate, but so as to avoid a draught. Give tepid clear manure-water to the roots, and syringe round the stems and over the plunging materials with the same. Some charcoal, laid about the surface of the plunging material, is also beneficial in absorbing and giving off gases and humidity. Take care that such fruits as have nearly finished swelling get neither bottom watering nor syringing about the stems ; and if they can be moved to a light dry situation, let it be done, in order to improve colour and flavour, and make room for others that may be starting. From those now in bloom withhold syringing for a short time till they set, and apply but moderate humidity. Give such Pines as are now starting into fruit every encouragement, in order that they may make a bold and strong appearance ; taking care, at the same time, not to stint them for water at the roots. Select for another batch the finest, fittest, ripe, well-grown plants, and place them together on a well-prepared moderate bottom-heat, to come into fruit in succession, and shift on other successions to replace them. In the case of succession plants, there must be no stand-still ; shift them on, as they require it, into good-sized well- drained pots, in which they are intended to fruit, using good, healthy, sweet, well-pulverised soil, charcoal, and soot. Place them on a moderate bottom-heat, increasing the atmospheric heat as light increases, which will also naturally raise the bottom-heat a little. Syringe freely now on fine afternoons, shutting up early. Maintain a kindly, humid, growing heat, and allow the plants to make full speed while there is light and heat. No check must be allowed, or splendid well-swelled fruit will not follow in succession at all seasons of the year. Starve or stagnate a young Pine plant, and it will never produce perfect fruit. Suckers, take off in succession as you clear away the fruit, and pot and start them immediately. Thus fine plants and noble well-swelled fruit will be the result. Push them along at full speed on a genial healthy bottom-heat in a humid atmosphere, well charged with ammonia, giving methodical syringings early on fine afternoons, airing freely iu order to fully maintain robustness and vigour throughout their progress, and never allowing a plant to get dry at the root, or pot-bound for lack of timely re-potting. Attention to little items like these cannot fail to end in complete success. Outdoor Fruit Department. April, the most uncertain month in the year, makes it necessary to devote more attention than most gardeners can give to preserve their fruit blossoms from its scathing power. Apricots, Peaches, and Nectai'ines, will want protection as soon as the blossoms show colour. Glass coverings are certainly cheapest and best where they can be had, and strong canvas the next where it can be rolled up and down, according to the weather. All nailing and pruning should be com. pleted as early iu the month as possible, for the blossom-buds of hardy fruit trees on the walls are swelling fast. Pears on the Quince stock are usually more advanced in their buds than those on the Pear stock. The time for grafting is earlier this year than usual, and grafts intended for using must be placed in the ground behind a north wall till wanted. There are often many worthless kinds of Apples aud Pears in collections, and the best way is to cut their heads off and graft them with good sorts. Goose- berry aud Currant bushes will soon have their foliage expanded, unless a check comes on, and protection of some kind may save a crop should there bo severe spring frosts. Fern leaves, dry hay, or Fir branches, will, if put on the top of the bushes on the appearance 298 THE GARDEN. [Apeil 4, 1874, of a severe night's frost often ailoi-d sufficient protection. Straw- berry plantations will now want dressing, and, if a slight covering of littery manure is spread over the beds, the foliage will grow through it, as well as the fiower-stalkg, and the straw will keep the fruit clean. The mild season has naturally brought all kinds of orchard.house trees grown in pots into bloom sooner than usual. If the pots have not been top-dressed in the autumn they should now be done so by making a rim of fresh cut turf round the edges of the pots with the grassy side down and filling the centre with some well-rotted cow or sheep dung. This will give fresh vigour to pot-trees which have not been re-potted tor years. Before the floweriug process commences, syringe with Gishurst Compound of the strength of three ounces in a gallon of water, and this will help to keep the trees free from mildew and aphis ; soft-soap dis- solved in water of the same strength is likewise an excellent cor- rective of mildew on Peach, Nectarine, and Cherry trees. As soon as the stoning process in the earliest Vinery commences, a steady night and day temperature miist be maintained. The thinning and stopping the shoots in the succession-houses will want frequent atteutiou ; and Muscats, when in flower, require a high temperature, 70' not being too high. To have this fine variety of Grape in the greatest porfection as regards colour and flavour, the forcing of it should be commenced in January or February if possible. The thin- ning the fruit in Peach-houses where too thick, aud tying the shoots down as they advance in growth, must be attended to. In the earliest Peach-house it is better to leave the fruit rather thick on the trees till the stoning is over, as some may drop off then. The temperature must be kept lower till the stoning is over, the inside borders being well watered. Figs, whether grown in the borders, tubs, or pots, will require liberal waterings and syringings overhead on fine clear days. Some liquid manure may likewise be given them occasionally until they begin to ripen. Cherries require to be kept in rather a low temperature when stoning ; from 50" to 55" will suit them. Air must be given freely in favourable weather. Sow now good batolies of Cucumber and Melon seeds for succession-crops, and keep the young plants in the seed-beds till strong enough to harden off. The Strawberry plants placed earliest in heat will now begin to be showing colour, and w'atering must be more sparingly given to improve the flavour. Keens' Seedling is, if from selected plants, perhaps, the best early-forcing Strawberry yet grown, and President is also very good for a second kind for succession. Kitetien Garden. A golden rule to be kept in mind in reference to the kitchen garden is, to sow little, often, and thiu. Thin out and otherwise attend to all growing crops. Trench every bit of ground as soon as it becomes vacant, casting it up rough and in ridges with a strong steel fork. Where necessary, give it a good dressing with manure or other compost, thoroughly incorporating it with the soil, as the trenching progresses. Care must, however, be taken, not to bring up too large a quantity of the sub-soil to the surface ; but it is of great importance to loosen it well every time at the bottom of the trenches. This allows water to run through it freely, and renders it pervious to air, which is so essential to the main- tenance of a healthy tilth. During mild showery weather slugs are sure to be troublesome, devouring, as they do, young vegetables, especially those in seed-beds. To prevent their ravages, sprinkle with fresh air-slaked lime. At this season saw-flies deposit their eggs on the young leaves of Gooseberries and Currants, andby-and- bye the caterpillars from these prove destructive to the crop. These may bo effectually got rid off by immediately applying a thick dusting of air-slaked lime, dry soot, and dry wood-ashes, on a mild morning when the bushes are moist with dew, or after rain; or, fail- ing the occurrence of moisture naturally, they may de damped with the garden engine or syringe. In this way, not only insects' eggs, but also Moss and Lichen, may bo got rid of, and a healthy, robust, dark green appearance given to the bushes and clean stems. The weather, during the last three weeks or so, has been favourable for cropping and seed-sowing ; and now, that "bright days have come again " these operations may be proceeded with. Should gaps appear amongst vegetable crops, they should be filled up from parts that are thickest., carefully preserving the roots and lifting with good balls, with a trowel in each hand. Every kind of crop may be successfully transplanted when in a young state by using hand trowels ; even tap.ruuted plants, such as Carrots, Parsnips, Beet, Parsley, &c., will withstand moving in this way whilst young, whilst pulling or taking up young plants, and dibbling them in with naked roots, will bo found to be attended with little success. As soon as young crops appear above ground, run a light hand scarifier or an open-toothed rake across the drills, to loosen and break the surface ; and, as soon as the rows cau Ijo distinguished, run a narrow Dutch hoe between them, so as to keep down weeds. SOCIETIES, EXHIBITIONS. &c. ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. April 1. This was a fair average meeting, the chief exhibitors being Messrs- George Paul, whose pot Hoses were in fine condition, healthy and well- bloomed ; Mr. B. S. WiUiams, who staged a miscellaneous coUectiou of stove plants and Orchids ; Messrs. Barr & Sugden, whose collection of cut Narcissi was a distinct feature ; Mr. Smith, of Worcester, who showed a dozen variegated Acers, supposed to be new, their elegantly cut leaves being of a fine golden tint blotched with green, others red and crimson. Messrs. Veitch also had a nice collection of Orchids, Clematis, and other decorative plants. Messrs. Veitch likewise staged Clematis Duchess of Edinburgh, a fine delicate lilac variety; and John Gould Veitch, a semi- double form of a soft bluish-hlac tint ; in thou- miscellaneous coUectiou we may note a new species of Masdevallia, somewhat resembUng M. civilis, aud, like that species, it has a disagreeable Stapelia-Uke odom* ; also a very distinct form of Oncidium fuscatum, with white and rosy- purple flowers ; and a fine basket of the new Hed Hose Duchess of Edin- burgh ; the new Anthurium floribimdum was staged in this collection, it has velvety-green leaves and inconspicuous white spathes. Mr. WiUiams had a very interesting coUectiou, including the new white variety of Anthurium Scherzerianum, here named WilUamsii; Ataccia cristata, with its sombre-looking bearded inflorescence ; Ornithidium coceineum, Oncidium longipes, a pretty golden-Upped variety, with dark brown sepals and petals. In addition to these were several showy Palms, Arads, and Amaryllis, the latter being very showy. A fine coUectiou of Roses, in pots, came from Mr. George Paul. These were perfect in leaf and flower, and formed a brUUant show of themselves. Among others we may mention Annie Laxtou, a fine purplish-rose ; Camille de Bernardin, a weU-known old favourite, most profusely flowered ; Duke of Edinburgh, a fine crimson-purple variety, with stout waxy foHage ; La France, fine silvery-rose; Dupuy Jamain, Princess Beatrice, and Cheshuut Hybrid, a most beautiful magenta-tinted rose ; and Etienne Levet, a large rosy-lUac of fine form, with round smooth petals. In addition to the pot Roses, Messrs. George Paul and Mr. H. Bennet both staged stands of cut Roses. Mr. Goddard again staged his seedling Cyclamens, Royal P\irple, Crimson Gem, and Rose Queen — for this coUectiou Mr. Goddard was deservedly awarded a cultural certificate ; and Messrs. J. Standish, Ascot, exhibited Cinerarias and early-flowering Pinks in good condition. Mr. R. Dean, of EaUng, had a group of spring-blooming Pansies and Polyanthus, very nicely bloomed. Messrs. Barr & Sugden staged a fine collection of spring-blooming Narcissi, correctly named, including forty-eight species and varieties. The Rev. W. KendaU, of East Sulworth, also staged a nice coUectiou, which would have been stiU more interesting if staged singly instead of being massed in groups. Mr. Woodbridge brought cut-specimens of Sterculia nohUis, and the deciduous sheaths of the Bamboo Cane from Syon House. Dr.J. Denny, Stoke Nevringtou, staged a blooming plant of his new seedUng Zonal Pelargonium, Imogene ; it was scarcely sufficiently advanced to judge of its truss, but the flowers are fine in form, with well-rounded petals, of a deep purplish-scarlet. Mr. J. Perkins, gardener to Lord Henniker, Thornton HaU, Suffolk, sent a fine stand of Marechal Niel Rose, of fine form, aud most beautifully coloured. J. S. Law, Esq., South Lodge, Enfield, sent two plants of Primula verticillata var sinensis, a free-growing plant, with jagged powdery leaves, and a verticUlate inflorescence of long-tubed pale-yellow flowers. Mr. E. Bennett brought pollen-bearing branches of Cupressua Lawsoniana, which were very beautiful. First-class Certificates were awarded to the following :— Boronia megastigma (Veitch). — A slender-growing plant bearing clusters of blossoms most deliciously perfumed. Cyclamen Rose Queen*{(joddard). — A fine rosy-viole!. form of this popular decorative plant. Cyclamen Royal Purple (Goddard). — A fine large purple-flowered form. Rose Duchess of Edinburgh (Bennet) . — A finely formed flower of a dclicalc rosy-lilac tint. Polyanthus purpureas (Dean), a deep purple form belonging to the fancy class, and a fine addition to a now popular group of hardy spring flowers. Amaryllis Orieflarae (Williams), a fine fully-expanded flower of a deep velvety-crimson colour ; very effective. Horticultural Swindlers. — Perhaps the most audacious hort cultural swindlers over known were those who for some time did a good business in France, having at one period a handsome shop in the Boulevard des C'apucines at Paris. Here they had the satisfaction of swindling a large number of the aristocracy, including the Princess Mathilde, aud various Marshals aud Generals. In 1851* they were at Cadiz, where one acted as master, and the other took the part of servant. After doing a good business they decamped, leaving their bills unpaid, and turned up next year at Seville. When finally turned out of France, they went through Germany and the North of Europe ; so lately as 18G!) they were represented at Berlin, and one of them held a shop at St. I'etersburgh. We read of their selling a common Gentian as the Victoria regia ; of Magnolia grandiflora with blue flowers j of Cherries, three of which went to the pound; of Pinks, with fourteen colours; and Pears with four distinct flavours. Best of all, however, was the " arc-en-ciel," or rainbow, which they managed to sell to an innocent shoemaker, who did not discover until it was too late that he had only received a common Fern in exchange for his money. This wonderful plant was to produce a blue flower, from which was to issue so brilliant a light that one could see to read and write by its rays at night without the aid of any further jllunii?iiiti<'n. Apiul 11, 1874] THE GARDEN. 299 THE GARDE ]N". " This is an art Which does mend natiu-e : change it rather : but . The Art itselp is Nature." — Shakespeare. EOSBS ALL THE TBAE EOUND. It is comparatively easy to adorn eaoli month of tlie year with some form of floral beanty, and, in this way to girdle the season round with flowers enough and to spare. Still, Eoses all the year round continue an exception rather than the rule. Only in gardens here and there is this feat of cultural skill attempted, and in comparatively few is it actually accom- plished. Many succeed in making Eoses almost as common, andeveu more lovely, by contrast, at least, in March than they are m June. But there is a dreary blank from November to February ui most gardens, hardly lighted up by one solitary Eose-bud ; and how few can say, even in the highest ranks, " My room has not been Eoseless for a dozen or more years." Is It possible to have an unbroken succession of Eoses ? No doubt it is ; for what one has done, others may accomplish. But what of the expense and appliances, number and character of houses, plants, &c., needed ? Nothing to be alarmed at. Of course space, plants, and certain conveniences are requisite; and, if one could command a Eosary under glass, properly warmed, the supply of Eoses all the year round would be made fasy. But, without that, and with a moderate supply of, say ^0, or 100, or 200 plants in pots, the year may be wreathed round with Eoses. For the purpose of an uninterrupted supply, no varieties are so useful as Tea Eoses ; and a few of the superior varieties of Noisettes on a back wall of a green- house, conservatory, glass corridor, or case, are invaluable for producing fine flowers when they are most wanted. For such purposes, Adam, Gloire de Diion, Safrano, Souvenir d'un Ami, and Madame Falcot, among the Teas ; Cehne Forestier, Lamarquo, Mare'chal Niel, and Solfaterre among Noisettes ; and Souvenir de la Malmaison among Bourbons, are among the best. By so pruning and treating these, sacrificing any amount of summer and early autumnal beauty, so as to have them showing blossom freely towards the end of September (the Marechal Niel much later, to throw flowers m January), Eoses may be had in the dead season, even in as low a temperature as from 40° to 45°; if more can be given up to .50° or .55°, there will be no difficulty. But the chief use of these Eoses in cool houses is to fill up the gap between stray flowers which come late in the open air, and those which may be tempted to open their buds by a hot- bath, or the genial air of a stove or forcing-house at work. The first batch of forced Eoses— perhaps the word forced should hardly be used in regard to these— for, rightly managed, they will be late rather than early Eoses, the produce of plants cut sharp m about the middle or end of September, placed in a warm sunny spot, till frost threatens, and then set under glass, with a forest of buds formed or forming. A very slight heat will suffice to develop these, and many of them can hardly have too cool a treatment. A greenhouse, or conservatory shelf, will suffice to unfold their late or early beauty from November to January. A few plants of the common or dark China Eose, and the beautiful flesh-coloured Mrs. Bosanquet, the flammg scarlet Cramoise Superieure, aud the old Bourbon Queen, as well as some of the hardiest of the Teas, are the most useful for this season. About the same time as these are placed m cool houses, towards the end of October or beginning of November, a batch of Tea Eoses, with plump dormant buds ready to break, and a full stream of sap prepared to bound through them, on the slightest application of more heat, should be introduced to the forcing-pit or an early Vinery or Peach-house about to start; or, lacking these, a cool stove or temperate house. These will progress rapidly in a temperature ranging from 45° to 55°, and will be m full beauty before the others have unfolded all their autumnal or winter buds. Beyond January the supply becomes easier. Towards the end of December, the first batch of hybrid perpetuals should be introduced. It may seem like a libel ou our new varieties, many of which force remarkably well, but let those who are bound to have plenty of Eoses, aud of colours that cannot fail to please, not neglect to provide a good stock of plants, for forcing, of those two fine old-fashioned Eoses, at once brilliant, sweet, and pro- fuse bloomers, Duchess of Sutherland and Baronne Prevost. It may almost seem hke presumption to pick and choose out of this magnificent class of hybrid perpetuals, but I venture to do so for the sake of beginners, whom the following varieties will not disappoint in forcing, viz., Alfred Colomb, Antoine Ducher, Auguste Mie, Beauty of Waltham, Charles Lefebvre, Dr. Aiidry, Due de Eohan, Dupuy Jamaiu, Eugene Appert, Exposition de Brie, General Jacqueminot, John Hopper, Jules Margottin, Le Ehone, Louise Peyronny, Madame Crapelet, Madame Julie Dm-au, Madame Vidot, Marie Baumann, Marie Eady, Pierre Netting, Senateur Vaisse, Victor Verdier, and Xavier Olibo. It will be observed that most of these are dark, bright coloured pink, or red varieties. The majority of Tea Eoses are yellow, orange, light, or fawn coloured ; and, as a considerable collection of these is an indispensable requisite to a continuous supply of Eoses, the brighter varieties of hybrid perpetuals are the more useful. Apart from this, the more delicate hybrid perpetual Eoses, such as Baroness Eothschild, La France, Madame Elvers, &c., never look so pure and charm- ing as when forced or grown under glass. Among Teas, Devoniensis is a host in itself, and Madame WiUermoz, Madame Margottin, Madame Bravy, Niphetos, Eubens, Sou- venir d'Elise, and Belle Lyonnaise, are all very good. Among summer Eoses, the common crested and white Bath Moss, the white and red Provence, Charles Lawson, Paul Eicaut, and Coupe d'Hebe are the best for forcing. None of these should be started till January or February, the later the better ; aud the Moss and Provence especially prove welcome additions to the other classes of Eoses. After the Eose harvest comes the critical period for the plants. If every year is to have its Eoses the plants must never be neglected. There must be no placing the early sorts out into the ruthless March winds as soon as the flowers are cut, no parching or starving during the summer through want of food and water ; no preying of insects upon their leaves, but each class of plants must have its special course of culture to fit them to fill their own niches in the Eose season of the next year. To this end all summer labour should be sacrificed, and all summer strength and force treasured up. A warm sheltered place out of doors during summer, with proper attention to potting, staking, training, pruning, feeding with top-dressings or liquid-manure, watering, and keeping scrupulously clean is all that the Eose will requu-e throughout the summer mouths. From the end of May to the end of October the outside Eoses may be trusted to keep up the supply of flowers, and those in pots or planted out under glass must furnish the other seven months of the year. Of course, with a house or two filled with Tea, Noisette, Bourbon, and China Eoses, a Eose harvest all the year would becomes a mere matter of skill in pruning or the application of heat and culture ; but, in pots, more forethought and higher skill are needed to accomplish the same end. A house for Tea Eoses, Mi-. Elvers says, to be enjoyable should be span-roofed, glazed with large squares of glass, the rafters light, and the roof fixed. Its dimensions should be as follows :— width, 14 feet ; height of sides, from 5 to 6 feet ; height to ridge, from 9 to 10 feet ; it should be ventilated at each side by shutters on hinges ; or sashes 18 inches wide; no roof ventilation is necessary. A nicely- gravelled path, 4 feet wide, should occupy the centre, and a border made on each side .5 feet wide. Bach border will hold three rows of Eose trees, which should be planted so as to form two banks of Eoses in this manner — the back row should be of low standards, 3 feet in height ; the middle row, standards, 2 feet 6 inches high ; and the row next the path, dwarf standards, 2 feet high. When the trees are in full foliage and flower, a perfect bank of beauty is formed ; for, owuig to the favourable climate, the trees grow with a vigour scarcely conceivable. Previous to planting, the borders should have a dressing of manure 6 inches thick, which should be well mixed with the soil to a depth of 2 feet. In a house of this description. Tea- scented Eoses will bloom beautifully from May to November ; but in spring and autumn — say in Maj and part of June, and again in September and October— they will be in the greatest perfection. In June, July, aud Augiist, the ventilators should be closed only to exclude violent winds. 300 THE GARDEN. [April 11, 1874. NOTES OP THE WEEK. On'e of the best siiecimens of the beautiful Dendrobium fimbriatum oculatum, perhaps, ever seen in this country is now in flower at Enville Hall. It is 6 feet in height, 4 feet in diameter, and is bearing sixty-four flower spikes, each averaging thirteen flowers. The latter are of a deep orange-yellow colour, the lip being much fringed, and having a deep crimson blotch in the centre. Sir James Mathesox, of Lewis, has just intimated to the Town Council of Dingwall, his intention of presenting that burgh with a field on his property to bo used as a public park, on condition that the council suitably enclose and embellish it. Sir James was, at one time. Mayor of Dingwall. — — ■ There is now a very large flowered form of Phalfenopsis grandiflora blooming in the Orchid-house at Kew. Its individual flowers are fully five inches across, and of peai'ly whiteness, with the exception of the yellow-blotched lip. This variety is the longest- petalled fornr of this beautiful plant that we remember to have seen, and, as it will be in bloom for some weeks, it is worth the inspection of cultivators. Hyacinths and other spring-flowering bulbs are now blooming freely on the Thames Embankment, and also in Hyde Park. These last few warm and bright days have served to brighten up the flowers of such plants a good deal, so much so, indeed, as to make one wish they were more plentiful. Not the least attractive feature in connec- tion with the Hyacinths is the grateful perfume diffused by them, especially in the evening. A PUBLIC meeting was held at 'Weston-super-Mare the other day, for the purpose of considering the formation of a public park and recreation grounds. The chairman, in explaining the object of the meeting, remarked that the glebe laud near the church was about to be let by auction, and as no other site was so available for a pleasure park, it would be desirable to secure it. The rector had expressed his willingness to let the land to a responsible person for such a pur- pose as that now proposed. He concluded by proposing, " That in the opinion of this meeting it is desirable that a pleasure park be formed for the benefit of the inhabitants and visitors of this town." This was seconded and cai'ried. A scheme for laying out the land and providing the necessary ornamental buildings, fences, and entrauces, will have to be procured. M. FAivREhas recently performed a series of experiments on the Mulberry, Hazel-nut, and Cherry Laurel, which ho considers goes far to prove the fact that the substances which supply the food of plants have an ascending motion in the bark. For this purpose he made perfect or imperfect annular incisions through the bark, or detached pieces of the bark, to which buds were attached, or removed entire cylinders of bark from the trunk. The result of the experi- ments was, that the buds always continued to develop when the com- munication remained uninterrupted with the lower portion of the trunk ; while, when this communication was completely destroyed, the buds invariably withered away. If the bud was separated by a perfect annular incision, it withered the moi'e slowly the greater its distance from the incision ; and in these cases the starch disappeared entirely from the portions of the wood above the incision between it and the bud. When entire cylinders of bark, with buds on them, were removed, the buds continued to develop, and even produced branches bearing leaves. In the Botanical ilarjazine, for April, we find figures of the following plants, viz. : — Colchicum Parkinsoni, a native of tho Greek Archipelago, and known in gardens as C. variegatum, C. tessellatnm, and C. agrippinum ; but it appears to differ from the true C. variegatum of Linnajus in its smaller size and more distinctly chequered or tessellated markings. This plant was originally figured and described by Parkinson, in his "Paradisus Terrestris," as long ago as 1029, where an excellent descrip- tion of it will bo found at page 150. The flowers are white, shaded with lilac and chequered with deep rose. Leaves about 0 inches long, i; inches broad, with revolute sinuous margins. — Beschorneria Tonelii, a Mexican plant, nearly related to tho Agaves, having smooth unarmed bright green recurved leaves, and a nodding spike of crimson-green tijjped flowers ; the ovaries are of a bright purple colour. — Acoiiitnm heterophyllnm, a native of the Himalayas, having coarsely-lobcd foliage and erect spikes or close panicles of greenish-yellow purple-tipped flowers. Although belonging to a well-known poisonous class, a preparation from this plant is extensively used as a tonic medicine throughout N. India. It is nearly allied to A. Napellus, a plant cultivated in cottage gardens in this country. — Panax sainbucifolius, a warm green, house plant from New South Wales and Victoria, having smooth green pinnate leaves, glaucus beneath, and terminal clusters of white berries the size of largo Peas. — Epidendrum criniforum, a native of Costa Ilica. This is a slender caulescent species, with stems 12 to 15 inches high, terminated by a cluster of yellow crimson-spotted flowers, having a curious tri-lobed lip, the lateral lobes of which are laciniate or fringed, the central lobe being subulate or awl-shaped. Rhopala Pohlii ; this plant belongs to a well-known group of free- growing Proteaceous plants, and is a native of Brazil. It is of erect habit, and has graoefnlly recurved pinnate foliage, like its oougeners, and axillary clusters of yellow flowers. The Council of tho Society of Arts has decided to offer a prize, consisting of a gold medal or twenty guineas, for the best essay " On the Cultivation and Manufacture of Indian Teas." The Belgique Horticole, for February, publishes a complete list of botanical gardens throughout the world, with the names of their curators and of the professors of botany at the different towns. In Switzerland there is a law, it is said, which compels every married couple to plant six trees immediately after the ceremony, and two on the birth of every child. They are planted on commons and near the roads, and being mostly fruit trees are both useful and ornamental. The number planted amounts to 10,000 annually. The Peruvian Commission have found, in Pabellon do Pica, over 6,000,000 tons of pure guano, containing a large proportion of ammonia ; in the Pant do Lobos, 2,000,000 tons ; in Thaniholas, 900,000 tons ; in Chanabeya, 150,000 tons, all of excellent quality ; at Patache, 125,000 tons ; and at PatiUos, 15,000 tons of inferior guano. • The rare and beautiful Oncidium concolor is now in flower in the Royal Exotic Nursery at Chelsea. Its flowers are of a clear golden-yellow colour, and are borne on a long drooping spike. This is one of the best Oncids in cultivation. In the same collection is also a fine mass of Utricularia montana in a hanging basket bearing forty fine spikes of from three to seven flower buds each. This is, we believe, the finest specimen of this plant hitherto grown in this country. The large American Aloe (Agave americana) in the succu- lent house at Kew, is now throwing up a flower-spike as thick as one's arm. The plant is a very fine specimen of its kind, measuring, as it does, fully 15 feet in diameter, and the rapid-growing spike has already reached the roof. When its large candelabriform arms shall have become fnlly-devcloped it will forma conspicuous object outside the house, for room will have to be made in the roof to allow them to escape. ■ The third number ot the Illustration Horticole contains coloured plates of Epidendrum Catillus (E. Imperator of gardens), a caulescent species having leafy stems 3 to 4 feet high, terminated by a cluster of reddish-crimson flowers. Like many other species of the same section, it continues to develop flowers for sovei'al mouths in succession — Dracaana Bellula is a slender-looking species, which if ot free growth will be valuable for decorative purposes. It has recurved green foliage shaded with purple beneath and margined with crimson. Aphelaudra Facinator — This is a stove plant of erect habit, having bright green leaves veined with broad silver bands above, and of a deep purple colour beneath. The flowers are of the most dazzling vermilion scarlet, and, contrast well with the leaves. It is one of the best plants in the whole group and comes from New Granada. During the past week we have noticed small specimens of the Cherimoyer of Peru (Anona Cherimolia), in Covent Garden Market. Several species of this genus are cultivated in tropical countries for the sake of their fruits. The Sour-sop of the West Indies is the fruit of A. muricata. It is of considerable size, often weighing upwards of 2 lbs. ; it is greenish and covered with prickles, the pulp is white, and has an agreeable slightly acid flavour. The Sweet-sop is the fruit of a tree, A. squamosa, native of the Malay Islands, but extensively cultivated in the East and West Indies. Tho common Custard Apple, or Bullock's Heart, is an eatable fruit pro. duced by A. reticulata, a native of tho West Indies, but cultivated iu the East Indies also. Its yellowish pulp is not so much relished as that of the other kinds. — ■ — It was auuounced at a recent meeting of the Academic dcs Sciences, that the methods adopted in the department of tho Hcrault for flooding the Vineyards with water strongly infil. trated with guano, has proved perfectly successful in destroying the Phylloxera, and arresting all traces of disease produced by its presence. It is reported that by the use of these guano floodings the most severely attacked plants have been restored to a healthy condi. tion in a very short period, and have exhibited their normal vigour and productiveness. Various experiments are at present being tried in tho department to ascertain the simplest and most efficacious method of employing the guano ; and also to tost the practicability of the schemes that liavo been proposed for destroying tho insect by the abstraction of the oxygen from tho surrounding medium ; but this process, although it may be feasible in theory, is besel; with almost insurmountable practical ditticulties when it has to be applied to widely extended areas. Apbil 11, 1874.] THE GARDEN. 301 THE INDOOR GARDEN- DICKSONIA SQUAEROSA. This is one of the most distinct of all the New Zealand Tree- Ferns, and one that on account of its moderate size, is well adapted for a small greenhouse or conservatory where head- room is limited. The plant is of rather slow growth, but does well ni a moderately cool house. Like its congeners, it grows best in a fresh, open, peaty compost, on a thoroughly well-drained bottom, but it must be liberally supplied with moisture, and does all the better if the trunks are syringed every day during the hottest of the summer weather. As shown in the accom- panying illustration, the plant is singular ia habit, its fronds diverging nearly horizontally with the trunk. One of the finest examples of this choice Fern is in the collection of O 0 Wrigley, Esq., of Bridge House, Bury, Lancashire. This plant IS V^ or 14. feet m height, and has a dense head of fine deep green fronds about 6 feet across. The fronds of this plant are very harsh to the touch, and, as the trunks are of a deep brown Dicksonia squarrosa. or black colour, they contrast well with the green colour of the fronds. It should be grown in every cool Fernery, and does best if planted out in a cool moist bed of fibrous peat and brick-rubbish. It is so distinct in habit from its congener, D. antarctica, that one would scarcely believe them related, except for the unmistakeable characters of near resemblance afforded by the fructification. B_ FUCHSIAS ANNUALLY FROM CUTTINGS. Fuchsias are such invaluable plants for conservatory decoration during the summer months that it is no wonder they are so much cultivated for that purpose. The graceful habit of growth of the plants, the profusion of bloom they yield, and their elegant blossoms, combine to render the Fuchsia one of the most popular plants cultivated in pots, and the immense quantities grown for market indicate a demand equal to the supply. It IS a mistake to suppose that a high temperature is absolutely necessary to produce good specimens of Fuchsias It IS, however, of use in pushing on into rapid growth plant."^, •which it IS necessary to make into large specimens at an early date, but it is not essential. Anyone having some bottom-heat at command m early spring, especially if it be iu the form of a small stove-house, can grow fine specimen Fuchsias : and even those who have a cold house simply, can form fine plants by August if they wdl give them the requisite attention. If I wanted fine specimen Fuchsias, say in July and August, I should prefer to have cuttings struck last August, and gromi on during the winter. It is, however, possible to have fine well-formed specimens by selecting cuttings from the earliest shoots m winter and spring put forth from the plants kept over from the previous season. The cuttings may be planted m a gentle hot-bed or m pans of sand over some bottom-heat, and they will be nicely rooted in the course of a week, and may then be potted into thumb-pots, using one half well deoom- posed leaf-mould and the other half a good virgin loam. bhitt the plants as the pots become filled with roots, and grow them on with all speed. The Fuchsia is a rapid-growing plant, and Its quick development is quite in keeping with a rude vigorous health. By the time the plants are 6 or 8 inches in length they may be removed to a warm part of a greenhouse, and kept watered and well syringed overhead in sunny warm weather. At this stage the leading shoots should be pinched out so as to induce a branching habit of growth, and in the course of three weeks or so all the other shoots should be pinched out except the leading one, which should be allowed to grow up tor 6 or 8 mohes, and then be again stopped, so as to keep the plant bushy at the bottom, and to induce it to form that handsome pyramidal shape, which is the most natural and fitting habit of growth for the Fuchsia. Let it be a pyramidal form, not a squat bush shape, which will some- times happen when the main shoot is pinched back too fre- quently. Supposing the season to be, at this stage of the growth of the plants, about the middle or end of April they must be syringed morning and evening, and the process ot re-potting must be continued as the plants advance iu growth; the points of any shoots which maybe growincr so strong as to endanger a symmetrical habit of growth mult be kept pinched in. Do not allow the sun to shine directly on the plants ; and, if the position of the house does not afford a shady spot in it, some shading should be extemporised A dry atmosphere will beget green fly, therefore, syringe occa- sionally accordmg to the state of the weather. Should the plants show any bloom, it is well to pick it off at this stage, to throw all the strength into the growth of the plant. Sup- posing the cultural process has been so far followed, it may be presumed the plants will be about 2 feet in height, and of a nice regular pyramid shape. If they are wanted for exhibition about the middle of June, the plants should not be shifted alter the farst week m May; the shoots should be allowed to grow, and the flowers to develop themselves freely; but stop- ping only sufficiently to maintain a symmetrical shape. If on the other hand, the plants are required not for show pur- poses, but simply for the decoration of the conservatory durino- summer the period of bloom may be retarded, so as to grow plants of a good size. If the plants are not too large to re-pot, another shift may be, given at the end of May. The house in which the plants are growing should have air given it ni<^ht and day, and the plants should be syringed four or five times a clay, to keep the house cool and moist, and prevent the gathering of blight. It is a good plan at this stage to cover the surhace of the pots with well decayed cow-manure to the depth of about 2 inches, forming it into a kind of circular trough round the rim of the pots ; and, on no account, must the plants be allowed to suffer for want of water. By attend- ing to these directions, the Fuchsias will carry good heads of bloom, and be invaluable for decorative effect. Is it woi-th while holding over the plants for a second years' bloom.'' ihis IS a question frequently asked by cultivators. My reply is, no, unless some very large plants are needed, the tact IS, fine young vigorous plants can be grown in one season from cuttings, and, when this can be done, it is hardly worth while to be troubled with wintering old plants. Not however, that it is difficult to winter them, but simply because cuttings make the best plants when properly grown. The old plants can be preserved through the winter by placing them under a greenhouse stage, or in any place where they they can be preserved from frost. The following fine varieties 302 THE GARDEN. [Apkil 11, 1874. ■would form a good collectiou ; they are all thoroughly approved sorts, which have been repeatedly tested : — Alpha, Avalanche (Henderson's), Arabella, Alexandrina, Delight, La Favorite, Noblesse, Starlight, Killiecraukie, Wave ol: Life, "Weeping Beauty, and White Perfection. E. D. LIBONIA PLORIBUNDA. This plant is a native of Brazil, and was first introduced into cultiva- tion about ten or twelve years since, by its discoverer Libon, after wbom it was named. It belongs to the natural family of the AcanthaceiB, aud forms a neat bush about 1^ or 2 feet high, with downy stems and branches, which are somewhat swollen at the joints. The leaves are small, oval-lance-shaped, opposite, of a fine glistening green on the upper surface, and whitish underneath. The flowers, which are very numerous, are tubular in shape, and of a scarlet colour, tipped with yellow at the mouth. They usually begin to appear in Jannai-y, and the plant continues to bloom until March or April. It requires the heat of a moderately warm plant-house, and thrives in a compost of sandy loam, leaf-mould, and heath-soil. It has been objected against this plant, that it ia very prone to shed its leaves unseasonably, and so becomes unsightly. This, however, may be avoided by keeping it in a steady equable temperature. If placed abruptly in a high tempera- ture, the leaves are sure to fall. The plant is easily multiplied by cuttings struck in heat. The following mode of culture, communi- cated by M. Bisson to the Revue Horticole, is stated by him to be perfectly successful in preventing the plants from losing their leaves : — " I strike my cuttings in spring ; when they are well- rooted, I plant them out, at distances of 7 or 8 inches in a well- drained bed, composed of half sand and half spent hot-bed material, and keep them covered with a frame until all danger from frost is over. I admit air by degrees, finally removing the frame altogether, and leaving the plants in the open air until the end of September, when I transplant them again into a bed of the same material, and cover them with a frame, under which I leave them for a month or six weeks, when I remove them to their permanent quarters in the plant-house, and find that they turn out equally well whether I place them in a warm house or a temperate one. Plants a year old, treated in the same way, succeed quite as well. I out them back and prune them in before planting. Begonia octopetala. — Of this a coloured plate has been issued, representing the flower to be white inside and red outside ; but, on referring to a figure of this plant published many years ago in the Botanical Magazine, I found that the flower was wholly white. The re-introducers, however, assert that their figure is correctly coloured, as described to them by their collector, who saw the plant in flower and sent them the tubers, and that the reason why the flower, as figured in the Botanical Magazine, is altogether white, like the white variety of Anemone japonica, is, that having been gi-own, by mistake, in a stove (which this plant in nowise required aud which ultimately had the effect of losing it altogether), the blossoms became bleached, and lost altogether the fine deep red under colour of petal, which they should normally have, as shown in Messrs. Froabel's plate. This, to my mind, seems a satisfactory explanation of the discrepancy. — • W. E. G., Junior Carlton Club. l^OTES AND QUESTIONS ON THE INDOOR GARDEN. Prunus triloba,— This is one of the best of sprinE-flowerin^ waU-shruba, beuriTi;?, as it does, perfect wreaths of double pink flowers. It is even more Ijoautiful than tlie double-flowered variety of P. sinensis, and, like that variety, is invaluable for pot-culture, either for cut flowers or for conservatory decora- tion, durinir the winter and spring months. It is sometimes called, in gardens, PruTiUft Lindleyana, — J. N. L. Melianthns major. —This is one of tbo most distinct of all half-hardy foliage-plants, and one well worth prowinf?, planted in a warm sandy border, whore it forms a noblo object. If planted under a south wall, and protected by a mulchinp of litter or duntr, it stands a moderately severe winter without injury, and comes up strtjntjly in sprinj^. As a sub-tropical plant, in sheltered positions, it is very effective. It is easily propagated by division. Grown as a climber or pillar-plant in a cool preenhouse or wintcr-i^arden, it makes a fine plniit, from 10 to 20 or more feet in lieitrht, clothed from bottom to top with lartie and handsome leaves.— J. H., Sj/denhom. Dendrobium Cambridgeannm.— This lovely Orchid is just now bloominfj in perfection at the nurseries of Mr. .lames Backhouse, York. TliouKb intro- dufcd from Assam more than twenty years fii^o, it hius always been cnnwidcred a ditlicult matter to bloom it well. The present Dendrobo has formed its leaves and flowers since tbo new year. It has been treated by Mr. Marshall in a hou.-;e, the temperature of which has varied from -W)" to CO*, and herein, probably, as Mr. Marshall thinks, is the secret of its throwing up its beautiful ppiko of bloom. The flowers are poldcn-oranj^e, expundint? above 3 inches in diameter. The Up, which is frint;ed and densely downy, has a large maroon blotch at its base, with paler pencillintrs below. The flowers rise in pairs from the nodes. The leaves of the plant are deep ffreen, with a delicate purplish edging. — Peieh I»cniiA.LD, llovhigham Lodge, York. THE FLOWER GARDEN. SAXIPEAGES. By J. 0. NIVEN, Botanic Gardens, Hull. The Crustaceous Group. Saxifraga calyciflora, of Lapeyrouse, an old Saxifrage mono- graphist, is, for reasons that I shall explain, so far preferable to that of Gonan, which Engler adopts under the title of S. media, that I do not hesitate to retain the older name. Not only does it claim priority on this score, but it has a more important speciality in the fact, that in the very name calyciflora we have embodied one of the most marked peculiarities of the species, and one in which, so far as my knowledge extends, it stands unique. Those who have seen this plant in bloom, or, rather, in the early stages of blooming development, will recognise at once what I mean ; but, as a large majority of my readers may not have had such an opportunity, seeing that the plant is somewhat rare, I must endeavour to explain more clearly what I mean. I do not think that any two adjectives will more perfectly describe the general appearance of the plant than to say that it is both hard and horny, in fact, a plant that a blind man could readily detect with his finger ends. Its rosettes are few in number, about an inch in diameter, each composed of a number of blunt-pointed spathulate leaves, of a grey colour, densely arranged in an imbricated or spiral fashion with perfect regularity, each leaf being reflexed at the point, and margined with a stiff smooth carti. laginous line. The first indication of bloom is presented by a rosy tint in the centre of one or more of these clusters of leaves, the rose gradually deepening into the most intense and lovely crimson. On close examination, it will be found that this development of colour originates in the glandular hairs that clothe the early floral leaves and the flower-stems, and cover the calyx also ; its beauty may be said to culminate just as the development of the inflorescence above the rosette commences. The petals ai'e small, more erect than expanded, and of a dirty yellowish-rose colour ; in fact, of so little importance are they to the beauty of the flower, that they might be absent altogether. Hence, I think, my readers will see that as the real beauty ot this plant lies in the developing inflorescence and the calyx, the specific name is essentially appropriate. It is a somewhat shy -growing plant, and not readily increased except by seeds. If grown in the rockery, it should be firmly wedged in its place by means of pieces of porous stone, as its root-hold appears to be rather slender ; the same remark will equally apply to it under pot culture. The seeds, which are produced tolerably freely, do not vegetate until the second season, and grow very slowly ; hence, it is advisable to remove the seedlings from the seed-pan, when very small, into a pot of fresh soil, else the Moss, which is almost sure to be developed, ia apt to rot them off just at the neck. This charming Saxifrage is a native of the Pyrenees and the Italian Alps, and occurs also in Greece, in a more slender form, known as S. calyciflora olympica. S. luteo-viridis. — In close relationship with the former species, but lacking the peculiar beauty of those crimson glandular hairs that I have described, this species so named, and most appropriately so, by Schott and Kotschy, possesses much smaller rosettes and so f ai' elongated that its leaf development extends along the densely-arranged branches ; small and hard in texture, the whole forming a dense compact mass, from which the flower-stems, clothed with numerous linear leaves and furnished with green glandular hairs, rise some 2 or 3 inches, each stem being terminated by a few flowers of a yellowish-green colour ; hence its sijccific name. The cultural remarks apply equally to this as to the last, except that luteo-viridis is rather a freer grower, and more readily increased by division, but still it is by no means a common plant in cultivation. It ia a native of the Caucasus and Armenian Mountains. S. csesia of Liunoons is a gem of the first water ; its height, as regards foliage, can only be measured by fractional parts of an inch ; its rosettes are about a quarter of an inch in diameter, beautifully arranged, like a microscopic bit of tesselated pavement, each so per. fcctly and evenly developed as to be an exact counterpart of its neighbour. The leaves are somewhat sharply pointed and recurved one on the other ; the beanty of their regular arrangement being enhanced by the minute specks of white crustaceous matter with which they are dottetl ; the flower-stems are erect, slender, covered with a dense dark glandular pubescence, and terminated by three to six pure white flower.s, of a development that must be looked upon as large, when compared with the rosettes from whence they spring ; they are produced in the month of July, thus extending the period of blooming in the Saxifrages even beyond Midsummer ; so beautiful, however, is the plant, independent of the flowers, that it would bo no harm even if they were omitted altogether. In cultivation, I find that a mixture of peat soil and silvor-sand, in a proportion of two-thirds of the former to one-third of the latter, with a few nodules of limestone April 11, 1874] THE GARDEN. 303 intermixed, suits it admirably; and, if planted in a rockery, this special provision, as regards soil, should be made, if success is to be attained ; in ordinary soil it turns sickly and yellow, and ultimately collapses. It has a wide geographical range, extending from the Pyrenees through the whole of the lower spurs of the central Em-opean Alps, where it is found growing in dense patches, firmly embedded in the crevices of limestone rocks. No collection of Saxi- frages should be considered complete till this desirable species is added to it. S. squarrosa. — If I have ascribed a beanty of a minute character, all the more beautiful on account of its minuteness, to the last-named species, I must characterise the present as microscopic. Harder and more woody in texture, its tiny rosettes consist of six or eight leaves, broad at the base, and somewhat deltoid in form, not recurved, as in the preceding, but more rigid and erect, each leaf towards the apex being margined with a few crustaceons markings ; so dwarf and dense, in fact, is this plant, that it might readily bo taken for some form of Lichen that, growing out of the stone, had become, in its structural character, assimilated to the stone itself. The first acquaintance I made with this plant was at Mr. Maw's last autumn, where nice patches were being established, and, indeed, appeared to have suffered nothing from a fortnight's confinement in the interior of a vasculnm while being conveyed from the Maritime Alps to the Severn valley. From its extreme minuteness, it is one of those plants that require the sharp eagle eye of a thorough botanical collector to detect ; hence, no doubt, the reason why it has not made its appearance in general cultivation before. Both squarrosa and ca3sia should have full and complete exposure, and thorough drainage, whether grown in the rockery or in pota ; if in the former, they ought to be placed at a height suflicient to bring them close under the eye, else their minute beauties are apt to be overlooked. S. valdensis of De CandoUe derives its specific name from the Valley of the Valdini, in the Savoy Alps, where the plants from which it was first described were found. This, along with the two following species, must be looked upon as connected with their more truly crustaceons brethren, by their hardness of texture rather than by any special markings, and also by the character of the flowers. The growth of our present species is as distinctly marked by irre- gularity in outline as that of the two previous species was by regularity. Its little fleshy grey leaves are arranged in tufted irregularly-branching rosettes ; their blunt points, crowned with a white tip, are erect and slightly expanding, the whole forming a com- pact dense mass, from the more prominent of whose rosettes arise the flower-stalks, to a height of about 2 inches, clothed with short glandular hairs, and crowned with three or four white flowers of great purity. It is a tolerably free grower, as compared with others of the hard horny type, and should always be provided with some mechanical means to give it a firm root-hold, such as small fragments of stone incorporated with the soil will always afford. S. diapensioides.— As its specific title indicates, bears a striking similitude to the charming little Diaponsia of northern latitudes. It is a species that has been in cultivation in this country for a good many years, but, owing to its remarkably slow growth and hard texture, it does not increase freely, in fact, the attempt at division is attended with great risk, so long as tho tuft retains its compactness, but occasionally it becomes naturally broken up. When it assumes this character, the process of division may be readily and safely accomplished. It has many character- istics in general appearance with valdensis, but its leaves are narrower, almost triquetrous, sharp-pointed, and its little rosettes appear to indulge in a lateral, rather than an erect, growth. Its flower-stems are about 2 inches in height, usually supporting three flowers each. The bracts are large, membranous, tipped with rose, and the stem and oaly.xes are suffused with the same tint, rendered beautifully soft in appearance by the glandular pubescence that accompanies it. The individual flowers are above a quarter of an inch in diameter ; they expand quite flat, and have an even and circular outline, the colour being pure white. The size of the flowers are in striking contrast to the diminutive growth of the plant. It is a native of the Maritime and Swiss and Tyrolean Alps. S. aretioides derives its specific title from its resemblance to the Primulaeeous genus Aretia, to which, both in the matter of foliage and the colour of the flowers it has a great similarity. In size about the same, and in hardness of texture also, it claims a close affinity to valdensis, but its leaves are narrower, more sharply pointed, and of a dark green, thus showing off to advantage the white crustaceons mark that occurs at the extremity of each tiny leaf. It is, however, in the flowers that the most important distinction rests ; these are yellow with the slightest tinge of green therein, and are usually produced solitary or in pairs, on a foot-stalk not more than an inch high. Like all the others, it is of but slow growth, a good- sized patch representing the growth of years ; it seeds pretty freely, but requires great attention to get the delicate little plantlets through the early stages of their development. Geographically speaking, it appears to be almost confined to the western and central Pyrenees, where it grows in considerable abundance. For many years S. sedoides was cultivated under this title, and, I believe, to Messrs. Backhouse belongs the credit for having first introduced us to the true plant. S. mutata of Linnaeus, and S. florulenta of Moretti, ought perhaps to have taken a position earlier on in the present group, but had I done so they would have made a break in the gradually diminishing series that I have enumerated from Cotyledon on the one hand to squarrosa on the other, so I thought it better to reserve them as the concluding species of the crustaceous section ; correctly speak, ing, they form a brace by themselves, possessing as they do a largely- developed cartilaginous margin, smooth in the former, and serrated in the latter, devoid of those white markings which constitute the all- important character of this group. Another peculiarity they have in common is, that however long it may take to acquire the necessary development of rosette, the process of flowering and ripening the seed is immediately followed by the death of the parent ; neither species appears to have any power of developing off-shoots from the base, thus giving them a somewhat biennial character; albeit I have a strong suspicion that in the case of florulenta, the preparatory stao-es before blooming may extend over ten or twelve, or even more, years, judging by the quantity of old decayed leaves that subtend the vitally active portion of the rosette. In the foregoing remarks, I think I have established suSicient grounds to justify myself in considering them as accessories rather than as actually belonging to this group. S. mutata has a great resemblance, in outward apjiearauce, to lingulata; the radical leaves are broader, and blunt, or, in fact, rounded at the point ; the rosette is more perfect in its form, and, prior to flowering, assumes a cup.shaped character ; the inflorescence rises to a height of 15 inches or more, is densely covered with glandular hairs through its whole extent ; the cauliue leaves aro abundant, gradually becoming narrower, and ultimately forming linear bracts through the entire inflorescence ; the petals are some- what narrow, of a yellowish-buff colour, scai-cely as long as the calycine segments ; the flowers are, however, dense and pyramidal in their arrangement, which adds much to the generally effective appearance of the plant. Seeing that the immortal Linnaeus has stood sponsor for the name, it will at once be patent that this species of Saxifrage is no modern introduction ; and yet, between the years 1850 and 1873, I have endeavoured in vain to get a plant of it. In the former year, I flowered a number of plants raised from Swiss seed ; in the latter, I flowered a plant that had come by chance — ■ a seedling, whence I know not ; but, after some three years' growth, it bloomed, and proved itself, as I suspected, the true mutata. It is not a little singular that a plant possessing, if not real beauty — at least all those elements of iuterest that will at once arrest the attention of even the casual observer — should, for such a long period, be almost unknown in this country, the more so, considering that it is by no means confined to a limited area in its natural locations, but is found abundantly on tho Pyrenees, the Alps, and, in fact, all the mountains of central Europe. Within the last five months, I have been called upon to name collections of plants brought home fi-om Switzerland by amateur tourists, and in every case this identical Saxifrage has been the most abundant form ; looking at it from a cultural point of view, it is a plant that requires, wheu in bloom, a free and abundant supply of moisture, without which the death of the plant occurs before the blooming process is complete, and, as a result, the seeds, thongh partially developed, are imperfect. Such was my case in the year 1850. S. florulenta. — Though found, named, and described by Moretti as collected by him in the Col de Madonna many years ,ago, has, till within the last two years, never got into cultivation, nor, indeed, is it to be met with even in herbaria. This is all the more astonish, ing, seeing that, in point of beauty, it is a far more desirable species than the former. The radical leaves of this plant are narrow and lanceolate, forming a dense rosette of considerable size, and, if I may judge by the number of old and decayed leaves that I have had to remove previous to potting some plants that came 'into my hands some two years ago, I think I cannot be far wrong in estimating their age at not much less than ten years, if not more ; the leaves have a smooth cartilaginous mai'gin towards the point, the base being lined with fine ciliatory serratures. The inflorescence, like the former species, is dense, and covered in all its parts with glandular hairs. The petals are of a rose colour, somewhat narrow, but, in the mass, presenting a very effective appearance, sufficient, at least, to dignify it, according to Moretti, as "a splendid plant." Knowing, as I have done, this species by description, I have often wondered how a plant, so markedly distinct, and, at the same time, effective should in these days of Alpine clubs and Alpine travellers, continue 304 THE GAEDEN. [Amil 11, 1874. to be known only by name. The mystery, however, was solved last autumn, when on a visit to Mr. Maw, of Beuthall Hall — ha had then just returned from a tour to the Maritime Alps laden with botanical spoils, and amongst these were numbers of plants of S. florulenta, varying in size from 2 to almost G inches in diameter of the rosettes ; these were from a new locality, or, I ought to say, new localities, having been collected in the Col du Fenestrelle and the Col du Cerise, to quote Mr. Maw's own words, " both near the watershed of the Maritime Alps, between the valleys of Lantosca and Valdini," whence then, it may be asked, arises the rarity of a plant that grows in abundance in a region tolerably well frequented by our tourists ? Mr. Maw's explanation at once solves this enigma. He informed me, that his attention was first attracted to masses of decayed leaves that lay scattered about on the loose snow that subtends the line of per. petnal snow ; on examining them, he found that they were the dead flower-stems of the plant he was in quest of — and, as the fact of their occurrence here, at once indicated that the plants mnst be looked for higher up — a scramble over the uninviting snow debris soon revealed the true habitat of florulenta; there it was, growing in abundance in the fissures that occur in the face of the perpendicular rocks, just below the permanent snow-line, and, of this fact, let the Saxifrage- grower make a special note, for if he wishes to succeed, he must take a lesson from the book of nature. This species will, I understand, be ficured in an early number of the Botanical Magazine, where, no doubt, it will be supplemented by some remarks from the pen of its discoverer, Mr. Maw. In thus completing the enumeration of the species that form the crustaceous group, I may state, that I have confined ray remarks to those only in cultivation ; there are many other species of equal beauty, which, at present, we know only by description ; but, with which, we trust, our Alpine tourist friends will, ere long, give ns an opportunity of forming a personal acquaintance. IRISES. Than the different species of Iris few plants are more beautifnl. " Irises of all hues," says Milton, and other writers have compared their colours to those of the rainbow. With the exception of the Rose, no flower has been more celebrated both by historians and poets than this genns of plants. It is also a great recommendation to the diiiereut species of Iris that, whilst some of them blossom early, others succeed them all through the earlier summer months, and onwards until July. Old writers dwell with delight on the rich and varied colours of the Iris, which they were anxious, like ourselves, to see flourishing in every garden, not only in borders but even in water ; for, says Scott — Where waves the Bulrush as the waters glide. The yellow flag-flowers deck the sunny side. and it is difficult to imagine an effect more agreeable to the eye than to see clumps of these yellow flowers reflected on the clear waters of our streams and ornamental lakes. Even in situations in which it mio-ht be desirable to keep the waters themselves free from aquatics, there can be no objection to having the banks beautified by yellow and purple Irises, provided they are planted in a natural a.nd tasteful wav, all appearance of art being concealed as much as possible. While the' yellow Iris may be set in the watei-, thepnrple sort should be placed on the bank by way of contrast — not in any regular way, however, but here and there in masses. In borders, the dwarfer kinds of Iris cannot fail to be attractive. The Persian Iris flowers as early as February and March, but it likes a sheltered border and a wai-m soil. Then there is the dwarf Iris (I. pumila), also a kind which flowers in spring, and coming, as it does, from the open hills of Austria and Hungary, it endures the inclemency of our winters without injury. For the decoration of rock-work, or for the margins of borders, this is a useful kind. It might be planted among I'rimroses, Narcissi, or other early-fiowering plants, among which it might be desirable to get a purple contrast. Of the singular and really beautiful Chalce- donian Iris (I. susiana), I have seen fine plants in flower in Covent Garden. Its flowers are very large, densely spotted, and striped with dark purple on a grey ground. This is a kind which has been cultivated in gardens over since the fifteenth century. Gerard tells us that it flourished well in his garden, being planted in ground that was not over wot. He also says that " the whole flower is the colour of a ginnie hen — a rare and beautiful flower to behold." The Florentine Iris is another desirable kind, which blooms early in May. Its flowers are white slightly tinged with blue, and it has a bright yellow bearerennial, the blossoms of which are borne in dense spikes nearly a foot long ; they are double, about U inches across, and bright blue, with a white eye in a pink setting. Grown well it cannot fail to be effective.— Ed.] Veratrum nigrum.— This old and well-known plant is now a conspicuous object oil one of the herbaceous borders at Kew. Its foliage is broad, and of a bright green colour, each leaf being folded or plaited, like ihe foliage of some Palms. These leaves are quite a foot long, and about 6 inches wide, and tho plant is now far more ornamental than later in the season when in bloom. Its hue fresh green leaves entitle it to a place in every herbaceous border, — B. J. The Bromelia-leaved Sea Holly (Eryngium bromeliEefolium).— This has stoodsoveral winters with me, tiill_\' cxpuscd, without shelti.-r o[ any kind, the foliage remaining green the wliolo winter, and this neighbourhood is not favourable to plants of a tender character. In the same border, and near it, is another plant generally regarded as tender, which also proves quite hardy here, viz., Leucociirpus alatus, but it does not fruit bo freely as when the roots are cramped in pots. It is, of course, cut down in the autumn, but breaks out vigorously again in tho spring. — J. M., Maickchurch, near Axminster, Devon, High-coloured Hybrid Primroses.— In the spring of 1872 I crossed tho mnuve-cnloured Primula altaica with P. vulgaris auriculseflora, and succeeded in raisiuj^ some seedlings, which have bloomed this spring for the first time.. My oljject was to get more colour into the P. altaica, and also infuse into the pro- geny the fine thrum-eyed centre characteristic of the i)oUen parent. The result has proved most satisfactory. In all the seedlings the flowers are very largo and stout, and of varying lines of rosy-violet, and in most cases thrum-eyed. These seedlings having been much admired, I have made other crosses this season, and hope to realise the best results from them. — R. D, April 11, 1874.] THE GAEDBN. 305 THE GARDEN IN THE HOUSE. OENAMENTAL PLANT STANDS. WuEKEVER plants are used for the decoration of the drawing- room or front hall, stands of some kind must bo employed, and, when well designed, they do much towards showing off the plants effectively. Wire stands show the pots very plainly through their sides, and, unless a pan is set inside them, the water runs through on to the carpet. The accom- panying is an illustration of a stand, which, when made of Tarnished Pino, harmonises well with the furniture of a drawing-room, library, or front hall, and sets oif the plants to advantage. The sides are neatly moulded, and made high enough to hide the pots in which the plants arc grown; and these sides, as well as the bottom, instead of being painted, are well coated with Japan vai'nish, which protects the wood and carpet ((uite as well as if a tray of lead or zinc were set inside. When plants are nicely arranged on stands such as this, the latter are far more orna- mental than those made of wire. In the arrangement, select a bold and effective plant for the centre, as, for instance, a Dracajua or a '•-Ficus, which always look well surrounded by Ferns, small Palms, Begonias, and trailing or gracefully drooping plants, as Tradescantia, Panicum variega- tum. Creeping Jenny (Lysim- aohia), or Selaginellas. For. edging these stands, either Festuca glauca or Isolepis (pygm.Tja) gracilis may be em- ployed, and always look well; or a few succulents may be added for the sake of variety. The Koyal Horticultui'al Society last j'ear ofl'ereil prizes foi' the best arranged plant stands of this description, and some nice arrangements were the result, but this year we hope to see still greater variety. It must be re- memljered that nearly as much depends on the shape of the stands as on the plants used, and it is easier to satisfy oueself when the stand is a pretty one, and shows off the plants well, than wlien we have to hide its uusightHuess as much as possible by means of the graceful forms of plants. In filling stands like the above, all crowding must be avoided, and as much variety obtained as possible, always re- membering to vary form as well as colour. During the early months of the year, they may be filled with spring flowers and bnlljs in pots, and, by the use of these, as they bloom in succession, a pleasing variety may be maintained for several weeks, and, with the addition of a few distinct Palms or graceful Ferns, will make very effective arrange- ments. B. the following manner. The foundation, if I may so call it, of the bouquets consisted of large bunches of Deutzias, not full blown, only in bud, and, through these were interspersed the other flowers just mentioned, the pink and blue coming out well against the white and green. On my return home, having several large plants of Deutzia in flower, I thought I would arrange a little stand myself. Not having a stand of the shape just referred to I selected a china hand holding a vase. Like my friend, I made the fonndation of Deutzias, but not having any of the other flowers named, I used in their places, Lily of the Valley, a few sprays of a rich purple-coloured Cineraria with a white centre, some leaves of Lady Plymouth Geranium, and three fronds of Maiden-hair Fern. This arrangement looked very effective by daylight, but I quite expected to see its beauty vanish when subjected to artificial light, as it is generally sup- posed that violet and mauve shades are ineffective, when placed under gas light. In this instance, I was however, agreeably surprised to find that the purple of the Cineraria looked, if any- thing, richer than when seen by daylight. I have seen a mauve- coloured Cyclamen look well by gas light, but I never for a moment supposed that the dark shade of the Cineraria would show up so well. As a rule, it is much better, when arranging flowers to select those that look well both by day and gas light, as one cannot have two sets of vases, and sometimes flowers that look well when being ar- ranged have a sadly different appearance under artificial light ; now, when summer is at hand, however, this matter becomes of less importance, as, of course, they will be seen nearly alto- gether by daylight. A small specimen glass which I sa^v the other day tilled with Lily of the Valley, Pinks, Hepaticas, and a few fronds of Maiden-hair Fern, had a fine effect. The Lily of the Valley was first placed in the glass, and arranged so as to droop round gracefully, dotted through it the Hepaticas and the Maiden-hair were so placed as to form a kind of fau of foliage at the back. A. Hassabd. U^ipcr Norivood. A uscl'ul riant Stand. SMALL VASES OP FLOWERS. A SHORT time ago, when paying a visit to a friend, I was struck with the arrangement of two small vases of flowers, which stood on a side table, and, being particularly efl'ective, I shall endeavour to describe them. The shape of the vases, if I may so term them, was that of the low-sized Hyacinth glasses, gold pattern on an opaque ground. Their contents consisted of Deutzias, Azaleas, sweet-scented Geranium leaves, pink Cape Heaths, and several bunches of blue Forget-me-nots, arranged in IMANTOPHYLLUM MINIATUM. One of your correspondents speaks of this as an excellent sub- ject for greenhouse or conserva- tory decoration, an observation with which I quite agree, and I may add that I have found it to be the best plant that has yet come under my notice for dwelling-room ornamentation. There are many plants which thrive moderately well in such positions during part of the season, and then require others to be substituted for them, while they are removed to more genial quarters, in order to re-establish themselves ; and there are others which succeed m such positions continuously, if well cared for ; but the Imanto- phyllnm miniatum grows and flowers beautifully indoors ; m fact, thrives with me under positive neglect. I have now a plant of it in a 32-sizcd pot, bearing eleven perfectly-formed flowers, as flneasany I ever saw produced by this plant, even m a greenhouse, and it has been in my house, in the same pot, eighteen months ; sometimes it has been without water two and tliree months together, and with dust enough on the foliage to kill most plants ; sometimes it has been on the floor between my I desk and the window, the window being 0 feet above it ; at other 306 THE GAEDEN. [April 11, 1874. times it has stood in a corner behind a door, where it got water only when some one took pity on it. Yet, in spite of all this, its foliage is iu perfect condition, and I now look npon the plant in my window as a real gem. Last season, at this time, I had a large plant of this Imantophyllum which, though simi- larly treated, thi-ew up six strong well-developed flower scapes, and opened its blossoms most satisfactorily. J. Ckouchek. Mounting Ferns — By taking a little trouble, pretty pictures may often be made out of many Feru fronds, considered useless in the greenhouse, or, at all events, by the use of a few which may be cut off, and never missed. After the Ferns have been removed, they should be dried between sheets of botanical drying paper ; even old newspapers or blotting paper will answer the parpose. Pre. Euming that a collection of dried Ferns is at hand, a sheet of nice cardboard should be procured ; some like white cardboard ; I prefer it slightly tinted, bat that is quite a matter of taste. The Ferns should then be laid lightly on it, and arranged in the form of a bouquet, or in whatever shape desired. The position of each Fern should be indicated before it is glued down, as, after that, it could not be well removed without marking the cardboard. Supposing the fronds to have been arranged according to taste, they should be lifted up again, and their backs should be glued with a fine brush, so as to make them stick to the paper. Should any gold or silver varieties be amongst those selected, they should be placed so as to show the colour of the under sides of the fronds. The light-coloured Moss, which is to be found growing on old trunks of trees, if inter, spersed through the Ferns, tends to give the arrangement a light and elegant appearance. A' wreath of Ferns, mounted in this way, has an effective appearance, if placed round or under a handsomely illuminated text. The fronds selected for mounting in this way should be those of small and light-looking varieties, as large and heavy.growing fronds would make a small arrangement of this description look heavy. In this way a capital book of reference on Ferns might be made up, each variety being mounted on a sheet of drawing.paper or cardboard, and the name of the variety, height of growth, native country, &o., written under the frond. It will be found astonishing how very quickly a collection of this kind can be got up, as single fronds are easily obtained. — A. Hassard, Upper Norwood. House Plants — Perhaps every one is not aware that the coldest place in a room, on a cloudy day or at night, is within a foot or so of the window, just where the plant-stand is stationed. All dwellings cannot be new, and new ones are not always proof against the insidious attacks of cold. In the old ones the windows become loose with the wear and tear of years ; there are cracks and crevices where a small current of cold air penetrates, and where the frost creeps in stealthily and seizes on the green leaves. To guard against this, I paste a narrow strip of paper (of a colour corresponding with the paint in the room) over every aperture that admits a passage for the air from without. The unsoiled margin of newspapers "is very good for this purpose, as the texture is light and thin, and adheres readily to the wood. Every one, I presume, does not kno^v what an amount of cold a thin piece of paper is capable of keeping out. Give it a trial and prove the fact, only do not select a cold freezing day for the business. It saves the trouble of moving the plants at night, and ensures their safety when the mercury drops low m the thermometer. Our climate is subject to sudden and unlooked- for changes, and often one night will destroy a whole winter's care, and ruin hopeful prospects, even as late as March, when we deem our security good. It is well to be prepared for these emergencies or caprices of our latitude. Some complain of their plants growing spindling and weak, and yielding no bloom. One fault is too high a temperature, with too much water, a portion of the time, during the day, and too low a one at night. When this is the case they grow sickly, and^wo hear the ofteu-repeated complaint, " I can't keep plants, they don t do well ; what do you do to yours ? " Ton want strong yet growthy plants to secure bloom and beauty. Every day, when I water, I turn my plants, and thus keep them oven and shapely, by allowing every side tho advantage of the sun. A slip will grow daring tho winter and become a largo flowering plant in a 4-inch pot, if judiciously watered and cared for. Eartlien jiots, without glaze, are best, as they are porous, and absorb superfluous moisture. Flowers in Sand.— ilany prcU.y little blossoms of hulbs ot Violcls, Prim- roses, anil other spr.ns (loHXT« haviiiK short stalks, will keep I'rosh for a long time, if each flower he piickcrl into ii saucer or plate of wet snnd. Tho Krcat n/lvantago of the sand over water useil in tho usual way is that each bloom remains in its place just where flxeil. I ahvayB keep a flat glass dish, flllccl as Btateil above, on my side-board, and as the flowers decay, I remove Ihem, and utick in a few more in their places.— N. T. O. T H E A RBOR E T U M. SPKING-FLOWERING SHRUBS. During the first warm days of spring, few objects are more effective than flowering trees and shrubs for brightening up our gardens and pleasure-grounds. No matter what natural advantages a garden may possess, it generally looks bare during the earlier portion of the year, mtless well stocked with early-flowering trees, shrubs, and flowers. These arc perma- nent in their character, and, if judiciously grouped with evergreens, they play an important part in making our gardens enjoyable during the first months of the year. We are acquainted with many large gardens which never look so well as in spring, when early-flowering shrubs are in bloom. Among those at present in flower we may allude more parti- cularly to the common Furze or Whin (Ulex europaeus), which is, at present, an object of great beauty on iriany of the commons and open places around London. It does best on a warm dry soil, fully exposed to the sun, and, when grown in such positions, it blooms all through the winter months, lighting up the margins of shrubberies or sloping banks with bright goldeii blossoms. In out-of-the-way places and on dry rocky banks few plants do better than this and its double-flowered variety. The single form is easily raised from seeds, which may be sown as soon as ripe in the places where the plants are to remain. Another yellow-blossomed plant, blooming at the same time as the Furze, is tho Golden Jessamine (J. nudiflorum), one of the prettiest of all wall plants, especially when associated with Ivy or other evergreen climbers, the foliage of which sets its flowers off to excellent advantage. Following the Jessamine we have Forsythia viridissima and F. suspensa, both of which are now blooraiog freely, either in the form of bush-plants iu the shrubberies or in the shape of trellis-plants. Some years ago I planted Forsythia suspensa and the red-flowering Currant (Ribes sanguiueum) alternately along a trelljs in my garden, and just now (April 5th) they form a perfect wall of bright rosy and yellow flowers, which contrast well with the fresh green leaf-buds that are now just bursting from their wintery coverings. The common purple Mezereon and its white-flowered form are also nice additions to spring-blooming shrubs, and even the common Spurge Laurel (Daphne Laureola) is a pretty object when thickly studded with light green sweet- scented flowers. Of all the hardy shrubs, however, worth a place in our gardens the foremost rank must be assigned to Magnolia Soulangeana, which is one of the finest of all of them. It blooms in March on a warm sunny wall, a. d gene- rally a fortnight later, if planted out on the open lawn. My plants are this year covered, with fine flowers, and, on passing the Wandsworth Road Station the other day I saw three specimens of this Magnolia covered with an abundant crop of purple-tinted sweetly-scented flowers. The latter are nearly as large as those of the white- flowered M. grandiflora, but this Magnolia differs from M. grandiflora in being deciduous, and its purple-tinted flowers arc borne before the leaves appear. For walls, one of the prettiest of all shrubs is Cydonia japonica, which is just now one mass of crimson blossoms. Its pale-coloured variety is well worth growing by way of change, and as wail-plants both kinds have few equals. One of the most distinct and beautiful of spring-flowering shrubs, however, is Berbcris Darwinii, which should occupy a place in every garden, however small. Just now, we have bushes of this Berberis literally laden with brilliant rich orange flowers, and its leaves, althougli small, are mtmerous, and of the deepest and most glossy green ira.nginable. Either as isolated specimens, or, as a hedgc-plaut, this Berberis deserves general cultivation. One of the best white-flower- ing shrubs wo have, and one which forms a charming companion to tho Berberis just named is the Laurnstinus, which is just now one mass of snowy blossoms in many gardens around London. Apart from its dwarf habit and profuse-flowering qualities when grown out of doors, it deserves to be largely grown for forcing purposes. Plants taken up from shrubbery borders, and potted in any good garden soil, form nice specimens for the conservatory during February and March, and its dense clusters of snow-white flowers come in usefully as cut bloom. Some ot the early- April 11, 1874.] THE GARDBN. 807 blooming Rhododeiidrous are now brightening up our gardens in warm sheltered localities, and the Almond trees are in most oases covered with flowers. Prunus triloba is a showy wall- plant, its branches being so thickly covered with little rosette- like pink flowers, that they may almost be likened to wreaths, beset with miniature pure white Roses. Its double-blossomed congener, too, P. sinensis, is, if possible, still more beautiful. Both may easily be grown in pots, and then form nice plants for conservatory decoration ; especially the last, the snowy flowers of which are very beautiful, either in button-holes or bouquets. Others might be enumerated; but these include the best and most generally useful of early-flowering hardy shrubs. B. SEA-SIDE PLANTING. In reply to " Salmouiceps's " observations in reference to this subject (see p. 271) , 1 beg to say that the three Conifers which he recommeuds have been tried in a stormy locality, and have been found wanting ; the whole of the plants died, as did most of those of Finns insignis, but it was not the stormy place that killed them so much as the clay soil in which they were planted, and which was too much for them. Conifers, in general, are not partial to strong blue clays, and, although they will thrive close down to the water's edge where the soil is light and sandy, they cut a sorry figure when the clay is such as it is at Greenhill, Weymouth. So much for the Conifers. Now, as to the Camellia. I only planted two of these as trial plants, and, when I last examined them, just after a storm, every leaf was intact, and they looked as hardy as Buckthorn close by them ; they were not in the least protected, and were purposely planted as near to the water, and as much exposed as possible. As to Escallonia and Mahonia, I found them all right, as well as Pioea pectinata and Nordmanniana, only this last had its leaves browned on the seaward side. I ought, perhaps, to have been more particular about Rhodo- dendrons, as I only tried R. hirsutum, which did well ; but, when I mentioned the above plants, I had iu my mind's eye a splendid group of them close by the sea at Bonrnemouth, where the soil is congenial to them ; and, whilst speaking of Bournemouth, I may mention a very large and handsome Camellia there, at least 10 feet high and nearly as much through, which seems quite at home in that quarter, and has been so for several years, within 100 yards of the sea. I, also, may mention some splendid Araucarias at Branksome Dale, where they are planted in large numbers within short distances of a stormy coast. Here, however, the soil suits them, and the blue clay may not continue to do so at Weymouth. As regards the Horse Chestnut, it was not planted at Greenhill ; but there are fine young trees of it, situated on high and stormy ground, at Rodwell, and exposed to the sou'westers across Chissel Beach. Beech, Sycamores, and Willows are, as your correspondent says, good sea-side trees ; and to theso I may add Hornbeam and Elder, and one of the most persistent sea-side plants is the common Bramble ; for light soils, too, I may mention Broom of various kinds, also Furze, the dwarf, the common, single, and its double variety. I think I have cow answered all " Salmouiceps's " objections, and I hope he will add to my list considerably, as he seems to have experience in regard to sea-coast planting. Perhaps Mr. Munro, at Clevelauds, Lyme Regis, would tell us how the Camellias do there. I know there used to be some good plants of them on that coast. John Scoii'. FIR TIMBER. Varieties of the Scotch Fir are to be found all over the Continent of Europe, and its great use in building has led to the development of a trade in it which was far from being anticipated a century ago. The high rate of duty charged thirty or forty years ago was against the true interests of commerce, and the vexatious hindrance to business inflicted by customs' regulations did much to discourage building. Wood was then bonded, and the duty paid as occasion arose. The result was a very great loss of time, and the speculations as to the lessening or increasing the tax consequent on the approach of every budget were a source of great disturbance and injury to the market. Entirely free from such disadv.antages, the trade in wood, especially of Fir, has assumed colossal proportions, and is increasing every year. Onega is the best description, being fine-grained, generally free from sap, durable, and easily worked, but its price is so high that it is not at all in general use. Archangel, though coarser iu grain, is more used, but not to such an extent as formerly, although it has not advanced iu price to the same extent as other wood. It is of a soft silky nature, and is also easily worked. The Maymax saw- mills send some very good samples to the market, and those requiring good quality and long lengths can be accommodated in this description of goods. St. Petersburgh wood is more largely used than Onega or Archangel, but the quality is not so good as it used to be twenty years ago, when Gromofii's shipments were in such great demand. The whitewood is much used in this market, and works very well. Wyburg is a very useful quality. The wood is close-grained, and, although cheaper, is often very difficult to dis- tinguish from St. Petersburgh, but, like all Russian goods, it has an often successful competitor in Swedish wood. It is more liable to sap and shakes than other Russian deals, but when free from theso defects no wood can he more useful for flooring, and most kinds of indoor work. Fredricksham is of similar description, and with the same may be classed Uleaborg, Tornea, Abo, and Bjorneborg. Riga white is extensively used. The grain is generally coarse, but the wood sound, and well spoken of for its utility. There are other timber ports in the Gnlf of Finland, but the differences in quality are not so striking as to call for special notice. Swedish wood has been attracting much attention of late years, and it is sent here from about forty ports. Gefle has been known in this country for many years, and it is a very durable and valuable wood. There is a family likeness amongst the products of all the other ports, which send us the same species of timber from all, the only variation iu quality being due to the difference in soil, and the generally favourable or unfavourable surroundings of the trees. Messrs. Dickson Brothers & Co. have a great repute as good shippers, and their shipments from Gothenburg, Holmsund, Husum, Swartwick, and Sundswall command very high prices. The latter deals are very good and easy to work, and are generally very free from knots and sap. The very high rates do not appear to affect the importations ; and the question is, whether they are not much too high to last. We get but few Prussian deals into the market ; but they are useful for carpenters or rough work, tho large knots and coarse grain rendering them unfit for auj'- thing else. Norway deals run of small scantling ; but much is of very good quality, such as Namsos, Laurvig, Vefsen, Dram, &c. The latter are principally 2i by 6|, and lately have turned out very well, and brought good prices; but, when they are bad, no wood can be worse. Sap, knots, wane, and shakes are then in abun- dance, so that even a firewood manufacturer would not be anxious to buy them. In square or balk timber Riga, Memel, and Dantzig are tho staple, but the first is scantily imported. Its great strength and durability make it very valuable for building purposes. Nothing can exceed the best qualities of Memel and Dantzig for cleanness, straightness of grain, and freedom from knots, but the great price restricts their use to a very great extent. The inferior qualities, especially of Dantzig, are, as might be expected, coarse and knotty, the knots in Dantzig especially being very large. There is much moro demand for Swedish, as it is much cheaper, although it does not run to such a great scantling. It is more like red Pine than is any other timber, and is frequently used as a substitute. It will bo seen from the foregoing remarks that we are largely dependent on Fir for building purposes, and that the state of the market, however unfavourable, causes no decrease in the imports. But year by year the expense is increased, as the wood has to be brought further, thus increasing tho free-on-board cost, although by no means to the extent that prices have advanced. NOTES AND QUESTIONS ON TREES AND SHRUBS. Flowering Currants as Standards. — Rihea sanguineum, now in full bloom, is grown effectively in this way in Mr. Rumsey's nursery, at Waltham Cross. The stems are 4J feet high, and the heads from 2 to 8 feet m circumference. Mixed with evergreens in shrubberies, such plants have a flne appearance. Ornamental Hedging.— We learn, from the New Tork Tribune, that in America tho Hemlock Spruce is the evergreen, par excellence, for ornamental hedging. Oomhinins;, as it does, all the excellencies of other species, it will, m addition, thrive ijeneath tho shade of trees, where most Conifers, except, perhaps, Yew, would fail. Berheris Darwinii.— This is now flowering freely in the Royal Gardens at Kew, where it forms neat little bushes a yard high, and nearly as much through. At this time of the year it is most attractive when covered with its bright glossy leaves and clusters of deep orange-yellow flowers. This I con- siderto bo one of the very best of all the Borberises, and in Devonshire I havo seen it flowering freely ail through the winter. — N. P. Berheris atropurpurea.— la this Barberry evergreen or is it deciduous ?— .1. II. [It is merely a variety of the common Barberry, with dark purple leaves. It bears a profusion of flowers, which are succeeded by berries of a dark colour, and of no groat beauty ; yet it should be in every collection, on accoimt of its hardiness, retaining, as it docs, its foliage for a considerable length of time during winter. — Ed.] Abies polita.— I have had a young Fir sent me under this name ; can you give me any information respecting it ?— J. S. [Among Conifers mtroduced from Japan', this is one of the handsomest. Its leaves, when full grown, aro long, cm-ved, and four-sided, broad at the base, gi-adually narrowing to a stifl' point, and of a pale green colour, with which the large, globose, reddish- brown bads form a striking contrast. It is said to be quite hardy m this country. — Ed.] 308 THE GARDEN. [ApfiiL 11, 1874. A HOLIDAY IN THE SOUTH. Br THE EDITOR. ITALY. He who -would see nature as well as art in Italy should go there in summer or in autumn. Summer is as great an improvement on winter on the slopes of the Apennines as on those ot the Alps. The trees are now bare, or carry dead leaves only ; the Grass, or what answers for it, is brown ; the mountain slopes, not snowed over, seem arid as the desert ; and, in much of the country, the only verdure noticeable is that of the Pines, dimly seen spotting the snow of the high ranges. Southwards, the grey Olive and the deep-green pointed Cypress soften the effect a little ; but, as a rule, there is little to be seen to give au idea of the great natural beauty of the country. An acre of mountain pasture over Lake Como or Maggiore, with Gentians, and mountain Primroses, and Cyclamens sparkling in the tender young Grass in June, is worth, to the eye, a hundred miles of Italy in March. It is the same with the fields and gardens — they are as bare as our own in January. The coujitry is iu many parts a vast Vine-trellis ; but the Vines are still asleep. The Fig and Mulberry plantations are bare as our own orchards. It is true you here and thei'e, going southwards, see the " golden apples " of the Orange in gardens ; but the tree looks a little delicate and pale, as if it ought to be sent to Florida, or Sicily, or Madeira for the good of its health. How different must all seem when the hill pastures are Iris-dyed with flowers, or when Grapes, Figs, and Melons abound in the gardens, and when the woods are dressed once more in green ! The first impression of the country, then, is not a favourable one, from the absence of a sufficiency of trees, even in the most populous and wealthy districts. The hill-sides are literally sown with villas in many parts ; but large, and often attractive, as these are, they add but little beauty to the country from being, for the most part, ungraoed by trees. Here and there, the feathery shafts of a grove of Cypresses, and, perhaps, a few other trees, are gi-ouped rovind a country house ; but, for the most part, the houses on the hills, even round Florence, look in winter like band-boxes scattered over a knoll of brown turf. Assuredly here men learned to " build stately " before they did to "garden finely!" Plant round these houses, in imagination, such tree ornaments as grace nearly every country house or villa in England, and we may picture a paradise indeed. The tree which first impresses the traveller in Italy, and mitigates the severity of his journey from the Alps to the south, is the Evergreen Cypress (Cupressus sempervireus). It is planted so frecjuently, and, no doubt, sows itself so often, that the country here and there reminds one of the mountains on the banks of the Hudson Iliver, and other parts of North America, that arc freely dotted over with the tapering columns of the Virginian Cedar. But, of all trees with a conical or taper- ing form, from the Irish Yew to the Lombardy Poplar, this Cypress has the most graceful port, the head often tapering as elegantly and as gradually as the young stem of a Bamboo. Tlie tree thrives freely in the southern and milder districts of England and Ireland, and should be more frequently planted and artistically used. Naples. It i.s sweet to one coming from the harsh north to this sunny city by the sea, to find Acacias inall the glory of their golden hair, free and in the open air with Camellias, Oleanders, the Loijuat, the Norfolk Island Pine, and, best ot all, with the Palm. Various Palms live out of doors here, but the Prince of all is the Date. I had no idea it was so beautiful, familiar as it is in every Palm-lionsc or winter-garden. The crowding in these houses, a7id perhaps the houses themselves, prevent the beauty of the plants fl-om being seen. I have been fortunate enough to sec numbers of plants which we cherish in our hothouses thriving fi-cely in the open air, and though the difference frer(ueiitlycauHedmetoform iiuiteafresh estimate of the plants, no old friend removed from tlie imprisonment of the conserva- tory to the freedom of tlie open air over seemed so greatly improved thereby. lint here I behold a stately shaft (often with little cree])ers and other plants rooted in the inter- stices where the old leaves have been removed), 15 to ?>0 feet high, and from it.s crest a fountain of superb leaves sweeping out into the sky — a thousand lines of beauty in one stately bouquet ! Let us imagine such a tree laden with its huge drooping chains of golden fruit, of which the desert- dweller makes his food, and we have an object which the highest cultivation in hot-houses can never present to us. Another well-known conservatory tree, the Norfolk Island Pine, and also Cook's Phie, are very beautiful when planted out-of-doors in a favourable climate, the peculiarly graceful habit of each being essentially distinct from anything among the Pines of the northern hemisphere. The cliffs that face the sea here, and the rock-onttings through many of the suburban gardens, are garnished by an ice-plant (Mesembryanthemum), which is (juite a treasure in a sunny land. It falls down in curtains from 6 to 15 feet long, forming wreaths and veils as graceful as ever woven by Ivy or Vine leaves, verdant at all seasons, and in early summer crowded with bright rosy stars. If the Mesembryanthemums grown in houses were allowed to hang down in like manner, they would prove valuable ornaments for gardens generally. The rocks are also covered iu many parts with Prickly Pear and the American Aloe, with here and there sweet-smelling tufts of the common Stock ; but, chief of all the beauties of this kind, are large isolated plants of the variegated American Aloe, forming colossal rosettes of green and gold. Where the Agaves crowd each other, as in hedges or wide ledges, they lose nearly all that marked character which they show when grown large and seen in small numbers. The Royal Gardens at Caserta. About an hour by rail from Naples — twenty miles of vineyards, by the way, are passed — there is a vast palace and a vast garden. It may be called the Versailles of Naples, though it differs in detail considerably. But the spirit is the same, a huge garden, not only without life, variety, or nature in it, but, with full precautions taken to shut these out. You enter through a huge royal palace, which seems admirably suited for accommodating several regiments of Life-Guards, when the scene depicted in the illustration meets the eye — the huge cascade facing a distant hill covered with Evergreen Oak. Good as the cut is, it can give little idea of the enormous length of these garden water-works, long and well-constructed stone reaches of deep clear water, broken here and there by falls, which are embellished by a rich display of sculpture and statuary. But, before reaching the water-works, we have to traverse a very large space, by habit called a garden, but which is simply a huge expanse of turf, on which stand clumps and squares, and avenues of trees. We have to appr^ ach these closely to see what they are composed of, for all are either clipped or mown, or in some way mutilated, till they lose all individual character, and merely form irregular walls of vegetation. Well, perhaps, we ought to be grateful for so much, but, at the very least, we may ask that such work may not be called gardening ! And, still less, does that term belong to the gigantic exhibition of the sculptor's and the builder's art, which succeeds this dreary expanse as one mounts the hill. Under one of the falls, there is a vast covered way, with well-constructed rocky walks and walls, and here the Maiden-hair Fern grows everywhere as freely as Meadow- Grass ; it even ventures out from the moist and shaded grottoes, and creeps into the eyes and ears of the spouting sea-monsters outside in the sun— the only trace of life or Nature near. The distressing effect of all this gradually passes away, for one of relief, as the base of the great irregular (but also artificial) cascade is reached, till tlie eye dwells happily on the hills around, densely garlanded with Evergreen Oak. All this kind of " ai-t " comes from allowing the space intended for a garden to be converted into an open-air gallery for the exhilaition of architecture, sculpture, &c., mostly of a mediocre, and often of a feeble or ridiculous, character. The clipped trees and shorn woods mainly serve to prevent the scene from having too startling a resemblance to a sculptor's show-yard. Such scenes may, perhaps, have some obscure ju.stification in the history of art, wholly, it is to be hoped, in showing us what to avoid in future. Let us not, however, delude ourselves into the belief, that, in creating such scenes, on either a large or small scale, we are making a garden. There is at Caserta, however, an example of one phase of real gardening, which, if the visitor is not AnuL 11, 1874] THE GARDEN. 309 310 THE GARDEN. [April 11, 1874. exhausted by the display just alluded to, will repay the visit. It is what is called the English garden, a large piece of diversified pleasure ground, with many trees allowed to assume their natural development. Towards the end o£ the last century this garden was planted, and with a very happy result. The great geometrical district, so to say, gives one an idea that the region is not a fertile one ; this is at once dispelled on entering the English garden. The Cedars, Cypresses, and deciduous trees have attained great size and beauty, and grow in stately groups, with open spaces between, so that their forms may be seen. Here is the first Camellia ever introduced into Italy, where the plant is now so abundantly grown, and whence we get most of our new varieties. It is a specimen of the smgle red,now in full bloom, and about 20feet high and 15 feet through. The Camphor tree is seen in fine health here, in specimens nearly 60 feet. By the way, as the Gum-tree is now being planted as a health-giver, why do not some of the country- men of Raspail— the great apostle of the virtues of camphor- try this tree in southern France ? The garden is enriched by some noble Cork trees which may give many visitors a fair idea of what a noble tree this Oak is when fully developed. The trees are huge in stem, picturesque in their branching, and about 80 feet high. Some of the scarcer Pines attain much perfection here, as, for example, the Mexican (P. Monte- zuma) which is 60 feet high. But, to English eyes, the most striking plant of the Pine tribe, is Podocarpus clongatus, one of a family which has found a place in our gardens of late years ; jt is about '2-5 feet high, and, in form, like a very slender Irish Yew, somewhat too open and thin, perhaps, but this may be accounted for by the position in which it grew being a sliaded one. It is likely some of this family, from their form, wdl prove very valuable in our gardens. Here are some remarkably fine specimens of the Stone Pine— the table-headed tree, which, after the Cypress, gives such a marked character to the landscape in many parts of Italy. lu the field, where the tree is cultivated both for its fruit and wood, it IS seldom very large, in consequence of the lower branches being continually cut for firewood. What is this seen through openings between the stems of dark Pines and Cypresses that fringe a glade — a large mound of light golden colour, _ startling in contrast to the vegetation around? It is a large tree, the silvery-leaved Acacia (A. dealbata), more than 40 feet through, about the same in height, and so full of blossom, that all its delicate silvery and exquisitely graceful leaves are buried in the foam of colour that has burst out all over the tree— a tree of gold ; but of gold wrought into aerial fineness of silken floss by the Weaver of the humming-bird's wing, and of the purple curtains of the skv. It seems odd to feel very chilly under a great-coat in a garden where such a tree flowers in a cold March ; but no doubt the great summer heat developes and ripens the tree so as to enable it to endure the subsequent cold of winter and spring. A Neapolitan Villa Garden. The hills round Naples have (juite a deciduous look in winter, and it is only in some of the villa gardens near the sea that one sees what the garden may be made here. Imagine a house on the rocks, directly over the margin of a little bay, with a zigzag drive down to it, between walls of rock on each side. These walls are curtained with Mescrabryanthemum, the plant falling in wreaths and sheets to a length of 18 feet; while, on the top of the rock, the American Aloe masses itself in groups. The precipitous nature of the site has caused the greatest difficulty in the making of the walks, Ac, while the ground has to be terraced like steps of stairs, so as to keep soil and plants in a level position, and also to give an oppor- tunity of watering them. High behind the house the cliffs rise, sheltering the garden from the north-east, and enclosing, as with a high wall, a miicli broken and diversified nook o rocky ground, wIhu'c the banks arc very steep, the Mcscm bryaiitliemuiii is jiricked over their surface, and soon forms a fresh sheet of green over the whole, and one unfading at all seasons. We have no plant that will cover dry banks so well and it IS a pity it is not hardy enough for colder countries, Here and there a superb jilant of the variegated American Aloe is seen— a colossal rosette of gold and green, from 8 to 10 feet in diameter. It is a pity such a strik- ing and easily-growu plant is not more frequently seen with us in a large state. JSTot less striking, when fully developed on a sunny ledge, is the Prickly Pear, which holds up its shield-like leaves to a height of 10 or 12 feet. Here and there a bright coral-red head of flowers enlivens the scene ; it is one of the common small Agaves, which we never think of growing for the beauty of their flowers ; though here, through- out the winter and spring months, they are as valuable as the Tritomas in England in the autumn. The ground is carpeted with two Wood Sorrels, a yellow and a crimson (0. cernua and O. spectabilis) ; the Tazetta Daffodil is wild in the Grass, and so is the Cyclamen on the bank. There has been frost here, but the dry soil and air saved the plants, and our graceful friend, the Ivy -leaved Geranium, falls — Ivy -like — 6 feet over the edges of the stone walls and rocks. Against a warm wall the giant Peruvian Cactus (Cereus peruvianus) attains a height of 30 feet, and the well-known Bonapartea (or Littasa) of our hot-houses bears a flower-spike 14 feet high. This stout and dark evergreen tree, with handsome leaves, is the Locust tree, and this graceful Reed in the fountain-basin the Papyrus plant of the Egyptians, on the pith of which books were written in the old times. On the small lawn there is a healthy plantation of Camellias of many kinds iu flower ; near it a grove of Oleanders and a plantation of the Loquat, while, of course, the many bright fruits on the Orange trees tell boldly iu the garden landscape. Here, too, is the Date, with its large tassels of orange fruit-stems, and the Fan Palm and the Cycag all lend their aid. Hei-e, too, are the Evergreen Cypresses, and various trees of our own gardens, and superb specimens of the Stone Pine, with its great spreading or tabular head. With all this variety from many climes it may be thought that the scene is of a higher beauty than an equally well-arranged one in our own gardens. This is not so. These Plumbago and Passion-flowers that curtain the rocks, do not do so more gracefully than climbing Roses or Virginian Creeper would, and the garden-products of a much cooler country tastefully combined, yield as good, or a better result. While the villa or royal palace here has its garden more or less attractive, there seems a total absence of the smaller kind of gardens which abound in England. Here, the lower-middle and work- ing classes live in huge barracks that stretch for miles around the bay, and are as dreary in aspect as so many factory walls. Two gardens, that of the Villa Matilda and La Floridiana, are of the above description and are among the most beautiful near Naples. The garden of the Prince Colonna-Stigliano is 'n the city itself, closed in by high walls, and very beautif ally a;-rauged in the recent French style, that is to say, with open spaces of Grass and no formal set of flower-beds anywhere. Here, admirable and rare specimens of such Palms as the Latanias, are isolated on the turf and relieved by a Tree-Fern (Alsophila australis), a tall plant with a few young ones of the same kind grouped round its base, grand trees of Eucal^'ptus, and many choice trees and shrubs. Here, a small structure built in the Orangery fashion is laid out as a very effective little winter- garden. Healthy and effective plants only are used instead of the miscellaneous rubbish which usually occurs in such struc- tures on the Continent. By throwing the plants into tastefully arranged groups and masses, sprinkling a few spring-flowers, like Hyacinths, Ac, towards the edge of each group, a very grace- ful effect is obtained, ijuite as good as that of a conservatory. There is, also, a long greenhouse arranged in the natural style, with winding walks and many fine-foliage plants, and the effect of this is also very charming. In fact, the whole garden is most tastefully disposed, and very suggestive of the best way to treat a city garden. Here it may be stated that the Aloe, which is such a conspicuous flower in Naples gardens, is A. vulgaris, and the Ice plant, which covers the dry slopes and hangs from the high rooks, is Mesembryanthemuin rubrocinctum. The Eoyal Botanic Gardens at Naples. A.v old-fashioned botanic garden, and certainly uglier than the Garden of Plants, at Paris, to which we have long given the palm in that way. A great central road-like walk, a few squares, the surrounding houses staring into the garden — that is all, except the plants. The whole place is about large and ornamental enough to afford a site for a burial ground for ArRiL n. 1874] rf THE GARDEN. 311 some small village or hamlet. This is, of course, speak- ing iu relation to the importance of the city, and to the good that a national garden, worthy of the name, would do for a country like this. Imagine what might be done in a suitable and sufficiently large site in a climate where the Date Palm and the Weeping Willow, the Orange and the Plum, the Oleander and the Cherry Laurel, the Acacia and the Hawthorn, the Camellia and the Rose, all flourish together in the same garden ! But it is the old story : a generous clime does not of itself make a good garden or gardener. Very often under a northern sky, and with much fewer kinds of plants, prettier garden pictures are produced than iu the finest climates. But, suppose we bring the northern gardener to the southern climate, and give him carte hlanckc. This is what might be done with great advantage in many southern gardens, where one of the most instructive arrangements in the botanic gardens is a collection of all the Orange tribe — from the delicate little Mandarin to the huge Shaddock. Though the trees fruit freely hero, they do not possess that glossy health which one likes to see in an. ever- green display ; and a climate a little warmer would seem to be desirable — if not for the ti'ees, at least for those who plant them. Sitting in the sun in a Neapolitan Orange-grove in winter is very pleasant, provided one is enveloped in several great- coats or blankets. The cold icy air that searches one through on ascending any eminence is quite a lesson to the Britisher who inno- cently supposes himself to have escaped, for a time, disagreeable weather. A noble looking tree, the Mexi- can Taxodium (T. mucro- natum), has attained a large size here. Like the well- known deciduous Cj'press, which attains such great size at Syon, and in other gardens, it is graceful iu foliage and stately in port ; but it is moreover, peculiarly graceful from the shoots being bent down by graceful tassels, composed of the small whip-like racemes of male flowers. This must be a most valuable tree for many countries. In March, at Naples, it retains its leaves ; but they are quite brown. The single Kerria (K. japonica), that is, the original form of the double Kerria seen on many cottage walls in England, is here in fine condition — a graceful shrub, with slender shoots, bearing many deep rich yellow flowers, like small single yellow Roses. It has merit enough to deserve a place in every garden. There is a fine specimen here of the horizontal, or spreading, form of the Evergreen Cypress, by no means so Taluable as the common form, though a valuable tree in its way. The finest tree in the garden is C. glauca var. pendula — a weeping tree, and a most picturesque one. It is finer than the Chinese Funeral Cypress, which does well hereabouts. The Plane tree thrives grandly I here, as it seems to do in every cold or temperate country. As another contribution to the already wearisome controversy as to the names of the Planes, it may bo stated that a noble avenue of trees here is labelled " Platanus acerifolia." It is the same as the London Plane ; but from the freer growth and the clearer air, the whole of the branches as well as the branchlets are nearly white, so that the effect when the trees are naked, as now, is very striking. A 2; ^.;^' curious pretty object occurs here, an accidental effect, in a house built like an Orangery, with glass and pillars in front, with a roof and back like an ordinary chamber. A plant of the creeping Fig is placed inside against one of the pillars. It runs up 20 feet or so, densely covering the pillar, then spreads over the white ceiling and down the back wall, of course, without any training whatever. The part of the roof noai'est the front is covered most densely, but beyond this, where the long thread-like shoots run over the roof and cross each other here, affixing leaves to the roof as they go along, the effect is marvellously pretty, as if some cunning artist had inlaid the roof with exquisite filagree work of enamel. One of the best of the yellow Wood-Sorrels (Oxalis ceruua), seems naturalised here, and is very pretty — amass of soft-golden flowers on a turf of trifoliate leaves. Two weeping trees arc seen here that seem valuable for all cool temperate climes, the so-called Pepper-tree (Schinus Mollo) and the Australian Beef-Wood (Casuarina), all the cord-like branchlets of which are gracefully pendulous. Some of the Casuarinas deserve, from their peculiar grace, a place in our conservatories. The Dasylirions, as yet somewhat uncommon in our gardens, are here planted out, and spread into superb rosettes of foliage. They seem as hardy as the Aloe- leaved Yucca (Y. Aloifolia), which here breaks into many stems, assumes a tree- like form and reaches 1.5 feet high or so ; it is never so graceful, however, as when confined to a single stem. The Gum-ti-ees, so much talked of, thrive here (but not so well as in California, where they grow beautifully), and the Loquat and the Oleander are at home. If the " fever-destroying tree " is wanted anywhere, it is in many of the malaria- haunted valleys of Italy. Here, too, occur good speci- mens of that singularly graceful Palm (Phoenix leonensis). It is valuable in consequence of being of a much dwarfer and more graceful character than the common Date, and better suited for winter-gardens and conservatories. The true Date, however, is the more stately in port. ■'^^imm^^^'''^'' 5^^VK"-~ Phoenix leonensis. Pompeii. A well-cultivated plain ; the peasants busy trimming the Vines; the air delicately scented with the odour of Bean- fields, in full bloom in March, a few big orchards and Stone Pines breaking the somewhat monotonous level of the field-culture ; southwards, and not distant, a broken range (the Mountains of St. Angelo) ; northwards, and near at hand, one stately moun- tain, with a cloud of steam at its apex, differing, apparently, ill no respect from an ordinary white cloud ! A little way off there is a long i-idge of what looks like broken whitish stone, to the further end of which a stream of boys, bearing baskets on their shoulders, are continually adding. We approach the spot, and are standing about 30 feet over the floors of the, as yet, unexcavatcd houses of Pompeii. Looking seawards, we see what appears to be the remains of the basement story of a city, the walls erect, the pavement of the long lonely streets smooth and bright. We descend, passing the boys hurrying up the slope, carrying pumice-rubble from a house hi course of excavation. On the wall of the upper storey there is a fresco painting, exposed to view a day or two since, after being bni-ied for eighteen hundred years, yet now fresh and distinct as 312 THE GARDEN. [Apeil 11, 1874. foliage on new wall-paper. At the base of the wall of the ground-floor, where only a small portion is as yet uncovered, there is a fresco painting of a plant like a wavy-leaved Aloe, and beside it one resembling the Chinese Iris. As we pass through many of the houses excavated in the present century, whose best treasures are now in the museum at; Naples, it is interesting to observe that paintings of plants occur all round the base of the walls, not only of what were the sitting-rooms, but, .also, in some cases, oi: the narrow passages and entrances. Invariably the upper portion of the wall is embellished with pictures of human life, or of human interest ; while below, on the space within 18 inches of the ground, portraits of plants may be distinctly traced, painted as if growing from the ground. Conventional drawings of plants also occur, but are much rarer than these. Since their exposure to the weather they appear to be fading too rapidly, but, doubtless, numerous paintings and engravings will perpetuate for all time, these, as well as all other details of discoveries so precious to humanity. Among the numbers of interesting objects found buried in Pompeii, none are of greater interest tlian the various kinds of seeds and fruits used as food. All have a black or charred look, and some have been pressed into a firm mass, but all are as per- fectly recognisable, by those who know the same kinds in a living state, as the perfectly-pi-eserved Walnuts. Among the seeds, are those of the Stone Pine, then, as now, used as food. It is now everywhere grown in the fields and gardens here both for the sake of its fruit and its wood. So it, doubtless, was on the same ground two thousand years ago. There is pretty good evidence that the ])ointed Cypress also occupied, ill those old days, the same place in Italian gardens as it does at present. In one of the landscape frescoes, on the walls here, there are good representations of two specimens of this tree, which, no doubt, was employed here in the " street of tombs," that most interesting of all burial-places. This, being wholly devoid of the horrors of the modern cemetery, containing, as it did, only the cinerary urns of the dead and their varied memo- rials, formed what was certainly the most beautiful street of the city. To this street of tombs the Goddess of the Woods returned once more with the sun, and planted a few Cypress seeds, which soon sent up their graceful forms, now, in their perennial verdure, mourning for the great of old beside what remains of their exquisitely-sculptured monuments. Even here, in this closely-built and strongly-walled cit3^ there seems, so far as the excavations have yet been carried out, no space for out-of-door gardens ; but many of the houses had a spacious court, open to the sky in the middle, with a colonnade all round, and a fountain and little garden in the centre. In one case (in the house of Meloager and Atalanta), the remains of many of the shrubs with which the garden was planted were found. In various instances, provision seems to have been made for the planting of flowers in the marble-work of the fountains, marble watei'-basins, and in the hollows of the wall which fills the inter-columniations in the elegant peristyle of the house of Narcissus. Most interesting of all, however, are tlie admirablearrangemcnts for a supjily of water in the gardens. Hero, ia the garden, or vu-'idarhim, of Marcus Lucretius, are many excellent strongly-constructed leaden water-pipes, now in perfect preservation ! In addition to the large pipe or main supply, and minor ones conveying water to the fountain, &c., the ends of pipes project from many of the pillars of the colonnade which surrounded the garden. Marcus Lucretius liad certainly conquered the difficulty of supplying his garden with water, and in a manner that many a nineteenth century gardener would envy. Those accustomed to complacently admire the " latest modern improvements " in the way of water-supply, may well open their eyes here, as these strong snake-like conduits show here and there beneath their feet in tlie street, and their bron/.e taps stand up as perfect as if placed in position last summer. Thus it is clear that these old "pagans" who conquered and civilised, and ruled and built, and fought like gods, had also gentle fancies for refine- ments, sometimes supposed to be the growth of a later time. Hut we must leave this silent city for the busy fields and gardens without touching on many of its unequalled sources of general interest, which show clearly enough that, so far as the social life of man is concerned, the two thousand years that have passed since Pompeii flourished, have effected little real improvement. Let us hope the next two thousand will prove a more fertile era for human progress. This towering Vesuvius almost deserves our gratitude for preserving so much from time and the barbarians. It is no friend to vegetation, however, as those trees could tell which are overtaken by a stream of lava. An English friend, who has lived here for years, tells me that he watched the progress of the last great eruption with much interest. As the high glowing stream of red-hot molten minerals slowly approached the trees, the branches of some kinds took fire, and blazed away a considerable time before the bole was touched by the slowly-moving mass ; the bole itself only blazed upon being broken and overthrown by the advancing wall of fire. As the lava takes three years to cool, it need hardly be remarked that the surface is still barren, yet the softer kinds of volcanic ejection, such as those which covered Pompeii, for example, soon crumble into deep and excellent earth. The low grounds round Vesuvius are fertile and well cultivated, as is nearly all the level country near Naples. Wo sometimes read of ground in the colonies being worn out and abandoned, and this in places only occupied by man for a few generations. Yet, here the same kind of culture has been carried on for, probably, not less than three thousand years, and the land seems capable of any amount of further culti- vation or improvement. So much for " wearing out." THE FRUIT GARDEN. GOOSBBBERY TREES TRAINED AS PYRAMIDS. By P. GRIEVE, Culford Gardens, Bury St. Edmunds.! The Gooseberry in both its rough and its smooth form is indi- genous to Britain, where it has been cultivated from time immemorial, and regarded as the most useful and wholesome of bush fruit. So much is this the case, that it may even be doubted, if it has yet received the amount of attention, to which its merits, as a wholesome and really delicious fruit entitle it. It is true that considerable interest is taken in its cultivation in some parts of the country, more particularly, perhaps, in the northern counties of England. StiU this attention would appear to have been directed more towards the increase of the weight and dimensions of certain favourite soi-ts, than in attempting to obtain varieties of superior quality or flavoui, or in the adoption of improved methods of culture. It is quite possible that this useful and esteemed fruit may attain to a greater degree of excellence in the more moist and cool atmosphere of the north or north-western portions of our island, than it does in the keen breezes of the eastern coun- ties, or even in the more favoured climate of the sunny south. It will, nevertheless, accommodate itself to, and succeed in, almost all varieties of soils and situations, and its culture is, cousc(|uently, universally adopted. The celebrated Lancashire show varieties of this fruit, arc admitted to be more remark- able for their great size and weight than for their fine flavour ; but, at the sanae time, there exists an almost infinite variety of sorts, many of which are of such excellent quality, that to improve upon them would be exceedingly dilRcult. As a really wholesome fruit, the Gooseberry must )je admitted to stand pre-eminent ; for, while it is frequently considered necessary to partake of other fruits, with something like caution, the Gooseberry, on the contrary, may generally be indulged in, to any reasonable extent, without apprehension of injury. And to those who have never eaten of this delicious fruit, direct from the bushes, in the comparatively cool atmosphere of an early August morning, there yet remains a treat in store, the enjoyment of ^Thich might form an incentive to the salubrious habit of early rising. The Gooseberry in all its varieties is generally cultivatedin the form of dwarf, flat, or squat bushes, and its motto may be said to bo Nemo me unpitne lacessit, and these circumstances render the operation of gathering the fruit, sometimes less agreeable than could be desired. But the method of culture which I am about to describe, will, if adopted, to a very considerable extent ameliorate this evil. The system has been practised here, during many years ; and this, or something similar to it, may also have been followed in other garden establishments, so lihat it is by no means recommended as a novelty. But as it still con- Apkil 11, 1874] THE GARDEN. 313 tinues to attract the attention, as well as to meet the approval of the generality of visitors, I will endeavour, in as few ■words as possible, to describe it, and may, in the first place, say that in forming a plantation of pyramidal Goose- berry trees, such as I am about to recommend, it is necessary, in the first instance, that the piece of ground selected for it should receive every necessary attention, such as draining (if I'equired), deep trenching, liberal manuring, &c. ; and, if the soil is of a light or sandy nature, a good dressing of clay would be found to have a very beneficial effect. For, although, as has already been said, the Goose- berry will suc- ceed well in almost all sorts of soils, still it must be borne in mind that this crop differs con- siderably from the ordinary annual and bi- ennial crops of the garden. In- asmuch as these trees or bushes will, in all pro- bability, occupy their position for many years, and although fertilis- ing materials can, from time to time, be sup- pUed to the soil, as may seem necessary, it is, nevertheless, ad- visable to have the soil in good condition when the plantation is formed. This preparation of the soil should be attended to at as early a period of the autumn as possible, in order that it may have time to settle, before the trees are planted, which should be done not later than the middle of December ; and, if earlier, so much the better. Supposing the site for this plan- tation to be in readiness, let lines be ' drawn upon it, north and south, at a distance of 6j feet from each other, and intersect these lines by others, running east and west, and at the same distance apart, viz., 65 feet. Proceed to get ready the necessary number of strong straight Larch poles or stakes, which should be some 12 or 14 inches in circumference at the larger end, and about 8j feet in length ; they should be sharpened at the larger ends, which are intended to bo driven into the soil. But, before this is done, about 2 feet of the end intended to be so used should be well charred Ijy being held over a fire; or the ends of the stakes may, to that depth, Trees destroyed by lava (see p. 312). be dipped in boiling pitch. The object, in either case, being to render the portion of the stakes driven into the soil, as far as possible, impervious to moisture, and to be thereby rendered more durable ; and this charring or coat- ing with hot pitch should extend to at least 6 inches above the surface of the soil, where decay is most likely to take place. The sharpened ends of the stakes should now be driven into the soil, at the points where the lines intersect each other, taking care to keep them in an upright position, and rendered steady by having the soil firmly rammed around them. Each pole or stake should stand ex- actly 7 feet above the level of the soil. This height is necessary in order to give sufficient head- room, as will be forthwith ex- plained. It is not unlikely that the difficulty of obtaining Larch or other stakes for this purpose may, in some in- stances, be con- sidered an insu- perable objection to this pyramidal system of train- ing the Goose- berry. But, in almost all wood- land districts, little, if any, diffi- culty need be ex- perienced in pro- curing the thin- nings of Larch plantations; and, in all localities they may, no doubt, be ob- tained at a mode- rate cost, say from 3d. to 6d. each, according to size, &c. It should be re- membered that, with proper care in charring or coating the lower ends with pitch, or some similar material, they will last, without further trouble or expense, for at least ten or fifteen years. When they have been all properly fixed in the soil, they will be found tostandat a distance of 6 feet 6 inches from each other, and should also be 7 feet in height. A moderately strong galvanised wire should now be made to extend from the top of one stake to that of another, and should bo secured to the central part of the same by a strong iron staple, which should be made to secure both wu'cs — that is, that which extends from north to south, as well as that which stretches from east to west. When this has been done, the top of the stake should be thickly coated with pitch, which, by excluding air and moisture, will for a long period prevent decay, and also prevent the staples which 314 THE GARDEN. [April 11, 1874 hold the wires iu their position from becoming loose. But the fixing of these wires may, if desired, be deferred for at least two seasons after the plantation has been formed, as that time, at least, will elapse before the plants can reach to the top of the stakes. It is, however, advisable to fix the wires as soon as the stakes are inserted in the soil, as they tend to keep them in their pi-oper form, and prevent the possibility of their being loosened by high winds, or other causes. Should wire be considered as too expensive to be used for this purpose, strong tarred cord or line may be substituted for it, which could be renewed when worn out. But it is obvious that wire is the most satisfactory material to use for the purpose, although more expensive in the first instance. The plants used to form this plantation shoiild have been struck from cuttings in the usual way, and should each have four leading shoots or branches. They should be planted as carefully as possible on either the south or the north side of the stakes, and within about 2 inches of the same ; and the four leading shoots should be tied or nailed to it, keeping them as nearly as possible at equal distances from each other. Or two plants may be placed to each stake, one on the south and the other on the north side, and, in this case, only two shoots will be required to be taken from each plant. By adopting this plan, the stakes will be clothed somewhat sooner. When the plants begin to grow freely, the lateral branches on the lower part of the tree or bush may be allowed to extend themselves, in order to form the foundation of the pyi'amidal form which they are ultimately intended to assume ; while the progress of the four leading shoots must be en- couraged by every possible means, and, when they reach the top of the stake, each shoot must be trained along its proper wire until it meets and unites with that of the next tree, and so on. As soon as the stakes and wires have been properly fixed, and the Gooseberry trees are planted, &o., the soil (upon which considei'able treading has been necessary) should again be lightly dug or forked over, and a line or row of Strawberry plants may be turned out between each line of staked Goase- berry trees, and intersecting each other in like manner. These may be allowed to remain during the first two seasons ; after which, the entire space will be required by the Gooseberries, and the Strawberry plants may be dug into the soil. Annually, after this, as soon as the Gooseberry trees have been pruned, the surface of the soil, to the depth of 2 or 3 inches under the branches and around the stems, should be drawn into the centre of the space between the lines of plants, while that portion of the soil from which the surface has been removed should at once be thickly dusted with gas or quick lime, and some 18 inches of the centre of the space between the lines should be deeply dug, and fresh soil, in proportion to that taken off, must cover the lime under the branches and around the stakes and stems of the plants. By annually pursuing this system, caterpillars will not be likely to be very troublesome, as the larvas, which are generally hid slightly under the surface of the soil and near to the stems of the trees, are by this practice deeply buried in the centre of the space between the lines of plants, where they probably perish. But, should the caterpillar at any time make its appearance upon the plants, recourse should at once be had to black Hellebore powder, the best and most effectual remedy. In addition to the usual annual pruning which these pyi-amidal trees should always receive during the winter or early in spring, it is also advisable to go amongst them about the end of June or early in July, and, with a knife or pair of g.arden-shears, shorten the stronger-growing lateral shoots, with a view to throw additional vigour into the weaker ones, and also to afford greater facility for gathering the fruit by increasing the space between the lines of plants. One of the great and much-appreciated advantages of this system of culture is the facility which it affords to ladies and others to walk among the trees, and to select their favourite sorts, &c., and to lie able to gather them without being com- pelled to stoop, or to raise the branches before the fruit can bo gathered. It may Ijo almost unnecessary to say that the Red and the Wliito Currants, with then' various varieties, may be equally successfully grown as the Gooseberry when treated in this manner. A square plantation of pyramidal Gooseberry and Currant trees, consisting of some 12 lines or rows, with twelve plants in each, or 144 plants in all, will, when fairly established, and during favourable seasons, afford a supply of fruit which will be found sufficient for an ordinary establish- ment. But the plantation can, of course, be. of any desired extent, as well as of any form or outline. It will be found to present a striking, and even an ornamental, feature in any garden, and on that account it should always be kept scrupu- lonsly clean and free from weeds, &c. Appended to this is a short list of sorts which have been proved to succeed well when treated in the manner described ; as, indeed, all known varieties will do. But, at the same time, there are some sorts which, on account of their habit of growth, &c., are better adapted to the purpose than others : — Ited Varieties. — I may commence the list with the Red Cham, pagne, as a variety of medium size, but unequalled in quality and richness of flavour. Crown Bob : A fine, large, and excellent variety. Glorious ; Also a large and firat-rate sort. Glory of Oldport : An excellent variety. Highlander : A fine rich. coloured and handsome variety. Independent : A fine large late sort, and an excellent bearer. Ironmonger : Fruit, small, but of excellent flavour, and considered good for the purpose of preserving. Jackson's Red : Also a good sort, for the purpose of preserving. Lancashire Hero : A large and excellent variety. Rifleman : Smooth fruit, of medium size, excel- lent flavour, and an abundant bearer. Rough Red : Fruit, small, bat an abundant bearer, and considered as the best sort for pre- serving. Warrington : This is probably the best and most useful variety of all, hangs long upon the trees, is of first-rate quality, and suitable for preserving, &c. Green-fruited Varieties. — The best arc Greengage : Medium size, with remarkably fine flavour. Greenwood : Fruit lai'ge and very good. Green Walnut : A fine variety. Guido : Also a very fine sort. Large late Green : This is a very fine, large, and late sort, of excellent flavour. Wonderful : Also a fine variety. Yellow-fruited Varieties. — Conquering Hero: A fine, large, handsome variety. Early Sulphur : Very early, with fine flavour, and an abundant bearer. Golden Drop : A fine-flavoured excellent variety. Goldfinder : A first-rate sort. Ploughboj : Fruit small, but good. Waterioo : Small, but very handsome. "White -fruited Varieties. — British Queen : An excellent variety. Large Early White : Fruit, large, early, and of excellent quality. Washington : Of good flavour, and a very fine variety. William the Fourth : A large and fine-flavoured variety. White Eagle : Also a fine large sort. Whitesmith : A very early and largo variety, of excellent quality. While, of suitable varieties of the Currant, there may bo men. tioned the Cerise, Knight's Long Bunch, La VersaiUaise, Large Red Grape, Raby Castle, Transparent, White Grape, and Wliite Dutch. NOTES AND QUESTIONS ON THE FRUIT GARDEN. Golden Champion Grape.— Can any of your readers say whether, iu their experience, this Vme is a shy bearer? I have it grafted on Raisin do Calabro, a stroiiLi: caue ; it had a moderate crop iu 1872, about five bunches last year, and this season every spuria bHnd, although, in the same house, all other Vines aro showing? abundance of fruit. Will any of your readers explain the cause ol' failui'e in my instance ? — N. Gooseberries on "Walls.— "We rarely see Gooseberries growing on walls, but in some cases this may be done with advantage, especially where the wall space is low. Trees thus trained boar abundant crops o£ fine richly-flavoured fruit, which is much more easily gathered than when grown in the ordinary way. Tbo finest dessort sorts only should bo planted. At WooUatou Gardens, near Nottingham, there are some fine old specimens grown in this way, and we never tasted fruit more richly-tlavourod than that so grown. — Q. Sir Philip Crampton's Pear Tree. — This Pear tree, of which wo have given an illustration (see p. -117, vol. iv.), presents, it is said, this spring a noteworthy contrast to its ap]jearance last and preceding seasons at this period of the year. Hitherto it was wont to be a marvel of lloral beauty, literally one sheet of snowy blossom. At present, the few trusses of bloom with which its surface is irregularly and ejiarscly dotted, scarcely count two dozen. This, doubtless, arises from its having been over-cropped last year. If fruit-growers generally only allowed their trees — even in the most prolific fruit season — to bear mode- rately, our fruit crops would be regular, instead of being, as they are, somewhat uncertain. Origin of the Duchesse d'Angouleme Pear.— A French nobleman observing his tenant aljout to destroy a tine thrifty Pear tree, inquired the cause. He was told that it was a chance seedling, and had borne no fruit in twenty-five years. Uo had already cut its roots i)reparatory to the first stroke, l)Ut was ordered to lot it remain. He did so, and in the following year it was loaded with superb fruit of a new variety, which at once became celebrated. The root-pruning the gardener had given it worked like a charm. Not many ycai'S afterwards the Duchesae d'Angouleme was passing through Lyons, and its inhabitants sent to her their hospitalities. Nino fair maidens presented the Dnchesso with golden salvors, on which lay heaped this (irecious fruit, and bogged her to bestow on it her name ; and the Pear now recognised as one of the best of fruits, was thenceforward known as the Duchesse d'Angouleme.--' Cullioator. Apb.il 11, 1874] THE GAEDBN. 315 GARDEN DESTROYERS. GAEDEN PESTS. Weevils. These ai'o principally leaf-eating insects, and are sometimes very troublesome both in the grub state as ■well as when fully matured. They are, like many other unw.inted company with which we have to contend, much more numerous in some localities than in others. In one place I found that every year the common brown weevil attacked the Vines just about the time the berries were set. They not only perforated the leaves in all directions, but also attacked the young berries, usually disfiguring the shoulders of a considerable number of the bunches. The mature insect is a night-feeder, and it may then bo caught by placing a cloth under the plant it is feeding upon and giving the plant a smart shaking, by which means they will fall off on to the cloth spread out to catch them, when they may be caught and destroyed. Something white, such as a large tablecloth or sheet, should be used, as, from its colour, it enables the weevil to be seen the best. Earwigs. Although there are several flowers that earwigs will eat, there is nothing they do so much harm to as the Dahlia, as any grower of this favourite florists' flower can testify. Where r they exist in considerable numbers, it is almost an impossibilitj' to get a stand of pei-f ect flowers for the exhibition stage, through their depredations in eating the points of the petals in the young unexpanded flowers. With these, as with most other garden pests, there is no alternative except diligent and timely perseverance in their destruction. The grower that neglects to employ any means for the destruction of this insect until the short time that elapses betwixt his flowers being in bud and their full expansion, will, in all probability, find it a difficult matter to make up the number of perfect flowers he retjuires for his exhibition stands. For weeks before the plants get so far advanced as this, means to keep them under should be taken. They feed in the night, and any substance in which they can conceal themselves in the day may be employed. The usual practice of placing a small inverted flower-pot with a bit of Moss in the bottom, on the top of the stake to which the plant is tied, is not a bad means catching them, provided they are regularly examined. Another trap commonly used is, small bundles of Bean stalks tied up, cut 6 or 8 inches long, placed in each plant, and looked over daily by shaking the end of the bundle on a board or other substance, by which they can be destroyed. The most simple and effec- tive traps I ever tried were pieces of newspaper, crumpled roughly up in the hand, and stuck anywhere in the plants, unfolding them two or three times a week, when numbers of the insects will be found concealed in them. If there happens to have been bred a nest of young robins near the Dahlia ground, the numbers of earwigs they will eat, when they have taken flight and got old enough to find their own food will astonish anyone taking the trouble to watch their movements. The use of thin muslin bags, in which the buds are placed before they expand, drawn up close round the stalk of the flower so as to prevent the insects getting to them, is also a method followed by some growers. A piece of cotton-wool, twisted round the flower-stem just behind the bud, will prevent them getting to the flowers. By resoi'ting to some or all of these methods, their numbers can be so far kept under as to prevent the disappointment of finding all the best buds rendered useless. Beetles. The depredations of beetles do not extend over so wide a field in gardening as some of the pests already treated of. They are the most destructive to Orchids. If allowed to get to any considerable head amongst these plants, the damage done in absolute value becomes a serious matter. They attack the flower-spikes whilst young and tender, and the young growths ; still worse, so far as weakening the plants, is the destruction of the roots. When we consider the value of many of the rarest of these plants, the necessity of unremitting attention in the destruction of these pests will be apparent. Nature's instinctive law of self-preservation is more fully exemplified in the species that infest the Orchid-house than in anything else that stands I correspondingly low in the scale of animated nature with which I am acquainted. The moment they are disturbed, the astonishingly rapid powers of motion possessed by these beetles is brought into play. Their movements, especially in the night, when a light is brought to bear upon them, are almost equal to those of a bird. They secrete them- selves amongst the drainage of the pots, in the material in which the plants are growing, when it is dry whilst the plants are at rest, in cracks in the walls where the mortar has become displaced, near the pipes, or in any out-of-the- way place. They are very destructive to soft-wooded cuttings and seedlings in the propagating-house. They iiici-ease fast, and when once they gain access to a plant-house, are very difii- cultto completely destroy. The thick fleshy roots of Vandas, Aerides, and Saccolabiums in particular become a prey to them. They never feed in the daytime, and are rarely seen during the daylight unless disturbed from their haunts ; consequently they may exist in much larger numbers in any place than is supposed. By diligent hunting with a lamp after dark, some may becaught, but more will make their escape. Small pots, containing treacle and water mixed in equal proportions, placed about their haunts, are sometimes used. By such means some may be caught, as also by the different forms of traps that are sold for catching them ; but with any means of this description in plant houses I was never able to catch them in sufficient numbers to keep them down so low as desirable. I have tried all the different kinds of poison sold for their destruction, including the phosphorus preparation usually employed. Any of these they will take for a time, and many may be destroyed by any of these preparations ; but amongst them all. Both and Eiugiesen's Beetle Poison (obtainable through any druggist) I have found much more effectual than all the others. We lay it in bits, about the size of a small French Bean, on the smooth side of oyster shells, pieces of glass, or broken glazed crockery ; it is necessary to use something that has a hard smooth surface that will not absorb the moisture from it, or it will be so dry, after the first night, as to render it useless. By using any of the above-named articles it will be fit for use for three nights, although the phosphorous it contains renders it of a drying nature. But this preparation must be used with caution, as domestic animals will eat it and be destroyed thereby. On the nights we lay it down we are carefnl to exclude the garden cats from the houses, or these most useful animals would come to an untimely end. When we lay the poison down in each house on an evening we count the bits, and chalk the number on a board or anything we employ for collecting them in the morning, which is always done the first thing," and put them away where they will not be exposed to the air. After using three nights the poison gets too dry for the beetles to take it freely. By using it once in three months, I am not troubled with the insects so as to do any serious harm ; but where they have been allowed to get to such a head as we see them some- times, it is necessary to keep laying down the poison every night for a fortnight or so, to bring them well under. I have seen a dwelling-house, in which the common black beetle literally swarmed by thousands, cleared by a few weeks' perse- verance with this poison. T. Baines. Eose Galls on Willows.^The accompanying twigs are out from a Red Willow ; and I should be glad to know what are the flower-like growths that have been formed at the extremitieg. Hundreds of similar examples are to be found on the Willows around my house. — J. 0. D. [These curious galls or roses are pro. ducsd by the larvae of a minute but most elegant little fly or gnat, which is described by Mr. F. Walker at p. 77 of the third volume of his " Diptera Britanm'ca," under the name of Cecidomyia rosaria. It causes these rosettes to be formed on five different species of the Willow — Salix alba, S. caprea, S. aurita, S. cinerea, and S. depressa, as we learn from Mr. Walker. With S. aurita we are imperfectly acquainted, and S. depressa we have never seen; but the three other species are common, and their roge-like galls at the termina. tiou of the shoots are very familiar to us, more particularly those on S. caprea, commonly called the Goat Willow — or, when the galls are abundant and conspicuous, the Eose Willow or Rosette Willow. De Geer was, probably, the first scientific naturalist who describes these galls. His observations occur at p. 155 of the sixth volume of his " Memoirs," published at Stockholm in 1752.— 'Ed.']— Field. 316 THE GAEDBN. [ApaiL 11, 1874. THE LIBRARY. -' ! ' .11 -/ -I-- — /?' ; / I \ I 1 THE AET OF BOTANICAL DRAWING* Amongst a number oE books connected -witli art, published by Messrs. Winsor & Newton, intended cliiefiy for the iustructiou of beginners, we are induced to notice one which comes so natui-ally within our province that it would be an omission on our part to overlook so useful a contribution .-^rxYi'T , to our book-shelves. \ \ | ;' / ! After a few remarks, in an introductory chap- ter, on the necessity for scientific knowledge, and the names of such books as will best help a learner, we arrive at the chief matter of which the work con- sists. Leaves, being the most obvious obiects in connection with vegetation, form the first subject, and, respecting them, we have the sound advice to di'aw the mid-rib and lateral veins first, which method ensures far greater accuracy than commencing with some outlying jiart ; the fore- shortening of them then follows naturally and easily. The placing of them on branches is next described, with the help of one of the illustrations with which the book is interspersed. Then we come to flowers, and a few good rules for their delineation, such as marking out a circle, and then its division into petals, whether foreshortened or not. After the regular flowers come the iiTegular ones, such as those of Orchids, of which some nice drawings are intro It is instructed in the employment of geometrical figures so as to secure accuracy of outline in sketching fruits and cones. \- -I // ^\ \ ! I - 1- /-. I - --■ ■ X 7iV i-r!- 1- X. ^.-'I K >.. A, X .1 \-\ ~~r~--v__-' / -n I ip-l:i-)f Diagram showing liow Fruits, Sec, may be sketched correctly. duced. AVe then pass on to fruits and seeds, and those terminate the instructions on simple outline. There are, however, other points touched upon, such as " enlarged details or analysis of flowers," and "arrange- ment," the latter sub- ject being particularly well treated and illus- trated. " Shading and colouring " next receive attention, and here the advice concerning the lighting up an object artificially, so as to get a good example of forjn developed by light and shade, is very much needed by many who are by no moans beginners in their own estimation. Colouring receives some brief attention chapter on the highest point to be attained, namely, " the groupmg of plants," represented by the Ivy, the Vine, the Rose, the Clematis, &c. From first to last, it is a most sensible and readable book. The accompanying illustra- tions afford an example of the manner in which a be"inncr and then follows a short BOTANIQUE POPULAIRE.f This, although not a very new book, is one of the best elementary treatises on botany which have issued from the continental press. It forms a handy volume of over 400 pages, illustrated with 21.'j I , wood-cuts. The chap- --Jr-- -— Im— '~/i\' ters are well arranged, /jl:j>_N^ ,' '|/;\> / I \ and the vai-ious sub- X ,' ""l--i jects are concisely but clearly treated, so that we have no hesitation in saying that it is, of all the elementary woi'ks which we have seen on the subject of X. ,'i''--^. /''^A"!"' botany, at once the most succinct and com- prehensive. Everything relating to the primary tissues and composi- ^ „ ^ , tions of plants is well .^v \>^. / ^^. '--i'^/'f', i] '.;' 1 or outward bark is well — iV/X \ \ 111 ,' dtscnssed. As regards "''' v^> ':".'■/ the functions and powers of the roots to sustain or originate the life of a plant, tho author has very well disposed of his subject. We have not, at present, space to quote him at length, but the following extract, which relates to the flowering of various sorts of plants, may be worth noticing as an example of the stylo and matter of the work : — Id the case of most plants, and with all tliose whose flowers are disposed in a spike or cluster, the lower or outer flowers invariably open first, and the flower, ing proceeds upwards, as may be seen in the Wheat, Parsley, and Plantain. In other plants the cen. tral or terminal flower opens first ; when it terminates tho stem, there are generally two or more floral leaves at its base, from the axils of which other blossoms spring, so that the inflorescence is formed of a series of dichotomous ramifications, which are so dispersecl that the central flower is tho first to open. This arrangement may be observed in several of the Euphorbias, the common Sunflower, &c., but the order first - mentioned, viz., that in wliich the outer or marginal flowers are the first to bloom, prevails in by far the Fruits nnil Sceils. greater number of plants. The numerous wood- cuts which occur through the volume are remarkable for their exquisite finish and clearness of outline. They comprise not only cxpln.natoi'y figures of the structure and various parts of the inflorescence, frutification, &c.. but also many wcll- cxocntcd 7iortraits of the plants themselves, and enhance, in no small degree, tho value of the work. • "The Art of Botanical Drawinc." & Newton. 1S73. By F. W. Burhiclge. London : Winsor * " Botani(|no Populairo," par Honri Lecoq. Maison Ru8li(|ue, 20, Hue Jacob. Paris : Librairie Agricole do la April 11, 1874.] THE GARDEN. 317 THE KITCHEN GARDEN. NEW BROCCOLIES. Bt WILLIAM TILLBRY, Wolbeck. Having grown in quantity two varieties of Broccoli lately sent out, lean highly recommend them as being great acquisitions to all growers of this invaluable vegetable. One variety was sent out by Messrs. Watts, of Northampton, under the name of Excelsior ; and the other by Mr. Cooling, of Bath, imder the name of Matchless. They are both early, or, rather, mid-season sorts, having commenced this year with me to supply good heads by the beginning of March ; but, owing to the milduess of the winter, all sorts of Broocolies are coming earlier into use than usual. Both Excelsior and Matchless are thoroughly protected by their leaves, and may be cut snow-white before the heads are exposed to the air ; while their flavour, when cooked, is everything that can be desired iu a Broccoli. When the heads come in too fast, the leaves can be tied over them to preserve their colour ; and, either for growing for market purposes or for private use, these two sorts, in my opinion, will be found the very best in their season. Another new variety, sold under the name of the Leamington Broccoli, 1 am sowing this year for the first time ; and, as it has been certifi- cated by the Royal Horticultural Society, it ought to be of good quality. Some of the varieties of Broccoli, now so abundant in seedsmen's lists, require a thorough weeding out, for they differ only one from another in name. The following kinds arc, I find, quite sufficient to keep up a regular supply and succession, when the winters are not too severe. With good management, the supply of Walcheren can be maintained well into January, when Snow's Winter White Broccoli (which is a good " strain " of Grange's Autumn) will come in, followed by Backhouse's and the Early Penzance. Osborne's Winter White has too much of the Cauliflower breed in it, and will not stand severe winter frosts in the midland districts. Dilcock's Bride and Progmore Early Protecting are two good early varieties, to be followed by the Excelsior and Matchless. Knight's Protecting and Williams' Alexandra arc also good sorts to fill up the gap until the latest Broccolies come in, such as Carter's Champion, Cattell's Eclipse, and Sander's White Goshen, which is the very latest variety that is grown. MUSHROOM CULTURE. By R. GILBERT, Burghley. 'I'liE many letters that have appeared in our horticultural journals touching the growth of this valuable esculent makes it difficult to state anything new on the subject. Therefore, at the onset, I may remark I have little that is novel or sensa- tional to offer. My object is to give some plain instructions, which, if carried out, cannot fail to ensure success. The three principal points of Mushroom culture consist, firstly, in working and turning the dung ; secondly, in the forming of the bed; and, thirdly, in spawning, soiling, &c. These three points I shall try to describe in the order in which they are written, and finish by giving a few general remarks. Many Mushroom-growers are very particular in using clear droppings from the horses. If the market had to be supplied from such a source, the demand would bo grea.tly above the supply. Experience has taught me that the dung brought fresh from the stable, with tbe straw mixed with it, makes the most lasting and best material. To make a moderate-sized bed, for a nobleman's or gentleman's establishment, four cart-loads will be required, which should be well shaken together in a round heap. If dry, pour on water as the turning pro- ceeds, and, when finished, beat it down with the back of the fork, and put on a cart-load of any sort of soil, except rank clay ; the best soil is turfy loam, but that cannot be got at all places. However, use the besC.'you have, spreading it all over the heap to conceal the dung. In three or four days you will see the steam coming through the soil. It should then be turned over again, turning the outside into the middle, mixing the soil with the dung as the work proceeds. It will require turning twice more, at intervals of two or three days, when it will be in a fit state to form the bed, either for outside or ridge beds or for the Mushroom-house proper. And let me here remark that outside beds grow Mushrooms of far better flavour than those grown in inside beds, from which the Mushrooms are white in colour, insipid in flavour, and lack, in an eminent degree, the thickness of flesh and the wholesome partridge colour of the former. In fact, to use a market phrase, they ai'e parasols in miniature. Therefore, I will suppose that outside beds are intended. After looking out the site (the best is a snug warm corner facing the south), begin by forming an equilateral triangle, 3 feet each side, putting in one stake at each corner of the bed, and it will be found that the quantity of dung prepared will make a bed from 12 to 14 feet long. One man should stand on the bed, while another puts on the dung, treading, beating, &o., until the i-equired height of 3 feet is obtained. Place at each side of the bed, but not opposite, four trial sticks, covering all up with a mat. Be particular to feel the heat daily, and, when it is new milk warm, under rather than over, the time of spawning has arrived. If a bottom-heat thermometer is at hand, from seventy to seventy-five will be a safe guide. Buy the spawn from a first-rate firm, and you will not be deceived. Break it up into pieces the size of a pullet's egg, and insert the pieces 2 inches deep in tbe dung, and 12 inches apart on both sides of the bed. Beat the surface down smoothly with the back of a spade, and cover up with matting to keep out the wet. The soil should not be put on for two or three days. By using this precaution, you have the heat well in hand ; occasionally, a second heat gets wp, and burns the spawn, if this is not attended to. In earthing up the bed, common garden soil is used, which may be dug from the ground on each side of the bed. Lay it on at least two inches thick, and beat it firmly. If the soil is wet, and you cannot get a smooth surface, put on a sprinkling of sand before beating. Cover up with a layer of 3 or 4 inches of long dung, and put a mat over all, and, in about eight weeks, you will be rewarded with a sight worth seeing, and a dish of Mushrooms worth eating. The best time to make the beds is from September to January, which will keep j-ou supplied until May. After that time. Mushrooms are always attacked by a small insect, which makes them unwholesome. Water should be used with great caution; in fact, if kept covered, they seldom require anj^; exceptionally high and dry winds, however, render watering necessary. It should be given with a very tine-i'osed syringe, and should have the chill taken from it before it is applied. AVhen the beds begin to wane a second crop may be had by watering with dung water, mixed with common salt, at the rate of lib. to a gallon of water. FRENCH MODE OP CULTIVATING WATERCRESS. The water from springs has been utilised in the cultivation of this plant, which was first commenced in the neighbourhood of Senlis, on the banks of the Nonnette, in the beginning of the present century. The ground in which the Watercress is cultivated is situated below the spring which feeds it. Across the slope a series of trenches is dug which commirnicate with each other, and the flow of water is regulated by little sluice- boards placed at the point of communication. The trenches having been completed, and commuuication with the spring out oS by the first sluice-board, the Watercress is sown in spring at the bottom of each trench, which has been previously cleaned out, and from which every aquatic plant that might prove injurious to the crop has been removed. Instead of sowing, some cuttings might be planted in August in the bottoms of the trenches, after the ground has been moistened by admitting a gentle stream of water. These cuttings are placed 5 or 6 inches from each other. In a short time they take root and the plants soon cover the surface ; the sluice- boards are then raised, and water is admitted to the depth of 5 or 6 inches, which will be found sufficient. If the plants have been well taken care of, well selected, and well cleaned from every parasitical incumbrance, the Cress-bed, once esta- blished, requires no other care than to be guarded from the frost. In order to do this, the water is allowed to rise and cover the Cress while the frost lasts ; but, as soon as the weather becomes mild, it must be let off to its former level, as continued submersion injures the plants. There should be an outlet from the spring not commuuieatiug with the Cress-bed, 318 THE GARDEN. [Apiul 11, 1874 which should be opened iu times of thaw or heavy rains in order to prevent the trenches being overflowed to the detri- ment of the plants. It is a good plan to protect the trenches from cold and heat by means of hedges planted in the intervals between them, but the leaves from these hedges should not be allowed to get into the trenches, otherwise the Cress will be smothered and cannot grow. This evil may be prevented by fixing a trellis or mats'on each side the hedges. The Cress is gathered by placing a strong plank across the trench ; the Cress may be cut with a pruuing-knife, but it is better to nip the shoots ofE with the Lhumb-nail one after another, as by this method the plants are not disturbed at the roots. During summer, as long as the season is favourable, a trench may be visited, and the plants out or gathered every three weeks ; but, if the season is cold, we must wait two months before making a second cutting. When the gathering for the year is over, the trench is left dry, and a light layer of well-decomposed cow-dung is spread over the entire surface, after which the plants are pressed down with a plank, which has a long handle at each of its extremities. Two workmen take this implement, and, as they go from the end of the trench, press down the plants which have been raised at the times of gathering. A Oresa-bed will last a long time if care- fully managed ; but, as it is seen to be running out, it should be renewed. In doing this, the plants are pulled up by the roots, and laid on the spaces between the trenches ; the trenches are then dug over, and manured with well-decomposed cow-dung; after which the Cress is replanted as at first. Some growers take up the plants every year, remove the mud from the trench, dig the bottom over and manure it, after which they replace the old plants. For supplying water to, and emptying, the Cress-beds, stoneware pipes 3 inches in diameter are used. The water must be allowed to run freely, if it is desired to have Cress of a good quality. The sluice-boards are only used to stop the water in frost, and to let it off during a thaw or heavy rains. The seed is gathered from the finest plants in each trench in August. It keeps good for four years. Yellow Cucumbers. — Could you intorm me what makes my Cucumbers turn yellow ? They grow well to about 5 or 6 inches long and then drop off. The foliage is very healthy, and the plants make growth freely. I have "set" the flower? Do you think the evil is due to the situation of the house, which is east south-east, shaded from the south by another house ?— Violet. [Cucumbers turning yellow at this season of the year may arise from various causes. If the plants are as strong and healthy as described, it cannot be through want of vigour ; yet, even if they are apparently healthy, if too much water is given at the roots, it would have the effect of stopping the fruit from swelling freely. A dark unsuitable situation, with tho house shaded by another, as described in the present case, would produce the effects complained of. The finest of some of tho varieties of the Cucumber, especially the large-growing kinds, are very subject, if used for winter-work, to turn yellow. Small, or medinm.aized varieties, such as Eollisson's Telegraph, are the best. I have never found any difficulty with this sort in getting it to do well in the winter season, provided a night temperature of fiS'can be maintained, with a rise of 10^ by day, and a bottom. heat of 75", using good loam with a small quantity of rotten dung added. Deficiency of water at the root will prevent the fruit from swelling freely ; but, in this case, it generally curls and thickens prematurely at tho end. In the case of yom- correspondent's Cucumbers, from the description given, I should bo inclined to attribute their unsatis- factory condition to tho house being, from its position, deficient in light (for winter Cucumbers the house should bo as light as possible, and j)laced so as to catch every ray of sunshine wo get), or that the sort is not suitable for growing in winter. — T. Baines.] SOILS AND FERTILISERS. LIQUID-MANURE FOR POT PLANTS. The beneficial results obtained from manure-water, when judiciously applied to fruiting and flowering plants, have long been recognised by cultivators, and its use is now becoming more general. It is well known that the roots of plants are usually more healthy when grow- ing iu pure soil free from rank manure, and these roots vrill draw up more healthy nourishment to the plants from manure given in a liquid state, than when they are encased iu rank material which they cannot consume. We know that our most successful Grape-growers use very little solid manure in the soil, only a few bones or bone-meal, or similar material, which cannot give off more stimulant than the plants can consume, and also remains much longer in the soil as a fertiliser than manure, which dissolves rapidly. Pine-apples are not grown by successful cultivators in that rich stuff so much prized by some of our forefathers. The successful florist has more faith in giving stimulants when the plant really needs them than in keeping the roots buried in soil made rich and almost offensive by strong manure. When roots are few, and the plants almost at rest, the purer the soil and the less stimulant the plants receive, the better will they thrive when their roots come to draw up larger supplies of - nourishment. Moisture is needed to soften the soil, and to allow tho roots to extract nourishment from it ; but when all the virtue is out of the earth, and the plant begins to show signs of distress, all the watering in the world will not give vigour to the exhausted functions ; but let a portion of guano or any well-prepared manure be mixed with the water suflicient to colour it, and let this be repeated at every watering instead of giving a much stronger dose at longer intervals, and the result will be most satisfactory. I have tried a number oC experiments this season with liquid-manure, and all lead me to have faith in the application of it, at every watering, in a weakly state. — ■ A number of fruit trees in pots (chiefly Plums) which had not been shifted for years, have produced heavy crops of fine fruit, and, though there was little in the pots but roots, frequent doses gave them all they required. — A number of old Fuchsias were stunted and pot. bound, but pressure of more important matters prevented our potting them into fresh earth ; but to each watering a colouring of guano was allowed, and the plants, with their pot-bound roots, have not only made vigorous growth, but flowered freely from Juno onwards ■ till November. — Some Pelargoniums, which were cut down last season and allowed to break in the usual way, were shaken out of the pots, and placed in smaller ones, but, when they should have been shifted, they were allowed to remain in the small pots, which were crammed with roots ; guano-water was given at all times when they required moisture ; the plants grew and made fine foliage, and flowered better than others which were favoured with larger pots and fresh soil. Many other examples I could give to prove that giving liquid-manure frequently, and not till roots are iu abundance to consume it, is the proper way to deal with this important assistant to cultivation. — Florist, Leaky Watering-pots. — Gardeners are not unfroquently in- commoded by leaky watering-pots, and it often hapi)en3 that there is no tinman near at hand to mend them. M. Alugaticro, tho well- known nurseryman of Montplaisir-Lyon, states, in tho lirvna Uor. ticolv, that such leaks may bo effectually stopped by covering them with a small piece of linen which has been previously dipped in copal varnish. Tho inside of tho watering-can should be thoroughly dried, before the varnish-saturated linen is applied to tho leak, when it is allowed to dry iu tho opea air. Tho can will thou be found perfectly water-tight. Preparing Bones for Fertilisers. — It frequently happen in country places, whore bones aro plentiful, that there are no mills to grind them, aud, if applied to the land as they are, they decompose so slowly as to be of comparatively little use. In such cases, chemical means, which are always at hand, aro to be brought into requisition. Of all the various means that can be employed for decomposing and dissolving bones, the best and most prac- ticable is wood-ashes. They are generally plentiful in country places — they prevent any unpleasant odour from being given off, and, above all, cause a rapid and complete decomposition. The bones are converted into a fine powder, which, mixed with tho ashes, furnishes an excellent fertiliser, rich in potash and phosphoric acid. The method of using them is as follows : — A trench 8 or 4 feet deep, and of any desired length, is dug in the earth, and filled with alternate layers of ashes and whole bones, each layer being about G inches thick. The lowest as well as the top layers are of ashes, and each layer of ashes is thoroughly saturated with water. At distances of 3 feet poles aro rammed down to the bottom of the ditch, and every eight or ten days they are taken out, and enough water poured in the holes to saturate the ashes. At the end of two months, the whole heap is thoroughly stirred up with a fork so as to mix the ashes and soften the bones, which are then left to ferment again, water being added as often as necessary. In about three months more, the heap being worked over twice or three times, the deoom. position of tho bones will be so complete that only a few of the largest remain, and these are taken out and put in another heap. This method of using bones comes to us from Russia, and is very highly recommended. The action of this fertiliser upon crops is said to be something e.\traordinary. It seems as if the salts in tho April 11, 1874] THE GARDEN. 319 bones and those in the ashes unite to form very soluble salts which can be at once assimilated by the roots of plants. Where wood- ashes are scarce, recourse must be had to horse manure. The bones are soaked a few days in water, and then placed in rectangular pits with alternate layers of horse manure, each layer being drenched with the water in which the bones were soaked. The strata of bones are three inches thick, and those of manure a foot thick. The pit is covered with earth so as to be tightly closed. The decomposition of the bones will require, in this case, about ten months, when the mixture is ready for use as a fertiliser. They may, also, be more speedily prepared by boiling in the following manner : Mix them in a large vessel with wood-ashes ; and, to make the ashes caustic, add about a peck of fresh lime'to each barrel of bones. Saturate and cover the ashes well with water, and then apply heat, for, say, twenty-four hours, or, during the day for two successive days. All the bones, by this time, except the very hardest parts, will be so reduced as to be easily pulverised, being in a pasty condi. tion, suitable for placing in layers in making the compost heap. Another day's boiling will reduce the remainder of the hard bones. It is useless to recommend converting them into home-made super, phosphate by using sulphuric acid ; the difficulty and trouble in pro- curing the acid away from cities, and the care and experience required to use it, are sufficient objections. THE JUTE PLANT. (coacHOETJs.) Perhaps no vegetable product has been more rapidly introduced into general cultivation and has acquired greater importance during the past thirty years than the Jute-plant. The material for the account of it which we here present has been mostly obtained from Science Gossip. Jute is a fibre obtained from the inner bark of two species of plants belonging to the natural order TiliaceEB, an order which is represented in our country by the Linden tree, from which most of the covering and tying material, well known to horticul- turists as "bast matting" is obtained. The two common Jute- jjlants are Corchorus capsularis and C. olitorius, the former being generally considered the more valuable. The plants ai'e annuals, growing from 4 to 12 feet high, according to the quality of the soil and the location, the stems at the base becoming an inch or more in diameter. The leaves are alternate, lanceolate in outline, toothed on the margin, with the lower pair of teeth prolonged into a slender thread. The flowers are small, half to three-quarters of an inch in diameter, yellow in colour, having five petals and a large number of small stamens. The fruit consists of a capsule, which in C. capsu- laris is nearly round, and in C. olitorius cylindrical and narrow. These capsules contain many small seeds. It is sown at different periods, according to the climate and variety, usually in April or May, and it flowers in July or August, when it is ready to be cut for the fibre. In Louisiana two crops have been obtained in one season. If cut at the first commencement of blossoming, the plants are more easily cut, and furnish a finer fibre than if left to mature. It is said that in India the stems or stalks of the Jute are of almost equal value with the fibrous portion. They are beautiful white and straight stems, of a light brittle wood, somewhat like Willow switches, and have a multitude of uses among the natives, such as for the manu- facture of gunpowder and fireworks, for the making of fences and inclosures, for Pea-brush, and for the construction of those acres of basket-work which the traveller remarks near every native village. The thick and coarse butts of the older plants are cut oS for about 9 inches. These butts are sold to paper-makers, and wrought up into coarse thick fabrics. The Jute fibre as prepared for the market, has much resemblance to that of Hemp, but is softer and more glossy, and under the microscope, more transparent and slender, and appa- rently with thinner cell-walls. The principal employment of Jute in India is for the manufacture of gunny-bags. These are the common coarse bags in which Indian produce is sent to market. They are are also extensively used in the shipment of agricultural products in this country. The manufacture of these bags is an industry which pervades all classes in Lower Bengal, and penetrates into every household. Men, women, and children find occupation therein. Boatmen in their spare moments, husbandmen, and domestic servants, everybody, in fact, pass their leisure moments, distaff in hand, spin- ning gunny-twist. All the finer and long-stapled Jute is reserved for the export trade, while the short-staple serves for the local manu- facture of gunny-bags. The export of Jute from India has rapidly increased during the past twenty years, and now reaches nearly 3,000,000 bales. The use of Jute as a paper material will greatly increase the com. mercial value of this valuable fibre. The Dimdee Advertiser, on its appearance printed on Jute paper, after apologising for its trans- parency and thinness, says : — A remarkable fact is that it is the product of Mr. Watson's second experiment, and if we can attain to such a result on only a second trial there need be no fear with respect to further experiments. The thinness and transparency will easily be remedied, as there is nothing to prevent paper made from Jute being of any degree of thickness and opaqueness. It may be explained that this sample is made almost entirely from old Jute-bagging. We propose to have samples made entirely from Jute-fibre. To some extent Jute-bagging and waste have been used by paper-makers for several years, mixed with other materials ; and wlien we mention that nearly 50,000,000 Jute bags were exported last year— the demand for home requirements being also very large— it will be seen how large a quantity of manufactured Jute there is to work upon, especially as bagging is only one class of the goods made from this material. WOEK FOR THE WEEK. Flower Garden. Stir the soil occasionally amongst spring-blooming plants, and if slugs are troublesome scatter some air-slaked lime around the out. side of the beds in which they are growing. Edgings of Stachys lanata, Cerastiums, variegated Thyme, Gnaphalinm lanatum, varie. gated Ai-abis, variegated Queen of the Meadow, Aucuba-Ieaved Daisies, crimson-leaved Ajuga, the dwarf Campanulas, Santolinas, and a few other compact-growing plants may now be lifted, divided, and transplanted. Two-year-old edgings are generally better than one, so that unless they exceed that age, they are better left undis- turbed. The variegated Polemonium cajrnleum makes one of our finest hardy edgings ; the best way of treating it is to lift the roots and pot them in October or November, to keep them during the winter in a frame or cool Peach-house, and transplant them in spring when they begin to grow. Transplant from frames, green- honses, or pits, into beds in the flower garden, Pinks and Carnations wintered in pots, or autumn layers planted in light soil in frames in winter. Bnlbs of Lilies'yet in store should be planted as speedily as possible. Pansies, and other spring-blooming plants, may yet be transplanted as occasion requires ; indeed, few plants are more useful at any season than Pansies. Gladioli, for blooming in beds or shrubbery borders, may be planted at once 3 or 4 inches deep, and a sprinkling of sand should be strewed under and over the bulbs. It is a prevalent idea that Gladioli should not be transplanted till May, for fear of spring frosts; but that is too late, unless the plants are required for late flowering. Sow Mignonette where it is required to bloom, and hardy annuals not sown last September here and there in beds or borders for trans- planting. Sow also a good stock of Sweet Peas, Nasturtiums, and Scariet Tom Thumb Tropa^lums, either where they are to bloom or in Sheltered beds or corners for transplanting hereafter to their permanent quarters. Autumn-saved roots of Scarlet Runners throw up shoots freely, and bloom earlier than seedlings; the roots require treatment similar to that usually given to Dahlias. Divide and transplant roots of herbaceous plants of various sorts. If worm- casts are prevalent on lawns, prepare some lime-water, mixing therein some soot and salt, and water the lawn with the mixture through a rough rose ; this not only gets rid of the worms but invigorates the Grass. Pieces of ground about to be converted into lawns should be turfed at once, or, if turf cannot be obtained, they should be thickly sown down with Grass seeds. Hollows or other irregularities should be made level at once. In such operations the turf should be carefully skinned off and used again, for in no case should patches of new Grass be visible on permanent lawns ; the more prominent portions of lawns will have been already mown this season, but now the whole of the Grass-surface should be cut. It should first be gone over with a wooden-toothed rake, and Beech nuts, small stones, and other things detrimental to the scythe or mowing-machine should be removed by means of a Daisy rake or a birch-broom. After that well roll the Grass previous to mowing. Plantains, Dandelions, Daisies, and similar plants the riddance of which from lawns is a desideratum, may now be eradicated. If Moss prevails amongst the Grass, rake the roughest of it off, and apply a dressing of sifted soil over the whole surface, which will so stimulate the Grass so as to make it choke the Moss. Indoor Fruit Department. Peaches, Nectarines, Plums, and Cherries will now be in full bloom, and plenty of air must bo given them on all favourable occasions. See that the soil in the pots is kept moist, but not soddened, for the trees often drop their fruit when young under any excess of moisture or dryness. It is a good plan to retard a few dozens of these kinds of fruit-trees in pots, as they will flower later, and furnish a succes. sion of fruit. As soon as the Grapea in the early house begin to show colour, a drier atmosphere may be maintained, and air given 320 THE GARDEN. [Apuil 11, 1874. liberally. Water freely the inside borders of the succession.houses, and see that the protecting materials on outside borders still main- tain their efficiency. Owing to the winter being mild and open, the buds of the Vines in the latest houses will be swelling ; and fire-heat, where available, should be applied, so as to get the Grapes ripe in September : they will then keep far better than when ripened in (Jctober or November. This is one of the gi'eat advantages belonging to the plan of bottling late Grapes ; for the Vinos can then be pro- perly dressed, and forced earlier than they otherwise would be. The earliest house of Peaches and Nectarines will now be nearly past the stoning process, when a rapid change takes place in the swelling of the fruit ; but, before this takes place, it must be thinned if too thickly set, as no more will drop off. If the trees are in good health, the fruit on them may be regulated from 6 to 8 inches apart at this hist thinning. When it begins to colour, air may ^e given freely, and the temperature may rise to 75" or SC by sun-heat. Succession- houses will want syringing daily, and attention must be paid to watering the inside border ; for, although the surface may look moist, underneath they may be as dry as dust. Tying down the shoots as they progress, and thinning them gradually where not wanted, keeping aphides and red spider in check, will be routine work now for some time in the late houses. Keep Figs well watered and syringed daily, as red spider is a great pest to them. When the fruit begins to ripen, watering must be gradually discontinued. Stop all shoots when 6 or 8 inches long, in order to encourage a second crop. The earliest forced Cherries will now bear a higher temperature ; but plenty of air must be given in the daytime, to colour and give flavour to the fruit. The supply of water at the roots must likewise bo lessened for that purpose. Plenty of heat, together with light, air, and moisture, will now be required for Cucumber and Melon plants, and the shoots must be regulated frequently, by stopping and pruning them, so as not to get too crowded. A steady bottom-heat must be maintained to Melons till they flower ; and, after plenty of fruit is set, liberal supplies of tepid water may be given to the roots. Sow good batches of seed of both Cucumbers and Melons for a late supply of plants, and some of the Ridge variety of Cucumber for planting out in the open air. Where plenty of room can be had in frames or in low pits, the remaining batches of Strawberries in pots may now be put in them to flower, and then be taken into the forcing-houses, as required, for succession. Kitchen Garden. From the crowns of Globe Artichokes remove all weakly suckers ; strong grown ones, intended for new plantations, may also be care- fully taken off with a root or piece of the crown, and planted in lines, two or three plants, a few inches apart, being put in together, so as to enable them to have a Seakale pot put over them for a while, until they have become a little established or sheltered with boughs. As regards Asparagus, those who practice the blanching system should liiiish the covering of their beds. Plants grown on the level. ground plan in single rows, the alleys between which wore manured and forked in the autumn, and stirred up with a strong hand scarifier, should bo kept frequently surface-hoed and freed from weeds. The time has now arrived, if the ground has been brought into proper condition by means of previous deep trenching, heavy manuring, aud additions of good surface-soil, decomposed vegetable matter, Seaweed, &c., for new plantations to bo made. For these, choose the strongest plants that can be got from the seed-bed when they have made a few inches of growth, and having the ground levelled aud in readiness to receive them, mark it off into distances of 2 feet apart. This may be considered by somo to be too close ; but the ]ilan is to lift, when two years old, every alternate row for forcing, thus leaving the permanent lines 4 feet apart. In planting, stretch the lino, and draw deep on drills each side of it, thus leaving a ridge just under the line. Across this ridge place the roots systematically astride, and cover them over from both sides. This is a more natural mode of planting than taking out a notch on one side of the lino only, and laying in the roots fan-shaped, as it prevents any undue huddling together of the fibres. Asparagus seed may also now bo sown thinly in drills, aud, as soon as up, thinned by hoe or hand ; using the hoe frcqacnily among the young plants, to stir the surface and keep it open. (Jf Broccoli, Brussels Sprouts, Borecoles, Savoys, &c., make other sowings, to saccecd those made last month, the produce of which, if big enough, should bo pricked out a few inches apart. Make small sowings of Coleworts onco a fortnight, in order to keep up a succession. Little Pixie, Matchless, dwarf York, and the London green Coleworts aro best for this purpose. Karth up Cauliflowers, and cover tho surfaco about tho roots with a mulching of short dung or litter ; leave, also, a basin round those that have had over them hand. lights, in order to supply tliom with soakings of manure-wator. Prick off spring-sown plants, aud, when fit, plant them out in succession in cool shady places. Sow Veitch's Giant in succession for late summer and autumn use ; these should be planted in partially-shaded places, such as between rows of tall Peas. Sow Carrots once a fortnight till the middle of July, in order to have nice young roots throughout the season. Of Celery sow a main crop on a slight hot-bed, and prick off the plants as soon as they are fit to handle, into a well-pulverised rich soil, such as a compost of equal parts decayed mulchings, leaf-mould, and half, decayed turfy loam, chopping the whole rather finely, and mixing all well together. Towards the end of the month the plants, which by that time will have become strong, may be pricked out on an open border, using the same compost, or a layer of it laid down to the depth of G or 8 inches, on a hard bottom. The latter prevents the roots from penetrating too deeply ; they, therefore, can he lifted the nioro easily, with good balls for transplanting permanently. Protect, if necessary, and supply water plentifully. Sow Chervil in small ouantities once every two or three weeks throughout the summer, on cold north aspects. Sow Lettuces in drills ; thin, and, if necessary and the weather favourable, transplant the thinnings. Thin Onions in beds or lines, and fill up any vacancies by timely transplanting ; hoe and surface-stir frequently, in order to maintain a healthy and vigorous growth. Of Peas, sow tall kinds in succession, and run a wide-toothed rake across the drills of those just coming up ; draw little ridges of soil about 6 or 8 inches from the sides of the lines, in order to admit of a mulching of litter being administered, and to retain soakings of water that may be given in dry weather. Sow Round Spinach in succession in cool situations throughout the summer; plant out New Zealand Spinach, and encourage the strong winter kinds by frequent stirrings. Sow Turnips in succession, in drills, in cold moist soil for the next two months. Harden Tomatoes off, and prepare for planting them out by the beginning of May. Preserve a few plants in small pots, and expose them all summer, in order to obtain from them somo short, stubby cuttings, for early fruiting next season. The older Tomatoes are the shorter jointed and more fruitful they become. This treatment is also applicable to the Cape Gooseberry. Sow Sweet Basil and Marjoram in succession ; prick off those already up, and grow them on in gentle heat. Sow Angelica for next year's crop, in rows 2 feet apart. The first lot of stalks should now be read}', and should be looked too before they become too hard and strong. We too often find the herb-ground in a comparatively dilapidated con- dition. It should, however, now be neatly trimmed, and any blanks that exist in it should be made ud. Sow Borage and Burnet, and transplant last year's plants of Fennel. Lift the roots of Horehouud, and divide and transplant them. Lift young plants of Hyssop, Lavender, Rue, Savoury, &c., and re-plant them in beds, and put in another lot of cuttings. Sow seed of tho common Thyme, and plant out that previously sown. Layer and plant out singly Lemon Thyme and Sage. Make new plantations of Tarragon; ren\oving with a knife tho young shoocs a little under ground, and preserving to each some rootlets ; plant out in rows a foot apart. Mint of various kinds treat as Tarragon, and top. dress tho bods an inch or two in depth with rich earth or leaf-mould. Camomile, divido tho roots, and transplant in rather moist and shady places. Make new plantations of Tansy, Pennyroyal, Balm, &c. As regards Mush, rooms, obtain good manure, fresh from the stables, and iucorporafce it thoroughly with sound adhesive loam, in sufficient quantity to prevent its heating violently, and thus becoming over dry. It is by impru. dent over-heating that so many growers fail in producing Mushrooms of firm and useful substance, good flavour, and lasting as regards crop. The most successful place for growing Mushrooms during these next six months is in cold cellars, and other places with north and shady aspects. In such situations they aro not so apt to become infested with maggots, as they otherwise would bo if occupying a sunnier position ; but precautions against these marauders are always necessary. To the surfaco of tho beds now in bearing, and those just showing, if dry and crusty, give a little tepid manure-water, maiuifa.c- tured only from the dung of cattle, sheep, or deer. It is seldom Mushrooms are required to bo grown artificially in the late summer months, when they can be procured from the fields. A New Fibre. — A short time ago my attention was called to a sale of fibre of a novel description which was brought to this city from tho South Sea Islands. This fibre was at least 7 feet in length, very strong, and apparently suitable for any purpose. I was, at first, puzzled to know what plant could yield so valuable a material, which was described as having been obtained fi-om the stem of a tree growing in great abundance near tho soa-shore. Fortunately, there was on board the vessel which brought tho fibre, a portion of the so-called stem, which proved to be tho adventitious root of a species of Pandanus, and constructed almost wholly of fibre. It is expected that large quantities of this new material will soon bo imjiorted here. — CuMtLES Mooke, ISutanic Oardev, Sidney. April 18, 1874.] THE GARDEN. 321 THE GARDEN. " This ia an art Whioh does mend nature : change it rather : The Am itself is Natueb."- but EOSES. BT S. REYNOLDS HOLE. Although the winter seems to have been unusually propitious, the late frosts have so effectually checked the precocious growth, which was seen in the Eosarium before their influence was felt, that, here iu the Midlands, we are much more back- ward than iu an ordinary season. The Briars, planted last October, are only just breaking, and some, as yet, have made no sign. The seedling Briars are more demonstrative, and this will, I think, always be the case, because their abundance of roots will render them far more powerful to resist the vicissitudes of weather. People who have recently had a few of their toes amputated do not stand quite so securely as those do whose feet are intact, and the wonder is how those stocks, " yarked " out of the hedge-rows, thrive so robustly, and pro- duce such glorious Eoses, as they generally do. The Manetti Stocks are more forward, and so are last year's buds upon the Manetti, coming through the soil like Asparagus heads, and making the buds on the Briar look " quite emancipated" (as a talkative hair-cutter once described to me a poor boy who had been starved by his parents), when comparetJ with their obese proportions. It does not follow, however, that the Manetti Eoses will surpass in 1874',as they did in 1873, the Eoses on the British Briar. Happiest is that Eosarian, who has his favourites in all forms, on the Briar (staudardor seedling), on the Manetti, and on' roots of their own. This year's list of new Eoses is before me, and I infer from it that the French growers have hardly yet recovered from the interruptions and destructions of the war. Their number is not so large as it should be, but the well-known names are there — Lacharme, Eugene Verdier, Ducher, Levet, Damaiziu, Guillot, Liabaud, Leveque, Jamam, Vigneron, Touvais, Schwartz ; and these inspire pleasant hopes. And it is gratifying to observe that the spirits and confidence of " our lively neighbour, the Gaul," are not broken by his reverses, and that he is quite capable, as in the olden time, of doing full justice to his Eoses in speaking of their merits to his friends. These seem, as usual, to be all that eye or nose could wish — very large, very full, very lovely iu colour, and perfect in form. They are " incomparable," " most effective," " dazzling," and " superb." Somehow, we old fogies do not find ourselves quite convinced, having reached that stern epoch of existence in which it becomes necessary, before our eyes are " dazzled," to have a peep at the sun. In the meantime, I have only to say that I hear, from trustworthy brethren, very favourable reports of Lacharme's Captain Christy, and that 1 shall shortly have reliable descriptions of other novelties, which shall be communicated to Tue Gauden". Blooms of two new Eoses have been sent to me for inspection, both bearing the same name. Duchess of Edinburgh; but as different from each other as Eoses well could be. The first which reached me is a hybrid perpetual from Mr. Bennett, of the Manor Farm Nursery, Stapleford, Salisbury, and is a beautiful large blush Eose of the Marguerite de St. Amand type, very full of petal, symmetrical in form, making healthy vigorous wood, with fine fresh foliage and delicious fragrance. The second is from Messrs. Veitch, of the Eoyal Exotic Nurseries, at Chelsea, a bright cherry-red Tea Eose, quite dis- tinct and new, evidently of free growth, and sure to yield abundant Eoses of great value for decorative purposes. We shall see it a favourite in Covent Garden Market by-and-bye, in button-holes and bouquets, in the Eose-house and the con- servatory. Mr. Bennett also sent me flowers of a charming Tea Eose, Madame Francois Tanin, iu colour a bright orange — a real houtnn d'or for the coat. Eoses under glass are blooming excellently. My best are the Mareohal, Marquise de Castellane, La France, Mdlle. Eugenie Verdier (these two belles of the Eosarium seem always to be meeting in rivalry, but I most admire the first), Fran9ois Michelon, Paul Neron, &c. Souvenir de Poiteau and Charles Turner are very good Eoses to force. QUE FETJIT PEOSPECTS. Anothee mild winter and spring, with a few sharp frosts in March, have resulted in the general wreck of the Apricot crops, and the injury of many of the forward blossoms of Peaches and Pears. As to Peaches, they have, upon the whole, escaped better than might have been expected. They were later, and they are also hardier, than Apricots. Structurally, the blossoms seem very much the same ; bub their distinct and differing powers of endurance have long been noted. It would be interesting to discover how much of the Peach-blossoms' extra power of withstanding cold is owing to their bright colour. Paleness and tenderness often go together. Two lessons all fruit-growers should study. One is the importance of getting trees to flower late in the open air, and the other the necessity of pro- viding more efficient shelter in the spring. Something may bo done towards the flrst by a partial change of aspect. May we not be wholly wrong in invariably giving Peaches, Nectarines, and Apricots, a south or west wall ? The result is a maximum amount of heat, often at the wrong season. The trees live, in March, between fire and ice. Now the sun beats upon them, and then- sap flows forth with a rush, impelled by a mid- summer heat of from 70° to 90° ; within a few hours a mid- winter frost chills and freezes their juices — 16° of frost — a difference of, it may be, over 70°. Under such extremes as these, is it any wonder that the tender blossoms succumb i* On an east or north-west wall, the trees would be colder, it is true, but they would, also, be later ; and this lateness would prove their safety. The idea seems to have prevailed that our trees cannot be active too early. This is wholly a mistake. They gain nothing by boiug excited so early iu spring. Our summers are long enough and warm enough to ripen Peaches and Apricots, did they not flower till the middle or end of April. It is not by a series of starts and checks that good fruit is perfected ; but by a process of constant and cumulative growth. The latter would be the result of a late start. Some of the finest Apricots I ever gathered were the produce of an east wall. They bloomed late, and never missed a crop ; and the flavour was superior to the half-baked produce of walls facing due south. Further, we want strains of late-blooming Peaches, Plums, Nectarines, Apricots, and Pears ; not later sorts, but later bloomers, as distinguished from late varieties. Here is a new field for hybridisers, in which each week abstracted from the season of flowering would be a clear gain to practical horticulture. Mr. Eivcrs has done much to extend our season of superior fruits at both ends, by giving us earlier and later, as well as superior, varieties. I hope he may at some time turn his attention to the procreation of late-flowering varieties, as I know of no one so likely to succeed in the matter. Already we have considerable difference in the time of flowering; and, by working with the latest kinds, later and yet later might still be produced. Another pomt of importance would be any additions to the substance of the flowers themselves. There are great diffe- rences in the seU-protecting forces of the flowers of fruit-trees, and the shghtest addition to these is of more service than almost any amount of external or extraneous protection. But, so long as later-flowering varieties of fruit-trees, stronger, better guarded, and, therefore, hardier flowers, are desiderated, there cannot be a doubt but that we must have more efficient shelter if we are to carry our fruit safely through our springs. We need, at least, glass-copings, or glass-cases, or glass-houses to ensure outdoor crops. Of most of these I have written in former seasons, and need not enlarge on them now. Glass copings I found the best protection against 1.5° of frost during the month of March last. They are 18 inches wide, and slip under the copings of the walls. Under them. Apricots, in full flower, have preserved a fair crop ; while other trees, not so sheltered, have failed. Peaches seem, also, quite safe. Still, in addition to these modes of protection, and also as a substitute for them, I would recommend flued walls in all cases of erecting new garden walls. They need add but little to the expense, and, of course, the fires would not be lighted unless needed. But, during exceptionally cold weather in the spring, or wet, comparatively sunless, autumns, the appli- cation of a little fire-heat behind the trees would prove the means of safety to the blossoms and of perfect maturation to the fruits. D- T. Fish. 322 THE GARDEN. [AmiL 18, 1874. NOTES OF THE WEEK. We have received Primula denticulata pulcherrima, beauti- fully in flower, from Messrs. Backhouse, of York. Its flower.heada are as round as balls, fully 2 inches in diameter and as compact as those of a Gaelder Rose. Individually the blooms are much larger and more richly-coloured than those of P. denticulata. Altogether it is a fine addition to our outdoor Primroses. There is now a fine display of hardy spring.flowering Alpine and herbaceous plants in the Royal Exotic Nursery, Tooting, both in pots and in the open borders. Scarcely any other classes of plants better repay careful cultivation than these, or cost less to grow them in perfection, and we are glad to see them rising once more in popular favour. The transformation works in Leicester Square are now in a very advanced state, and are still being pushed rapidly forward. Already has the whole of the turfing been laid down, and the walks have been marked out, while, among various other operations in pro- gress, a number of stone-cutters may be seen busy chiselling the stone- work of the great central fountain. There are no fewer than 160 varieties of Plums growing in pots in tho Royal Horticultural Society's Garden at Chiswick, and most of the trees are now profusely in bloom. This collection is a valuable one, and if, as may reasonably be expected the trees bear well, a comparison of their habits and fruits will, doubtless, furnish some valuable information concerning our different varieties of Plums ; due allowance, of course, being made for the restricted conditions under which they are grown. A BRISK trade in dried Potatoes has lately sprung up in America. They are sliced up and dried in much the same manner as dried Apples. One firm in Rochester has an order on hand now for 50,000 pounds of these dried Potatoes, as well as for 1,500 bushels of Onions, which are dried in much the same manner. They are intended for the navy. A bushel of Potatoes dries away to about ten pounds, and a bushel of Onions to about sis pounds.. When ready, they are put into large tin cans, holding about forty pounds each, and sealed up the same as oysters. On Tuesday next, the 21st inst., a special meeting of the Fellows of the Royal Horticultural Society will be held at South Kensington for the purpose of taking into consideration the expedi- ency of conferring (as has been proposed) upon male Fellows the power of voting by proxy. The question is one of high importance to the interests of the Society, and, as very great diversity of opinion is known to exist amongst the Fellows respecting it, there can be little doubt that it will form the subject of a very lively discussion, the result of which will be anxiously looked forward to by both sides. The New Chelsea Embankment is to be opened on the 1st of May. The indispensable portions of the work are now completed, and the ornamental portions arc being rapidly pushed forward ; the entire length, extending from Battersea Bridge to Chelsea Old Bridge, has been planted on both sides with rows of Linden trees. The mud- banks fronting Cheyne Walk, and extending from Queen's Road to tho Albert Bridge, and thence to Chelsea Bridge, 700 yards in length, are laid out in Grass plots and flower-beds, planted with bulbs, roots, and flowering shrubs. • At the meeting of the Royal Horticultural Society on Wed- nesday last, Mr. Denning exhibited three very large-flowered Masde- vallias, viz., M. Harryana, with enormous blood-coloured sepals, tinged with purple, the lateral sepals being nearly 3 inches long, and about as much across. Another variety, slightly smaller, seemed to form a connecting-link between this beautiful but variable plant and M. Lindenii, a plant of which was also shown for comparison. This intermediate form convinced us that the two supposed species (M. Harryana and M. Lindenii) aro identical. Cultivators may distinguish tliem by tho basis of the connate sepals genei'ally being white in M. Lindenii and yellow in M. Harryana, although this ia not invariably a reliable distinction. • — ■ — IiN a correspondence which lately took place between Mr. Gladstone and Mr. Algernon Clark, the secretary of tho Chamber of Agriculture, on tho subject of the Colorado beetle, Mr. Clark expressed his fears that this beetle, which has made such terrible havoc amongst tho Potato crop in America, would bo brought over to this country. The views expressed by Mr. Clark aro confirmed by Mr. Riley, tho American entomologist, who, in a communication to tho New York Trihunc, expresses his belief that, if once this pest reaches the Atlantic seaboard, there will bo great danger of its find- ing its way to Europe; for tho impregnated females will live for weeks, and even months, without food, and might, in their flight, cling to the rigging of outward-bound vessels, and so be transported to these shores. As a means of preventing tho evil, Mr. Riley suggests that the various agricultural and horticultural societies should disseminate, as much as possible, correct information concerning tho insect ; and recommends that a small card, giving coloured figures of the beetle in its diferent stages, should be posted in the cabins of vessels, and other places, with a note calling upon the reader to do all in his power to exterminate the terrible scourge. Mr. Marnock has sent in a plan for the new park at Sheffield. Its adoption has not, we believe, yet been actually decided upon, but in all probability it will be. It is intended to commence operations in the way of laying out the park early in May. We have received from Northampton some splendid heads of Watts'a Excelsior Broccoli — close, firm, and of milky whiteness. Fine as those are, however, they were surpassed in excellence by heads of this Broccoli grown at Burghley and exhibited by Mr. Gilbert at South Kensington, on Wednesday last. These were in unusually good condition. Some prettily ornamented flower-pot screens were exhibited by Mr. W. H. Honey, of Regent Street, at the Royal Horticultural Society's Meeting on Wednesday last. They are made of stiff card- board and can be readily folded up into a small compass when not in use. Attractive as this ingenious contrivance undoubtedly ia, it would be still more so if it were either six or eight-sided instead of square. Among tho most showy of herbaceous perennials now in flower is Doronicum austriacum, a fine tuft of which is flowering freely at the Exotic Nursery, Tooting. This plant, though not rare, is by no means so often met with in gardens, as, owing to its free and early blooming qualities, it deserves to be. Its large golden, yellow flowers are particularly striking, either in borders or margins of shrubberies. It may be recollected that the floral decorations at Bucks ingham Palace, during the Shah's temporary residence there, con- sisted almost wholly of Rosea, selected with a view to recall to hia mind hia own Persian " gardens of Gul in their bloom ; " and so struck was his Majesty by the splendid display of these flowers which daily met his eyes, that he haa, we are informed, sent an order to Mr. Wills for an extensive aaaortment of the same kinds to be despatched immediately to Persia. In the current number of the Beviie Horticole is a beautifully coloured plate of Lagerstrcomia indica, a plant long since introduced to our gardens, although now very rarely seen in cultivation. It grows freely in a warm greenhouse, bearing conical clusters of deep rosy flowers, their divisions bciag very crisp or wavy, and borne on slender stalks, nearly half-an-inch in length. A plant of it at Kew, 8 or 10 feet in height, flowers every season in the Palm-houao, in the greatest i^rofusion. In the neighbourhood of Paris it succeeds per- fectly out of doors in summer. From the American " Monthly Report of tho Department of Agriculture, " we learn that in several of the States, market- gardening is very much on the increase, and that in the neighbourhood of Hudson, New Jersey, the " farmers are selling or leasing their farms to market-gardeners, who are doing a large and lucrative business. " One cultivator is mentioned aa having 15 acres under Strawberries alone ! Another, in Monmouth county, " who has 6 acres in Wilson Blackberries, sold, last season, fruit to the value of 3,000 dollars (£G00)." Last autumn, a deputation of labourera on the estate of Lord Spencer waited upon his lordship at Althorp House, Northampton, shire, and requested him to allow them acre allotments for their own cultivation. Lord Spencer promised to give tho application due con. sideration ; and he has since informed the men that ho has deter, mined to try tho experiment, and will commence with half-a-dozen acres next spring, to bo divided among as many men, tho number to be increased should tho experiment prove successful. His lordship also fixed the mode of selection. At present, the labourers on his estate have Potato ground, for which they pay a low rental. An inspector ia to go over these in the ensuing summer and autumn, and the occupiers of the beat cultivated patches will receive the first aero allotments. Narcissus triandeus, a rare and distinct apeoios of Daffodil, is now in flower at Mr. Parker's nursery at Tooting. The flowers of this kind are of a lemon-yellow colour, and the divisions of the perianth aro turned back, in somewhat tho same manner as the petals of a Cyclamen. Besides this Daffodil, there are several other showy bulbous plants at present in flower in this nursery, notably tho fine Triteleia uniflora lilacina, which is a much more attractive plant than the common form, its flowers being of a fine blue colour throughout ; Puschkinia scilloidca, to which we directed attention a week or two ago ; Fritillaria latifolia, a largo form of tho common Snake's Head ; Muacari Heldroichii, and a goodly number of tho commoner kinds of (Jrapo Hyacinths, such as botryoidos and its varieties, and racoinosa, are also all just now in good condition in the same establishment. April 18, 1874.] THE GARDEN. 323 THE FLOWER GARDEN. HOW TO MAKE THE MOST OP SPRING FLOWERS. In a garden at Weybridge, one of the most beautiful spots within half-an-hour's rail of London, is a picturesque mass of root-work of considerable extent, which has this spring exhi- bited a display of floral beauty rarely seen. The proprietor, one of our most enthusiastic lovers of horticulture has built up a root-work, so bold in its general outline, and so picturesque in its details, that the effect is quite Alpine ; and, on approaching it, one expects the odours of the wild mountain Thyme to arise from beneath every footstep and fill the air with perfume. Where large masses of stone, in their natural forms, are not available, "root-work," as it is termed, may be substituted; but the wretched attempts to create a simulation of a rocky mountain- side that one often sees in suburban London, and also farther a-field, are truly distressing exhibitions to all oE cultivated taste in horticultural decoration. The construction of simple it takes nothing away from the rugged picturosqueness which is naturally sought in rook or root-gardening, as shown in the fragment selected for illustration. This kind of pseudo- Alpine gardening has many advantages ; it protects small and delicate plants from the reckless spading and forking which they meet with when confided to the tender mercies of an un- skilful workman in open borders. Their slender roots remain as undisturbed as in their original mountain homes, and they strew their seeds freely into the adjoining nooks and crannies, where their offspring arise around them unmolested by rash rakings and other kinds of interference. This last-named advantage is one productive of many kinds of interest ; such as watching the growth of seedling plants, which have, possibly, never been seen in their earliest stages of existence by the ordinary amateur; and, also, by arousing a natural expectation that new and unusual varieties may appear among the seedlings, which is a never-failing source of pleasant speculation to true plant lovers. Another advantage of growing Alpine and other plants in this way, is the facility with which the specially favour- Root-work cmbelliBhed with Spring Flowers. root-work is a much safer proceeding than forming a mass of miscellaneous matter in the shape of rock- work, even where not "uided by taste of the best description, because, in the flrst"place, the whole of the material employed is homogeneous in character ; because, in the second place, old roots have a tendency to clothe themselves very rapidly in a raiment of Moss and Lichen of many tones of rich olive and tender grey; and because, in the third place, big root-stumps, left un- trimmed, will, when piled together, however clumsily, persist in assuming more or less picturesque forms, in spite of the most inartistic arrangement. The masses of root-work, in the Weybridge Garden, have been put together with consummate taste ; they have been so arranged that the parasitic accretions of Moss and Lichen had every opportunity of developing themselves in the most favourable manner, so as to unite the different masses of root, and blend them, with beautiful tintings, into a broad general effect, which entirely conceals the fact of the mass being composed of a number of detached pieces, while able aspect and exquisite degree of shelter may be afforded to each class of plants. The recesses or plant-niches, naturally formed by the ramifications of the greater roots, inevitably face nearly every point of the compass, affording a northward nook for tufts of shade-loving Maiden-hair Fern, an eastward-looking home for tufts of Primroses, and such plants as love the morning light but droop before the mid-day glare; and southern or western aspects for plants which delight in them. In the noble piece of root-work alluded to in this description, the plants have been grouped and classified in a most effective and interesting manner ; not always as to mere colour, but invariably as to general form and character. Thus, the group represented in the annexed illustration consists entirely of Hepaticas. The pretty niche-like recess in the centre is occupied by a fine root of H. alba, with white stamens ; and to the left, in front, is a tuft of the smaller white kind, with reddish stamens ; a double variety to complete the group of whites would be desirable, but no double white is at present known. Its place might be supplied, perhaps, by a mass of 324 THE GAKDEN. [April 18, 1874. double Wood-Auemone, whioh flowers about the same time. To tlie right, in front, is a small mass of the large mauve kind, H. Barlowii, a very handsome plant ; and to the left, in a crevice between two pieces of root, H. angulosa has been established. This species is very distinct ; the narrow petals, of bright casruleau blue, resemble those of the Blue Mountain Anemone, and the foliage, as will be noticed, is also materially different from that of other kinds. On the extreme right, the old H. Cisrulea is seen peeping above a mossy projection, while the double-blue variety has not been added to this family group in consequence of its time of flowering occurring at a later period of the spring. On the top of the large mass of root that forms the niche below, is a fine tuft of the pale single Pink ; and beyond, though not visible in the illustration, are two varieties of deeper red, one of them nearly crimson. On the extreme left, a glimpse is obtained of the beautiful double red, with its profusion of exquisitely perfect flowers, that look like a crowd of pigmy Eoses — a kind which forms the glory of many a cottage border, defying the snow and hail, and bitter winds of March, from which the delicate beauty of its blossoms does not appear to receive the slightest injury. Such is the charming family group of Hepaticas, which has been established in such picturesque fashion amoug the artistically composed mass of root-work at Weybridge. There are many other floral beauties of the early spring displayed in a similar manner — masses of Scilla verna, for instance, with its pretty blooms of intense metallic blue — and, in another section of the root-work, a rich representative galaxy of the Primrose tribe. Above all, there is an exquisitely delicate group, most gracefully niched, of three distinct kinds of early Snowdrops, of which a drawing has been made expressly for The Garden, and which will appear soon. These hints and descriptions regard- ing the formation and planting of root-work will enable those, whoso tastes lead their horticultural industry in that direction, to make timely preparations for the production, next spring, of interesting groups of sprmg flowers as chai-m- ing as those ai Weybridge, wliich were so well woi-th a pilgrimage to see and admire, at the time when the drawings for these illustrations were made. H. N. H. DOUBLE DAISIES FOR SPRmO BEDDING. Referring to the notice of the arrangement of a choice spring border, consisting of eleven varieties of double Daisy, double Van ThoU Tulips, with bands of Myosotis dissitiflora, and mixed Crocus at back and front, described by me at page 459 in your last volume, I shall now proceed to give you my opinion as to the relative merits of the different varieties of Daisy used with a view to effectiveness in the decoration of spring borders, which I hope may be of some interest to those of your readers who take delight in pattern bedding:—!. Dickson's crimson-quilled Daisy (supplied to me by Mr. R. Dickson, of Erdington, near Birmingham), which was used for composing the whole of the ten circles, has proved itself most effective, and of first-rate quality for general bedding purposes, the colour being bright and clear, and an abundance of bloom being continuously produced on tall foot-stalks, well raised above the foliage. — 2. Pink, Little Dandy, an exceed- ingly free-growing and pretty Daisy, making a pleasing con- trast with the larger-flowering varieties, and evenly quilled. — 3. Hen and Cliickens Daisy. This variety, I think, unfit for this kind of work, as it is one of the latest-ljlooming of all the Daisies, and does not produce its flowers with any freedom till the middle of April or beginning of May ; it is also too pale and undecided a colour to be effective. — 4. White Queen. A variety which was strongly recommended to mo by the nurseryman from whom I bought it, but which has proved utterly worthless, showing a large yellow centre. — !'>. Crimson King. A very good double red Daisy, free-blooming, and producing flowers of good size and substance, of a ligliter shade than, and f|uite distinct from, the variety described as No. 1 in this list. This variety can be purchased in any quantity outside Covcnt Garden Market, at the moderate price of Is. per dozen plants, and should be in every collection of Daisies. — fi. FTondorson's Snowball, certainly one of the best and most fully and evenly double, if not the best white, Daisy in culti- vation, as well as by far the earliest to come into bloom. Its flowers are of a medium size, but are produced in great abundance and in regular succession, and are well raised above the foliage, which is not by any means of so vigorous or robust a habit of growth as that of most Daisies ; in fact, I should say that, unless in soils and aspects that specially suited it, this fine variety might prove of a delicate and unsatisfactory constitution ; but, where it thrives, it would be, indeed, hard to beat it. — 7. Double red-flowered Aucubjefolia, an exceedingly effective and ornamental Daisy, but, unfortunately, one for which the voracious and night-crawling slug has a peculiar partiality, it being the only variety touched by these animals, who, during the early part of the winter, nearly ate away four out of the six plants composing this central clump, while, strange to say, they did not touch the equally conspicuously- variegated white-flowered variety growing alongside of it in the very next circle. — 8. White-flowered Aucubcefolia (Flower of Spring). This fine novelty, raised by an amateur florist near Reading, and sent out for him by Messrs. Henderson, of St. John's Wood, is a great and decided acquisition to this class of plants, being of exceedingly free and vigorous habit of growth, and producing its pure white-quilled flowers in great profusion, which form a very pleasing contrast to the brilliant golden variegation of the foliage. — 9. Bellis roseo-tincta, sometimes known as Pink Beauty. A most delicate and lovely variety, resembling, when the flowers are not c(uite fully developed, a beautiful Persian Ranunculus, the ground colour being blush- pink, and all the petals clearly and distinctly tipped with deep rose. Unfortunately, the flower is not quite as fully double as could be wished, many of the flowers, when fully expanded, showing a more or less hollow centre and deficiency of petals. This, I should think, might be remedied by judicious culture, selection, and hybridisation, by which means the flower might be made to come more evenly and fully double, while preserving its exquisite delicacy of tint. Still, even though unimproved, it will always commend itself to amateurs, who are not over particular, for its unique and delicate beauty. — 10. Bellis grandiflora bicolor. A handsome parti-coloured Daisy with alternate petals, white and crimson, and of immense size and substance when it comes out really well ; but, unfortunately, it is not to be relied on for early or regular blooming, for which reason I do not think I should include it in a choice border another year, but should substitute for it an exceedingly pretty deep crimson form of little Dandy, recently received from a lady friend, and apparently quite dis- tinct from its type. — 11. Bellis Ranunculiflora. The latest- blooming of all the Daisies known to me, and so unfit for use in an early spring border, such as the one now under considera- tion ; in colour, this variety is almost exactly similar to the last-named variety, but the flowers are rather smaller in size, and the habit of growth is, by no means, so vigorous. It may be useful for later work, either as an edging, or in clumps, with some of the bedding Pansies or Polyanthus. I have, also, recently received a single plant of an a]5parently perfectly dis- tinct and fully double white Daisy, obtained by the friend (who sent it to me for trial), I think, from Mr. George Poulton, of Edmonton ; if this turns out as good as it at present promises to be, I shall, in all probability, substitute it in my next pattern border for the worthless serai-double White Queen. I have, also, received from Mr. R. Dean, of Ealing, a pretty light pink- flowered form of Bellis aucubtefolia. Some of the new Victoria Daisies raised by Mr. B. W. Knight, of Battle, Sussex, are very fine indeed, though many of them, necessarily, closely resemble one another ; but, as only a few of them are yet in flower, I must reserve further notice of them for the present. .Tunior Oarlton Ghib. W. E. G. ARRANGEMENT OP PLANTS IN VASES AND BASINS. In formal or architectural gardens, where ornamental stone- work, in the shape of basins and vases, abounds, it is often possible to render them very attractive during the summer months by means of plants in pots, especially where the masonry is artistic in design. The accompanying woodcut, showing such stonework draped with elegant forms of sub- tropical vegetation, will serve to illustrate our meaning. We have many plants at command peculiarly well suited for this April 18, 1874.] THE GARDEN. 325 kind of ornamentation ; indeed, many of our common foliage- plants, grown in pots in the conservatory or greenhouse are greatly improved, both in health and appearance, by being grouped outside during the summer months. This is espe- cially the case with plants that do not receive the benefit of fire-heat during winter, as the growth made outside, while they are fully exposed to shower and sunshine, is better able withstand a low winter temperature than that made in a com- paratively close and hot temperature. The best plants to use in this way are the more hardy Palms, Ferns, Solanums, Cannas, and the lai'ger succulents, as Agaves, Aloes, Sem- pervivums, and Echeverias. Some of our greenhouse Yuccas, as Y. aloifolia variegata, and Y. quadrioolor, are, also, all the better for being fully exposed during summer ; indeed, we have seen the foliage of the latter stained with the deepest crimson after having made its growth outside, and in that condition it is one of the most effective of all hard-leaved decorative plants. In some large gardens, Agaves, Pomegra- nates, Oranges, Myrtles, and Portugal Laurels, are grown in pots or tubs, specially for the above-mentioned purpose, and gi'Ouped inside an ornamental stone kerb ; in this way they are set off to much better advantage than when formally placed at regular distances apart along a terrace, or margin of a walk or drive. A few striking foliage plants tastefully grouped, as shown in our illustration, is far more pleasing and effective than large specimens arranged with no highei' aim than that of formal symmetr}-. ^Plants about to be placed out-of-door.», Vase and Basin furnished witli Plants. from under glass, must, however, be gradually inured to the external temperature before they are finally grouped outside in beds or vases. B. SAXIPEAGES. By J. C. NIVEN, Botanic Gfardens, Hull. The Mossy Group. If, in the foregoing series of articles, which embraced the more important crustaceous Saxifrages at present in cultivation, I found some little difficulty in identifying to my satisfaction, the various species and varieties, I fear in dealing with the mossy section a far more difficult task awaits me. There is snch confusion in the names, such similarity in the growth and habit of the plants, and snch divergence in general appearance induced by the varying circumstances under which they may be cultivated, that I plainly foresee my task is not a light one. Engler, in dealing with this section in his " Mono- graph," evidently has studied the plants in their dry state as they occur in herbaria, more than in the living state ; and, as a result, I must in some cases differ from him, more especially in the sequence under which I propose arranging the species. Both my grouping, as I before stated, and the order in which I arrange the species in those groups, are based on external appearances, rather than on technical distinctions, and I am not a little pleased to find that general affinities, even though these be to a great extent purely botanical, are not unfavourable to my arrangement. S. Burseriana of Linnteus, is a species that appears to form, as it were, the keystone of the arch connecting the crustaceous and the mossy sections together ; it is a dense compact-growing plant, with tapering, almost triquetrous leaves, each terminated with a stiff mucro, the whole forming a compact mass of glaucous green, that reminds one a good deal of some of our dwarfest forms of Junipers. In verifi. cation of the statement I have made, that this forms the connecting link between the two sections, I may say that this glaucous tint, is owing to the whole surface being suffused with a crustaceous ccuda- tion not exactly uniform, it is true, but giving a thoroughly marked character to the plant. Not only in this have we a character that links it with our last section, but a still more marked one in the flowers ; these are produced sparsely, each supported on an almost naked foot. stalk about 2 inches high. The flowers are large as compared with the size of the plant, of a creamy white, the pedicels being covered with a short glandular pubescence. Though this plant must be looked upon as comparatively rare in cultivation, it appears to enjoy a tolerably wide geographical range, including the Pyrenees, the Maritime and Swiss Alps, the Apennines, and extending eastwards even as far as the Mountains in Tauria. S. juniperifolia of Adams — more generally cultivated under Haworth's name of juniperina — is a species that will be familiar to all Saxifrage growers. It is of rigid and compact growth, its leaves, entire, subulate, and mucronate, are an-anged in dense rosettes of the brightest shining green, the whole forming a conical mass, whose beavity will arrest the attention of even a casual observer. It rarely flowers ; never, indeed, have I seen, even from a large tuft, more than one or two of its dense leafy spikes developed ; these rise about 1 inch above the general surface, and ara surrounded with incurved glandular bracts to such an extent that the flowers individually are scarcely visible; this is of the less importance, as their beauty depends a great deal more on the large golden protruding anthers than on the petals, which are small, and, in some instances, absent altogether. This species may be readily increased by careful division and a litle judicious management afterwards. It is confined to Asia Minor, where it is met with in the Caucasus, and Armenia. S. tenella, originally described by Wulfen, is, as its name implies, a slender grower, and especially when compared with the last. Here we have creeping stems covered with linear, slenderly- mucronate, golden. green leaves, not adpressed — there we find a rigidly and densely casspitoso habit of growth, dark shiuing green being its universal characteristic. This slender Saxifrage flowers freely on erect branching stems, and is remarkable for the well- defined ovate capsule that remains after blooming ; rarely, however, does it mature perfect seeds in this country. Its flowers are pure white ; this, along with its neat habit, renders it a desirable plant for the rockery, where it should have a well-drained warm sunny corner, as it is most impatient of damp, not unfrequently rotting off in a mass, if kept during winter in a frame on a cold sub-soil. It affects limestone districts in Croatia and Sclavonia, and is also met with on the Alps. S. aspera of De Candolle, is well named the rough Saxifrage ; to its procumbent stems, the very appropriate title of caudiculi, meaning " little tails," is given b_y descriptive botanists. These stems are covered with loosely arranged linear leaves, provided with stout ciliaa along their margins, and terminated with a stiffish bristle, giving a general rough feel to the plant ; added to this, its growth is irregular, and it has an habit of hybernating, if I may use the anomalous term, during the hottest part of the summer, when it presents a greyish, brown uncomfortable appearance. Rarely does it bloom, at least in cultivation, and its flowers are by no means conspicuous. Seeing, then, that its chief value consists in its being a well-defined distinct species, I need enter into no further details, beyond saying, that it enjoys a wide distribution through the whole of the South European Alps. S. bryoides, though looked upon by Engler merely as a variety of tho preceding species, is so thoroughly distinct, that I prefer retaining the old Linncean specific name, than which nothing can be more appropriate, so exactly does the appearance of the plant repre. sent the growth of some of the Bryums. In aspect it forms a carpet of light-coloured green, consisting of innumerable little tails, varying in length, not one-fourth the size of those in aspera; each tad is covered with a dense arrangement of adpressed linear leaves, terminated with soft hairs, but totally devoid of the rough bristly character of tho last. Its flowers are small, generally two on a peduncle, elevated an inch or two above the general surface, some- what yellowish in colour ; not, however, produced in any abundance. It is to its general appearance, irrespective of bloom, altogether, that this plant owes its beauty. It is by no means a strong rooter, and where a few worms take possession of the pan in which it is culti- 326 THE GAEDBN. [Apkil 18, 1874. vated, they soon give it a ragged appearance; and will, it not I'emovcd, completely loosen it from its root-hold. It has not the peculiar hybernating property of the last species, and, consequently, retains its fresh greenness through the entire summer. In its geographical distribution, bryoides is to be met with pretty generally through the whole of the central and south European Alps. S. sedoides of LinnEeus, as I stated in a previous article, was long cultivated under the name of aretioides. It appears to claim a very close relationship to the preceding species, differing chiefly in the tiny leaves being rather more rosulate than oandicnlate, and in not being adpresscd, but rather the reverse ; its petals, also, are narrower. Lacking, therefore, as it does, the more attractive features of the former, merely chronicling it as a species will BuiEce. S. Seguieri of Sprengel and S. Androsacea of LinuEous are so closely related, that I may consider them under one heading. As to the characters they possess in common, we have a dwarf dense growth, the tuft of radical leaves scarcely rising half.an.inch above the surface of the soil ; the tail-like character, which we found in several of the foregoing species is totally absent here ; the flowers are small, elevated on foot-stalks about 2 to 3 inches high, pure white, those of the latter species bearing a very marked resemblance to the genus Androsacea, from which it derives its name, owing to a greater rotundity of corolla, and also to its petals being emarginate, or slightly notched inwards at the points. The most important distinctive character consists in the leaves of the former being lanceolate and entire ; those of the latter have generally three, or even sometimes five, teeth towards the apex ; usually speaking, how- ever, the central one is so large, as compared with the side ones, that they are apt to be lost sight of ; it, however, indicates the first change into the notched or divided-leaved section of the mossy group. It is very seldom one sees either species happy and thriving in cultivation. My success in either case has not been satisfactory. Drought they cannot bear, and to shade they appear to have an equal objection. I fancy those double-walled pots I alluded to when describing the garden at Benthall Hall, and which are now to be pur- chased in the trade, will be admirably suited for such plants as these. Possibly some of the want of success may be attributable to a too great greed for division when the plants .are first introduced, sacri- ficing health and vigour in the whole for the gain of a few plants. Geographically speaking, both plants have a pretty wide distribution. Androsacea extends thi'ough the mountain districts of Europe as far as Lake Baikal, in Asia ; Seguieri is generally met with at very great altitudes, and, no doubt, has a tender affection for the pure cool draught at the snow-fountain. S. Stelleriana of Merck, is looked npon by Engler as a variety of S. bronchialis of Linnasas, to which he applies the name cherlerioides ; and, unquestionably, the plant that we have long cultivated under the above specific title is identical, so far as I can make out, with this variety, albeit, Engler's name is not a very happy one ; but, seeing that I have never met with the true specific type in cultivation, I am disposed to retain it as a species, at least till such time as we get the true bronchialis; it is a creepiug plant, its procumbent caudicles being well furnished with somewhat fleshy, small, concave leaves, beautifully ciliated along their margins, and broadly lanceolate and spathulato in shape; its flowers are sup- ported on short glandular pedicels, are of a greenish-white, .and are produced in vei-y limited numbers. Its home is in Siberia, whore it has an extensive range as far as Behring's Straits, occurring also on the American Continent at Unalaschka, and along the range of the Rocky Mountains for a consider.ablo distance. S. tricuspidata of Retzius, has long been in cultiv.ation, and is one of the species belonging to this section that carries not only its specific char.actor, but its very name, on the face of every leaf ; it is much closer allied to the hast species than would at first sight appear — larger in growth .and foliage, with the leaves leas densely arranged on the ])r()cumbeiit branches; during the summer, the leaf margins are tinted with a beautiful chocolate-brown, which colour covers the entire plant during winter. Its specific character is derived from the leaves; these aro fleshy, distinctly divided into three pointed mucronate lobes at the apex, the centre or terminal one being much the longest, each margined with a hard cartilaginous mass. Its period of blooming has varied much with me — sometimes in April, but more generally in August or September. The flowers are four or five in number, supported on a slender pedicel, and of a pale yellow or sti'aw colour, which contrasts very prettily with tho small chocolate lobes of the calyx. It is a native of North America, where it extends from Kotzebue Sound to Greenland, and far into tho Arctic regions. Sometimes a slight variation occurs whenever tho two side teeth are auppressed, or merely represented by two stiff bristling hairs ; and to this form I have seen the name cuspidata applied ; but, as I find this variation occurring frequently on the S. tricuspidata plant, and possessing no constancy of character, it would clearly be wrong to give it the status even of a variety. Added to this, there is a perfectly distinct species not at present, I believe, in cultivation, to which the name cuspidata is given. S. spatliulata of Desfontaines, as a species ought properly to take its position between the foregoing, possessing, as it does, entire leaves devoid of any lobes or notches whatever. The plant consists of a number of procumbent stems, well covered with foliage, some- times arranged in rather dense small rosettes. The leaves are entire, lanceolate, concave on the upper surface, and edged with delicate spider web -like cilia3. Its flowers, which are produced more freely than in either of the foregoing species, are whitish, growing in threes or fours upon naked peduncles some 4 inches long. It is a north African species, and is met with as far inland as Mount Atlas, where it grows at a considerable altitude. In spite of its southern origin, it is found to be perfectly hardy in cultivation, if planted in a well-drained and thoroughly exposed corner of the rookery. A Twofold Chord of Spring Beauty. — The highest beauty is mostly composed of the simplest elements. By putting too many colours into our pictures we spoil them; we produce distraction where we ought to find repose. We want embroidery aglow with beauty for the early spring, or a double shading of two colours that shall produce a striking contrast and yet yield repose. Tou have only to dip your brush — trowel, I mean — into two large beds of golden Thyme and the early Forget-me-not (Myosotis dissitiflora), plant them everyhow, anyhow, near each other in masses, patterns, beds, lines, straight or curved, and they are beautiful ; the eye never wearies of them. In bright colours and style of growth so different, yet so in unison, they form one of the most effective of all combina- tions. Another twofold chord of beauty is formed of the white Arabis and the same Forget-me-not ; the one seems so much whiter, and the other so much bluer by contrast. Primroses, again, aro fine against the Forget-me-not ; in fact, I know no yellow, orange, or white, that is not improved by close proximity to this lovely Forget- me-not. It should not, however, be put near to Aubrietias, nor blue-violet, nor violet, nor purple flowers of any kind. For carpeting for golden Daffodils it is superb ; the latter, ruffled by the wind, seem, indeed, dangling in an azure sea. But, enough ; else my friends will declare that I have Forget-me-not on the brain. It is, certainly, the pet of all the flowers of the spring, and in beauty far exceeds them all.— D. T. F. NOTES AND QUESTIONS ON THE FLOWER GARDEN. The Pasque Flower (Anemone Pulsatilla.)— This beautiful old plant ought to have a place ill every garden, however small, as it requires no caro and but little room. 1 have a tiue plant of it, which has not lieen disturbed for years, and which is a most beautiful object every Easter. This se.'lson it has l)rodnccil from fifty to sixty of its beautiful silky blossoms. — J. Wiiitt\khb, Morhjj, Dcrlin. Varieties of Primroses novv in Flower in the York Nurseries— The following, many of which are very beautiful, are now in flower hej-e, viz. : — ■ P. amooua (one of the earliest, 'commencing early in March), pur])urea, dcnticulata, jiulcherrima (Backh.), integrifolia, Candolleana, Dinyana, villosa, vera, viscosa, nivalis, marginata, glaucescens, Wulfeuiaua, tyrolensia, ciliata, minima, aurieulata, farinosa, farinosav. acaulis, commutata, Clusiaua, ceuensis. — RicnARD Potteh. The Dwarf Flag (Iris pumila).— This pretty little Iris is now being brought to Covent Garden Miirket in cmautities, and it well deserves attention. We have grown it in a warm jieaty soil, with a good sprinkling of sand, and, when so treated, it thrives well and dowers profusely. Its leaves are like those of the common German Iris, but they seldom exceed 2 or 3 inches in length, and the flowers, which are violet-purple, aro borne on short stems not above 3 inches in height. It is a native of the south of Europe, antl should find a place in every warm sandy border where it will bloom freely aljout this time. — J. W. T. Wallflowers. — Nothing is bettor than tho single yellow Wallflower for naturalising on warm sandy borders, rock-work, or natural rocks, or old walls. Once cstal)lished it reproduces itself freely from seetl, and never fails to make a brilliant show in early spring. Many old' ruins of historical interest throughout the comitry are covered with it, but nowhere is it seen to more advantage than on the Sandstone blulf, just below Nottingham Castle, where its golden flowers show to great advantage while the jmrplo Vernal Crocus is freely dotted over the fresh Grassy meadows at tho foot of the " Castle " rock, Nice little plants of this Wallflower aro now being sold in Covent Garden Market at Id. or 2d. apiece. — Q. Daffodils. — "We have no fewer than eight single and double forma of the Incnmpuralile DaflTodil now before us from Mr. Barr's grounds at Tooting ; and they are all of such a clear and beautiful yellow or creamy white, with the orange segment of the cup scattered among their perianth divisions, that wo are siu-prised that these fine hardy bulbous plants have been so much neglected liy modern cultivators, especially after what has been done by Parkinson, liaworth, Ellacombe, and others. Mr. Barr's collection is perhaps the richest in species and forms of any in I'lurope, tho plants being well-grown and robust, instead of poor starved examples, such as are too often found at the present time in gartlens in which they happen to bo grown. — B. H. April 18, 1874] THE GARDEN. 327 THE INDOOR GARDEN. OKNAMENTAL CYCADS. Since the rago for Ferus has, to some extent, subsided in favour of Draca3nas, Crotons, and Palms, the more ornamental Uyoads hare been brought to the front, and, as evergreen decorative plants, they well deserve such prominence, many of them beiug particularly interesting. It has been said that they combine the fresh green aspect of our finest Ferns with the graceful habit and permanence of the Palm, and possessing distinct and striking characteristics peculiarly their own, and this, in some cases, is correct, but in others their colouring and general contour is wholly different from both. Although, for the most part, natives of tropical countries, they nearly all grow freely in this country, in a warm greenhouse or conser- vatory, under precisely the same treatment as is desirable for our more hardy Palms. Their propagation is, for the most part, difficult, but this is the less to be regretted, as old speci- mens arc as easily imported as Tree-Fern trunks, and some few produce offsets, or root-suckers, by which the plant can be readily reproduced. They will be found to grow best in a well-drained compost of fibrous-loam broken up into lumps about the size of a pigeon's egg, and they all require a copious supply of moisture during the warmest portion of the year. The plant, of which the accompanying is an illusti-ation, is one of the best in its class for conservatory decoration, or even for sub-tropical gardening during the summer months. It is not a quick grower, but very permanent in its character, as are all the other species ; hence it is advisable to be careful not to injui'e any of their foliage ; inasmuch, as any bruises or broken parts remain blemishes for years. Other species in this group are also very effective when well grown , and none more so than the blue-foliaged E. hor- ridus, a stout dense- growing form, with spinose foliage, and one of the most striking of all foliage-plants for con- servatory decoration. E. Gaffer— or, as it is popularly called, Hottentot Bread noble plant, forming, as it does, a fine trunk, surmounted by deep green leathery foliage, which droops or arches gracefully on all sides. There are some good specimens of this in the Palm-house at Kew, and it deserves a place in every collection of warm con- servatory plants. Some of the Australian Macrozamias are likewise striking in habit, and well worth more general cultiva- tion than they at present receive. M. corallipes has a short rounded trunk, and a gracefully-curved diverging plume of deep glossy foliage. Of this plant there are one or two forms, the most distinct being M. corallipes gyrata, which has its leaflets spreading out from the glossy rachis in all directions instead of lying flat, as in the normal type. M. elegantissima, M. spiralis,_and others, are all well worth a place where variety is desired in plant-houses, inasmuch as the whole group of Cycads are as invaluable and as deserving of general culture as are the Palms themselves, although they are more limited in number. Many come from the Cape district and Natal, or southern Africa, where they form distinctive features of vegetation. They should be carefully watered during winter, as any injury from excess of moisture will not be evident for weeks after the mischief is done. B. Enccpbalartus Altenstemii, -is another PLANTS FOE BASKETS. . Br GEORGE WESTLAND, Witley Court. TiiEKE are many of our most beautiful plants that are seen to best advantage when grown in hanging-baskets ; naturally, such as are of a pendent habit of growth are most effective when so suspended that their gracefulness and beauty of inflorescence are fully discernible. Largely as these basket plants are now employed, there is still ample room for exten- sion, and by breaking up many of the stiff, lumpish, uninterest- ing combinations which we not unfrequently meet with in plant houses, with judiciously disposed groups of tastefully- tilled baskets, we would render them much more effective and enjoyaljlc than they now are. There is scarcely a class of plants which does not present suitable material for this purpose, both as regards foliage and flowers ; we have Orchids in abundance, and the quaint and singular Nepenthes, which have long been extensively cultivated in baskets ; but, however interesting and desirable these may be, with few exceptions, they are too tender to bear exposure in a show-house. For the embellishment of the conservatory during the summer months, the Achimenes recommends itself, from its free-blooming properties and admirable adaptability for basket-work, as one of ■ the most effective plants we can employ. The hardiest sorts should be chosen for this purpose, as many of the delicate kinds stand exposure badly; when the plants are well-established in the baskets, they should bo hung up in the position in which they are to bloom, so that they may become inured to it pre- viously to flowering. This is important to ensure perfect success, if the position is at all exposed ; next to the Achimenes, I would recommend Petu- nias ; they are most gor- geous subjects when freely-cultivated in good- sized baskets, which will contain from ten to twelve plants around the rim, with a Geranium or a Begonia in the centre. They may be propagated from named sorts, or (what I prefer) from seed of the best hybrids, which produce a charming variety of colours with a large proportion of striped sorts. These will bloom for several months in the greatest profusion, and are not excelled, for effectiveness, by any other class of plants I have seen tried. I have grown them so as to hang down 8 feet or more below the baskets, and they stand exposure well. Again, there are the varieties of the Ivy-leaved Pelargonium, all most appro- priate subjects for a cold house, and forming charming baskets when thoroughly established. A single plant of some striking Geranium as a centre, and a mixed or simple coloured fringe of the Ivy-leaved round it, will last for months in good condition ; I have grown these so as to hang down 10 feet from the baskets. The old plants trained and re-plauted bloom best. Tropasoluras are likewise most desirable subjects for basket- work, as is also the charming Convolvulus mauritanicus, and the dazzling hues of the Clematis are most vividly displayed when drooping in this manner. Amongst evergreen drooping plants, nothing surpasses the variegated Vinca major elegan- tissima, its gracefully streaming spray and reflexed leaves being specially beautiful in such a position. We plant the centres with Scarlet Geraniums, and re-plant the Vinca annually during the early spring months, cutting away the previous 328 THE GARDEN. [April 18, 1874. year's growth; and so rapid is their growth that, in three months' time, the new plants will have reached the ground, which is 18 feet from the baskets. For suspending in dark corridors and situations where it is difficult to get tender subjects to succeed, this is the most satisfactory plant I know. There are many charmingly pretty plants requiring a stove temperature, such as ^schynanthus, Hoya Bella, Coccocypse- lum discolor, Torenia, Panicum, Pothos, Argyreia, and Gym- nostaohyums, which are specially valuable as basket-plants, and which display their natural developments of character to the best possible advantage when so grown, besides presenting very graceful and pleasing features. We have still another very large and popular class of plants in the Pei-ns, which are most adaptable to basket-culture from their habit of growth, and the graceful elegance of their fronds. Most of the Davallias, with creeping rhizomes, Drynaria, Niphobolus, Lygodiura, Nephrolepis, Adiantums, Asplenium flabellifolium, the bold and graceful Goniophlebium sub-auriculatum, and the quaint and picturesque aspect of the Platycerium, which adapts itself most admirably to this form of culture, and contrasts so forcibly with the fragile elegance of the other kinds, are all suitable for baskets. These may be grown singly, covering the Moss with Lycopods, or they may be grouped. When the baskets are small, care should be taken that they are not over-crowded, as they grow so freely. A great point in the cultivation of plants in baskets during the summer months is, to give them an abundant supply of water. If the foliage is allowed to become sickly through any lack of moisture, the thorough effectiveness of the plants is very much marred. The above are but mere indications of the many subjects that are suited for baskets— a mode of culture which has much to recommend it. POINSETTIA PULGHBERIMA. As a winter decorative plant this is one of the most valuable plants in cultivation, and in every garden, where winter-flowering plants are used, its cultivation should be made a speciality. True, the habit of the plant is not of the most attractive character, but that can he considerably modified with proper management ; and the brilliancy of the colouring of its rich crimson bracts, together with their great size and lasting power, quite counterbalance every defect. Generally, the culture of this excellent plant is but imperfectly understood, and, considering the torture it sometimes has to undergo, the great wonder is that it has stood its ground so well as it has done. How often do we see it crowded in among miscellaneous stove-plants in positions where only the few leaves at the top of the stem can see the light or feel the fi-esh air playing about them, instead of their being kept cool and airy during the summer months, so that the wood may be ripened and consolidated. In describing the form of culture now generally adopted by good cultivators, and which has proved most successful in its results, we will suppose a beginning being made with young plants from cuttings. These may be taken about the month of March, when the wood has been well rested after flowering. In cutting down the old plants, the best of the wood should be saved for propagating purposes. When we say the best, it must by no means follow that the strongest is meant, as that is sometimes sadly deficient in some of the most important points; but that which is moderately strong is generally to be preferred, as it will be found firmest and most thoroughly ripened. It should then be cut up into short pieces in a similar manner to that in which Vine eyes are prepared, that is, by cutting olT the wood within ;;- inch- of the eye on each side of it; or, they may be cut off under another joint, as some prefer; but this is not essential, as they will be found to root easily either way. The pieces may then bo planted upright in pots or pans, keeping the growing eyes level with the surface, and, if plunged in a bottom. heat of 70" or 75' they will soon root freely. A mixture of rich (ibry loam, with a little sand, loaf-mould, and well-rotted manure, may then bo prepared for potting them off; and if this bo done carefully, using .■i-inch pots, and returning them to the bottom, heat, they will start away at once, and will soon bo woll-ostablishod. As soon as tho pots aro well filled with roots, they may bo removed to a cooler situation ; and, after being hardened off a little, the plants may be again shifted into 0 or 7-inch pots this time, which will bo largo enough for the first season ; they may then bo placed in a cold frame, aa close to the glass as possible, and will require nothing more till the end of summer, when they may bo returned to a mode- rately warm house, and may bo brought in quickly, or grndnally, as may be wished. Abundance of moisture must bo supplied during all the growing season, and the foliage should be frequently syringed, to keep down red spider and promote healthy growth. Liquid-manure may be applied freely as the blooming season draws near, which will assist in increasing the size of the bracts, rendering them more per. sistent. As soon as the coloured leaves are well-developed, they may be removed to a cool conservatory or greenhouse, where they will stand for a long time, and will be very effectual in enlivening tho dull foliage of the plants around them. When done flowering, they may be gradually hardened off, and water may be partly withheld as they sink to rest, and in due time the process may be begun over again. The treatment of old plants is similar to that already described for cuttings. When they have been cut back, they may be placed in slight bottom-heat until they break into growth, when they may be shaken out of the pots, and as much of the old soil removed as can be detached without injury to the roots. They may then be re-potted into the same, or rather less-sized pots, and be returned to their places until they get well started again, when they may be grown along with the young plants as here recommended. Tho usual way is to grow only one plant in a pot, and by this means the finest heads are obtained ; but, where a mass is wanted, larger pots may be used, and two or more plants grown together to suit the circumstances. In the case of old plants which have become too leggy and bare to be presentable, they may be economised by taking the tops off in August and striking them as cuttings. They may be cut about 6 or 8 inches long, and inserted in the centre of small pots singly, and if plunged in brisk bottom-heat and kept shaded and moist for a few days, they will quickly root, and may be transferred to 6-inch pots, and will make nice dwarf plants for room or table decoration, as they will flower nearly as well aa if they had been allowed to remain on the parent plant. In addition to the crimson, variety, which is the one usuallj' cultivated, there is a white variety, which is seldom met with, probably on account of the white not being decided enough to render it a desirable addition. — J. L. Do Leaves Absorb Moisture ? — At the opening of the Gardeners' Institute, at Darlington, the Rev. C. Peach addressed the meeting, and alluded to leaves absorbing moisture. He said, " This is a great question now with some of our French horticulturists, who are of opinion that leaves do not absorb moisture." He further stated, " A very common occurrence after a very bright day in spring, on entering a propagating-house, say a house of young Roses or Verbenas, is to find them flagging. We at once start to syringe them, and thus are actually doing harm instead of good." Have leaves, therefore, the power of absorbing moisture or not ? — T. B., Darlington. [We have no definite proof that leaves do absorb moisture, although, as is well known, a humid atmosphere is essential to the welfare of growing plants. No doubt syringing does harm under the circumstances just related, unless shading is applied at the same time. When we shade growing plants or cuttings, and keep them constantly moist, it is not so much with the idea that they will absorb moisture as that humidity and shade com- bined lessen, to a very great extent, the transpiration which would otherwise take place from the leaves, thus causing them to droop or " flag." Every propagator is aware that moisture alone will not prevent cuttings from flagging ; they are, therefore, very careful to keej) their oases well shaded from bright sunshine. — Ed,] KOTES AND QUESTIONS ON THE INDOOR GARDEN. Clematis indivisa lobata.— In aiUUtion to wh.it your correspondont says (see p. titJO), iu rot'eronco to this plant, I would recommend it on accouut of its producing its flowers for about two months in succession. In cutting the blooms, tbose should be taken which are not hilly developed, as they keep much longer than such as are wholly open. Plants only a few feet high bloom quite jirofuscly. — F. Phalsenopsis Parishii.— This pretty little plant is now flowering in Messrs. Veitch's Orchid-houses, at Chelsea. It is one of tho smallest of all Orchids, having glaucons leaves only aliout an inch in length, and bearing two to seven pearly-white (lowers on a spike about the same length. The lip is heart-shaped and (icL'p purple, with a few white hairs at the base. Although very small it deserves cultivation, its flowers being pretty when closely inspected, and quite unlike those of any other member of this well-known group. — B. Fuchsias. — AVhat varieties of Fuchsia are best adapted for standards and ])illars in a (-ool conservatory ? — T. Bahnks, Kern. [Tho old Tashsia corallina floes remarkably well in tho gardens at Chiswick House, trained np the rafters like Vines. Souvenir do Chiswick and Venus de Medici, aro also two other old favourites that are well suited for the purposes you name. Plant them out iu rich woll-mannrod compost, a.nd train them up in the form of asingle stem, removing all laterals until they aro as high as required. After they have finished blooming in autumn, prune tho laterals close iu, just as is done in the ease of Grape Vines, and start tho [ilants afresh in the spring, by appljnng a little heat and syringing them with tepid water ; so treated, they will bloom profusely, and are among the most beautiful of all cool conservatory plants. Wo saw sonic at Hatfield last autumn, ami magnificent thoy wore, having been in hloom for three or four months. When so grown, cut-branches of some of them aro very useful for drawing-room vases. — En.] Iprh 18, 1874.] THE GARDEN. 329 THE GARDEN IN THE HOUSE. PLANT-CASES AND AQUARIA COMBINED. TuERE are several drawbacks to the more general culture of tender Perns and ornamental-foliaged plants in ordinary apart- ments. In the first place the temperature is very unequal, and the piants, if fully exposed, suffer from the aridity caused by open fires and gas. In order to regulate the temperature as much as possible, and, at the same time, protect the plants from dryness and other injurious influences, we have recourse to Wardiau cases, and these, to a great extent, enable us to make the most of tender plants as embellishments for the sitting-room or boudoir. A plant-case, when of graceful form and well made, is a most excellent invention, and one that ought to be introduced into every home of taste, where fresh plants and delicately-tinted flowers are admired, and where there are no means of cultivating them except in windows. A badly constructed case is a great nuisance, and only proves a source of annoyance to its possessor. One of the best plant- cases we have ever seen was made by an industrious artizan for the amusement of a sickly daughter. This was of wood, with a flat zinc pan inside to contain the soil in which the plants weve grown, while a large bell-glass in the centre con- tained leeches, water beetles, lizards, gold fish, and other aquatic animals, a handful of coarse sand at the bottom serving Flant-caso and Aquarium combined, for tie growth of a few pieces of Anacharis, Vallisneria, and other small water plants. It was glazed with 21-oz. glass, and neatly painted both inside and out. The vegetation around the bell-glass consisted, for the most part, of small-growing Ferns, as Asplenium flabellifolium, A. Trichomanes, and Scolo- pendrium vulgare,all of which grew vigorously, while thewhole surface of the soil, being carpeted with fresh green Selaginella, had a most pleasing and refreshing appearance. We have recently seen some very pretty designs for aqnaria and Pern- cases combined, one of the best being that of which the accom- panying is an illustration. It is novel in point of construction, varying from most others which we have seen in having the aquarium between, instead of below, the compartment for ordinary vegetation. It is one of the many elegant introduc- tions of Messrs. Bromwich, of South Belgravia. We recently saw one of these cases tastefully planted with Perns, Palms, and other foliage plants. Mosses, and Selaginella, and the whole had a bright and cheerful effect, being enlivened by the sparkling water and gold fish, the warm hues of which contrast so well with fresh vegetation. STANDS OP HARDY FERNS. For the decoration of sitting-rooms in large towns, these are parti- cularly woU-suited, and yet it is seldom they are employed for that purpose, because I suppose those who have not tried their effect, or Been them, do not care to experimentalise in the matter ; those, how- ever, who will try their effect will not be disappointed. Hardy Ferns stand every change in the atmosphere, and look quite as effective as the more tender varieties. I first saw an arrangement of this kind in an apartment in a large town in which it continued in good condition for two years. The stand had been formerly a hanging-basket, but, in order to convert it into a stand, the chains by which it had been wont to hang had been taken off, and a wire-worker supplied it with four feet, or supports, which raised it about eight or ten inches from the table on which it stood. The basket was lined with Moss in a growing state, at least it had a bright and fresh appearance ; inside of this was a layer of broken crocks. The rest of the basket was then filled with a mixture of peat, loam, and silver-sand, in which the Fern roots were planted. The basket was about a foot across ; planted in the centre was a nice specimen of the Hart's-tongue Fern (Scolopendrium vulgare), and round it were mixed varieties, such as Asplenium Trichomanes, Asplenium marinum, Polypodium vulgare, and several other small plants of Lastrea Filix-mas, and similar Ferns. The surface of the soil was covered over with fresh-looking wood Moss. Another stand of this kind, only on a much larger scale, was as follows : — The stand was at least 2 feet across, and each plant in it was growing in a separate pot ; but this was concealed by the Moss with which the pots were packed. In addition to the Perns, this stand was furnished with several plants of plain and variegated Ivy, which were so placed that they drooped round the edge, and had a very charming effect. In the centre was a large sized plant of Lastrea Filix-mas, and round it were grouped several other good- sized specimens of British Ferns. In winter, the plants were watered about twice a week, the pots being lifted out of the stand and watered in another room. The Moss, also, was damped, which tended to keep the plants fresh. A. Hassard. Upper Norwood. AirCUBAS FOR INDOOR DECORATION. AiroNG hardy shrubs, there are but few that rival Aucubas in their brightness or aspect, or in adaptability for town planting. Even aa pot plants for windows or balconies they are invaluable, moi'e espe- cially during the winter, when any scrap of fresh vegetation is welcome. Aucubas will grow in any ordinary garden soil, and are easily propagated, either by means of seeds, cuttings, or layers ; or, if no facilities for their reproduction exist, nice bushy little plants may be bought for a trifling sum either at the nurseries or in Covent Garden. Just at this season they commence their growth, and will shortly flower, so that if to the other ornamental properties are to be added rich scarlet berries, male plants or flowers must be procured at once. No one who has seen a nice bnshy Aucuba, bearing berries, would ever care to see it without them at the proper season ; and, as the mechanical part of fertilisation consists in merely conveying the powdery pollen from the male plants to the little green stigmas of the female flowers, fruit is easily obtained. Fertilisation is best effected with a moist camel's-hair pencil during bright snnny weather. If the pencil or brush is first moistened in honey so much the better. One male plant, grown in a pot, will produce pollen sufficient for a great many female plants. It is best to assist the process of fertilisation in the way just described, but, if several female plants are set in a cool airy house, and a male plant placed among them, they often produce heavy crops of fruit without any extraneous aid. If only a few plants are grown, pollen or male blooms may be obtained from some nurserymen for a trifle. If neatly wrapped in tinfoil it will preserve its fecundating powers for several weeks, if kept free from damp. Aucubas will last for several consecutive mouths, and will require no attention beyond periodical waterings and occasional syringings with clean water. R. NOTES AND QUESTIONS ON THE GARDEN IN THE HOUSE. Aarou's Beard Saxifrage.— Wh.1t is the name of the enclosed plant? It grows well in my window. It never blooms, but the leaves are pretty.— J. S. [What you have sent is a piece of what is commonly called " the Sailor plant,' or "Aaron's Beard" (Saxifraga sarmentosa). It is a ftrst-rate plant for a hanging-basket or bracket-pot. It is viviparous, and is very readily propa- gated by layering the runners in the same way as Strawberries are layered. When well-'grown it forms a pretty object in a room window. Tou are wrong, however, in supposing that it never blooms. It bears white flowers on a spike about a foot high, but it is well worth growing on account of its silvery blo.ched leaves alone, even it no flowers made their appcar.ince.- P. W. B.J The Common Myrtle.— This, as most of us know, makes a capital window plant grown in a small pot, and kept fresh and clean by means of frequent sprinkUngs. One of the best restorers for all pot-plants is to set them outside when it "rains. This is far better, and does them much more good than sprinkUng or spongmg them indoors. My plants of llj-rtlo have grown in a north window tor these last ten years, and have repeatedly been frosted, but they suffered no harm on that account, and they are now a hue pair, J, teet high, and nearly as much through, notwithstanding their being repeatedly robbed of cuttings and branches for friends who admire them. I have a plant in front of the house planted out in the border, but this is generally cut down every winter, and makes but little progress. This season, however, it has escaped, and I hope that it will get strength enough now to resist a severe frost.— A. H. 330 THE GARDEN. [April 18, 1874. A HOLIDAY TOUE. By tub EDITOK. HOME. Speaking ot gardens to a Freucli amateur, long resident iu Home, I was not encouraged to hear that there "vs-as " nothing to be seen. Horticulture exists not at Rome." Well, it is not quite so bad as that ; but there was some ground for the opinion. In Rome, the home o£ art. Nature is almost a stranger ; for ages the world was drained of much of its wealth for her art and glory ; but a very small mite has been devoted to cultivate the study of natural history. If the city of the New Methusaleh, in the western wilds of America (an important and rising capital, consisting of some sixty-throe houses, and several spacious and airy streets without any) makes tip its mind to have a park, it will begin by making one far better than anything of the kind here. Dublin, Nantes, and Brussels have each sent their Peter's ponce to Rome, and have never been much enriched by creed or con- queror; but the least of these cities has a botanic garden, to which that of Rome is insignificant ; yet the climate is a glorious one for vegetation. — the Palm and the Rock-Rose, the Prickly Pear and the Violet, the Olive and the Ivy all thriving together. Ah! if they had only been satisfied with, say a quarter of an acre of pictures less, and given the difference to showing what the soil and climate were capable of producing, it might easily have been made a fairer land than it now is. For, in Italy, it has been proved again and again that, when men are driven from their fields by war, or when cultivation is, from any cause, put a stop to in a given district, malaria begins to spread its fatal breath over the land, which soon becomes uninhabitable. But such things mattered little to those whose great aim was to carve quarries of marble into god-like shapes, or cover miles of wall with wearying repetitions of the same subjects, or raise pile after pile into the sky, spinning away the souls of all the greatest at unproductive work. Yes, and worse ; for what is the good of it all, if it does not make men better and happier ? Means that would suffice to improve a whole district, are devoted to paintings in a single church. Frequently may be seen a fine stretch of level land without a habitation on it. However, the people, or what remains of them, can all crowd up to the closely-built town on the top of the hill, where there are innumerable works of art, and where the streets are very narrow, and by no means sweet. Sometimes, as in Naples, the dwellers in these close streets, are the meanest-looking wretches one could find in Europe. Although iu one of the fairest lands under the sun, they benefit nothing by it, between these close rows of six-storied houses. But what did it matter about the real men and women, when there were whole skyfuls of piinted angels ? And it is not only on the town dwellers the result may be judged of. Look at these bent figures in the fields ; for ages the hand of the taxgathcrer has left them nothing but black bread and sour wine, and long days of unbroken labour ; and this poor fare and thankless toil, not always for any noble or necessary work, but too frequently for the mere gratification of vanity, in building uninhabitable palaces, and costly gardens of stone. Art has its place, and a most important one, but it is on all counts a mistake to act invarialjly as if the imitation were better than the life. Let us leave these exhaustible galleries and domes for the open air. Look at this picture of the Pincio Gardens, the most important public garden in Rome. It is a varied and pleasing composition ; but that is mainly owiftg to the predominance of trees that occur everywhere here, the Stone Pine and the Cypress — the two most picturesque Italian trees. They almost seem made to contrast with each other — the Cypress tapering to a point like a Willow-wand— the Pine spreading out its head like an umbrella. Till recently, little more had been done to assist the effect of those trees ; but now a portion of the gi'ound is tastefully planted, and shows Palms and Araucarias and Conifers, all in good condi- tion. This ])ortion, however, is a mere patch in a somewhat formal garden, occupying a fine site, and disagreeably spotted with now white busts. These busts (which surely would be better in some of the public buildings) will by-and- bye assume a more sober hue; a random Lichen will spread over them, and cover them with a mouse-coloured tint, so that the merely spotty will become the spotty-grotesque. A single statue, well placed in a green garden, is sometimes a pleasing feature, as in Professor Owen's garden at Sheen ; but, dot statues at regular intervals along the front of a shrubbery, as is frequently done here, and a most objection- able and inartistic effect is at once produced; whether the statues arc good or bad, the distant effect is the same. The plants give what character they possess to the small public gardens. Here are, in addition to the Date Palms and the Fir Palms, the American Aloe, the Prickly Pear, the Aloe-leaved Yucca (both green and striped forms), the Great Peruvian Cactus, which grows finely iu warm spots, and particularly the Acanthuses and Ferulas, with their fine fresh foliage. A beautiful object on the Pincio is a tall Date, with its stem clad with .a glossy mantle of Irish Ivy. This union shows well the peculiarly favourable conditions which exist here for every kind of planting, and are suggestive of how much may bo done when the country is awakened to the importance of such matters. It is in the gardens of the wealthy Romans that one finds most interest, but even that is of a limited kind. Of a good many famous gardens seen in Rome, that of the Villa Pamphili is the most remarkable. This IS mainly distinguished from English gardens of the geome- trical order by an abundance of plants in huge pots and vases, and by vegetation, to some extent, subduing the formal lines, where it descends to box and coloured gravel patterns ; it is very poor indeed, as all such gardens must ever be. The scroll-work, however, is not so offensive here as in other gardens, and the French plan of clipping or mowing the trees into walls is not resorted to as it is at the Medici, and not a few other Italian gardens. On the walls, and by the steps, and everywhere one turns, there are very large earthenware pots, of bold and not ungraceful designs, filled with Orange trees. Agaves, Yuccas, Prickly Pears (Opuntia), and many other plants. The most strikingly effective of these is, decidedlj', the Prickly Pear, which, with its great arms bear- ing broad shield-like leaves, is utterly distinct, in aspect, from any other vase plant. The only improvement suggested by this garden is in the matter of these vases and pots. Imagine pots of common earthenware, 6 feet in diameter, and with a rim 3 inches thick, the surface embellished with a wreath or other design ; pots of this kind, small and large, are very often seen here, and those of good design are quite cheap ; they are simply our common red pots cast in graceful forms, and deserve to be used largely in England. The custom, seen occasionally here, of wreathing the Wistaria and other plants round the stems of large trees is a tasteful one. In the Pamphili Gardens there are tall pillars formed by Wistaria alone, and which must be effective ; Camellias are grown very extensively, and, being now in full bloom are very attractive; although thriving in the open air it is found desirable to jirotcct them with screens formed of the Canes of the great Reed (Arundo Donax) which prevent the flowers suffering by violent changes of weather. The screen is easily fixed when the border of Camellias is against a wall. It is interesting to notice that the Neapolitan Violet, which is very much grown here, is cultivated in frames, just as in England. It is used so largely that in one garden I saw over a hundred feet long of frames devoted to it alone. The sweet Violet abounds every- where, and is one of the many plants that may be noticed growing on the stems of the Date Palm — rooted among the decaying fibre and on the stumps of the old leaf-stalks. At Rome the fruit is not sufiiciently developed to become edible, but the seeds, notwithstanding, vegetate and produce good plants. The most strikingly graceful tree in Roman g.ardens is a Sumach (Rhus viminalis), which reminds one slightly of a Weeping Willow, and attains a height of nearly 20 feet. Even admirers of the well-known Jajian Privet would bo sui'prised to see it used as a street tree, with a clean bole, 6 inches in diameter — a handsome round evergreen head, .and leaves somewhat like an Orange, but more leathery. It does not, like tall trees, require continual cutting-in when used in small streets, and is the best evergreen I have ever seen used for street planting, the head assuming the very shape and size that is required, and the flowers having much beauty. The Creeping Fig, everywhere seen in our hot- ArRiL 18, 1874.] THE GARDEN. 331 m o m 332 THE aARBBN. [Apkil 18, 18?4. houses, grows against a wall in the Botanic Garden here, with leaves 4^ inches long, and fruit bigger than the com- mon Fig; while beside it, on the same wall, and growing from the same root, are small shoots with delicate little leaves and wiry stems. It seems curiously influenced by conditions. I once saw a plant of it, in the open air, on a wall at Wood- stock, intermediate in size between the small growth in our houses and the Tree-Ivy-like growth here, all the leaves being of a fine bronzy colour. The garland.forest, which the gray walls wear. Like Laurels on the bald first Cassar's head. If Popes and Emperors were so busy carving and painting that they had no time for planting trees. Nature was as busy, as usual, with her handiwork. As soon as the mighty aqueduct or colossal wall was reai-ed, she sent certain emissaries— some from the Apennines and some from the fields and hills around — m the shape of tiny seeds, which soon planted her flags on those haughty walls ; and when the Colosseum had lost its glory, and both arena and mountains of stairs were desolate of men, the Anemones, and other flowers of spring, came and touched the ruins with hues of life, till th,e place almost looked like a patch of flowery mountain. And Sylvanus sent his children, too, who planted — A grove which springs through levelled battlements ; And twines its roots with the imperial hearths. And on the colossal walls of Caracalla's baths, and many other ruins, the Arbutus and the Rock Rose, the Laburnum and the tree Heath, the Fig and the Honeysuckle, the Olive and the Bird Cherry, the Laurustinus and the Ivy, found a home. The Acanthus, favourite of the column-rearer, carved its own fine leaves far above his capitals, the Maiden-hair Fern came and graced every moist and shady nook; the Giant Fennel was there, in spring, with its large graceful plume ; the Clematis and Convolvulus, the Cyclamen (two or three kinds), the Pink, the Everlasting Pea, the Poefs Nar- cissus, the Crocus, the Mignonette, the Rosemary, the Violet, the Bee Orchis, and a host of others, all grow there too. On the ruins of the Colosseum alone, Dr. Heakin found more than four hundred species of plants sown thereon by passing breeze or bird. With this fact in mind, it is easy to imagine that the number that could be grown on similar positions is almost illimitable. It is not without a useful lesson, apart from that of suggesting how old walls, &c., may be embellished. The plants grow on these ruins much Iiettcr than on the rock- gardens so commonly made for their accommodation. And the reason is, that the rock-garden, as generally made, is so loose and open in texture that, though the soil may be very suitable, plants perish from drought. On the ruin, such moisture as occurs between the stones is prevented from rapidly escaping by the stones of the surface and the firm texture of the whole. Thus, on the ruin we find a garden, and on the so-called rock- garden too often nothing but clinkers and dust. Recently, with a view of preserving the ruins from decay, the plants have, unfortunately, all been removed from the walls of the Colosseum, but they abound on many other ruins. It was a rnistake to remove them, for the walls are avowedly less picturesque, and that the roots of the plants would do barm on such a structure is not proven. THE BANYAN TREE. I.v the Royal Botanic Gardens at Calcutta, there is now a sjilendid specimen of this famous tree (Ficus indica), of which the following account has been recently given by the Director:—" The circumfer. ence of the area occupied by the tree, measuring round the outermost stems (with a tape line), is 700 feet, and the diameter between the extreme stems, from east to west, is 200 feet, and from north to sonth, 189 feet. Many ^f the branches extend 40 feet beyond these limits. I roughly estimate the area shaded by the tree at about li acre. The main stem is a conglomeration of largo trunks, which have united, the whole measuring 4-8 feet in circumference at 8 feet from the ground. A few of the largest of the secondary stems measure as follows, the circumference being taken 4 feet from the ground : 13 feet, 10 feet 7 inches, 9 feet, 8 feet :i inches, 7 feet 9 inclies, 7 feet 8 inches, 7 feet. A circle has boon drawn round the main stem 150 feet in diameter, and all this area is paved with brick ; outside this circle there are eighty-one stems, and inside seventy-five. THE FRUIT GARDEN. WIRING GARDEN WALLS. Ie there is any one improvement connected with fruit-growing to which English cultivators are more indebted to the French than another, it certainly is their system of wiring garden walls and erecting trellises for training fruit trees. It was, of course, to be expected that not a few, and among them many excellent gardeners should still be wedded to their old familiar nail-and-shred system. I am, however, disappointed to find Mr. Baines, of Southgate, among the little band of sceptics. In The Gaiiden of March 28th, Mr. Baines says : — " I consider them (wired walls) as great a mistake as has ever been intro- duced into gardening in a country, like ours, subject to spring frosts." This surely is an assertion quite as plain as it is bold. But what are Mr. Baines's reasons for such a statement ? Simply this, that " on wires, with the shoots from half-an-inch to an inch away from the wall, as this system necessitates, a severe night's frost will frequently kill every bloom ; whereas, the same trees, if nailed with their shoots lying absolutely against the bricks, will have enough of the bloom escape for a crop." Will Mr. Baines allow me to inform him that he is under a misapprehension in this matter, and that the system of wiring walls does not "necessitate" the wires being from half-an-inch to an inch away from the walls ; on the contrary, the wires may be erected by competent workmen so as to be perfectly close to the wall, so that the shoots of the trees may even lie on the bricks, if that were necessary, quite as much as they possibly can do by the now comparatively antiquated and nearly exploded system, which, not even Mr. Baines, can ever bring back again to disfigure English gardens, and harbour dirt and insects. Mr. Baines's preference for splinter- ing the even face of the bricks by having the nails driven into them, instead of into the joints, so obviously, as one would think, in every way offering themselves for the very purpose, along which, in every third joint, say, 0 inches apart, the slender galvanised wires run almost invisible, is to me incon- ceivable, and to most people must be very puzzling. If the nails do splinter the mortar of the joints, a little bit of mortar applied after the nails have been driven, will make all good again. But not so if the face of the bricks are splintered. The nails, however, need not be driven into the joints at all, if that is any objection, as a gimlet can be used to bore the holes required, and the face of the joints will thus be preserved quite smooth. In some wiring which I have lately had done in my own garden, each line of slender No. 14 galvanised wire, lies along the neat joints of every third brick almost invisible, " as straight as a needle and as- tight as a drum." They also lie as close to the wall as a plumb-line, which would surely please Mr. Baines, as being so suitable for the shoots of his trees, which he thinks should almost cling to the wall in order to save them from spring frosts. Having had large experience in the matter of wiring walls, I have no hesitation in stating, that the introduction of this system, and that of erecting wire fruit-trelliscs, into English gardens has been a marvellous success. There are, indeed, now-a-days, com- paratively few gardens of any importance into which wiring has not been successfully introduced, and in almost every new fruit-garden that is made it is looked upon as a necessity. One who Practically Knows. ROOT-MOISTURE NECESSARY FOR PEACHES. Tub excellent article which you published on this subject (see p. 270), from Mr. Baines, cannot fail to commend itself to all practical gardeners, and I most inWy agree with him in his conclusion that drought is the greatest of all enemies to the Peach, and that it is the cause of many of the diseases to which it is liable. We have, at present, two Peach-houses that fully confirm this statement ; the earliest is now producmg a very heavy and regular crop of fruit, which is stoning on the trees; in the second house, which is just set, the fruit might be counted by thousands ; in fact, it is a picture in all stages of growth. Five years ago, when I first saw these trees, they were miserable objects, suffering from Fungus at the roots, brought on by nothing cIbc than lack of moisture, as the April 18, 1874] THE GARDEN. 33g border, houses, and trees, were new, and in every respeot excellent. Several ineffectual attempts had been made to fork the Fungus out, but as the border and roots were quite white with It, this was impossible. The leaves of the trees turned white, drooped under sunshine, and fell in showers under the syringe, and whole branches continued to die out as if paralysed. The Fungus was strongest where the border was driest near the hot-water pipes and entirely absent at the back of the house, where the drip from the shelves kept It saturated ; I, therefore, resolved to try the water cure which proved entirely successful, for not only have the trees' failed every inch of space that could be made available, but have annually produced excellent crops of first-rate fruit It IS; .^o^^^er^ m the cultivation of Peaches on open wall's to which Mr. Baines specially refers ; and, that they can be groivn m that way, I think the most sceptical would agree, if thev could just look at our open Peach walls now, when thev are complete sheets of blossom. Our system of cultivation is Identical with that recommended by Mr. Baines. I would also direct especial attention to the remarks on nailing close to the wall, which are applicable to all kinds of wall trees ; for the extension system of pruning, especially with regard to spurs has been carried to such a length that the object for which the tree was originally planted against the wall appears to be lost ^'S^^ °f- James Groom. BOOT AND TOP GROWTH. A CORKESPONDENT has put to US the question, " When do Vines be-in to make fresh roots ?" In answer, we propose to offer a few remarks winch we hope may prove instructive to others as well as to our coi-respondent We will not. however, confine our remarks to Vines but will refer to what have been our observations and experience in connection with the reciprocal growth, and vice verso, of other plants as well. Our correspondent's query regarding the time at which Vines begin to extend new or young roots iuto the soil, it is taken tor granted, is m reference to Vines in the most normal condition in which they are to be found in a Vinery. This condition, we should say, IS that of a healthy Vine in a good border, and one which is no heat at the roots Our observations with regard to such a Vine lead us to reply that it does not begin to push ou°t young roots until he Vine has produced young growths quite a foot long, and so far expanded some leaves: and the older the Vine and th^ thicker its vCo Sn"?h: :; ' "'h '°.P """ ''''°'' "'^y ^°™^«°° °f '-""'^ t-ke roo?, bpfol flf T'^' ^ y^^'^gshm Vine begins to make new roots before the young stems and leaves attain the length named in the case of an older Vine. The stored-up sap in a given length of the young slender V^^ue is less than in one that is older and stronger There are what shall be termed abnormal conditions, under whfch When' hot y°r^.T^ °J^' '^'^"^'^ ^^-^ '^^''' ^^' ^'^^ ^t^ted above When bottom.heat has been applied to the border at or before the time the buds begin to burst and grow, then Vines begin toToot at mri' v-P'"°-' °V^T «°°t«'"Poraneouslywith thi top growth Z^hW?" '' "" ^ ''°'''^'' ^^''^ '' ^^^^y- retentive of moisture Tnd in which the younger and very important fibry parts of Vine roots die back annually, the commencement of the growth of lUts 's "« later in proportion to the top growth than we have stated. We once rlH notT d^'°'' f "* ^""^ approached to their flowering pe.iod, and did not find a single yonng white root in the border, which was cold damp, and adhesive. Much also depends on how th^ roots hive been ripened the previous autumn. The ripening of Vine-roots is a to"nrp':: fr' i-Portance in Vine culture. When anvthTng occurs to prevent their proper maturation-such as the prem-ature loss of fhJflT'^^V"^^^ "«^^r shrink properly up into tono-h brown Vine w>>,"''" '''"?'^ *^' '''''"''' ^"* ^^■<' ^°^ r°t°ff altogether! Vine with properly ripened roots will start both its roots and tops more nearly contemporaneous than one the roo s of which have been k.ied, not ripened. A Vine in pot grown under o^ood drainage and ,n firm soil makes roots earlier than one giowf?n a badly drained pot and loose wet soil. If a Vine in a uot ;^ C: hpf^'"'>','^°"°"-''^'^*' "stop growth win beSorloFnche long before it begins to root afresh. If the not is nhiLprrf. startTettttf tT'^ "^'.^'T' ''''''' °' ---■ -^ some'timfslh ; start before the tops if the tops are cool while the roots are warm We, however, regard it against the order of nature and not^o^l or ordei We dare say many of our experienced readers have noticed rheat^drrd^ihart""'"^-''"''^ ''''''''"''' -°'^ m'an out e unneated border, that they made a certain amount of growth with considerable rapidity, stood still for a while and then started away somewhat abruptly. This is caused by the stored-up sap being exhausted before the yonng roots are formed to pump up a full supply of sap to the yonng growths. This is most strikingly noticeable in the case of Vines in a cold retentive border, where the young fibry roots die in greatest proportion in winter. Such ought to be forced, when forced at all, very cautiously, or the results will be most unsatisfactory. To draw out their young growths rapidly by force of fire-heat causes the growth to be weak indeed. The best course to pursue with such Vines is, either to retain the heat of autumn in the soil, or heat it by some other means,— place a bed of fermenting material inside the Vinery, and keep up the heat with as little fire-heat as possible, and, with good inside generalship, it is marvellous with how little roots, we have known a crop of Grapes matured from such Vines in May and June. We have taken out borders, where such has been the case, immediately after the crop was cut, and could find next to no fibre in it — a most desirable state of things, however. It is most astonishing what growths will take place under certain circumstances without any roots at all. We have at the present moment some pieces of the common Hazel hnng up in a damp stove, that have growths six or seven inches long, and callosities formed at their butt ends. Then look at a " Vine eye." It will make in some instances young shoots, with leaves, three or four inches long, before a single root is sent out; while, on the other hand, we have had Vine eyes — something being wrong with the bud— that never started at all— but the stored-up sap, not to be baflied or wasted, has sent out a whole bunch of roots, thus going out of the ordinary course in making a desperate effort for life. And so, as a rule, we think it questionable practice to apply conditions that cause— in the case of deciduous plants— root growth before top growth : it is the wrong way of making use of stored-up sap. Perhaps it has not occurred to some of our readers that most deciduous trees make the full length of their season's growth in a very few days. There are, for instance, the Horse Chostnnt, the Lime the Sycamore, the Beech, and many others, that burst their bud cerements, and extend their season's growth at a bound. And many of them attempt the same, even though entirely severed from their roots. We have seen some trees felled in autumn making growths a foot long in early summer. And it is after this prodnction of young branches and leaves that the chief manufacture of yonng roots takes place. This ought not to be without its lesson to gardeners in the culture of deciduous plants in pots. Take, for instance, the Vine ; it has to be shifted out of a small pot into a larger. The operation should "be done not when it is dormant, but either before the root growth has ceased in autumn, or just as the new roots have com- menced to grow in spring. Or, if Vines in a border have to be lifted and re-planted, it should be done before the leaves fall off, so that there is a chance of young roots biting into the new and congenial soil, or the work should be delayed until the buds are swelling. So, in shaking out a cnt-down Vine in spring, we would not interfere with its roots while the bud or buds have not burst, but would let the top growth form a few leaves, and then shake it out, or re-pot it just as the roots are going to start. The fact of the rule, that the growth of roots and leaves is reciprocal, ought to be of much more service in garden practice than it is. The practice, for instance, in forcing deciduous shrubs iuto bloom in spring, of lifting them just a few days before they are wanted to force, and potting them up with mutilated roots, is far too common. It would be much more in accordance with their nature and habits, if they were kept con. stantly in pots, or carefully lifted before they shed their leaves, and be shaded and syringed for a time, so that their leaves would suffer as httle check from lifting as possible, and insure their laying hold of the fresh soil before they throw off their leaves. Take, for instance, the case of a Rose. Lift it and pot it after all its leaves have dropped off, and let it be forced after such treatment, and the result will be unsatisfactory as compared to another that is lifted in October, while it has yet leaves, and its pot plunged in a gentle bottom-heat for a time, while the top is kept cool. Under such conditions it takes a hold of the soil before the leaves are shed, and it forces vastly more satisfactorily than when managed on the other plan. It is perfectly well known that deciduous plants can be made to manufacture young white fibry roots immediately after their leaves are shed', and with very wonderful rapidity too. But tl^is takes place under nnnatural circumstances, and is the reverse way to that of nature in making use of stored-up sap. Let a Currant bush be lifted and planted in the inside border of a warm Vinery, just immediately after it has shed its leaves, and it will soon have young white roots squeezed out of it without a single bud moving for weeks; and when they do move they are weakly and delicate. But let the same bush remain in the open quarter, and it forms its young growths at a bound, while the young roots are not so forward 334 THE GARDEN. [Apeil 18, 1874. as those made in the Vinery, till the bush is well clothed with leaves, Hecco we conclude that root manufacture in deciduous plants, while leafless, is only an exhaustion of the storcd-up sap at the wrong end. This relation of root to top growth teaches us another lesson which is well understood in plant culture. Take, for instance, a Pelar. goninm, or even a Camellia that has to be cut down so as to denude it of all foliage — the object being to get the plant to burst into growth nearer the pot, and prevent it from becoming straggling and unsightly. It is at the same time in exhausted or improper soil, and it is necessary to its future well-doing that new soil should be supplied to it. If the plant be shaken out of the old soil when it is cut down and denuded of every leaf, there are ten chances to one that the plant will die. So complete is the reciprocal action of leaves and roots, that it will neither produce the one nor the other. The plant should be either shaken free of the soil a time before it is cut down, or allowed first to burst into fresh growth, and then operated on at the root ; the latter, for several reasons, is the better way, and the most convenient. A tender plant will not stand, without risk of total destruction, the contemporaneous mutilation of both its roots and leaves ; but if the one is left intact, it so far survives the other as to make a successful effort to restore the balance. Evergreen plants, such as Oranges, Camellias, &c., have a particular season at which their roots elongate or increase with more rapidity than is usual at other stages of their growth ; and in ordinary circumstances that season is after they have made their growth, which they do in a comparatively limited period. This is the most desirable time to shift such as require it into larger pots, for the roots will then o.xtcud most rapidly into the fresh soil. — The Gardener. AIR-ROOTS ON VINES. I VISITED the Vineries of Messrs. Baker & Son, at Worthing, the other day, and was surprised to see the numbers of air or steui-roots which their Vines were producing. Their houses are span-roofed, 10 feet wide and 90 feet long, with sunk centre, the platforms rising nearly to the spring of the roof, which, in the centre, is only 3 feet above the bed or platform. On my previous visit, at Christmas, Grapes in good condition were being cut in one house, and the Vines in one of the others had just started. This house, I now find, con- tains 1,600 bunches of Grapes, all nearly full-grown, the fruit and bunches of good size, and some beginning to show colour. There is a peculiarity with these Vines which has not before shown itself here, and which gives them a most singular appearance when looking down the length of the house. From every joint air-roots have started, and have grown about 9 inches in length. On some joints there are as many as forty, but the amount varies down to about ten or twelve. The variety is the Black Hamburgh, which has always borne freely, but, hitherto, without these air-roots; the latter appear to me to arise from damp. Owing to the Vines being so near the soil of the platforms, the joints have been stimulated to throw out rootlets, which look as if they would soon enter the soil. What ultimate effect such an excessive growth of air-roots will have remains to bo proved. C. J. Cox. [Air-roots on Vines are by no means uncommon. A damp atmo- sphere, doubtless, encourages their growth ; but it seems to be the nature of Vines to throw out such roots, and some varieties do so much more freely than others. — Ed.] THE LIBRARY. NOTES AND QUESTIONS ON THE FRUIT GARDEN, YouHg Apple Trees Best.— Tho cxporiuuoc of an American orcliardist, fay» the .NVfr J'.y/-/.- 7'r'7;/n;f\ illustratef^ the advantage of planting young trees. Eight years ago, he Hct out one, two. three, and four-year old Apple trees on the Kame day, and in he paiiio BOil. The first Apples, of course, came from the oldest trecK, but tit the iirc^ent time the one and two-year old tre03 are the most vigorouB, and have borne, in tho aggregate, the most fruit. Golden Champicn Grape —Like your correspondent, "N." (see p. .311), I havctilso failed iii fruiting tliis Vine fiuccessfully. I liavo it growing hereon its own roots, in a houBc jjlaiited cliielly with Iliimburghs, and though a strong grower it secmH to be a shy bearer. In 1H72 it never showed any fruit. last year one bunch, and this season four bimches. I am inclined tio worlc another variety upon it : will any of your readers kindly inform mo what sort would do best on thi.s stock ? — .1. M. Orange v. Grape Culture in California.— It is announced, says the New York Trilmnr, tirat (Jrape culture has become so unproHtablo in some parts of California, particularly in Los Angelo County, that the growers are tearing out the Vines and planting Orange trees in their pl.aces. One noteworthy Vineyard, the Wolfskin, thirty-five years old, is said to have been kept up for some' time past at a loss to its proprietor of about 2,n(J0 dollars per anrmm. Others in the same neighbourhood have j'iclded no profit — a sUitonient which will readily be believed when it is remembered that tlic Grapes sold last season at from 50 to 65 cents per looibs., a price barely covering tlio cost of production. Great expectations are entertained of suocess with tho Orange (some experiments in raising them having proved very remunerative), and we trust they will be fully realised. THE HEART OF AFRICA.* No move important work on the natural productions of the great unknown countries o£ Central Africa has appeared than that contained in the two goodly volumes by Dr. Schwein- furth, recently issued by Messrs. Low & Co. This intrepid and highly-gifted traveller, but for the eventual insufficiency of copper bars, wherewith to meet the tribute insisted on by native chiefs, would have succeeded in reaching the point at which Livingstone's advance from the south-east termi- nated; and would have been able to lay down on his map the sources of the Congo and those other great rivers which have their origin to the south of the watershed of the Nile streams, and which find their outlet to the sea on the west coast. Advances, occupying scarcely two or three months more, would have eflected this purpose, and the whole mystery of the interior of the vast African Continent would have been solved. This, however, was not to be ; and onr stalwart traveller, still in vigorous health, was compelled, in deep disappointment, to retrace his steps northward, leaving to others the glory of seizing the prize, which was so nearly within his grasp. Dr. Schweinfurth has, however, done enough, and to spare, to ensure his fame and establish his position as one of the most accomplished and successful travellers of our day. With many scientific attainments, a robust constitution, and plenty of daring, combined with prudence, he was just the man for the enterprise, of which his valuable volumes form such an accurate and complete record ; the fact of his being the first true botanist rendering his statements still more valuable. In the brief space of a review, it will not be possible to follow the explorer during the whole of his route, which can only be touched upon at a few detached points of his adventurous journey. As he approached the Port of Suakin, on the Red Sea, at which point he intended to disembai'k and advance towards the course of the White Nile, he observed that " a green carpet of Samphire covered the coast for miles along tho land." The generic name of its family (Sueda) is a word initiated from the Arab Sued, from which we obtain the name of the well-known product, soda. This abundant Samphire region has, it seems, long been turned to profit- able account by the Arabs, and, doubtless, an important trade might be established by English enterprise. As he travelled inland, he found that the mountains between Suakin and Singat afforded a habitat for numbers of remark- able plants ; among which the most striking forms are those of the Dracasua and Euphorbias, remarkable especially for their fantastic shapes. They flourish on lofty heights, and are not found at less altitudes than 2,000 feet above the valleys. These Nubian Dragon trees are, it is true, but dwarfs in comparison to their sister of Oratava, in Tenereffe, but yet form very remarkable features among the vast stone boulders of this Nubian mountain range. The Dracaena or Dragon tree is known in Nubia as To-Omba or T'Ombet. The annexed engraving will convey, with considerable accuracy, the impres- sion of the scene as described by our author. Between Singat and Khartoora, where the advance south was to be commenced in earnest, Dr. Schweinfurth found rich botanising quarters at many points ; the vegetation of the hill districts being some- what analogous to that of Abyssinia, which has been termed the Switzerland of Africa ; while in the low-lying regions he found the trees and herbaceous plants a]3proaching in character those of the Nile valley, and occasionally resembling the inter- tropical flora. In tho mountainous districts to the south of Suakin he met with the most luxuriant vegetation at great elevations, esjiecially on a mountain, 0,000 feet high, at Erkowcet, where the clusters of Beard Moss, and the abund- ance of sulphur-coloured Lichen give a peculiar aspect to the scenery. The wild Olive is also abundant in that neighbour- hood, and entirely disappears in tho interior of the great Continent. In the Wady Amct district, a species of Scrophu- lariacoio grows, which had been honoured with our botanical traveller's name, as Schweinf urthia I'terosperma, and which he • "The Heart of Africa." Three years travels and .adventures in the im- cxplorod regions of Central Africa, from 1808 to 1871. By Dr. Gcorg. Schwein- furth. London : Sampson Low, & Co. 1873. Apml 18, 187nl.] THE GARDEN. 335 says met him like a pleasant greeting from his distant home. Before reaching the confluence of the blue and white Nile, many portions of the great Nile stream, with its islands, are described with considerable graphic power ; but we must pass at once to Kbarboom, where, with a protective firman from the Khedive, he made his arrangements in respect to bearers — that is to say, porters — to carry forward his presents for native chiefs, his gunpowder, his scientific apparatus, clothing, and provisions. Added to the porters, a certain number of armed Nubians was necessary, and these he obtained from the Arab ivory merchants, whose serlbas or stations, far in the interior, are numerous, and require soldiers to protect them ; the southern Nubian forming good material for a military force of that kind. During the first day's journey on board a Khartoom Nile boat our traveller, advancing up the stream, noticed how the once impenetrable forests had been thinned, to the verge of destruction, for fuel and boat-building purposes ; and also, in contradiction to the less accurate observations of Sir Samuel Baker, that the soil was nearly as weight of this valuable article of commerce in a single day. Entering the Bahr-el-gazal, the course by which they were to reach Meshera, the stream became almost choked up with numerous small islands, some floating and others permanent, the shores being covered with forests of exquisitely beautiful Ferns of many kinds. From Meshera the start took place, by land, for the seriba, or station, belonging to Ghatta, a great Khartoom ivory merchant who had engaged to aid his farther progress by means of caravans proceeding southwards to collect ivory. It was, in fact, the aid of these Khartoom merchants, Grhatta and others, that enabled the traveller to make his way to a farther point southward, advancing from the north, than had yet been reached by any European. Vast stores of botanical wealth, many of the specimens being entirely new to European science, were accumulated during successive advances, and for- warded by returning caravans to Europe. They form an immense mass of novelty in regard to plant life ; and the publication of their scientific description, accompanied by the necessary amount of accurate illustration, will be expected with Dragon Trees iu Nortli-'Wcst Africa. fertile as that of the Blue Nile, and that the common Sorghum vulgai'e yielded cars of grain at least -i inches long. He was mucli struck, as thoy advanced, with the luxuriant foliage and bright pink flowers of Ipomaja asarifolia, which covers large tracts of country like a Rose garden. The jEdemone mirabilis, grows profusely iu the shallow waters, the wood of which is so light that, though growing to a height of 1.5 or 20 feet, large plants frequently get detached and form, with other vegetable accretions, those floating islands for which the upper portion of the White Nile is so remarkable. Eventually, when far beyond the frontiers of ancient Egypt, our botanist came upon vast tufts of Papyrus, once so plentiful on the main stream of the Lower Nile, and furnishing the only writing material of the old Egyptians, but which is now as extinct in those waters as salmon is in the Thames. Farther on the Acacia groves attracted notice. These plants produce gum in such amazing quantities, that iu the interests of commerce they ought to attract European notice. It appears that in the winter time one man might collect at least a hundred- impatience by all European botanists and men of science. The course of the traveller's advance from Dyakin to the seriha of the friendly merchant, Ghatta, is very clearly shown on the map attached to volume I. One of the chief and most natural means of travelling in Central Africa ought to have been the native elephant, which is being rapidly and ruthlessly destroyed for the sake of his ivory tusks. He is larger and more robust than the Asiastic species, and in the days of Ethiopian splendour was success- fully domesticated. By means of these animals Dr. Schwein- furth thinks that communications and free trading with the very heart of Africa might be regularly carried on by Euro- peans far more conveniently, and in a way more tending to the gradual civilization of the country than by the present means of Arab commerce, enforced by demoralised and demoralising Nubian soldiers. At Meshera, an unhealthy station, where a considerable stay was made, the Kegelia was in full bloom, its flowers having somewhat the aspect of Tulips, while the growth of the trees resembled that of the European Oak. 336 THE GAEDEN. [Apeil 18, 1874. Here, too, was found the most southerly boundary of the Abizzia seraoifolia, with its clusters of white blossoms, like masses of snow-flakes. Throughout the Diuka district, the prepara- tions of farinaceous and milk foods were not found inferior to tliose of the European cuisiiie. In fact, with the exception of the comparatively modern mroads of negro barbarism in certain districts, striking remains of a civilization, evidently derived originally from ancient Egypt, were apparent. Across vast districts of Steppes of considerable aridity, a rocky and more elevated region was next reached, where the air is described as highly salubrious, and the country luxuriantly fruitful. In the vicinity of Ghatta's Seriba extensive stretches of country are being highly cultivated. Ghatta's domains contain 200 square miles, with a population of some 12,000 native inhabitants, forming a territory wliioh In Europe would be worth millions, but which might now be bought, as we are informed, for 20,000 dollars. Such purchases will, doubtless, be even tually made by Eaglish enterprise, and civilization and successful commerce will necessarily follow such undertakings, if backed by sufficient capital. Dr. Schweiufurfch describes his botanical excursions as he advanced as being full of interest; and his health being robust, he falls into transports of joy at his discoveries, and declares himself fairly " enraptured with the unrivalled loveliness of Nature." The forests eventually became scarcely mutilated at all by reckless destruction for fuel, as in the more northerly regions he had passed through, and were extremely beautiful ; and at one spot the tall Uncarias and Eugnias, their tops crowned" with spreading foliage, formed a grateful shade, in which great thickets of red-blossomed Melastomaces, mingled with giant Aroidoas. Here, too, was found in abundance the large Candelabra Euphorbia, and many trees adorning the hanging rooks are described as yielding edible fruits, such as the G611, for instance, which bears pods like those of the St. John's Bread, the wood being used for carved stools, boxes, and other articles of native furniture. There- is also the Strychuos edulis, with fruit resembling a Pomegranate, from which a beverage, something like, and as refreshing as, lemonade, is prepared. ■ Here the traveller planted a kitchen garden in the European style, and sowed the seeds which he had brought from Europe, most of which throve well, and realised his expectations, with the exception of Wheat, which failed. The Tobacco plant, from Virginian seed, attained to great size, with leaves larger than he had ever seen. This garden yielded him much pleasure, and in its immediate neighbourhood, seated under a great tree, he passed many happy hours and days in classifying his botanical specimens, having collected above seven hundred species in five months. Among the bulbs were Hasmanthus, Gloriosa, and Chlorophytum. There were also many ground Orchids, and also the wonderful Kosaria. "Wild Vines abounded; which, no doubt, by future European enterprise, will be made to yield wines of flavour and character yet undreamed of by our connoisseurs and wine merchants, for we must remember that the American Catauba wine, made from the wild Vines of the Ohio, was utterly unknown and unimagined only a few years ago. Our traveller called his residence at Ghatta Seriba " an idyl of African nature." An interesting account of the different kinds of Soi-ghum, African Millet, and other farinaceous grains, is given in these volumes ; and the author expresses his astonishment that Rice has never been introduced by the Arab merchants, as many districts are highly favourable to its growth, and the popula- tion, as proved by their management of their native grains, are skilful and industrious cultivators. One among the very many interesting statements of Dr. Schweinfurth is his belief that nearly every kind of illness which attacks Europeans in Africa belongs to one or other of the many forms in which malarian fever shows itself ; and that quinine, if regularly taken at the rate of ten grains a day, is a nearly certain preventive of any serious attack. The next advance brought our traveller to a point commanding a view of the plains through which the Tondo pursues its course, the more striking fcatui'os of vegetation bcin" a large-leaved Ijlue-grecn Anona and a handsome Grewia, with many winter-flowering shrubs, especially an Echinops, with purple flowers as largo as a man's hand. In these extensive plains are huge stones as large as rocks, but smooth as marble, and in the hollows a vast variety of plants of different kinds. The territory and national character of the Niam-Niams are graphically described, as well as the flora and arboreta of that region; aud, in alluding to the rivers Roah and Kuddoo, he dilates, with evident delight and a true appreciation of the picturesque, on the meeting of the trees growing on the steep banks over the stream, forming tufty bowers, at a height of 80 feet above the water ; while the narrow passages through luxuriant woods, to which he gives the name of galleries, are described as of unapproachable rich- ness of aspect. The luxuriance and height of the Grass called Popukky is dwelt upon as he advances deeper and deeper into the heart of the country, as well as the beauties of the charming halting-places, surrounded by Zawa trees and the noble Lophira alata, which Grant met with on another route, and declared its discovery to be the fairest memorial of his African travels. Reaching at last a range of hills which, from their geo- graphical position, as well as from the assurances of Niam Niam guides he believes to be the true water-shed of the Nile and its affluents, he declares that day to be the most memorable of his life; and he is afterwards confirmed in his theory by the discovery that the Welle, and other important streams to the south of that range of hills, flow directly towards the west, and are, undoubtedly,as bethinks, the parent stream or feeders of the Congo, the Niger, and other great rivers that find their outlet on the western coast. Still proceeding southward with the cai'avan of Aboo Sammat, conducted by his agent Mahomed, he found unlocked to him, as he expresses it, new and untold botanical wealth, and as he gradually approached the souther- most limit of his journey, the country continuously increased in beauty and interest, insomuch that he declares, in his enthusiasm, that the last twelve miles, which brought him to the previously unknown Monbuttoo country, " were enriched by such beauty as might be worthy of paradise." His reception by King Munza, whose chair of state recalls, in form the thrones of the Pharoahs, and his astonishment at the dimensions of the great hall in which he was received, combined with the discovery that a region immediately to the south of the Monbuttoo country was the land of the pigmies, whose descriptions by ancient authors was considered fabulous, filled him with ambition to proceed southwai'd without delay. But this crowning success (another month's advance would have taken him, through an entirely unknown country, to Living- stone station) was denied him. King Munza refused to let any caravan pass through his dominions, lest his own command of the southern ivory traffic might be interfered with. Finding his means insufficient to bribe this potentate, he reluctantly, after lingering long at this farthest point of his wanderings prepai-ed to retrace his steps. While there, however, he obtained as a present from the king one of the pigmies, whose name was Adimokoo, who informed his new master that his nation which he so much longed to see, was that of the Accas. It is impossible in the limited space of a review that a hundreth part of the interesting and important information acquired by Dr. Schweinfurth can be even alluded to ; but it may be stated that these volumes will do more to open up the interior of Africa to civilization and commerce, than the works of any modern traveller, not even excepting those of our great and intrepid explorer Livingstone ; for Schweinfurth has shown how the way from the north to the great central highlands has been laid open by the recent advances of the great Arab traders, and still farther facilitated by the triumphant exertions of Sir S. Baker. Dr. Schweinfurth's work will be read and carefully studied by all who are anxious to clear up the darkness and mystery which has so long shrouded the core of the great African continent. He has shown that only in certain parts, as in the case of the Gold Coast, is the climate unhealthy ; and, for malaria of that kind, clearance of forests, drainage, and, possibly, the application of a true " botanical " cure, the plantation of the Australian gum tree (Eucalyptus globulus) may, as it has done in other places, tend to remed}' the evil very effectually. We hear of the cure, by means of drainage, being successfully applied to the Pontine Marshes, and to the banks of the Thames about Erith and other places, where the several forms of intermittent fever raged perennially, only a few Apkil 18, 1874.] THE GAEDBN. 337 years ago, after a truly pestilential fashion. While, as regards our valuable settlements on the West Coast of Africa, it has bean the prevailing fashion to talk of " abandonment " instead of " cure." But the announcement of Captain Glover, fresh from the region itself, that thirty miles inland from Accra " men may dig gold like Potatoes," will tend more rapidly than any other bind of argument or persuasion to dispel the half-hearted and puerile dread of a climate which the industrial hand of man may render comparatively healthy. While, moreover, it is now known that at a very short distance from the coast line the climate becomes rapidly healthy in proportion to gradual elevation of the laud ; a fine open country having been found the prevailing character in many places at a comparatively short distance from the sea coast. H. N. H. GARDEN DESTROYERS. GARDEN PESTS. Et T. BAINES, Southgate. Tlie Gooseberry Caterpillar. The locust-like appetite of this caterpillar renders it most destructive to this useful fruit. The way that a brood of them will completely strip a tree of its leaves in a few days, is really astonishing, leaving nothing but the bare wood, and fruit which the loss of leaf renders worthless. The trees are also very much w eakened by the unnatural condition they are reduced to, and, unless the larva is destroyed, the trees are almost certain to be infested with caterpillar the succeeding year, for before the perfect insect takes flight, she will deposit her eggs on the trees, which will quickly come to life, repeat- ing similar destruction to that of then- progenitors the year previous. As soon as they are observed, means should at once be taken for their destruction, for, if allowed only a few days, in addition to the injury they do, they are much more difficult to deal with. For some days after they first come to life, they are comparatively tender, and easy to kill. As they get older, they get strength, and are not so easy to destroy, and they also spread over the tree, which necessitates the whole of it being dressed with whatever is used for their destx'uction. Anything of a dry dusty nature they dislike ; even dry road dust will render the leaves unpalatable to them, and cause them to drop off, but, unless they are killed whilst on the ground, they quickly crawl up on the trees again. Air- slaked lime, if applied whilst they are young, from its caustic properties, will destroy them ; but the trees should be examined shortly afterwards to see that none have escaped, as, if heavy rain falls soon after the lime is applied, it gets washed off, and some escape. There is nothiug so efieotual as a mixture of powdered white hellebore and whitening, applied to the trees with an ordinary flour dredger, flrst thoroughly wetting the whole of the tree with the syringe to cause the powder to stick. The hellebore (to be procured at any druggist's, but it should be freshly ground, as it loses its efficacy if kept long) should be used in the proportion of 1 lb. to 6 of whitening, ground flue, and well mixed together ; this will destroy every caterpillar in a few days, even if they have grown large and strong. But the hellebore is poison, and wherever it is used, care must be taken that the whole is washed thoroughly off with the syringe or garden engine after the caterpillars are killed, or the fruit would cause bad effects upon anyone eating it, the very idea of which causes many not to use it. I have frequently used it myself without the fruit being in the slightest affected with it afterwards, but was always careful to see that every trace of the powder was washed off. A good preventive is, in the winter, when the trees are at rest, to put a spadeful of lime on the surface of the soil under each tree, spreading it out from the collar under the branches. This will kill the larvas, which at this season are lying dormant under the soil, to which they have descended from the branches, after having completed the length of time they were destined by Nature to remain above ground, and from whence, if not destroyed, they will emerge and take wing, when the females will deposit their eggs on the trees, which, in due course, will come to life, and repeat similar destruction of the leaves. The Rose Maggot. The maggot is very annoying to the Rose grower, boring into the best buds, and destroying many a cherished hope of first prizes. There seems to be no possibility of escape from it ; every year it makes its appearance, and, if not destroyed in the spring as it comes to life, scarcely a perfect flower will be obtained, especially early in the season. At the time of pru- ning, every bit of the pi-nnings, with the pips, if any remain, should be carefully gathered up and burnt. As soon as the shoots begin to push, and the leaves expand, the larvas will make their appearance ; they may easily be detected by the web they spin, coiling themselves up in the young leaves. It is here they must be looked for with care and destroyed, going over the trees once a week, crushing them with the fingers, for if allowed to remain, as soon as the buds make their appearance they will spoil them. In the usually confined beds of the amateur, and over-sheltered Rose-gardens of pi-ivate establishments, this insect is much more prevalent and des- tructive than in the extensive open grounds of the grower for sale. The more exposed situations of the latter appear to be uncongenial to this and other insects that infest the Rose, for an account of which see an illustrated article at pa^e 2C, vol. iv., of TuE Gakden. The Apple Boring Grub. This insect is the bane of this, the most useful of all fruits grown in this country. Soil and situation, trees small or large, appear to have no immunity from it. When the sanguine fruit-grower has seen the blooming season safely past, con- gratulating himself upon having escaped the frosts of our fickle spring, and reckoning upon his trees being bent down by the weight of the crop, he often sees many of his best trees drop their fruit by hundreds, until nothing more than a scanty crop comes to maturity, and many of these more or less deformed. The insect comes to life during the spring in due course, flrst feeding upon the leaves, and afterwards attacking the fruit, boring straight to the core and devouring the pips which causes the fruit to drop off. In the case of large trees little or nothiug can be done. With dwarf bush or pyramid trees they may, with a little attention, be much reduced in numbers by going over the trees in the spring and destroying the larvas as soon as they come to life whilst they are confined to a limited space, being first enclosed in large spider-like webs before they make their exit, from which they are easily des- troyed, but if once they escape and become dispersed over the tree little can be done. The Onion Maggot. This is the larva of a fiy that deposits its eggs amongst the leaves of the plant, and works its way down to the bottom of the bulb ; and, when they attack the crop, they most generally destroy or seriously injure it. The Onion is much more sub- ject to the maggot in light soils than in heavy laud, especially in old worn-out gardens. I have tried various remedies that have been recommended for its destruction, or as a preventive to its spreading ; but I have never found anything that was of use after it once attacked the crop. By a judicious pre- paration of the soil, and the use of some manures, I have found that its attacks were rendered less frequent. In light land, the addition of liberal quantities of new soil, with a good dressing of salt (half a pound to the square yard), applied as a sm-face-dressing during the autumn or winter, with an inch of soot pointed into the ground before sowing, renders the crop less liable to its ravages. It would appear that the smell of soot is distasteful to the fly, and prevents it depositing its eggs ; but, whenever they have come to life, the soot-dressing over- head, often recommended, I have found of no avail. The Cabbage Caterpillar. This insect is much more dependent on seasons than some others. If we get unseasonably warm weather early in the spring, by which the insect is fully matured and takes wing very early, the chances are that these early butterflies are all destroyed by a frosty night ere they have had time to breed and deposit their eggs. In such seasons we are compara- tively free from such as attack the early crop. Later iu the season we generally get the larger, more beautiful marked 338 THE GARDEN. [April 18, 1874. grubs of the late season, and still more beautiful butterflies, Cauliflowers and tender summer Cabbages are their favourites, yet they also attack Savoys, winter Broccoli, and other varie- ties of the Cabbage tribe ; and, if left unmolested, will quickly leave little more than the stronger and more fibrous parts of the leaves, rendering the plants useless. Sometimes the practice of dusting the leaves over with lime is resorted to ; but, unless the plants are attacked whilst very small, it gets into the hearts, rendering the remedy as bad as the disease. Nothing equals hand pick- ing, beginning as soon as the insects come to life, for which a diligent look- out should be kept, as for some days after they come to life a whole colony will be confined to a single leaf, in which condition they can be destroyed much more effectually and in a tenth of the time it takes to flud them when dispersed over the plants ; but, even if they have dispersed before their presence was detected, they should be diligently sought for and destroyed, for, if left unmolested, they will cause a gap in crops that in private establish- ments cannot be spared, to say nothing of the usightly evidence of careless gardening, which vegetable crops reduced to this plight present. The Celery Grub. This is a leaf-boring insect, and, almost every summer, makes its appeai-ance amongst the crop, either more or less. The female punctures the leaf, and deposits her eggs under the cuticle, where they come to life and feed securely, destroy- ing a considerable portion of the leaf ; it left undisturbed, doing serious injury to the crop. The position occupied by the insect renders any outward applica- tion ineffectual to reach it. There is no method that I have ever tried, except going over the crop and crushing them between the finger and thumb. A man will go over a good deal of ground in a day; there is no difficulty in discovering the whereabouts of the insect, as its presence can be easily detected. In the foregoing papers on the principle insects, &c., that prey upon cultivated plants, the means I have narrated for their destruction are in all cases such as in practice I have proved to be the best out of numbers tried. For every insect that gardens are infested with, numbers of moans are often recommended for their des- truction that in practice are found ineffectual, or that are BO far injurious to vegetable life as to render the cure as bad as the disease. I have also tried to make them as plain as possible by avoiding all scientific nomenclature, and giving in each case details which, I trust, will be sufficient to enable anyone to operate without danger of injuring the different plants affected. But it must always be borne in mind that in dealing with minute animal life, which wo wish to thoroughly eradicate, no half measures will suffice ; it must be a war of extermination, which nothing but perseverance will bring to a successful issue. And, in the case of numbers of garden pests, it is a campaign that must be fought annually and with determination wherever high-class gardening in any branch is attempted. I therefore place but the results of boiler After having for a use various medal Meiklejon's Cruciform Boiler. Diagram sliowing how the Boiler is set. MEIKLEJON'S CRUCIFORM BOILER. Although coals are considerably cheaper now than they were twelve months ago, the economical heating of plant-houses is still a subject of much importance, and one concerning which boilers play a prominent part. Of these, various forms are before the public, and as all claim the merit of superior ex- cellence, a few words respecting a really useful boiler may be of service to your readers. A trial does not always confirm the representations made concerning them by their inventors. To produce the greatest amount of heat from the smallest quantity of fuel, is the true characteristic of a good boiler, and the possession of this desirable quality cannot be ascer- tained in a few hours, but only in a trustworthy manner from a hard winter's firing, or a more lengthened period of trial, little faith in competitions, long time in takers, circulators of all descriptions, cannons, retorts, saddles, upright and downright tubular boilers, I un- hesitatingly give the preference to the cruciform boiler, of which the accom- panying are illustrations. Our present working-stock of this khidof boiler consists of four, in addition to as many more of other sorts, and we find it to be one of the most economical and efficient boilers yet constructed for general purposes. It may be had of any size required. The different sizes with us are heating effectually from 500 to 2,000 feet of 4-inch piping in Pine-stove ranges. The fuel required for them, is not half the quantity consumed to produce the same amount of heat by other apparatus of much greater preten- sions. Its construction, as will bo seen, is simple; resembling four saddle boilers cast together. The accompanying little diagram represents a back view, and shows the flow-pipes and the sockets for the return - pipes. The larger illustration exhibits the whole fitted up, with a few bricks of the setting removed to expose the interior arrange- ment. The fire is placed under the lower angle, the flames from which pass to the back, where they are divided, and traverse the two side angles before coming to the front; there they are again re-united, and make their exit along the top of the flue, in contact with the flow-pipes from the boiler. In a No. 1 boiler, which is 4 feet long, upwards • of 60 square feet of heating surface are thus fully exposed to the action of the fire. Another of its valuable adapta- tions is, the shallow stoke- hole in which it can be placed. Where a bottom-heat pipe has to be taken from the flow, deep boilers are virtually unserviceable, unless where a depth of drainage exists, which Is not always to be had. The material of which this boiler is made is cast-metal, and, under all manner of adverse circumstances, I never yet knew one to fail. The cost too, which is generally a consideration, is, for one of these, small compared with that of some other boilers. Clovenfords. J. MuiR. Glass for GreenllOUses. — Will you, or any of your cnrrospomlcnts, tell me what in the vcr3- best kintl of Klass for a well-built house for precnhouwe plants ? — .1. II. II. [The very boat glass for general gardening pui'i^oses ia 2J!-oz, British Bhoet.— Ed.J AmiL 18, 1874] THE GARDEN. 339 THE KITCHEN GARDEN. CEOPPING A KITCHEN GARDEN. I HAVE two plots of ground which I wish to turn into a kitchen garden, one 37 feet square, and the other 39 feet by 35 feet. Will you kindly inform me how to begin, and how to continue to cultivate the same, having regard to the fact that I wish to have as great a variety of early vegetables as possible, of the best quality ? Amateur. [On submitting this question to Mr. Baines, an excellent authority on such matters, ho has kindly furnished the following reply : — Tour correspondent's questioa, although relating to a limited space, to be of any use, requires a much more lengthened answer than at first sight might be supposed necessary. From the total absence of any indication as to the nature of the soil ; the situation, whether cold and shaded, as such plots nearly always are ; if in the rear of a house with a south aspect ; or, on the other hand, if the ground is more favourably situated, so that it commands the sun for the greatest part of the day. The absence of such data renders it a difficult task to give advice on the subject, inasmuch as the difference in the conditions indicated render the proceedings necessary to secure success very different. We must suppose that " Amateur " is totally ignorant, from a practical point of view, of the cultivation of the soil for the different subjects he wishes to grow. Let us first look at the condition of the ground, as to its being sufficiently dry, for, if this essential is wanting, it is vain to expect anything early, as, whore stagnant water lodges in the soil, the sun's rays are much longer in imparting the heat necessary to promote vegetation. It is the more necessary to point to this, as, in small suburban gardens, those who construct them are often alike ignorant and careless of the essentials in their forma- tion. They are often a mixture of brick-rubbish and excava- tions from the foundations, in the place of the natural surface- soil which gets buried, or is sold and removed before the building is commenced. If " Amateur's " plots, which he proposes to convert into kitchen-garden ground, are unluckily in the last-named condition, little can be done without the introduction of at least 6 inches of good soil to dig into and incorporate with say 0 inches of the existing soil, which should be thoroughly mixed in the operation of digging. As will at once be apparent, the soil prepared for the seed will then be 1-5 inches deep. From the way " Amateur " puts his questions, I am led to suppose he is in the same position as many suburban amateurs with whom I am personally acquainted, who have spare time, and are anxious to employ it in the cultivation of their garden, both for amusement and profit, yet are unacquainted with the mode of procedure — of the first operation to prepare the ground for the reception of any crop, digging, &c. 15y the way, I may observe that this ignorance would appear not to be confined to amateurs alone, but extends to many who call themselves gardeners, if we may judge by the way they proceed in digging, turning up each spit or spadeful in great lumps, as much as 6 inches thick, throwing it over in its place without any attempt at breaking the adhesive mass, leaving the surface tolerably smooth, but the whole uuder-portion insufficiently pulverised for the roots oE any vegetable to ramify and penetrate as they ought. In preparing the soil for the reception of seed, either by the use of the spade or the plough, the end sought is the same, namely, a thorough loosening and pulverising of the soil, as near as tlie nature of the land will permit, to the depth the roots of the particular crop we intend to grow will penetrate ; and the more thorough the breaking up of the soil is, the more easily can the rains and the air (both so necessary to the healtliy development of the crop) penetrate. This effectual pulverising of the soil has also the effect of admitting the hundreds of tender-feeding rootkts, ramifying in all directions, laying hold of every portion of the soil in their search for food. Where these conditions of the soil are absent, or only partially exist, the crop is correspondingly unfavourably placed for healthy development. We will suppose that " Amateur " in- tends CO commence operations by digging his pieces of ground. If the laud is at all heavy, he will find a steel digging fork a much better implement than the ordinary spade. Let him turn over the whole of his plots, breaking the soil, as he proceeds, into pieces not larger than a cricket-ball, bringing up the under soil and laying in its place that from the surface ; carefully picking out, as he proceeds, all perennial weeds, such as Docks or Couch Grass. If the plots are level, or nearly so, it does not matter which end of the piece he commences at, but if the land slopes quickly in any direction, he should begin at the highest end, that is, throwing each spit up- hill; this is a little hai-der work than digging in the oppo- site direction down-hill, but sloping ground should always bo dug twice up-hill for once down, as the soil has always a tendency to wash down-hill. Manure will be a consideration. If he can obtain it cheap, he may apply a dressiug of 4 inches on the surface before he commences digging, working it regularly into the soil as he proceeds ; if it is scarce and dear, he will be disposed to make as little as may be suffice ; in that case he had better apply it immediately to the crops he plants as he proceeds in putting them in the ground. The next con- sideration will be the division of space available to the several crops to be grown, and in this he will, to some extent, be guided by individual partiality for the different vegetables usually grown. In any family, large or small, there are generally some things more esteemed than others, and even some that are never required at all. The season being so far advanced is another consideration ; it is now too late to obtain early crops of many things ; cousequeutly, the varie- ties of some things, advisable to plant now, are somewhat different from such as should have been planted some weeks since. Another consideration for " Amateur " is, whether, with his small space, it would not be better to confine himself to a limited number of useful things, than go in for a little of everything ; the former I should unhesitatingly advise, as more satisfactory ; but as he expresses a wish for as great a variety as possible, I should recommend apportioning the ground in something like the following way, subject, as already hinted, to individual tastes. One-eighth of the whole space to Potatoes, which should consist altogether of early and second early kinds, such as Mona's Pride and Gloucestershire Kidney, with Early Oxford and Regents to follow in succession ; these may all be planted 12 inches apart in the rows, and 18 inches betwixt row and row ; plant in drills drawn out with the spade, so as to admit of the plants being covered with 4 inches of soil. If manure has not been applied at the time of digging, it should now be put in the drills with the Potato plants, it is immaterial whether it is placed over or under them, covering all up with the soil, and so proceed till all the space allotted to this vegetable is filled. Next we come to Peas, which should occupy another eighth of the available room, and may consist, for pi-esent and next month's sowing, of York- shire Hero, Veitch's Pei'fection, and Burbidge's Eclipse ; these varieties may be planted so two inches from Pea to Pea, in rows 4 feet apart, making a second sowing the first week in May, and a third a fortnight later. The drills iu which the Peas are sown should be made 3 inches deep. Broad Beans, French Beans, and Scarlet Runners should have another eighth of the space. Broad Beans — one sowing of Eai'ly Long Pod is all I should recom- mend this season. Plant 2 inches deep, 3 inches apart in the row, with 2 feet betwixt the rows. French Beans, Negro and Paris Red Flageolet, planted 6 inches asunder, and 2 feet between the rows. The Runners should not be planted nearer any other crop than 4 feet, nor less than 5 feet from row to row, with 9 inches of space in the row. Onions, Carrots, and Turnips should have another eighth of the ground equally divided between them. It is too late for a heavy crop of Onions ; Danvers' Yellow will bo the best for sowing now. Horn Carrot and Red-top American Stone Turnip : these may all be sown in shallow drills, 12 inches apart, covering the seed with half an inch of soil. The Onions and Carrots should ulti- mately be thinned to 6 inches apart, the Turnips to a foot ; the seed should be sown four or five times thicker than this, so as to admit of failures in coming up. Cauliflowers and Cabbages should have another eighth, giving one-third of this space to the Cauliflowers and the rest to the Cabbages. Early London Cauliflowers, or Waloheren and Wheeler's Cocoanut, or Early York Cabbage. The Cauhflowers, planted 18 inches apart iu 340 THE aARDBN. [April 18, 1874 the rows, with 2 feet betwixt each row ; either of these Cab- bages 15 inches asunder each way. To Celery and Beet, give another eighth of the space, one-fourth of this to the Beet, the remaining portion to the Celery. Beet, Barrett's or Dell's Crimson, sow in rows, 15 inches betwixt the rows, thinned oiit to a foot apart. Plant the Celery in well- manured trenches, 18 inches wide, the plants 9 inches asunder, allowing 3 feet between each trench. Lettuce, Leeks, Spinach, and Vegetable Marrows should have apportioned another eighth ; the Lettuce and Spinach to be sown in rows 18 inches apart, the former well-manured, and thinned out to a foot asunder in the rows. Lettuce, Wheeler's Tom Thumb for early and late sowing; Paris Cos for early, and Victoria for summer and autumn supply. It is much better to sow these where they are to be grown, than to transplant, as they are not so liable to run to seed. The Leeks should be sown on a couple of square yards of ground, and afterwards transplanted in rows a foot apart, 9 inches between the plants in the rows. The Vegetable Marrow should be sown on a raised bed, under a hand or bell- glass, about the middle of May, and gradually inured to the open air, receiving plenty of water in dry weather. We now come to the remaining eighth of our space ; this will require dividing for many things, amongst which should be found room for a few roots of Rhubarb, planted 3 feet apart each way. A small bed of Parsley, Mint, Thyme, Marjoram, and other herbs, and a square yard or two each should be allotted in which to sow Brussels Sprouts, Scrymger's Giant, Grange's Early White, Snow's Winter White, and Williams's Alexandra Broccolies, Savoy Cabbages, Coleworts, and Green Kale. These will come in for transplanting on the ground as it is cleared of Potatoes, Peas, Lettuce, Spinach, &c. In this arrange- ment I have not included either Asparagus or Seakale, as, with the first in a garden of the size under, considera- tion, I should not advise its culture, and roots for forcing of the latter can always be bought for a price that renders it unadvisable to occupy space with it when the room is so limited. The system should be to get in a succes- sion crop for the winter as soon as the ground can be cleared from the spring and summer occupants ; in this, not a day should be lost after any crop is exhausted, more especially as the autumn approaches, for then any delay gives an insuffi- ciency of time for the growth of these winter vegetables. This practice is necessary to make the most out of a given space, but it has a corresponding tendency to exhaust the soil. This must be met by liberal dressings of manure ; four or five tons of good manure per year will not be too much. " Amateur " should also carefully preserve all his vegetable refuse ; this should be kept in one corner of his garden, and all Potato tops. Pea haulm. Cabbage leaves, &c., should, as they are removed, be col- lected here; when rotten, a few hundredweights of lime should be mixed each year with this refuse-heap before it is spread over the ground previous to digging in ; the lime will destroy slugs and their eggs, and will also act beneficially as a fertiliser. If the laud is poor, a fourth of a cwt. of guano, will assist the crops much ; this should be mixed with five or six times its bulk of fine ashes, or, still better, good loam, if it can be had. This should be sown broadcast over the ground, in showery weather, either before or after the ground is cropped, but with good guano, it is necessary to be cautious that too much does not come in absolute contact with any growing vegetable or it will destroy it. To those unaccustomed to high-class vegetable cnlturc, this manuring may be considered extravagant, and not likely to pay, but it must be borne in mind that there is nothing wo have dealings with that is so honest as land, and whatever wcput into it, if judiciously applied, and not excessive, it is sure to give us a return with interest. The quantity of manure the market-gardeners ajiply would astonish anyone who has not seen it, and thoy make it pay or they would not do it. In break- ing up and trenching kitchen-garden ground for the first time, I have dug in 150 tons to the acre ; good land so treated never forgets such a dressing as this. I have recommended all to be sown in rows, which gives every facility for the use of tho hoe ; this implement can scarcely bo used too much amongst all growing crops, providing the roots are not absolutely dis- turbed ; it destroys weeds and slugs, both of which abound in badly managed gardens ; it leaves the ground in the best condi- tion for the absorption of rain, at the same time checking excessive evaporation; it does not leave the surface so smooth and neat to the eye as the rake, but it is vastly preferable. As already said, the season for sowing many things is far advanced, and not a day should be lost in preparing the ground, and sowing such things as advised to be got in without delay.] WOEK FOE THE WEEK. Flcwer Garden. Bedding plants should now be increased in every possible way. A brisk bottom-heat, drip.proof pits or frames, clean sharp sand, suit- able soil, plenty of space and plants to procure cuttings from, are the requisite conditions for the purpose. Verbenas, Heliotropes, Agera- tums, Lobelias, dwarf TropEBolams, Pelargoniums, Chrysanthemum Sensation and the green-leaved summer-flowering kinds, Coleuses, Iresines, Alternantheras, Gazanias, &c., strike by means of cuttings in a few days, and may be potted singly into thumb-pots before their roots are more than an inch long. If these pots are plunged in heat, well shaded and kept moist, they never exhibit a check, but grow apace, and in a few days afford young tops for cuttings, and then side shoots for the same purpose ; after that, give them another shift into sixty-sized pots. If pots are scarce, all the strongest plants, after being well hardened off, may be planted out next month in frames, kept close for a few days. Coleuses, Alternantheras, and Iresines, being rather tender, should be kept in pots until they are planted out. Sub-tropical plants, such as Solanums, Abutilons, Wigandias, Ferdinandas, &c., should be stripped of what cuttings may be on them every week. Maize, Castor-oil plants, Solanums, &c., should be raised from seed, and the seedlings should not be allowed to get root-bound, othervrise a stunted growth will bo tho result ; they ought, therefore, to be pricked of, as they germinate, into small pots, and be shifted from them into larger ones. Dahlia roots are now yielding plenty of cuttings, which should be taken off when fit for separation, struck in heat, and treated like other strong, growing half-tender plants. Canna roots may be divided, potted singly, and grown in a stove temperature for a short time. Pot some Gladiolus roots for early flowering. Evergreen trees and shrubs and deciduous trees and shrubs may yet be safely transplanted. The pruning of the latter, as well as of Evergreens, should be finished. Shrubbery borders should be lightly pointed over, taking care not to injure the roots in the operation, or to disturb any bulbous plants that may be growing amongst the shmbs. Isolated specimens of newly-planted trees, especially if large, are much benefited by a few shrubs being planted around them for a year or two, to act as a protection from winds, frost, and drought ; after they get established the nurses may be removed. Roses of all kinds should now be pruned, aud those on pillars or walls thinned and fastened in. Prune, where necessary. Ivies on walls, and fasten any in danger of falling away from them. Uncover Myrtles, Magnolias, Fremontias, Stauntoniaa, Clematises, and other half-hardy plants on walls, and otherwise put them in order for the summer. Greenhouse and. Stove Plants. All hard-wooded plants, which it is necessary to pot during the spring, ought to receive that attention by the middle of the month. If cold cutting winds accompany bright weather, do not give any side air near where newly-potted plants are placed, but let the top lights be opened. Shade and sprinkle water about the paths, and upon the stages where the plants are placed. Let all plants as they are potted receive what tying they require to put them in proper shape, especially young growing stock. Any omission in this matter is frequently fatal to symmetrical appearance ; as the plants get older the young wood becomes too stifi to bend. If mildew happens to exist on the ripo wood of last year, it will most likely attack the young growth as soon as tho plants begin to move. This applies to such plants as Boronia pinnata, Hedaroma tulipiferum, and Leschen- aultia biloba. If such should occur, dust with sulphur at once. Azaleas that have been nuich affected with thrips last summer would be much benefited by a good washing with tobacco-water now, as the eggs that were deposited in autumn will soon come to life under increased temperature. To such stove plants as are in active growth give water freely both at root and overhead, and keep the atmosphere moist by frequent sprinklings, on all available surfaces. A little shade, when necessary, prevents scorching. Air should be given in the morning, aud the house should be shut np early. Pot a few Gosnoras, Gloxinias, Aohimenes, and Caladiums, aud place them in heat to succeed those previously started. Hardy Fruit Garden. Outdoor fruit trees, as a rule with, perhaps, tho exception of Apricots, promise to produce heavy ci'ops. Plums are laden with April 18, 1874.] THE GAEDEN. 341 flowers, and Cherries have set blossom buds in abundance; Pear, trees, too, are most satisfactory. Finish grafting, more especially that of stone fruits, as speedily now as possible. If not already done, mulch between the rows of Strawberries with litter, the nutri- ment from which will be washed down to the roots by successive rains, leaving the surface clean for the fruit to rest on when ripening. See that Raspberry bushes are securely fastened to their supports ; in moat cases they are grown erect and tied to wooden stakes, but in others one-half of the rods from a stool is loosely plaited and brought to meet a similar number of canes from the next, thus forming a series of arches, whilst, in other instances, the rods are cut about 3 feet in length, and are tied together without a stake ; in some other cases, too, they are tied to wires or trellises. Kitclien Garden. Cabbages and Cauliflowers have started actively into growth ; the hoe must, therefore, be kept at work amongst them, as nothing is more productive of good to vegetables than a clean and frequently- stirred surface. Make a general sowing of Cauliflower, and prick off into a warm corner or border those sown last month, as soon as they are fit to handle ; and, in the event of cold or wet weather occurring, hand-lights, frame sashes, or hoops and mats may bo employed for their protection. Sow some of the early kinds of Broccoli, and, in cold localities, also late sorts. Of the fine curled Italian Endive, sow some seeds in a brisk temperature for early use ; but if not sown in a strong heat, the plants are apt to run prema- turely to seed. The main crop of Beet may now be sown ; but in warm counties, towards the end of the month will be soon enough. It likes an open situation and trenched ground that has been manured for the previous crop. Thin Parsnips when they appear, but not finally ; some growers prefer sowing early in this month, but, even about London, Parsnips are sown at the same time as the spring Onions, for they take a long time to germinate and they are not Uable to " run." Sow Chicory thinly in rows, about 9 inches apart, for winter forcing. As soon as Globe Artichokes have made growths about 9 inches long, slip them all oil except the three strongest, which should be retained for the summer's produce. The best of the slips should be chosen for a'new plantation. Cut the heel attached to each smoothly, and then plant them 8 or 9 inches apart in clumps of three, each, clump about 2 feet apart, in rows 4 feet asunder, in a deep rich sandy loam, and an open situation. Sow some summer Savoys in a warm border, and increase the stock of the winter kind, either in the same way, or by dividing the old roots. Presh Tarragon plantations may be obtained by planting rooted slips from the sides of the old roots ; Tansy may be increased by division of the roots, and Sorrel by sowing or dividing the roots ; Balm, Burnet, Thyme, and Mint may be propagated by dividing the roots ; and Hyssop, Fennel, Sage, Rosemary, Pennyroyal, and Lavender by slips, which, if rooted, are so much the better ; while Chervil, Clary, Sorrel, Samphire, Purslane, and Borage require to bo raised by means of seeds. Basil and Knotted Marjoram are best raised in a gently-heated frame, and well hardened off before being finally transplanted. Preserve a piece of a warm border for French Beans ; but it is rather too early to sow them yet. Before sowing, open the drills in the morning, if fine, and sow the seeds iu the afternoon. Sow Cardoons where they are to remain, in lines 4 feet apart, so that three seeds may be in a clump, and the clumps 2 feet asunder. In the nc'thern counties. Gherkins may be sown in gently-heated frames ; but, in warm and southern localities, May is soon enough for sowing ; whilst, it a well-sheltered warm border be selected, they may be sown in lines, 4 or 5 feet apart, out of doors in the latter half of May, when they yield their crop at the end of July and in August. Keep up a succession of Peas and Beans, and attend to timely staking. Successional sowings o£ small salading must be regularly attended to, and Lettuces transplanted, sown, and thinned. Sow Turnips as required ; and, in case of the coming summer being hot and dry, a small sowing of early white Vienna Kohl Rabi maybe found useful,. I Plant Origin of Japan Lacquer. — It has been generally supposed, says the Scientific Americati, that the beauty of Japan lacquer-work was due to iugredients derived from unknown plants, and that the secret was confined to the Oriental workmen. Recently, however, iu Holland, objects of art have been produced, lacquered and covered with mother-of-pearl in pieces, facsimiles of those mado in Japan. The lacquer used is prepared from the hardest varieties of gum copal, principally that of Zanzibar, which is coloured black with Indian ink. The articles are covered with several layers of this substance, upon which, while still wet, or rather pasty, the mother- of-pearl is inlaid. Drying in a furnace follows, another coat of lacquer is applied, then more drying, and smoothing with pounce. These operations are repeated until the surfaces are perfectly united and smooth, when a final polish is given with tripoli. SOCIETIES, EXHIBITIONS, &c. ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. April 15. Rliododendrons. — These, though Umited in number, were shown in excellent condition on this occasion by Messrs. Lane, o£ Berkhamp- stead, who had a nice group of plants and some splendid trusses of cut flowers. Among the varieties, we noted B. hybridum roseum, a richly- coloured crisped variety, with fine wax-like foliage ; Terschaffeltii, a delicate hlao, the upper petal spotted with maroon ; Queen of the West, a bright rosy-lilac, each petal being beautifully crisped ; Limbatum, a very distinct variety, with white flowers margined with bright rose ; Auguste Van Geert is a most profuse bloomer, the flowers being of a deep purple-lilac, and the foliage of good substance. The best white iu this group was Bodacrtiauum ; this] is a waxy white variety, with the faintest trace of blush iu the youngest flowers. Cinerarias. — With these, Mr. J. Standish, Nurseries, Ascot, was first ; a second prize being awarded to Messrs. Dobson, Woodlands Nursery, Isleworth. Both collections contained compact and well-grown plants, the colours being bright and distinct. In the Amateurs' Class, Mr. James, gardener to W. F. Watson, Esq., Redlees, Isleworth, was deservedly first, with very nice plants, dwarf and well bloomed. Mr. R. Wareham, gardener to J. Mitchell, Esq., Coppins, Iver, Bucks, was secoud, with larger plants, the strain being better than in the last group, but the plants were not so evenly bloomed. Azaleas. — Messrs. Lane staged nine well-bloomed plants, to which the first prize was awarded. Iu this group, the most notable were Comet, a scarlet variety shot with purple ; Flag of Truce, a very beautiful serai- double white, the flowers being very pure ; Roi d'HoUand, a In-illiant scarlet; Roi Leopold, deep rose, shaded vermilion, and Gloire do Belgique, a fine white, inclined to sport into rose. The two best scarlets in this collection were Vesuvius and Stella, both very vividly coloured and attractive. The second award went to Mr. Charles Turner, of Slough, whose plants were much smaller but still well-bloomed, and well suited for ordinary purposes of decoration. The most notable were— ApoUa, a fine white, inclined to break ; Erbprinz Ludwig, a semi-double of the brightest rosy-lilac ; Mrs. Turner, salmou, edged with white and beautifully spotted. The most attractive plant in the whole group, how- ever, was Charles de Buck, an immense flowered variety of the brightest rosy-crimson imaginable. In the class for plants in 12-inch pots, Mr. G. AVheeler was first, -nith very compact specimens, including Model, a fine rosy-lilac ; Chelsonii, a good old scarlet variety, with crisped petals ; Stella, one of the best of the scarlets ; Due de Nassau, a semi-double lilac, and Magnilicans, pure white. The second award iu this class was given to Mr. R. Marcham, who had well-bloomed plants, the most notable being a plant of Criterion, a rosy variety, edged with white, the upper petal being spotted with deep rosy-crimson. Clematis. — Messrs. Jackman, of Wokmg, staged about thirty plants of their new hybrid Clematises, which we admire the more, the more we see of them, so deserving are they of general culture, either in pots or planted out. Among those staged on this occasion, wo noted the follow- ing as distinct and good;— C. Baroness Burdett Coutts, a large-flowered variety, of a delicate rosy-lilac ; Lady Stratford de Ratcliffe, a beautiful lavender-blue, large and fine ; the Queen, a delicate Ulac ; and Vesta, an eight or ten-petalled flower, of remarkably good form and pearly whiteness, with pui-plo stamens. The majority of the plants were IS inches to 2 feet high, and as much in diameter, bearing from thirty to sixty flowers each. Roses in Pots. — Messrs. Veitch & Sons exhibited a very fine collection of fresh healthy plants, well bloomed. The best in this group were Charles Lawson, deep rose. General Jacqueminot, a well- known old crimson, and Marguerite de St. Amand, a silvery-rose or pale lilac. The best Teas were Madame Willermoz, one of the best whites, and Madame de St. Joseph, a fine salmon-flesh, flue iu the bud, and a fine variety for cutting for bouquets. Mr. W. Paul, of Waltham Cross, had a larger collection of smaller specimens. Among the Tea-scented varieties we noted Marie Van Houtte, a delicate sulphur, Souvenir de Paul Nerou, a fine white variety tinted with salmon or flesh colour. The best iu this group, however, was a plant of Catherine Mermet, a really superb Rose of the most delicate flesh colour. Two good stands of cut Roses came from Mr. J. Walker, "Thame. Oxford, containing fine blooms of Marechal Niel and Gloire de Dijon, two of the best Teas. Mr. G. Paul, Cheshuut, showed cut fiowers of Cheshuut Hybrid and Madame Lacharmo Roses, the blooms of the latter being the best wc have yet seen, and of remark- ably good form, round and full. Orchids. — Mr. Denning, gardener to Lord Londesborough, furnished half-a-dozen well-bloomed plants, including the following: Dendrobium Jenkinsii, a pretty scandent species with orange flowers ; D. fimbriatum oculatum, with at least thirty spikes ; Cattleya Skiunerii, a very good variety, with rich lilac-purple flowers, the throat of the hp being pure white ; and Cattleya citrina, a fine specimen, on a block, bearing eleven wax-like lemon-tinted flowers, most deliciously scented. 'The most notable plants in this group were fine specimens of ArpophyUum gigauteum, bearing fifteen fine spikes of shell-like flowers, of a bright purple colour; and a plant of Vanda cferulescens bearing three fine spikes, on the largest of which we counted twenty-three flowers of a deep ca'rulean blue, with a deep tinted hp. Mr. G. Wheeler was second with half-a-dozen well bloomed plants. In the Nurserymen's Class, Mr. B. S. Williams, of HoUoway, staged six fine plants, including one of the finest plants of D.nobile we have ever seen, anda splendid plant of D. Infundibu- lum, a fine variety, with a Roman red stain on the lip in place of the golden - 342 THE GARDEN. [April 18, 1874. yellow blotcli usual to this species. In this jjroup there was a magnificent specimen of AcriJes Fieldingii, with at least eight fine drooping spilces of deep rosy-lilac spotted fiowerSj and a fresh and healthy specimen of the purple spotted variety of Cymbidium eburneum. In the Miscellaneous groups, Mr. Denning had a rare and valuable collection, including the yellow-floweredDendrobiumsenile, a dwarf species, the pseudo-bulbs being densely covered with long white hairs ; two splendid varieties of Masde- valha Harryana, and one of M. Lindenii, with its glowing lilac-purple flowers ; and a good plant of the rare old rosy Odontoglot {0. roseum). Messrs. Yeitch & Sons had a splendid group, including many of the latest novelties already referred to in our columns. On this occasion we noted Odontoglossum vexiUarium, with its rich rosy flowers ; 0. nffivium, with white purple-spotted flowers ; O. Alexandras, a dense flower, very richly coloured ; and the rare little Japanese Aerides (A. japonica). Miscellaneous. — Messrs. Cutbush staged some nice plants of Cinerarias, well-bloomed, and a few plants of the beautiful old double- yellow Wallflower, so useful for cutting. Mr. Marohant, gardener to J. Mitchell, Esq., Coppins, Iver, Bucks, had half-a-dozen well-grown rosy and white Chinese Primulas, of a good strain. Mr. W. Bull staged a noble group of Cycads, to which an extra prize was awarded. We allude to these beautiful plants in another column. Messrs. Veitch & Sons con- tributed a flne group of early-flowering decorative plants. Including green- house Rhododendrons, Azaleas, Libonias, Epacris, and Clematis. In this group we noted a fine pan of the pure white Primula nivea, and another of the rosy-flowered Hydrangea, Stellata fl. pi., a most useful decorative plant ; two fine plants of Rhododendron, Countess of Haddington, and Princess Alice, were profusely bloomed. These, together with a profuse sprinkling of the choicest Orchids made up a most attractive group. A fine bank of Cyclamens came from Mr. James, and these obtained an extra prize. Messrs. J, Standish & Co. sent a fine assortment of decorative and early-blooming plants for cut-flowers, including the white forcing Pinik Lady Blanche, Abutilon Boule de Neige, Azalea Juliette, a rich rosy semi-double variety, and A. Sigismuud Rucker, a variety tinted like Criterion, but a much finer flower ; also the hardy A. molUs, with orange-red flowers ; and A. linearis, another hardy species with very narrow rosy petals, 2i inches in length, and only a Une or two broad. These, together with the feathery- leaved Aeers and Cinerarias, made up a fine bank. Messrs. Barr & Sugden staged a fine group of early flowering Narcissus, containing many rare and beautiful flowers ; this collection was much admired. Lord Londesborough sent a fine group of Orchids, containing some rare plants previously alluded to. Mr. B. S. Williams staged a nice assortment of Palms, Ferns, Orchids, and Cycads, and a specimen of Primula cortu- soides amrena alba, a pure white variety, that wiU be invaluable as a pot plant when plentiful ; a plant of Sai'raoenia Drummondii bore four of its large lurid purple flowers, and a plant of the ivory white Chysis bractescens was well flowered. Messrs. Veitch & Sons staged an attrac- tive group of cut-leaved Acers, some of which were very elegant ; in colour, they vai-y from fresh green to the deepest bronzy-purple; even if these do not prove sufiiciently hardy for outdoor cultm-e they will be invaluable additions to the greenhouse or cool- conservatory. Herbaceous plants and Alpines — Mr. Parker, of the Exotic Nm-sery, Tooting, staged about forty specimens of spring-blooming hardy flowers in pots, and these wore fresh, well bloomed, and much admired. Among them we may notice Epimedium roseum, with heart-shaped foliage and deep rosy flowers ; the beautiful Primula nivea ; Iris nudicaulis, a deep rich purple ; I. pumda, one of the best known and most beautiful of aU the dwarf kinds. The pot of Triteleia (Milla) uniflora was the finest we have ever seen, being one dense mass of foliage studded thickly with hundreds of its white star-Uke flowers. Its variety lilacina has blue flowers, and is sometimes known in gardens as Leucocoryne alliaoea. Two pots of SoiUa cam- panulata and S. nutans rosea were well bloomed and very attractive, as also was a fine specimen of the golden-rayed Doronicum austriacum. A pot of Bellis aueubsefolia, with its golden-marbled foliage and crimson flowers, contrasted well with a beautiful mass of the blue-flowered Aubrietia purpurea elcgans, and this contrast was again further enhanced by a fine golden mass of Primula elatior, " Golden Plover." Mr. R. Dean, of Ealing, staged about two dozen smaller plants well flowered. Among them we noticed a fine variety of the double white Daisy, a first- rate plant for spring bedding; Myosotis dissitiflora, a perfect mass of deep blue flowers ; also, the pink-flowered variety of Bellis aucuba)folia, and several pots of the old double lilac and yellow Primroses. Tom Thumb bedding Pansy — "Yellow Boy" — is dwarf and compact, with richly-coloured flat flowers of a deep gclden-yellow, and, if as well adapted for bedding as it evidently is for pots, it will prove a most valuable ac(pusition. Fruit. — The show of fruit was limited in quantity, but in quality excellent. In the class for Grapes, Mr. W. Wildsmith, gardener to Viscount Eversley, Ilockfield Place, Winchfield, was first, with two superb bunchcsof Lady Doivnes cut from the Vino on the 4th of Febraary last and preserved in water. Second, Mr. H. Harris, gardener to Lord Ashby, Kaseby Woolleys, Rugby, who had two fine bunches of Black Hamburgh, of this year's growth. The competition here lay between cultivation and preservation, and the award went to the latter. The first prize for white Grapes was also t'.ikcn by Mr. Harris with nice clusters of Sweetwater. Strawberries wore very fine. The first prize being awarded to Mr. Sago, Ashridge Gardefis, Great Berkhampstead, who had a very fine basket of Keen's Seedlings, very tastefully set up in a round basket. Second, Mr. D. Pizzey, gardener to SirE. Perry, Fulmor, Slough. Easter Beurre and Ne Plus Meuris Pears were shown by Mr. .lones, of Krogmore, who also set up a tine group of Apples, to which an extra prize was awarded. Two fine smooth Cayenne Pines also came from the Royal Gardens, Frogmore, and these were splendid examples of good culture. Mr. W. Gardiner, gardener to E. P. Shirley, Esq., Stratford-on- Avon, also staged a nice collection of Apples, containing about two dozen varieties, all in a remarkable state of preservation, though scarcely so fine as those from Frogmore. Cucumbers came from Mr. J. Douglas, gardener at Loxford Hall, Ilford, andfrom Mr. D. Pizzey, of Slough, and both were awarded equal first prizes. Broccoli were very good, the best exhibited being Watts's Excelsior, but, as these were not for competition, the first award went to Mr. E. Clarke, gardener to J. R. Hall, Esq., of Sutton, Surrey, who had some good Walcheren ; second, to Mr. Norman , of Coombe Bank, Kingston-on-Thames ; and third to Mr. C. Osman, gardener to the South London District Schools, Sutton, Surrey. First-class Certificates were awarded to the following new or rare plants, viz. : — Oncidium fuscatum (Veitch). A form of Reichenbach's Miltonia Warscc- wiczii, having rosy-tinted flowers in place of the yellow and brown ones of the normal type. It is even more ornamental as a garden plant, and well worth culture. Cattleya gigas (Veitch) is one of the finest of all Cattleyas, and will be much sought after by growers. It has large rosy-lilac flowers, the broad hp being mottled with deep violet-purple. Ficus Parcehi (Veitch) is one of the finest white-variegated plants we have ever seen. Its leaves are as large as those of Ficus elastica ; but arc thinner in tcxtiire, and coarsely serrate along their margins. They are bright green, in"e- gularly blotched profusely with creamy-white and dark green. If the plant is of free growth, as its appearance indicates, it will form one of the finest of all variegated decorative plants introduced of late years. Clematis Lord Giflord (Noble) is a beautiful purple-lilac variety, and a vigorous grower. Clematis Marquis of Salisbury (Jackman). This is a most vivid purple variety, and evidently a most profuse bloomer. Clematis Countess of Lovelace (Jackman) is a light bluish-lilac form, with fresh vigorous foliage. Ceterach am-eum (B. S. Williams). A strong-growing tropical form of our common Ceterach ollicinarum, having fronds 12 to 15 inches long, and 3 to 4 inches broad. The fronds are of a deep green colour, and are densely covered behind with silvery scales, which turn brown as the fronds develop themselves. It is a distinct plant, and one well worth growing. BOTANICAL SOCIETY OF EDINBURGH. Apkil 9th. The president in the chair. Mr. Sadler read a series of notes by Mrs. Wright, Halston HaU, on Eucalyptus globulus. This tree, which is a native of Australia, grows very rapidly — as much as 6 feet in a year. It liad been introduced, and was now largely grown in Algeria, Spain, and the south of France. Its medicinal properties had been attracting much attention in France, and the alleged cures by it had been making a great sensation there. It was stated to have been employed with wonderful effect in cases of asthma, low fever, rheumatism, and it had been employed instead of quinine. During the Franco-Prussian war, the fresh leaves of the tree had been employed effectively in cases of hospital gangrene. Mrs. Wright was assured that it would be useful in cancer and epilepsy. The president said that this seemed to be one of the articles sent to Europe from all parts of the world, which were to be infallible I'emedies for various diseases. It was a most remarkable thing that these so-called remedies were to be applied to the most umnanage- able inconsistent diseases. This one was to cure asthma, low fever, hospital gangrene, epilepsy, and cancer ; to make us perfectly safe, hydrophobia and the bites of venomous snakes would only be required to be added to the list. He only wished they had suflicieut speeimons to make a trial of its curative powers. Dr. Cleghorn said that the tree bad been introduced into India, and that in fifteen years it stood 75 feet high, and "was then used for building purposes. Mr. Etheridge said ho had seen a Eucalyptus globulus tree in Australia, which, when cut down, measured 375 feet. A red gum exuded from it, the wood was of a blood- red colour, and when thrown into water it sank. Throughout the Australian colonies the tree was believed to be an infalbble euro for rheumatism. Mr. James M'Nab, curator of the Royal Botanic Gardens, read his monthly report on open-air vegetation at the gardens. The un- usual mildness of the winter and spring had, he said, been instrumental in bringing forward forest vegetation in the neighbourhood of Edinburgh to an extent he had never before observed at the same date. At i^resent many forest and ornamental trees were in flower, such as the Norway and other Maples, various species of Elm, Willow, Alder, Birch, Pyrus, I'runus, particularly the common Guin, |which was quite white with blossom. A green hue pervaded a large proportion of forest and orna- mental trees, such as the Horse Chestnut, Ehu, Larch, Whitebeam, Laburnum, Balsam Poplar, and many varieties of Thorns. The common Thorns were in full leaf, and he bad seen one with the flowers fully expanded. He had never before observed a Thorn come into flower in April. The temperature had been during the past month only thvee times at or below the freezing point, viz., on the 25th and 2Gth March, and 4th April. It was remarka^ble that there had been an almost total absence of easterly winds, which often proved so destructive to the blossom of fruit trees, while strong west and north-west winds bad prevailed. He showed the flowers of 2-3G species of plants, trees, and shrubs picked in the open air on 6th April — an unusual number at this particular seasou. The ground temperature had also been unusually high. A toitoiso, which had been in the Botanic Gardens for fifty years, and which usually buried itself in the earth in the beginning of October, and did not appear again till the second week in April, had this year emerged on the 15th March — a circumstance quite unprecedented. April 25, 1874] THE GAEDBN. 343 THE GARDE ^T. " This is an art Which does mend nature : change it rather : but The Art itself is Natuee."— S/iaiespeare. HYDE PAEK; ITS HYACINTHS AND TULIPS. By NOEL HUMPHREYS. There is miioh to admire as well as much to criticise in the niauagement ot this, the largest of our metropohtan parks. It is doubtless, to be regretted that some of the fine old trees are fast d.sappearmg-some from their veuerable age, and others, snoh Tbe&Z'crtZ'v r'r'^ "^'^"^ ^'^^ ^reat glass dome of tbe bi&t Crystal Palace, from causes and exiglncies which [h!f ttrvt'P'' .'""° '^-",--°i'J«.d- Yet, it is a°consolat7on to And that young trees are being judiciously planted to replace the gaps that London smoke, combined with accidents, aud in ■Tally'made'''" It "T Zf ^'T'^ -P^rvision, have' but too h tally made. It is doubtful, however, whether the youuo- t.ees wil ever attain the size and magnificence of the ancient ^sZA^H ''''°"''■''''^'™"'^' ^^^' y'^' by year, disappear n^ borne of the younger trees, now twenty or thirty years old have grown but slowly. They are not absolutely sluited b' t thoy are, undoubted y, small for their age; and their genera aspect does not display the vigorous character one woufd wlh to sce.^ This IS, no doubt, caused by the gradual but nersist^uT hemining.in.to which they are cLpeUed to ^ub^t by tet deadly enemies, the array of smoke-emitting chimneys. That s a difliculty that park-management will havl to contend with in an increasing degree, year after year; but it is one which ye leaves us many rays of hope. The smoke-plague may some day, be abated by the enforced use of smoke-consumiS^grate^- bat even if the proverbial slow working of our llo-Tslative .nachinery should be too many centuries in effecfchig this reform, there is no occasion for absolute despair; fo? open spaces in London, long since closed in by miles upon Zes ot dense masses of building, have yet some nice Trees TT"f .Lincoln's Inn Fields may still boast of trees and shrubs that bravely defy the smoke ; and so may Kussell Square, Brunswick Square, Grosvenor Square, and other ^paces that are, beyond dispute, in thl very heait of Kn; ?' ^.-°ke does not k£ our tree vegetS oiitright ut It b ackens It, disagrees with it, and checks its growth. Ye ^^e shall stiH have Oriental Planes and other town-thrivin-^ pian s in spite of it even in the very core of ourbig cL So i! will be wi h Hyde Park; and, where tree growthlails we mav n ficent show of floral splendour that has been made alon- the whole eastern side of the Park, facing Park Lane, for thl last few years, but more especially during'the present erson The past Its best, on a close inspection, but at a little distance the ong succession of masses of splendid colour seems to glow in the b ght verdure ot the early spring turf, like giant gems let in a ^; St gypsy ring ot some precious kind of g?een-colonred o-okf hese densely-fined beds of flowers succeed^ distinctly m colour, for nearly the whole length of Park Lane tiU they blend into a distant rainbow horizon of manyhues,mWiin^ SfT^^^^^p-ti^ -kin?°::i^LTrEr^^^^^^ whTI'l^"!!^ ^4^^" follow'ed'^b;L"''co^°tra^tTng' Cs^of white, which, in Its turn, is succeeded by one of deen rose- colour; and then comes the purple-black aga^n, and then one of soft ccerulean-grey, and then mauve, and then deen red, and ochreous yellow, and then white again till the eve can scarcely distinguish, in the distance, wliere or how ?he still succeeding masses blend into each other. The ahnost nvaYably fine and perfect character of each spike of flower of all the varieties, does infinite credit to those skilful Tlntr-b growers of the bulbs,.whose fields of Hyacinths acres hi extent scent the air, from Haarlem to Leyd^en.Tn the early davs of April. It IS indeed wonderful how s'lich uniform perfectTon is achieved, when the vast numbers produced are taken into con- sideration; for, ma smgle bed of the Hyde Park drsplay I counted 300 flowers, all equally good, without speck or blemish. beiL=rif- f^^^ '? ^''™"^ '^'^®' ^"<^ has the advantage of h /fl. 1^"," Perf'sction-indeed, scarcely at its best; so stl f n?*^'^ ° °^^ °° *r? '"^ hastening to see it will enjoy the sight of these gorgeous Tuhp-beds in all their perfection. S^ome of r^lT'^^^T',''"^'^!^', '*i^^ ^" S'^^^"" "^"d, and this is a defect ot management ; for, if the kinds in question are rather later- btX"'/^ r%'J^7 ™^g^* ^'^ Pl^'^'ed earlier, to give them a whp?. t^t This however, is a very small matter to notice, when the general display is so truly gorgeous. Many admirers WerplT°r,"^ °r' the display last Saturday with evident inteiest; taking down the names of the most striking kinds, withtiie intention, as was plain enough, of turning their newly acquired knowledge to account in the selections for their own private iuhp-beds next season. Among the kinds producing the most decidedeffect were the pure whites, the pure canary" yellows the Gloria Solis, and the Kaiser Kroom, which, being translated from the Dutch, may mean the Chrome Emperor • tor the lower part of the flower is of a bright blazing orange! scarlet, and the upper part a full and dazzling yellow chrome these are varied by masses of a double kind, of a rich bluish- magenta colour, succeeded by double whites, rich crimsons, and many others ; but some of the old favourite kinds, the whites camation-striped with crimson, and the yellows, tiger-striped with black or purple, are not represented. There seemed to be a good deal of disappointment among the visitors on account of the Jlyacinths being without names, which is certainly an omission seeing how eagerly those of the Tulips were " booked" by the specta^tors. The display of Crocuses, of the best kinds, which tormed an edging to the Hyacinth and Tulip beds, while they were still only mbudand promise,are quite over; but theirgreen loliagc still forms a pretty and appropriate bordering. While on the suojoct of the general " keeping " of Hyde Park, there is one matter which requires notice— it is that the turf (in the portions of the park devoted to flower-gardening) is m many places defective ; for, under the drip of large trees, or from other causes, there are large and very ugly bare patches, which ought to be repaired with fresh turf each season. No such blemishes could be found in the Bois de Boulogne, or even in the pretty httle park at Brussels ; and in the chief pleasure- ground of the richest metropolis in the world, they certainly ought not to exist. No time ought to be lost in attending to these blemishes m the turf, which occur in many other parts, as well as those devoted to floral displays. It is not the battering of the turf for a considerable distance on either side ot the pathways which leads across the park, from the Bays- water Road to Kensington, that is alluded to. These pathways are generally protected as much as possible by light iron teuciugs, which would fulfil their object, but that certain sections of the public are so jealous of their liberties— even the liberty to do a little bit of mischief, if it so pleased them— that the very fences sot up to protect the turf, though for their own enjoyment, are looked at askance, and no oppor- tunity of tramping over it in spite of them is ever let slip. It is the more essential to keep the whole of the turf as perfect as possible just now, because the verdure of the trees, under the influence of the genial warmth of the last few days, is becoming bright and May-like, even before its time, and it is a pity that stunted patches of browned turf should clash ivith the general vernal aspect which the park is daily assuming. Siuce Tuesday, the Lilacs in the shrubberies are recklessly bursting into bloom, utterly regardless of nipping night frosts that may yet come. The Horse Chestnuts have rapidly unfolded their big loaves, soft and tender both m hue and texture— and their spikes of green buds are shooting upward and from the end of every branchlet, to make the "^Hyacinth-tree" one of the sprmg glories within a fort- night's time if the present glowing weather continues. On the bank above the Serpentine, too, is a fine clump of Ashes, which IS well worth inspection. Few have any idea of the wonderful variety which is to be found among them, both in foliage and habit. It may be stated that there has been, in the shrub- beries next BayswaterEoad, a good deal of random butchering (not pruning), which has so fearfully disfigured long stretches of Lilacs, Ribes, Aucubas, and other things, that they had far better be cleared away, and their present wrecks replaced by turf. 344 THE GARDEN. [April 25, 1874: NOTES OF THE WEEK. We have received from Messrs. Backhouse, of Tort, a fine specimen of one of the loveliest of Alpine plants, viz.. Dianthug glacialis. This, in the sturdy dwarfness of its growth, and the singu- larly delicate but rich tint of its rosy-pink flowers, is a worthy rival of the now pretty well-known Dianthus alpinus. It is not such a large-flowering or deeply-coloured plant as the last-named species, but it possesses a charm of habit and hue peculiarly its own, and which will ever secure for it a first place in the ranks of dwarf-hardy rock-work plants. At a sale of Orchids which took place at Stevens's on Wed- nesday last, Masdevallia Teitchii, " a splendid mass with sixteen breaks," fetched £10 10s. ; M. Harryana, £3 15a.; and M. ignea, £5 15s. 6d. ; Cypripedium Argns, a distinct species from the Philip- pines, so named in allusion to the numerous eye-like spots which it has upon its petals, fetched £3 10s. Altogether the sale which con- sisted of some 286 lots, realised about £500. The Plane trees on the Thames Embankment have already put forth leaves. They were amongst the first this early season to exhibit signs of vitality, and, unless checked by some inopportune frost, they will, we believe, soon exhibit all the wealth of foliage for which Plane trees are remarkable in the summer months. Some of a larger size, close to Covent Garden, as yet show no fully-developed foliage ; though, within these last few days, their buds have swellel considerably. Two Poplars, growing beside them, were in full leaf quite three weeks ago. Where early leafing is desirable, these are, therefore, useful trees to plant. Some fine specimen Camellias are just now flowering most profnsely in the conservatory at Chiswick House. Of these one of the most notable is a noble plant of C. reticulata, a well-known kind now rarely seen in even the best coUectious, possibly on account of the semi-double character. There is, however, an old plant, of it in one of the pits at Chiswick, where it blooms most abundantly every spring. A year or two ago, branches of this Camellia, bearing flower- buds, were gi'afted on dwarf stocks of the common kinds, and two or three dozen of these miniature plants in flower were exhibited at South Kensington, and attracted considerable attention at the time. One of the largest specimens of reticulata with which we are acquainted is at Grove Bank, Kingston. A NEW parasite, or rather a newly. imported parasite, which is likely to prove a trial to gardeners, has appeared both iu England and on the Continent. It is a fungus, which attacks Hollyhocks most destructively. It is believed to be indigenous to Chili, and its botanical name is Puceinia Malvacearum. It was first observed near Bordeaux in April last, and appeared in many places in England during the summer, committing so much havoc among our Holly- hocks as to render them very scarce this year. Commerce has, no doubt, been the agent by which this pest has been introduced ; to it we are also indebted for the American Water Weed, and it will, pro- bably, inflict other of the evils of distant lands yet upon us. The members for Canterbury have shown their appreciation of the objects of the Canterbury Horticultural Society by presenting, for competition at the show proposed to be held iu Tower House Grounds in August next, a handsome silver cup of the value of five guineas. In order that the competition for this gift may bo as popular as possible, the committee have determined that the yrhe shall be awarded for the best general collection of fruit and vegetables, exhibited by a citizen amateur grower who does not employ the services of a gardener. If the gift is supplemented by the subscriptions of the citizens, the promoters of the show will be enabled to issue a list of prizes of a substantial character, and a really first-class exhibition will be the result. At a meeting of the fellows of the Royal Horticultural Society held in January last an attempt was made by a number of fellows to have the privilege of voting by proxy, long enjoyed by lady members, e.\tonded to gentlemen. Nothing was then done, but at the annual meeting iu Fobru.ai'y a similar attempt was made, and then VLscount Bury promised, on -behalf of the council, to have a bye-law framed which would give the proxy vote to tho fellows, and submit it for discussion at a special meeting to bo subsequently summoned. At the same time the president and council reserved to ihemselves the right to discuss tho question when it came before the special meeting. On Tuesday last the bye-law was submitted, and tho president, in placing it Ijcforo the fellows, said tho council were, with one dissentient, unanimously opposed to the proxy piin. cipal, under which, he s;nd, no council could work with sclf-respoct, but they had fulfilled their promise, and now tho time for discussion had arrived. Thereupon Mr. Bateman moved and Mr. Wilson seconded, the adoption of the now bye-laws. A warm discussion followed, and, eventually, on the motion of Dr. Denny, seconded by Mr. Liggens, an amendment repealing the bye-law which gave the proxy vote to ladies was passed by a considerable majority. Hence not only was the resolution providing vote by proxy for male fellows negatived, but the privilege which has been enjoyed by lady fellows was taken away by the amendment. The fruits of Sapota Achras, known in the West Indies as Sapodilla Plums, are now being sold on barrows in the streets of London, under the name of " Nespras nepolica," at the rate of eight a penny. To OKOW the Bay tree at all in the north country is con- sidered a triumph, and to see it in bloom a novelty, which few have witnessed. At Exmouth, however, at the present time, each branch is completely wreathed with its singular blossoms, which collectively might easily be mistaken for a botUe-brush, clothing, as they do, the branches so thickly as to make them look like those of a Metrosideros or Melaleuca. The brilliant weather of the past week has invested our spring flowers with fresh brightness, and many of the beds and borders in our London parks are becoming attractive earlier than usual. At Battersea, the plants in several beds near the West Lodge, are beautifully in bloom, and a narrow border near the same spot is particularly effective, having been planted with a row of double white and double red Daisies, all finely in bloom, and edged with the Golden Pyrethrum, the whole forming quite a charming combination. A5I0NG the many additional resources of out-door recreation about to be provided at Alexandra Palace during the ensuing season none will possess greater prominence than the fine sheet of orna- mental water now nearly completed. It covers some six acres, iu close proximity to the palace. Much skill is shown in so arranging the plan of this lake as to conceal at any point of view its full extent, and the varied outline, islands, and buildings which adorn it render it an exceedingly ornamental, as well as attractive, feature of the grounds. • A NOVELTY, in the way of a pot-coverer, has been invented by M. Gorse, 10, Rue Legrattier, a Paris, which may recommend itself to the notice of those who cultivate plants in rooms. It consists simply of a circular piece of zinc made to fit the top of the pot, and divided into two semi-circles, united by a hinge at one point of contact. In the centre, a space is left, which allows free passage for the stem of the plant. The utility of M. Gorse's invention seems chiefly to point to the fact that plants thus protected will require much less water than they otherwise would do, as the evaporation from the soil in the pot is very considerably diminished. In answer to a question put to Lord H. Lennox, respecting the surroundings of the Bethnal Green Museum, his lordship said : " It is quite true that one of the obligations under which this Museum was, in 1868, transferred to the Government was that the vacant spaces around it should be laid out and permanently maintained by th& Board of 'Works as a flower garden for the recreation of tho people. Owing to some inadvertence, the Board of Works was not made aware of this condition until last June; and when it was, my predecessor, Mr. Ayrton, gave instructions that a sum of £700 should be inserted in the estimates of the ensuing year for the commence- ment of the garden. Matters stood thus when I acceded to office. But considering the uncertainty which always prevails as to the time when estimates are voted, I feared that another year might in this way be lost. So, with the sanction of the Treasury, I ordered tho works to be begun. They have been begun, and will be pushed forward with the utmost energy, so that as soon as possible tho people of the East. end of London will have these gardens, as is their undoubted right, finished and made available for their recreation." A coRRBSi'O.VDENi' informs us that the rare and botanically interesting plant, Mogacarpea polyaudra (Do CandoUe), is again flowering at Glasneviu. The plant, which is blooming, was raised from seeds saved at Glasneviu six years ago, and this is the flrst year during which one of these seedlings has flowered. It therefore takes a longer time to come to maturity than most Crucifers do. In genei-al appearance, this Megacarpea bears a greater resemblance to Umbelli- fers than it does to Crucifers, and is a good deal like the Parsnip (Pastinaca sativa). The flowers are produced in close corymbs, resembling nmbels, and ai-e of a greenish-yellow colour. Tho leaves are large, broad, and piunatifid, quite like those of many kinds of Umbellifors, and tho plant is strong and about the size of them; besides, tho fruits are short, flat, and broad, more liko Creraocarps than Siliquas or SiUculas. The most remarkable pecu- liarity is, however, in the Audrcecium, which is nearly allied to that of Papaveraceaa, each flower having constantly from twelve to sixteen stamens. It is a native of the higher regions of tho Hima. layan Mountains, and, to cultivate it successfully, it requires to be grown on a cool moist border, which is shaded from the mid-day sun, but otherwise, it is quito hardy for out-door culture in this country. Apml 25, 1874.] THE GARDEN. 345 THE FLOWER GARDEN. SNOWDROPS AU NATUBEL. Snowdrops, as the very first of the flowers that greet the new year, possess a charm peculiarly their own. The milk-white flower, as its Greek name implies, often flnds its way tbrou<.h ecf/nf\°lf« f°f'' """T ' """^ ^^'''-''^ P^'-'^y "^"^l bud, like the egg ot the future flower, first pierces the icy coverin;°' °^ l^^'^^^'' "'^^^'i forward may be seen me, w^hCf^S ?' ,f °^ ^"f hence- offensive compound, formincTtheii "° • . ® °^ ^ °i"ddy and when first put up, and frmuenNvfL ™f '"'.^ ramparts, which are quite a blemi h SoSmes th/ w^**!" ^'^"'^ «"n^««-, droop qnickly so as to Wdp H P'^"'f ""^"^^ ^^e edgino-g the system au obTectbnable n!, f^^'T' ''"* ""'^^ ^^'^ ^ssls edgings were first' etpW^S thTi''%°"'- .^^^^^ rosettesJiketheHouseireks butTtsoonc'P^^ ° P',^"'^ ^i^l^ to raise every bed in this wav I ZZ, Z^V'-" *^^ ^^^hion the plants look better so anan-ed T. "V*^^* "' ^° °ase do rounded margin. While n,s ?nw ° '"l,^"'^^ ^'^^ a gently the parks are^ateredwi'h Greater dlffiV" I, '^^7''^"^t"P''«'^« i^ Which comeaftel.,ancrwh^-b^tt^1hZfi^hr^^^^^^^^ "w^-i'^^'^SSgi?' public ones may not endure Ion- ^''''''°° i'l o^r "• L. A SPEING-ELOWERING PLANTS As hardy plants of all kinds thnt ,, ^^^^• unusual interest, some account of whit t°'^" early possess during a short holiday tour at Ea.flr^ ^'^"^ "' *^his way, ceptable. My first " ca^l ° was V M« "^^ T^ °°* ^e unao- found Primula nivea flowe™ f,:^.f '"'• ?°"^^^°»'«' where I t>ty. Its trusses, of snoT; whiteS Tr, ^^ *°I^^\We quan- Associated with it were Andrln nf ''"VS^ and showy. White-flowered plant, with a nTnkTb ^V'^*J>'°^' ^^°'^^^^ relative A. carne^ a kind with roC- olom-ed T*^ "^''^^''^ "« mg Primula nivea, I observe VnmnW t ., lowers. Respect- cultivate; buthei4plan sof iHem t%*^* '' ''/'"^'^^^ to with little or no attention. In MfpHvL^^'^ Perfectly, even I niet with numbers of wsll V ^'^^'^'^} s nursery, close bv aud also with othe "not y^ "J^Tknr"^"^?^^^^^" P'-'^i' Among the latter, the most attrarhVo'' ""' ^i'-^y '^'^°'»W be of Narcissus, nam^d triaTdrus a kh d . '^''■' %^''^"^°i species lemon-yellow hne ; FicLiSnd^oJa a r"f K°^'f °^ ^ ^^^ mon Lesser Celandine, but in evevl w ""''^^ °^ °»^ com- thoronghly worthy of a place hi "ncolC^ '^"'? ^^''S^^' ^-^d flowering plants ; Tritefeia un flora 1 lad:^' /"""'y ^P""^" the now well-known common form W '« ''"'' ^'^^'e'^y of mauve colour ; Puschkin 7 =.;ii T' """^'."S lowers of a fine allied to the Squills, LarwTanSme^'^°^^ ^^^''^""^ P'-"* flowers; anicetuf of Sax'fral pTrr^'™"' °^ "^^""^^^^^ white flowers; and Arabis Xurea aT' ^ ™^^.^ °^ ^4e bearing a profusion of lilac coloured ti '^"S™^'"^ ki^d, among plants of a more common cescvint''""'''- foremost apennma.of which there was rk!l P^?^^''^ Anemone large quantities of various Grape nfLfnt"'' '^"'^'^ "^ «°^<^'-' of Doronicumaustriacum,thanwhichT-l'' ^. ^'7 ^^^ *«ft striking and beautiful amon^erbi: "^ °^, "°'^"'° "ore bemg, as it is, literally studded wftV, I'i' P'^"'^ "' ^Pril> some three inches in diameter oi"''^'^'^-^^"''^ A-'wers old Composite plant of divine!' hnhl ".? ebeirifolia, an ^now studded with yellow boom, ^nd T^ ^""S^' ^' ^^^'^ of Daflodils, conspicuous anon" wh Lii J .^ assortment l^nown as the Emperor and Emwe f wr/''^ ^=^™ties '^"^ds. At this establishment, to^I n^oticTa feS.t ^ =r r^i^^rf r :£:L^:^^:t^ times called longifolium, tdether with 1 °\^- "^i ^"^°°'-' ^o^^e- aonminatum, and a very uic°e tuft ZX T*'"''' ^''"^ called A. Mangold (Calthapalustrkfloreni ^'^^'^sser double Marsh grounds, which Je couti^^Ss to^ tTo°, "^T^P' J" ^^- Sari's a grand display of Daffodils consisS o ^^"^ ^^'^f' """"^d in, cultivation. Conspicuous amon"f fl "'^"'^ ^" "^'^ «°rts miuor,of which there was a la"ltcbd°' T'^ Narcissus with orange.yellow flowers, the '"noshes "nfT'1^^ ornamented ft?'; ■^° '^' u°" °'- to^eh the Md" n/t'''^^"^^^^^'^ Its varieties, bicolor, and num?rnT= f °^ ?" o^orus and there was no scarcity. MassesTf^? ^orms of N. poeticus Summer Snowflakel, and variou? Xf ^>f' ':,'*^?' ^'''""aries found here in profusion. nTre too T tf ./ ^''^^'' ^ ^'^o the lovely Collinsia verna studded' t^f ""'^^ ^ good bed of blue and white flowers Thi.tl i*'^ ""'^^ ^howy skv- offered annually forThese pS'ten'Sw^f'' °' '' '^^ ^eJa means au annual often met w th a circ^r^'' ^'"'''' ^'^ ^y no I think, to a want of knowledoe'as to tCi ff- ^""butablo, It. The seeds of the plants here wel "^ ^1'* *"»° of sowing the open ground. The white flaw ? """^^ ^^^"^ September in grandiflorum, a fitting aSlTor^h/""'*^ of Sis^yrinchium work or on sheltered sunnf holders w""i°" ^"""^ ''»™ok. these grounds, in which falso noted ''''? "' ^"wer in mterestmg plants, such as Ervtb,.^ ^'"'"''''^ other highly men repandnm, one of the nrert^^'T"","" ^^"diflorum, O^cla^ are called Sowbreads, its deep Sithl.?"'* '''t?*'"^ of ihat been produced in abundance dStT™'°" ^^^'^''^ having aid a good batch of the Golden pTn. P^'* *'^° '^^onth.s^ elatior. To visit Kew was my next dlt ' -^^"'^y °^ P^^nla way to the herbaceous depSent '^f'^'^'^'^f ' ramon"T,P'^°"^"'' "'" ^' ^ "« the Wood Anemone, named purpnieal wtv''f T' " """^*^ °^ flowers are sky-blue), a distinct Sv e«^T' fl """I "°^' ""^ '^^ as large as a half-crown piece Thp ,f ' f , ^°'^'''" ^'"'"S fully my attention was a potful of TrLv^^ P'^'i' ^^^^ attracted "leh high, thickly sZd U wkf 1"",,™'''°™'"'^'^°"*-'^ flowers, just commencing to onen m •''?™t rose-coloured plentiful, will, doubtless "become .u/ff ''"'^Clover, when or for the front of mixed bonders A dP''""°''/°°>^--work another pretty plant thickly lade, " wit H™^'''^'^ ^'^gg^'i is flowers, and among others T w;lJ q '^^''P rose-coloured dimimvtive white-fl''owe;c 'criu° r P^'''°^*'^ ^'P'"a, a somewhat resembling a Jniall To™ of T''-^®'" ^''^hensi.s, and a singular form of Scilk mZ,« Saxifraga granulata; has green bracts or leaves h ter\ ' """"f ' hracteata, which flowers. The herbaceous ground a^'e^'n't'^ ^""""^^ ^*^ '^'"^ lively uninteresting. I did hnvltt « 1' .P'^^seut, compara- of Adonis vernalis,"flowe.in<; reJlt ' !'i ''''™ ^ "''^ ^''^>^ a Narcissus, named "r^^nS -^^ .^'r^eral kinds of Orobus • throughout Aiidiomedn + "'' '''^^ lowers creamy-white The last, hoVever ow n ' to coifthiu' i"k/? ''''. EpmiJdiums by no means so finj as" thetw '^^'' ^"d changes, are Narcissi, too, at Kew a^ehv^n" "" ''°"°" ^^^''^ or "so ago collections, many of the Slcfe "tp" ' "^"'''^ '° '^""^ h^ Privla^e as to be scarcely recognisaWe! "^ '° P""^ '""'^ miserable 348 THE GARDEN. [Aphil 25, 1874. SAXIFRAGES. By J. C. NIVBN, Botanic Gardens, Hull. The Mossy Group. Saxifraga muscoides of Wulfen, is the patronymic I shall adopt as the typical specific title under which we shall find several well-defined and constant variations arrange themselves. Why Engler should have preferred in its stead another name, viz., S. moschata, of the same author, I am at a loss to kuow. The former is in every sense of the word, appropriate, seeing that it means the " moss-like " Saxifrage, and conveys at once in its title the special characteristic of the plant ; the latter, most inappropriate, meaning, as it does, the musky Saxifrage, thus endowing it with an odour of sanctity which I have yet to learn that it possesses even in the smallest degree. Never, theless, some of my botanical friends will say — " Oh ! but you are ignoring that grand fundamental law, that priority in matter of time gives precedence in plant nomenclature." I am, however, at a loss to see the sense of perpetuating an inappropriate name through all time on any grounds whatever, and have selected that which I con. sider best. Another synonym which is equally appropriate with the above, is S. mnscosa, given by Suter in his " Swiss Flora." The typical species may be thus briefly described as forming a dense hemispherical mass of beautifully even green rosettes. The radical leaves, or those of which the said rosettes are composed, vary some- what in shape ; occasionally they are linear, but, when carefully dissected the one from the other, it will be found that the great majority are three-cleft at the apex — the centre division, extending far beyond the two secondarj' lobes, becomes linear in shape, and hence the plant has beeu described by some authors as possessing only linear leaves ; the foot-stalk of each leaf clasps the parent stem in a sheathing manner ; the flowers are produced freely, and are supported in groups of two or three on stems about S inches high, each flower being subtended by a foliaceous bract, and the whole of the stem, bracts, and calyx covered with a dense glandular pubescence. The petals expand horizontally, and are of a greenish-buff colour, varying with age to yellowish-b jif . Neatness of habit, regularity and symmetry of growth, recommend this species to general notice more than anything in the way of brilliancy. This little plant is said to be found among our native Saxifrages growing in the lake district, but it is so long since the locality has been verified, that we may take it for granted that it has disappeared — in fact, there always was a general air of doubt as to its being indigenous. Be this as it may, it has no narrow or limited notoriety on the continent, where it grows in some of its modified forms through almost the entire Southern Alpine rcgicra ; singularly enough, though not recorded in tbe north, I have received it in one of its most minute forms from Iceland. S. niuscoides var. pyginsea of llaworth, has all the peculiar beauty of the present species — not reduced to be in keeping with the diminished size of the pygmy plant — but absolutely concentrated, thus, making this variety decidedly the more beautiful of the two. The leaves of its tiny rosettes are more fleshy than the former, broadly rounded at the point, notched into three equal little lobes, and never presenting the linear form ; each leaf is incurved like a little shell, and the whole plant is a very model of neatness; the flowers are greenish-yellow, produced freely on glanduloso foot-stalks scarcely 2 inches high ; both the original species and its pygmy sport are readily amenable to cultivation, and thrive in any light garden soil, but both are slow growers. It is a native of the Pyrenees, the Maritime and the Tyrolean Alps, and, very possibly, has a wider range, but being so minute and compact in its growth, it would be readily overlooked by the plant collector. S. muscoides var. crocea of Gaudin. — This variety, which has long been known in cultivation as S. atropurpurea, a name that must have appeared to many cultivators, as well as myself, thoroughly inapplicable, especially as itsblossonis,when they expand, are in variably of a yellowish colour, and, as they die oif, acquire a slight chocolate tint .along the mai'gins. I have grown it for years, and have occa- sionally seen the faintest pink sall'iiso the petals of an old Uowcr here and there, but that formed the only faint shadowy approach to the dark pui'ple colour its name would indicate. There is no doubt, I think, that it should bo correctly considered the v.arioty crocea of our typical species muscoides. Its rosettes are much larger and more lax than in either of the previous varieties ; the loaves are sometimes linear and entire, and sometimes divided at the points into threo linear segments ; tho whole is of a dark green, and forms nice com- pact free-growing tufts. The flowers, the colour of which I have before described, are produced pretty freely, and supported on foot- stalks about 4 or 5 inches long. Its only wild habitat, as recorded, is on the 8a\oy Alps. S. muscoides var. atropurpurea, of Sternberg, produces rosy- jiurple flowers. Ishonhl very much like to have cut off the first portion of the specific title and left it as purpurea alone, but when I give my readers the history of this variety as I now possess it, they may, possibly, agree with me that it may yet claim the specific name in its full intensity. So to my little history. About five years ago, I saved a pinch of seeds from the so-called species atropurpurea, with yellowish flowers, and sowed them, not that I expected any special result whatever therefrom ; during the summer they were potted off into small pots, and left to the chapter of accidents ; the following spring I was no less surprised than delighted to find the first to flower produced petals as highly coloured as the well-known oppositi. folia, in fact, a beautiful rosy-crimson, and, what is more, with only three exceptions in the dozen plants, all had the same beautiful colour, with varying shades of intensity. Especially interesting is this little episode in my Saxifragean experience, in the fact, that I never remember the general rule so markedly set to one aide, that seeds, when once the specific identity is broken, always tend to depart from the parent type ; here, in place of departing from it, they absolutely restored a character which, doubtless, once existed in the parent plant, but had been , to my knowledge, long lost ; such an occur- rencehas an interest far beyond my paperon Saxifrages. Having thus given you the origin of my becoming possessed of the true variety atropurpurea, I should add, that in addition to the altered character of the flowers, there is a difference in the foliage, all the leaves are trifurcate, and from the original rosettes short procumbent stems are freely given out, so that it is not so ca3Spitose or tufty in its growth, and, in fact, is a freer grower. I wish it were a more abundant bloomer, and have no doubt that when it has fresher air and less smoke than as cultivated in our old garden it will improve in the latter respect. S. Rhei, though classed by Engler as a more lax form of S. muscoides, is suflficiently distinct to retain its old specific title as given to it by Schott. It appears much closer allied to the following than the preceding species ; it forms large compact rosettes with leaves three to five-lobed ; it produces from the base of the old rosette several little procumbent short shoots, the arrestment of whose terminal growth constitutes the rosettes for the following year. Its flowers are few, of a greenish colour, arranged in a capitate manner, and supported on a leafy peduncle, 3 or 4 inches long ; the whole plant is ^covered with a, very short pubescence. My original plant came from Corsica, and maintained its distinct character for a series of years, but all seedlings, raised on several occasions, merely seemed to rival one another in their divergence from the parent type. S. exarata of Villars and nervosa of Lapeyrouse are names with which all Saxifrage growers will be f.amiliar; so similar, how- ever, were the plants that represented these names, it did not require much examination to determine that they were really identical, and both referable to S. exarata. Within recent years the true nervosa has got into cultivation, and I am quite disposed to endorse Engler's idea that it is a variety of the species with which it has been so long confounded, and, as such, I shall consider it. Our typical plant is a nice dwarf compact grower, of casspitose habit, and a peculiar greyish-green foliage. Its rosettes consist of five or six upright leaves, three-cleft at the summit, with a long narrow blade below, running down into the stalk. The flowers are white, suffused with a greenish tint ; they rise from the axils of leafy bracts, four or five being borne on each peduncle, and the whole plant is covered with a short pubescence, which assumes a true glandular character in the flower-stem and calyx. It is a very free grower, and a good distinct species, retaining its character well from seed. The plant enjoys a wide European distribution, being met with in almost all southern Alpine districts. S. exarata var. nervosa of Lapeyrouse, is a perfectly-formed diminutive variety of the former, hardier and more woody in texture. It grows in dense compact little tufts, usually most at home in the chinks and crevices of the rocks; in fact, it holds just the same relationship to its specific typo as pygma^i does to muscoides. The variety is recorded as found abundant on the Pyrenees and the Maritime Alps, and, possibly, has a wider range. In cultivation it likes a fair admixture of poat soil, good drainage, and .a firm nip between the stones, whether grown in a pot or in the open rockery. S. pedemontana of AUioni, a good distinct species, is a native — as the name implies — of the Maritime Alps, near Piedmont. It forms somewhat lax rosettes of broadly cuneate leaves, gradually uarrowing down to the base of the petiole ; the leaves are covered sparsely with short erect glandular hairs, which form a marked ciliatory character to the margin of the leaf ; they are three-cleft, the two lateral clefts being again notched or divided, thus giving the appearance of being five-cleft; the divisions are erect, about uniform in length, and somewhat acutely pointed, with a slightly scarious termination. The flowers are produced on slender glandular pedicels, the foliaceous bracts that subtend each flower being first five-cleft, then three-cleft, and, ultiiruvtely, entire. They are pure white, and are sometimes so closely aggregated together as to give them a Apkil 25, 1874.] THE GAEDEN. capitate appearance, while the bracts assume the character of a well t^r tI r"l The petals are obovate, tapering towards the base. Though not a rapid grower under cultivation, it is stated in ts native habitat, to form large piUow-like masse of a beautifu" lively green. It ,s not absolutely confined to the Piedmont distrct as Its name might be supposed to indicate ; but occurs pretty freely through the Swiss and Tyrolese Alps. I'leui.y ireeiy S. aromatica.-This I purpose substituting for the srardeu name corsicana, which has been given to a very distinct spedes of Saxifrage introduced from Corsica, some three years a^ohv our indefatigable friend, Mr. Ma^, for reasons which I 'shaU presently explain. I have examined it carefully and do not find formTs Thl 1,°"° * °^ ^""^^«°g the specific name of S. tLtjuSdi len^fV n ' Tr^"' ^^P'-'^'^^i™. is objectionable on the score of length. During the process of minute examination, I detected a delicious aromatic perfume given out from the resinous gands of, the young growth, and it struck me that the specific tut rphrus.Ti:;i, treZ:;'^ ^^^-^-'^^^ -^ -^^r^: I have adopted. A brief description of the plant is as follows :— dense and some- what hard in growth; its rosettes are large, nearly IJ inches in diameter. The leaves are fleshy, exceedingly broadly wedge-shaped, notched at the upper part with five tolerably deep seg- ments, the two lateral ones being each further sub. divided, making each leaf appear seven-cleft ; the entire portion tapers rapidly into a somewhat broad and short petiole, pr ovided at the base with long irregularly-jointed cilice; the whole surface of the leaf, especially on the upper side, being covered with short glandular erect hairs; the points of each of the linear divisions are slightly mucronate and incurved. The young branches given off from the base of the rosette are coral-like red in colour, erect in habit, and provided ■with leaves, which appear to vary a good deal in the depth and number of indentations ; sometimes the divisions are obtuse, sometimes acute • in everv case, the petiole rather exceeds the blade in length! the Touna grow h IS as remarkable for laxness as the mature rosettes arf onsistT'of": Wf ''T ''"' -/-=-"-*- The inflfresLn consist^ of a leafy lax cyme G or 7 inches high branching from the bottom, the lower leafy bracts bein^ trifurcate thf dfv':::onr:f^thriimb tl^ ---Jwithshort gUnduVar hit; III aivisions ot the limb of the calyx are lanceolate, incurved at thp points; the petals are pure white, obovate and unSate • of and Et' "° T^l' '^^ ''''' P°^"''™ -'» be between gerainioides andladanifera; to the latter it claims relationship in the resinous perfume, to the former in the peculiar branching^character o the 349 the figure on page 7.3 To those who have seen the splendid specimens oCastor-oiI plants plants, thriving as they do diirin^ London 'i^-b °T ''"'' "' ^^Sei^^'' ^■'''•^' ^"d elsewhere about n^P^ll ' t .^"i'^ necessary to recommend them as orna- mental subjects of a very high order. Their culture, moreover s a tended wi h no difficulty. The seed should be sown in hiat tj ^^^ "''^'^''^ °^ February, and the plants should be graduafly hardened off , so as to be fit to put out by the middle of Mav^ the better and richer the soil, and the warmer the position the summTr T'' ^'gorous will be the growth of the>lant° la summer, copious watering is indispensable. The Eicinus in TppV"' Jl'^^^^'^t'es is a grand plant for making bold and effective beds near those of the more brilliant flowers and tends to vary the flower-garden finely. It is not well to'asso ciate It closely with bedding-plants, iniaonsequence of s stron^ nl n h""" T '^'""^"'S P°^^" °f ''« ^^^ee leaves. A good plan IS to make a, compact group of the plant in the centre of a wide circular bed, and surround it with a band of a dwarfer subject, say the Aralia or Caladium; and then finish wth whatever arrangement of flowering plants may be considrred most suitable A bold and striking centre^ may thus be obtained, while the effect of the flowers is much Chanced! especially if the planting be nicely graduated and tastefully done. Tor such groups, the several varie- ties of the Castor-oil plant are not to be easily sur- passed. Foliage and flowers of Ricinus sanguineus CASTOE-OIL PLANTS ^f' rfuimbe^ nfV V"l ^''^'^' ^'^ ^^^' ^ descriptive list rRinIn h"" ^^""^ varieties of the Castor-oil plant R.omus commums) -now m cultivation, together with an Illustration of one of the finest and most efl^ctive kinds R sanguineus so named from the blood-red colour of its stem" branches, leaf-stalks and larger leaf-veins or nerve° ' Of thl^ plant, our present_ illustration represents more cleaHv the appearance of the inflorescence, and the contour of the inT vidual leaves. The habit of the entire plant is ;ell sEown in Select Dahlias. — Will you kindly furnish me with the names of a few good Dahlias both ordinary and fancy kinds ?— Aedock. [The following are excellent varie- ties, viz :— Acme of Perfec- tion, jarimrose yellow; Ada Tiffen, light peach, tinged with rose; Alexander Cra- uiond, maroon, shaded with crimson ; Arbitrator, buff or fawn, suffused with purple, yellow at the base of petal; Blue Beard, shaded crimson ; Cremorne, yellow, tipped with red ; Crimson King, fine crimson ; Duke of Edinburgh, deep yellow; Duke of Cam- bridge, shaded orange ; Emily Williams, light ground, edged and tipped with vermilion; Herbert Turner, French James Cocker, purple- James <,^,J['['i'^' 7"/> ^°ft tinge of lilac ; fIpv r^ , ^' "^ "'"' ^''^"'y t'PPed with lake- Maid of oU:neJ:io'r::ZLXZ erf •r."'^ -yP-plef Ma?! yellow snffuseT w;7wS' S- ^c- *f''^ ""^^ P"''P''^'- ^iss Bateman, Ls. i::siic, edUd'^withtr' Nrpii^-^uitrr'^fi nt^ Thomis White, vei^ C^ar'o^nT Wil^l^l-nlHrant- wS d pg flaked ;ihd ^- '"' Dam-s :^GL.tion, £^r M, wlthpurole Fc^tnf p'°'^-P."P''= Dolly Varden, white, striped Harleouin ^h^fJP i ^.."°''' '?™°'" ^'"^' '^"^^'^ ^^^^ deeper red ; slrTpedandmo Hp^ Tif^ P^'"'^'"'- ^^'^''^ Parchase, rosyVound with rose wiv'f.T''' cnmson ; Jessi Gill, yellow ground, striped wi h pTnk- LaiL'ifT' ""'J"^' ^f°«y^^tite mottled and striped of LoC li^hT^. ^''"fl f '.' •^'"°^' "PP''^ '^'^^ '^^^t^- Marquis tinned w,'th!i-f^T' ^^^"'^ ^'"^ P"''?''' '^ Monarch, very dark. Airs Goodw;n » ' '' ^f""'^"' "^lit ground, striped with lilac finest fancvniT" f°J"'''', '^"'P'^ with red ; Mrs. Saunders, the J B M p/ u °^ '}' "'''''' y^"°^> t'PP^d with white; Rev. J- B. M. Camm, yellow, flaked with red.— Ed:] mefdeffS"''-^^"?^'' W^lks.- Various plants have been recom- mended toi forming edgings to garden walks, but I suppose none are so universally used as dwarf Box, and whei^e Box will grow freely 350 THE GARDEN. [April 25, 1874. and well, few people will be disposed to look for a substitute. How- ever, there are places where Box does not thrive well. In a general way, it does not flourish in dry hot soils or in very shady places, and, under unfavourable conditions, it is apt to die off and become patchy, and in consequence looks untidy. Amongst plants, that make a neat edging in situations where other things do not thrive, may be mentioned the various forms of hardy Sempervivums or Houseleek. They will grow anywhere, and there is no particular preparation required like what is necessary for Box. One or two rows may be planted close together, and a neat thick edging is formed that scarcely anything can improve. In planting, it will be necessary for the sake of uniforaiifcy to plant each row of one size. And if once or twice during the summer the offsets are pricked oS before they attain any size a perfect outline will always be maintained. — E. Hobday. Bulbous Roots adapting' themselves to their proper Depth in the Earth. — Jly attention was first directed to this some thirty years ago. In a garden at Pontefract, I made several alterations, one effect of which was to disperse and bury, 13 inches ■under the surface, a bunch of Snowdrops. At their usual season several of them duly sent up leaves and flowers. As soon as the foliage began to decay I took them up, with the view of planting them again in a cluster. I was, however, surprised at "finding that the old bulb at 12 inches deep in the ground had entirely perished, except the skin and stalk. Upon the latter a new bulb had formed, about 4 inches under the surface of the soil. This proved to be the case with all that I dug up. The circumstance had escaped my memory until last year, when (thinking I should leave my present house and garden) I dug up my tulip roots. I found that some of them had been raised above their proper depth in the earth, and that some were upon the surface. The latter showed a skin the size of the original, but contained merely a small offset, about the siie of two Wheat-corns. A tap-root had struck down, from which, at 4 or 5 inches below the surface of the earth, strong healthy bulbs were thrown off. It is desirable to ascertain what bulbs obey this law. — Thomas Auxall, in the Pharmaceutical Journal. Flowers in Devonshire in April. — Orchards here are now gay with groups of Daffodils and marshy banks with Caltha, the former pale yellow, the latter shining gold. On the bank of the high road between Ottery and Sidmouth we met with the beautiful blue Periwinkle. Primroses are in wonderful profusion — banks and hedge- rows, fields and ledges of the cliffs, being full of them. Ferns are just beginning to show, the black Spleenwort is spreading out its bright green fronds, and the Hart's-tonguo is gradually uncurling. Long tendrils of Bramble have just begun to overhang the sandstone rocks through which the road is cut. All the Devonshire Apple trees arc draped with grey Lichen, which, before the leaves and blossoms appear, gives the orchards an ancient and weird appearance. Golden Saxifrage forms a brilliant carpet in the glen of Harp- ford Wood. This little plant has a most charming effect when growing in masses between beds of Fern and wood Anemones. In some of the lanes wo have found the Columbine, or Aquilegia, not yet in bloom. Wo had been told that Cowslips do not grow in Devon- shire, but although in the meadows their places seem usurped by Primroses, yet close to the sea-coast we have found many plants of Cowslip; near Tm-quay the cliffs are covered with them. Thrift, which forms delightful blue-green pincushion-like tufts on the ledges of the Sidmouth cliffs, is now covered with pink blossom. Gorse is, ahso, here, as elewhere, in full blossom, and between the bushes the tnrf is studded with Dog Violets. Alkanet, the flowers of which are bright dark blue, grows in the lanes and is very handsome. Near Brandscombo we found the Creeping Lithospermum (Lithospermum purpureo-cajruloum), which has a dark green leaf and sessile flowers of blue aiul purple colours. In cottage gardens the favourite flowers appear to be Anemones. Camellias, too, are in blossom out-of-doors. — Mary. THE INDOOR GARDEN. NOTES AND QUESTIONS ON THE FLOWER GARDEN. Weeds on Walks. — Can any of your corrcspondenLs inform mo whtit is the be.st ai)iilinfitinn for (lestroyiiijj ve^'ctation on {gravel walks ? I am told Ihat one part Hulphurio arid U) cii^lit parts of water is good. Salt, I find, ia only a temporary cure. — J. G., Dnhclch. A New Hardy Clematis.—M^M. Thibaut andKetoleer announce, under the name of Clc uatis inte^^a-ifulia dc Durand, a new hybrid between C. intcsfrifolia and C lanuKino?a. It j:;row3 about A\ feet hipli, and bears lar^^c dark violet velvety flowers, from A to 1-i inehea across, wiUi yellow antliers. It blooms continnoUHly from the end of May to the middle of October. Helleborns niger major.— AH who are interested in the decoration of out- door gardens in the Ijittcr entl of October and in November, should, in addition to A.sterf«, (JhryHauthcrnums, Sternberf^ias, and Colchicums, procure fiome of this variety of Helleborus. It is not the okl and well-known ChrietmaH Hose; en the contrary, it differs from it in flowering fjuitc a month earlier, and in pro- ducing larger blooms. The old variety form.s a good sueccHsion to this kind of Christmas Rose, which succeeds perfectly iu any ordinary garden soil, and with- out any special care whatever.— W. F. THE SCARLET TREE-RHODODENDROKr. The Tree-Rhododendrons in the conservatory of the Botanic Gardens, Regent's Park, have been very magnificent this season, and are still in considerable beauty, though their time of greatest glory is nearly over. The Rhododendron, or tree of Roses, as its name implies, is certainly one of the most splendid of the flowering-shrubs that horticultural enterprise and skill have introduced and naturalised in our gardens ; and if the grand Tree-Rhododendron of Nepaul, a true tree, which attains, in our conservatories, a height of from 1.5 to 25 feet, could be acclim.itised, either by a long succession of seedlings raised in the open air, or by judicious hybridising, so as to stand our winters without artificial protection, it would take rank as the grandest of all ornamental flowering trees ; for a tree it is beyond dispute, with a straight sturdy trunk, often rising to a height of 8 or 10 feet before it branches. It is possible that, by hybridising, the tree habit might be lost in the bush character of most of the other kinds, and then, the special ob.iect of the treatment would be lost, however splendid the flowers of future hybrids might prove, as they have already done. It is, therefore, from seeds of pure strain, raised in the open air, or, at all events, pricked out very young, that the desired result is the more likely to be achieved. When we note what splendid success has followed the earnest and persevering treatment of the Clematis tribe, nothing need be despaired of. Even with the broad-leaved Lilac, so indis- posed to "sport," considerable success has been attained; the grand variety named in honour of the late Dr. Lindley being an infinite improvement upon the original species, handsome and free-flowering as it is, and one of the chief glories of our spring shrubberies ; for the new Lindleyana flowers even more profusolj' ; the trusses of flowers, as well as the individual flowers, being larger, and the scent (of sweet spring-like character) more powerful, and, at the same time, more delicate. With these successes in full view, to say nothing of the charming novelties which we enjoy in the splendid array of double-flowered and grandly-foliaged Pelargoniums, as well as many other novel and scarcely-to-be-expected x'esults of persevering horticulture, there is hope of seeing Tree-Rhodo- dendrons ornamenting our shrubbei'ies, gorgeous with hun- dreds of great scarlet trusses of flowers, each truss as big as a bunch of Pasonies. Many of our leading nurserymen have risen to the height of real science in their profession, and are true artists in their pursuit of magnificent colom-ing and its endless blendings, from the fullest and most dazzling tones to the most soft and delicate tintiugs ; all of which the nature of their studies and the practised experience of a culti- vated eye enable them so well to ajipreciate and so often to realise, even beyond their own most sanguine expectations. The Persian king of the old story, llasc, satiated with all existing pleasures, and sighing for a new one, might, perhaps, not have been so long dis.appointed had he lived in our time, and asked one of our magic-working nurserymen for a new flower, more fair, more sweet, more beautiful even than the Rose. So, like the Persian King, I fearlessly ask for a new pleasure, and beg that it might be a hardy scarlet-flowered Tree-Rhododendron ; and doubtless, after this notice, and a little patience, I shall be sure to get it, notwithstanding many difliculties that might be urged ; for my horticultural friends arc Napoleons iu their way, and have expunged the word "impossible" from their vocabularies. H. N. H. 0 HRYS ANTHEMUMS. TjiEiiK is no better time than the present at which to commence the culture of this deservedly popular flower. Cuttings struck now will make fine bushy jilants from 18 inches to 2 feet in height by next October, and when in this dwarf state and well- flowcrcd, they are better for small conservatories, or for the ordinary purposes of indoor decoration, than plants of larger size. Some prefer to propagate their plants in the autumn, but I have for some time discontinued the practice, since spring-struck plants are, for decorative purposes, better in every respect ; and it is now possible to pui-chaso cuttings of April 26, 1874] THE GARDEN. 351 all the best kinds, and these actually cost less than the expense' to say nothing of the trouble, incurred in wintering old plants, or autumn-struck cuttings. Many years ago poor old Sam Broome taught us the value of the Chrysanthemum as a decorative plant for town gardens, but, as a class, horticul- turlists seem slow to learn and put into practice the annual lesson still taught in the gardens of the Middle and Inner Temple, where local circumstances and surroundings are by no means so favourable for vegetation, as the more open suburban parks and squares, and private gardens. If Chrysanthemums are now thought of, put in the cuttings at once, and they will be well rooted in a fortnight in a propagating case or frame. Directly the yoiing plants commence to grow, stop them at the third or fourth jomt, this will cause them to throw out laterals and make them bushy, and as soon as they break again pot them, say, two or three together in a 12-inch pot. The small-flowered kinds, or Pompons, do well two together in, 32-sized pots, and make fine bushy little specimens either for conservatory or window decoration. The Chrysanthemum is one of the quickest-growing plants we have, and is a gross feeder, and nothing suits it better in the way of compost, that a misture of fibrous loam, road-scrapings, or coarse saud, and one-third well decomposed hot-bed manure. Set the plants outside towards the latter end of May or beginning of June, and never let them want for water, or the loss of their lower foliage is an inevitable consequence. As soon as the pots get full of hungry roots, water liberally with clear manure-water, gradually increasing the strength as the flower-buds appear. The plants should be neatly tied out to stakes, as this not only improves their shape, but makes them form a sturdier growth, by admitting a more extensive circu- lation of light and air. This last point is of immense import- ance in the culture of all decorative flowering-plants. Plants grown as above recommended will be found useful additions to the greenhouse during the dull autumn months, when flowers are generally few and far between in most small establish- ments. J. T. S. THE CINBEARIA. Foe the decoration of a cool greenhouse or conservatory few plants that involve so little trouble are more showy in early spring than the Cineraria. Seedlings, if the seed-bearing plants have been care- fully selected, are now generally so good that, except for the purpose of exhibition, it is hardly necessary to grow named varieties. When Cinerarias are required for winter blooming, the seeds should be sown eai'ly in April so as to give time for the plants to be grown steadily on without any undue excitement in the shape of fire-heat ; in fact, from the time the seeds are sown till the plants are in flower the less artificial heat, beyond securing them from frost, they have the better. Under cool treatment, and if well supplied with water and freely ventilated, their growth is robust and firm and less liable to the attacks of insects. If in any stage of their growth they are kept too close and warm, green fly will surely make its appearance, and Cine- rarias do not stand fumigating well. I have seen more than one lot of good plants destroyed by careless fumigating. Sow the seeds thinly in a mixture of sandy-loam and leaf-mould (about one part of the latter to two of the former). Cover the seeds with silver-sand, and place a square of glass over the pots or pans in which the seeds are sown. This obviates the necessity for much watering, which has a tendency to sour the soil, and carry small seeds down too deeply for quick germination. The seed pans may stand in a close frame till the seedlings are large enough to handle, when they should imme- diately be pricked off 2 inches apart in pans or boxes, and the frame kept close for a week or so afterwards, when a full and free ventilation may be given. The great thing is to grow them on steadily, never allowing them to experience any check, either from want of water or root-room. Many seedlings are irretrievably ruined in the seed pans, and no after care or management can effectually remove the debility contracted by bad treatment in early youth. When the leaves of the young plants begin to meet in the pans or boxes, they should be potted singly into large sixty-sized pots, and should stand in a cool frame facing the north, in coal-ashes, and shoidd after the first week have abundance of air, even to the extent of removing the lights in calm, warm weather. The attention required from this time onwards consists in shifting them into larger pots as they require it, liberally supplying them with water, and, also, on hot bright days damping the ashes around them. This, even in the hottest weather, will cause a nice genial atmosphere to surround the plants, from which they will derive immense benefit. This last shift into the blooming pots when the plants are required for very early blooming should be not later than the end of August, so as to get the pots well filled with roots before the short days. The strongest plants may be potted in 8-inch pots, which is large enough for good specimens, and the smaller plants into 6. inch pots. There is never anything gained by over.potting, but rather the reverse. For the last shift, the soil may be richer, and may be composed of about two- thirds of good fibry loam and one-third old decayed cow or pig. dung, thoroughly mellow and crumbling, and just a sprinkling of soot may be added. If the loam is very adhesive, a si^rinkling also of coarse sand or crushed charcoal will be beneficial. In all stages of their growth the pots should be well drained, for, though the Cineraria delights in moisture, anything in the shape of stagnation is fatal to success. In potting (the last shift especially) ram the soil in the pots firmly. Loose potting, when applied to soft-wooded plants, may, for a time, induce rapid growth ; but if you want bushy sturdy plants, with the growth built up solidly, to be succeeded by an abundant bloom, firm potting is essential. A plant that is firmly potted has more food available within its limited space, and will not suffer so much from drought, if by any chance any delay has arisen in watering. For late blooming, June will be time enough to sow the seeds. I have often selected a few of the best seedlings in May, just before thoy had done blooming, placed them in a coal-ash bed under a north wall, where, without any trouble, they ripened and scattered their seeds, which quickly came up by thousands ; and I have never had healthier or stronger plants for spring blooming than I have obtained from this somewhat primitive method. The truth is, there is far too much nursing and coddling with this class of plants, and that is the principal reason why they are so susceptible to the attacks of insects. An acquaintance of mine, some years ago, nsed to grow for market Cinerarias and Calceolarias with amazing success. His houses were simply dug out of a stiff clay soil, and the earth from the path- ways formed the beds on each side, on which the plants were placed, covered with a low-span roof, not over-well glazed. The plants stood on a cool bottom near the glass, were never over-heated, and had an abundance of ventilation, and, as a consequence, were free from insects, and grew with remarkable vigour. In a well-constructed house, the chief causes of failure in this class of plants are deficient ventilation, too much artificial heat, and a lack of humidity in the atmosphere. One word more as to liquid-manure. This may be bene- ficially given at every alternate watering after the flower-buds are formed. If given clear, and not strong, the plants will flower largely, and the flower will be flner. There is nothing much better than sheep droppings, with a little soot added, for aoft-wooded plants. E. Hobday. Small Conservatory Stove. — In The Garden of the 7th ult., I notice an inquiry as to the best stove for a small conservatory. There is a capital American stove which, if it can be had in England, would exactly suit your correspondent. It is called the " Beacon Light Base Burner," a self-feeding stove j the coal chamber holds sufficient to burn over twelve hours without any attention whatever, and it gives out sufficient heat to keep out 18" (F.) of frost, or 16' below zero, as we have had it here this winter. There are several sizes. I have had one of the smallest in use for two winters, and it works admir- ably. In your comparatively mild climate, I doubt if it would require to be supplied with coal more than once in the twenty-four hours ; all that would be necessary would be to shake out the ashes morning and evening. The coal used is anthracite. There is no smell, no gas gets out of it, as it is close. There are panes of mica in it which give it a cheerful appearance as the fire is seen through them. — Peter Jack, People's Bank of Halifax, Nova Scotia, NOTES AND QUESTIONS ON THE INDOOR GARDEN. Leucopogon Richei.— This pretty little plant, though not very well known, is quite deserving of atcontion, both on account of the beauty of its flowers and their use in bouiiuets. They are white, delicately-scented, and retain their freshnesis for some time after having been cut. The plant is, therefore, a desirable addition to every collection. — R. B. F. New Plant Manure.— M. Quihou has found M. Jeannel's mineral manm-e (see p. 152, vol. III. of The Garden), to be useless and even injurious to many plants gi-own in the open ground, and also in pots under the usual conditions. The only inst,ince in which he found it to be of any value was in the case of plants gi'own in small pots and m barren worn-out soil, that is, under conditions which very seldom occur. Arthropodium cirrhatum.— This attractive New Zealand flowering plant has been cultivated in the succulent house at Kew, for some years. Mr. W. Bull recently exhibited a remarkably well-grown plant of it, bearing an erect branching spike of white star-shaped flowers. The plant is graceful in habit, being furnished with curving glaucous foUage about 3 feet in length, and from an inch to an inch-and-a-half wide. It blooms freely in a cool greenhouse or conservatory, and deserves more general cultivation than it at present receives^ — E. 352 THE GARDEN. [April 25, 1874. A HOLIDAY TODE. By the editor. Two Great Artificial Waterfalls near Eome. Artificial ttaterfalls, like artificial rocks, are frequently more suggestive o£ the puerile than of the picturesque, and this not merely in small places, but in great public and private gardens, where no expense was spared in their construction. This being so, it should not be forgotten that two of the most famous waterfalls in Europe — famous, that is to say, for their sublimity and beauty, are both artificial. These are the falls of Terni and of Tivoli. The greatest is that at Terni ; it is the result of one of the great works of the Eomans before our era, and was made by conducting a river (the Yelinus) over a precipice of great height into another river (the Vera). This was done in order to relieve a district of superfluous water, and to guard against inundations. The falls are in the neighbourhood of some striking woodland-scenery, the railway near at hand running on its way towards Rome, through some deep defiles clad with evergreen Oaks, that make the waving slopes charming indeed, as contrasted with the generally bare and brown hills of Italy in winter. Near, too, are the ruins of the bridge of Augustus, which formerly joined the hills above the river to allow of the passage of the Flaminiau way, and is now a stately and picturesque pile, standing firm in the busy water, and abundantly draped with Maiden-hair Fern, and other plants. The most trustworthy evidence places the total height of the falls at between 800 and 900 feet, but some say they are nearer to 1,200 feet high. The fall is broken into three parts, an upper fall of about 60 feet, the second or great fall at some- thing under 600, and, finally, the lower and more broken fall a rush of foam about 2-^0 feet high. As it is not often that great poets condescend to desci-ibe artificial waterfalls, it will be best, perhaps, to quote Lord Byron's well-known description of the falls of Terni : — The roar of waters ! — from the headlong height Adeline cleaves the wave-worn precipice ; The fall of waters ! rapid as the light. The flashing mass foams, shaking the abyss ; The hell of waters ! where they howl and hiss, And boil in endless torture ; while the sweat Of their great agony, wrung out from this Their Phlegethon, curls round the rocks of jet That guard the gulf around, in pitiless horror set, And mounts in sprays the skies, and thence again Returns in an unceasing shower, which round, With its unemptied cloud of gentle rain, Is an eternal April to the ground. Making it all one emerald : — how profound The gulf ! and how the giant element From rock to rock leaps with delirious bound. Crushing the clilTs, which, downward worn and rent With his herce footsteps, yield in chasms a fearful vent ! To the bi-oad column which rolls on, and shows Jlore like the fountain of an infant sea Torn from the womb of mountains by the throes Of a new world, than only thus to bo Parent of rivers, which flow gushingly. With many windings, through the vale : — look back ! Lo ! where it comes like an eternity. As if to sweep down all things in its track, Charming the eye with dread, — a matchless cataract, Uorribly beautiful ! but on the verge, From side to side, beneath the glittering morn, An Iris sits, amidst the infernal surge, Like Hope upon a death-bed, and, unworn Its steady dyes, while all around is torn iiy the distracted waters, bears serene Its brilliant hues with all their beams unshorn : Kescmbling, 'mid tli(^ torture of the scene, Love watcliing Madness witli unalterable mien. Byron thought the falls of Terni " worth all the cascades and torrents of Switzerland put together." The cascades at Tivoli are no less interesting. Our excellent i)iige illnstration of these will .show what they are better than any words. In this case the great falls of the river Anio tumble into the valley from a height of about :'20 feet. Here the smaller falls or cascatelles are mill-streams, &e., artificially diverted from the river, and the cour.se of the great cascade itself was diverted into a new channel in consequence of an innudation in 182 6. Here the landscape surroundings of the falls, the associations of the place, and the rich vegetation, all combine with the falls to produce a very charming effect. With these facts before us who shall say that artificial waterfalls, &c., must, of necessity, be either puerile, or in any way, less satisfactory than any others ? Good opportunities for making the like seldom exist, and where they do not, the best way would be to be content without making any attempts after the pictu- resque in this way. There can be no doubt, however, that many suitable situations for forming effective cascades exist in many of our great gardens and parks ; and the result of turning a streamlet over the brow of a cliff or rocky brow, may be well worth considering by many interested in landscape gardening. Florence. A city cradled iu many hills — hills dotted over every- where with villas standing in vineyards and orchards, with which the country is so fully covered that there is no room for hedges or dividing lines of any kind. A fair city with many evidences of northern taste and neatness in its gardens ; with most picturesque and interesting suiTOundiugs, and offering much more interest to lovers of gardens than Borne. Efforts are being made to improve its public gardens or promenades, and at great cost. The fortifications which once surrounded the city, like nearly all old Continental cities, have been removed, and the space thus cleared is occupied by ptiblio walks and gardens. Mars has, in fact, been thrown over for Flora — rare event. These gardens, where they deviate in plan from a planted road or avenue, seem to have but one fault ; too many walks. To use an inch too much of these necessary, but not picturesque, objects is unpardouable. Here, in some places, there are four walks where one would suffice, and where there should be a pretty, if limited, expanse of Grass, there is a net- work of wide walks. A very bold improvement has been made here in the way of a public garden. A long and excellent drive winds up one of the hills immediately commanding the city, and affording many views of it and its surroundings. This new drive, admirably formed and planted, is bordered in many parts by gardens, all public property. These again, are somewhat disfigured by too much detail of the wrong kind in the way of grottoes, fountains, and high stone edgings, which, however, a purer taste will, it is to be hoped, one day modify. Florence is near the marble quarries, and takes advantage of the fact by placing marble seats in this new garden, each 12 feet long and nearly 3 feet wide, formed of one slab. It is not every city that can afford marble seats, but the use of stone seats in gardens is not uncommon as far north as Lyons, and it must be owned they look much better than those of either iron or wood. The limestone seats in the Lyons garden look quite as well as those of marble, and are good and massive in design. In these countries they have an advantage beyond that of not requiring paint, and they are not so easily burnt or made away with in times of commotion. Apart from these considerations, there can be no doubt that the use of stone seats of good and simple design, and of some easily-procured stone, would be an improvement iu public gardens, &c. The Boboli Gardens at Florence. These have a good deal more character than is common in the best public gardens even of great cities. They resemble nothing else in the way of a garden in Europe. An illustration, pub- lished in The Garden some time ago (p. 442, vol. iv.), conveys an exact notion of their general effect from one of the most important points of view. The whole is a curious mixture of palatial, botanical, and horticultural gardens, and, for the greater part, is on the slope of a steep hill, rising almost directly over the city. The main features are groves of ever- green Oaks and lines or avenues of Cypresses, the vai'ious gardens being arranged in spaces between these ; and the effect, f I'om want of breadth in any part, gives one the idea of wander- ing through the wards of a gigantic key. The longer and more open avenues sometimes have a striking, and withal a simple and (piiet aspect. But, beyond this, the effect gene- rally is as weak as it ever must be where the surface is frittered away, and there is no central lawn or opening. Many small and modest private gardens have a much more open, cheerful, and .iltogether charming effect, than such huge mazes. The Boboli Gardens are hapjiy in a very army of April 25, 1874] THE GARDEN. 363 354 THE GAEDEN. [April 25, 1874. statues, but then- charms would be greater if all but half-a- dozen of these were removed ; sometimes — as in the central avenue, where a bold group stands out clear against the imposing avenue of high Cypress trees — the effect is good. But when the eye catches sight of a company of the above- mentioned army, in skirmishing order, in front of a line of clipped trees, the effect, to say the most of it, is not of a very high order. It is spotty and meagre, and the eye is diverted from the trees without being consoled by the statues, which are frequently noseless. In discussing disfigurements of public gardens, writers usually take it for granted that the British rough or snob, or whatever he may be called, is the most savage of all, in this respect. And they sometimes mercifully account for his shortcomings by reminding us how far removed from all those refining influences of other and more artistic countries the poor fellow's experiences have been. Well, in no part of Britain can one see in any piiblic garden so much and such frivolous destruction and disfigurement of valuable public property as in the Boboli gardens, in beautiful and artistic Florence ! Most of the many statues within reach of the hand are mutilated ; all that can be got at by the pencil are scrawled over with names; yet manyjare considered valuable works of art. The Boboli Gardens contain also a botanic garden, in which the larger kinds of ti-ees were, after a good old fashion, planted in beds about the width of those frequently employed for Asparagus. This, however, does not rob them of all interest. There are huge Orangeries, filled with plants destined for the open air in summer; but, though fine as a promenade, and commanding fine views of the city and its surroundings, it has few of the charms that a woU-designed public garden should possess. The wealthier residents of Florence and its environs are more devoted to gardening ; and there are some rich collec- tions and interesting gardens. Among these, none is more worthy of a short description than that of Prince Demidofi, St. Donate. Here, though the outdoor garden is large and well-planted, the interest centres in the house-plants, of which there is a very rich collection, and, I think, the best grown I have ever seen in any private garden on the Continent. It differs, how- ever, greatly from rich collections with us in the ai-rangement. An enormous range of cool and intermediatehouses, placed end to end, and communicating with each other, is arranged throughout with the most' exquisite taste, applied to the very best materials in the way of fine-foliaged and choicest flowering plants. The roofs and sides of the buildings, pots, &c., and all other objectionable, if necessary, surfaces, are so successfully concealed, that one sees only tortuous vistas, shaded by tropical leaves, and bright with flowers, the vegeta- tion and flowers varying as one goes from house to house. Nothing could well exceed the interest and the beauty of the .scene in the eyes of a lover of plants ; indeed, the general effect is so striking that during one visit there is little time to notice many rare and finely grown specimens. One huge example of a fine plant, sometimes called the Alexandrine Laurel (Ruscus raeemosus), cannot, however, be passed by thus, as it rises to a height of 20 feet, while drooping from every point arc superb leaves. This specimen is an example of bold, as well as successful, culture ; the plant, an uncommon one, is usually only seen well-grown when planted out, as in the College (iardons at Dublin ; but here it is grown iu a huge tub, and as some unusual means of supporting the strong shoots and lieavy loaves was required, a trellis, over 20 feet high, with a small mast in the centre to support it, was made, and from this it droops as gracefully as from a pillar or cross-beam. The .specimen is about forty-five years old. This plant deserves to be grown wherever there arc large cool and intermediate houses to embellish. The back walls of all the cool houses here arc very well covered by Camellias, a practice worth adopting generally, as, apart from tl;e beauty of the flowers, the glossy leaves of those plants furnish a wall so admirably at all seasons. The practice oE training Banksian Koses and other climbing plants round the stems of trees, is not uncom- mon in Florentine gardens ; and, in the houses here, there is a modification of it not without merit. Climbers, such as Bignonias, are trained round the stems of tall Dracajnas and the like; good cultivators will probably smilo at the practice ; but, nevertheless, these little attempts to give a natural grace to cviltivated plants deserve a word of praise. Among the plants best represented in the garden are the Australian Proteads, which form a collection of which any botanic garden might be proud. A plant of Dasy- lirion longifolium here is so old that it has a bark like a Cork tree. In the grounds a plant of the "Weeping Cedar (Hegeli) is the most striking Conifer to English eyes, though the Bed-wood of California seems to grow as well here as at home. This Cedar deserves a place in every collection of Conifers, especially in the home of evergreens — England. The fine evergreen Hawthorn, Cratasgus or Photinia serrulata, is a great ornament of the grounds, as it is of many in Italy, growing from 10 to 25 feet high, and generally showing among its large green leaves a good many that have faded off to reddish crimson. This gives the shrub a most striking appearance; later on it is covered with large trusses of flowers. Venice. This fair city may be said to be rooted on an Oak forest (of piles), but they, like all the marble and the stone, and, indeed, everything else, had to be carried from far beyond the bitter marsh which, prairie-like, bounds the shallow waters, and on which nothing more precious than Bushes or sea-shore weeds flourishes. With every house on piles, he is hopeful, indeed, who expects any gardening interest here, yet small courts and spots of made-ground beside some of the palaces are converted into miniature gardens, and one of the most tastefully-disposed and, in every way, pretty city gardens I have seen is that of Count Popadopoli, in Venice. On entering it, a pretty open lawn of considerable extent forms the foi'eground to a living picture of many graceful groups and masses of trees and shrubs. The lawn itself, of a deep rich green — to which our English eyes are not accustomed — is a novelty. It is wholly composed of a Grass-like plant, called Convallaria japonica in Italian gardens ; in ours, where, however, it is seldom seen out of botanical collections, it is named Ophiopogon japonicus. The Italians say it is the best plant they have for forming lawns ; or, rather, for surfacing the earth with verdure, for assuredly it would not stand the test of a garden party. However, lawns composed of one plant only can never be used as carpets, and it is something where lawns of turf cannot be had to have a plant that may be relied on to mantle the earth with green at all seasons. This the Con- vallaria does, and this Venice garden did not show a square yard of bare earth anywhere over its two acres of surface. It was, therefore, much more agreeable to the eye than those gardens in which contiunal digging always leaves a larga extent of surface bare and brown. The Convallaria is seldom or never cut in or cut down, and will endure four or five years in good condition. For English gardens or pleasiire-grounds, this ijlant may be recommended as one that does thoroughly well beneatli trees in poor sandy or dry ground. It grows from 4 to G inches high, and may be had in quantity from Italian nurserymen. This garden, like all the houses, is, of course, formed within a wall of piles, and over 50,000 cubic yards of soil, sand, rubbish, and mud were used to make it. On this some forms of vegetation thi'ivc, particularly the Aleppo Pine (Pinus halepensis). This has stood when all other Pines failed here, which should be noted by those interested in sea-side trees. The finest evergreen shrub hero is Euonymus japonicus, so valued in England. It attains a height of 12 i'eet, and is one of the best evergreens for sca-.shore gardens. The Funereal Cypress is the most graceful tree ; it, too, is not averse to the shore, and Hollies do capitally, and so does the Loquat ; Sterculia platanifolia also forms a fine tree hei'c. Well-.stored, however, as the garden is witli plants, both indoors and out, its main charm is in the design. Towards the back part of the open sunny lawn are tlio varied masses and groups of trees and shrubs ; and, behind these again, almost hidden from the main point of view, a winding walk, bordered everywhere throughout its lougth with Convallaria turf, which here and there spreads into a little lawn, on which Yuccas, tree Proonies, Spira>as, or Ferns are grouped or dotted. Hardy Ferns, placed here and there among the Grass, in half-shaded places,' had a good eff'ect. There were edgings of the common European and Ivy-leaved April 25, 1874.] THE GARDEN. 355 Cyclamens, -wliicli abound iu the woods in Italy, and which would thrive quite as well in our own gardens, if it were the fashion to plant them therein. Thus, between the margins of the lawn and the fringes of the side-walks, there was ample room to place every specimen, so that it could both attain full size, and be seen to advantage, while the confines of the garden were curtained by judicious planting, and the effect of the whole was most pleasing from the open sunny centre, giving one the opportunity of enjoying and understanding the picture as a whole — a satisfaction always denied to us in the maze- like garden, be it large or small. There is a botanic garden in Venice, but a very small and poor one, now turned over to a nurseryman, who is permitted to repay himself by the sale of plants — a paltry arrangement for a city of marble palaces and churches. Such public gardens or promenades, as there are on the Lido, are poor in character and badly kept, unlike those of Genoa and Florence. It is pleasant to witness, here and there, from the water streets such evidences of gardening under difiiculties as those shown in the illustration (see p. 357). In a small court here I noticed an enormous plant of the fragrant Pittosporum Tobira, 20 feet high, and about as much through. A Verona Garden. There is a garden at Verona not included, generally, among the famous ones of Italy which will repay a visit. The Giusti Gardens at Verona have no plant treasures not common to most Italian gardens, but they contain, what is probably the noblest grove of Cypresses existing, and this distinguishes them, as Bushey Park is distinguished for its Horse Chestnuts, or Warwickshire for its Oaks. Immediately on entering, one is amazed to see an avenne of Cypresses shooting up almost as high as the Giant Californian Pines, yet much slenderer in spread of branches than Iiomljardy Poplars. One of the first trees met with is 120 feet high, taperiug gradually as a Grass stem, waving gracefully in the Alpine air, yet the stem is straight as a needle throughout, and the point rising far into the sky like a wand broken into leaf. The garden occupies a very abrupt slope, a little below the base of which the avenue begins, and, as it rises on the hill-side, one sees the trees from various points of view, in nearly every instance remarkable for their great height and perfect health ; one specimen is 125 feet high. Most of the trees are the common Italian Cypress, C. sempervirens ; but, as if to contrast with the common and most valuable form, there is, also, near at hand, a huge specimen of the more spreading variety (horizontalis). Above the avenue and on the top of the steep hill are other Cj'presses of the same kind ; from the base of these one can look down on the slender spires rising from below, so that the trees seem to assume a new aspect at every step. The steep hill, probably, has helped the trees much, for, northwards, the silvery heads of the Tyrolese Alps seem quite near. The effect of the whole is beautiful in a high degree to the lover of trees. The peculiar and striking aspect of the garden is wholly owing to the Giant Cypresses ; the other usual elements of Italian gardening are m the Giusti gardens, but they have no more to do with its broad effect on the visitor than the floormg has to do with that of York Minster. Apart from suggesting the desirability of judiciously planting this beautiful tree, the Giusti gardens convey a lesson as to planting, with a view of showing the full beauty and character of a tree. The varied masses of contrasted individual forms, seen in well-planted gardens, is a great improvement on the monotony so common, but more than this is often wanted. It would be difiicult to find a garden with a hundred kinds of developed trees more impressive than this with one. The forms in mixed masses neutralise each other to some extent, or rather prevent the eye from fully enjoying the highest expression of any one fine form. To shopr a fine tree in the completest manner, we must plant an isolated group of it. Such things may not be in small places, but they deserve attention from those planting iu parks, wide lawns, public gardens, and especially arboretums. This plan should, above all things, be cai-ried out where the conditions suit a tree, and it is a species considered of much importance. Many of the most valuable trees of northern and temperate countries, from the Olive to the Cedar of Lebanon, vary greatly in form, and it is by the grouping system that this variation will be seen to most advantage in plantations. As to imparting character to a given spot, the mixed system is, of course, quite inferior to skilful grouping. This subject also suggests a comforting reflection for those whose soil or climate forbids the growth of many trees. A very few kinds fully developed, and so ]ilaced as to well show their size and beauty, may afford far finer sylvan pictures than a host of kinds arranged on the general mixture principle. Genoa. There is a curious garden at Genoa, that of the Villa Pallavicini, which well shows some diverse features of Italian gardening. It is on one of those steep hills which overlook the sea ; it occupies a considerable space, for the most part covered with the native Evergreen Oak, through which many shady walks are made. These wind up the woody slope, and open here and there into little glades, embellished in various ways. For the greater part of its space, it is not laid out in what is called the Italian style ; though there are the usual, and, on such slopes as this, the necessary terraces near the house. After these, however, the shady woods, with their native Oaks and Pines, and numerous wild Ferns and streamlets, and their many different peeps at the blue .sea beneath, are refreshing. There is much to admire, were it not for the introduction of puerilities that might, perhaps, be iu place in a tea-garden or in a rollicking play-ground, but not in a true garden. Sundry grottoes met with are arranged so as to syringe the visitor with water iu various ways ; and, as he escapes by the only open p'ath, other cleverly-arranged water-jets attack him at every point. Imagine such a hctiso iu a garden rich with plants, and which, if it only possessed those native to the s.pot, would be lovely ! There are half-a-dozen different contrivances, in different spots, for squirting water in this manner ! However, here is an experimental plantation of Palms, and the larger kinds of succulent plants, that have been planted in the open ground for some years, and which compensates us for this infantile fooling. Here we notice that Agave Salmiani is much more massive and stately in port than the common American Agave, fine as that is in Italy. Cocos campestris, Corypha australis, Cycas revoluta, Dasylirion in variety, and many species of Agave ; presently masses of our greenhouse Azaleas are seen in bloom ; and soon we come to a knoll of Pines and Oaks, where the golden light has some difiioulty iu pene- trating; and here ai'e sai'cophagi, a warrior's tomb, &c. — an ancient cemetery, in fact. Some antique sarcophagi, perhaps ? oi', it may be, the tombs of the owner's ances- tors ? Nothing of the kind— it is all artificial ! Presently an Egyptian obelisk is seen, reminding one of some of those at Rome, but on getting nearer we find it is of terra- cotta! After this we ought to be grateful that the trees, too, are not artificial. Happily, a little way off, by the streamlet, there are masses of Maiden-hair Fern ; there are plenty of Camellias, and other flowers (greenhouse ones with us) to soften matters a little. Passing by these, we soon arrive at a stalactite cave of distressing gloom and dimensions, ^ after wandering through which a boatman is discovered, who ferries us through another tortuous winding or two of the cave, and soon ushers us into the full sun in a small lake, with marble statuary and fountain, and round its margin a pretty flower-garden. Even this, however, like much of the place, suffers from being too much " cut up " and frittered away by small temples and tortuosities of various kinds. A Camphor tree in this garden is very fine, almost as handsome as a Plane in the spread of its branches. There is also a fine Cork tree, said to be the finest in Italy, but it is not half the size of the trees at Caserta, near Naples, nor quite so good as a tree at Linton Park, in Kent. There is a very remarkable specimen of Cycas revoluta planted out for some years, with a clear stem of 4 feet, which shows that this plant will flourish in a cooler temperature than is generally supposed. The garden, notwithstanding the objectionable features spoken of, is one of the best in Italy ; its best aspects, however, rather arising from the beauty of the position and the natural woodg which occur on it, than from the gardening. There is a noble greenhouse shrub cultivated here, and in many Italian gardens, called Eukyauthus quinque- florus, reminding one of Kalmia latifolia in the flower, but a 356 THE GARDEN. [Apkil 2S, 1874. fmer shrub. It is abundantly grown in tubs for placing in the open air in summer, and flowers very handsomely in spring. It well deserves extensive culture for conservatory decoration. There are some effective little arrangements in the public gardens at Genoa ; and here I noticed, for the first time, our English Stonecrop (Sednm auglioum) used to surface the ground instead of turf. This it did very well indeed, and the effect of the fine Dasylirions and dwarf Palms was much heightened by their springing from a surface everywhere verdant. Several of the dwarf green Stonecrops might be used with advantage in this way where turf will not grow well. T H E A RBQR E T U M. SEA-SIDE PLANTING. It certainly never would h.ave occurred to me that trees and shrubs should be planted close down to an exposed sea-shore for any purpose except for shelter, and it was under this supposition that my last note was written. Mr. Scott, how- ever, appears to plant in positions of this character wholly for ornamental purposes ; at least, this is the only object which cau be gained by planting such shrubs as he mentions. The hardiness of these close to the sea is quite in accordance with our experience, with the indispensable proviso that there must be an outer hedge, or strip of storm-proof plants. Provide this, and many ornamental plants will grow kindly. There is, alter all, only one tree which we find valuable both for orna- ment and shelter in extreme exposure to the sea, and that is the Pinus Pinaster and its smaller variety maritima. Mr. Scott says it will not thrive on clay. More is the pity ; but let me strongly recommend it to all who plant for shelter on a free soil near the sea. It seems to delight in the blast ; and, although sometimes tardy of growth at first, and even frequently " kneed " when it does get a start, and although limb after limb may be torn from it in high gales, still, it con- quers in the end, thrusts out sturdylimbs to windward, and (this appears its peculiarity as compared with all other Conifers) it never loses the deep rich green of its foliage. What is the value of the timber I know not, but wood of any sort cannot be grown for much profit close to an exposed coast. Further inland it grows to a considerable size. I have to day measured one, within a mile of the sea, 10 feet in circumference at a height of ■(. feet. One more point in its favour, and I have done eulogising the Pinaster. The huge cones, which it bears in abundance, make capital fuel. Put half-a-dozen into a sulky fire, and you have a blaze in five minutes. It is a tree which does not bear drawing up, as most Conifers do. Unless the breeze has free access to all parts of it, the rugged bark will rot, and the whole tree decay. As for the Bramble, which Mr. Scott says truly is " one of the most persistent sea-side plants wo have," it cannot be made to grow freely where it has not appeared spontaneously. We have sent from the woods here sacks of Bramble roots to Roxburghshire at the request of friends who envy the matchless game-covert which they afford, but the result was not encouraging. Has Mr. Scott tried the Cupressus macrocarpa ? It thrives excellently in sea air, and grows rapidly, though I have never seen it tried close to an exposed coast ; but at Castle Kennedy there are fine ma'-;ses of it, in a severe exposure, doing very well. Witli a little shelter we find it invaluable. Salmoniceps. TREES AND SHRUBS IN THE CHANNEL ISLANDS. I VISITED the Channel Islands in January last, and was sur- prised to find, at this early season of the year, so many trees and shrul)S flowering in the parterres and pleasure-grounds of these sheltered islands. The climate and temperature, indeed, seemed just suited to the requirements of the strangers. I noticed interesting plants in full flower in .January in Guernsey, Jersey, and Sark, such as wo cultivate ordinarily under glass. First, I would speak of the Australian introductions. Large masses of the graceful Acacia doalljata, with tree-like boles and beautiful racemes of yellow bloom, gave great beauty to winter-lawns. The thickness of some of the trees was con- siderable, and showed many years of growth. Acacia Mela- uoxylon, with its bright green phyllodia, was also a veritable tree ; its little globes of yellow blooms were not yet expanded, though fully formed. Hakea rosmarinifolia, covered with beautiful pink blossoms, was exceedingly attractive, and seemed perfectly at home in Guernsey. It is one of the Proteacete. Metrosideros speciosa, one of the Myrtaceae, had its heads well swollen, and giving good promise of bloom in April. I noticed also fine shrubs of Aster argyroph3'llus. It is musk- scented, and its composite flowers are white. It is a native of Van Dieman's Laud. Conifers seem to take kindly to the Channel Islands. Dacrydium cupressinum, a native of New Zealand, and also Phyllooladus trichomanoides, a fern-leaved Conifer, were growing most vigorously at Rozel, on the north coast of Jersey. The boles showed several years of growth. Fitxroya patagouica, a graceful drooping evergreen, seemed to luxuriate in the climate of Jersey, growing not far from another pendent Conifer (Abies Morinda), a native, I believe, of the northern mountain-ranges of India. Lastly, Araucaria braziliana put in a very healthy appearance in Mr. Carre's grounds, at Valnord, in Guernsey. It is more graceful and of looser habit than its ally on the western coast of South America, Araucaria imbricata. Rhododendron arboreum showed a perfect blaze of bloom in the middle of January ; and I noticed, likewise, at Rozel, Rhododendron Thomsonii, Edgworthii, and formosum, giving promise of future bloom, without other protection than surrounding evergreen vegeta- tion ; and the same remark may apply to Rhododendron cinna- momeum, a white-flowered species from Nepal. The beautiful Gum trees of Australia give great effect to lawns and pleasure- grounds. I observed among them Eucalyptus pendula and piperita ; and, though rare, E. pulverulenta thrives well, I learn, in Guernsey. They belong to the Myrtacea3, and, like them, their flowers are dense masses of stamens. The Escallonias, from the west coast of South America, are very ornamental, and seem to acclimatise readily in gai-dens near the coast, being covered with their lovely flowers in mid- winter. I noticed several species, but E. macrantha, a native of Chiloe, far surpasses the rest in beauty. Large trees of Euonymus japonicus, with their shining evergreen foliage, wei'e literally covered with their rich coral-red fruits. Two New Zealand Cordylines — australis and indivisa — ornamented the lawn of Mr. Carre's house, and appeared quite acclimatised, having stood fifteen winters without protection or shelter. They, alone, are worth a visit. Three kinds of Pittosporum flourish as shrubs in the Channel Islands, and attain fair pro- portions ; these are Pittosporum Tobira, Mayi, and Novaj Zealandia3 ; the flrst was in full bloom in January. Bambusa gracilis and arundinacea were flourishing vigorously iu Guernsey without the slightest shelter. They had attained the height of upwards of 15 feet. Dense masses of the Tree Heath (Erica arborea) were everywhere abundant in the Channel Islands. Every cottage-garden had its Heath shrub in bud or flower, according to its exposure. I was much sur- prised to see Lapageria rosea, a native of the island of Chiloe, which iu England we treat as a greenhouse plant, still lingering in bloom in the open air on the first day of the new year ; it had borne a profusion of blossoms during the autumn. By the side of the fish-ponds at the Seigneurie, in Sark, I observed a curious plant, with large rough leaves and a spadix dotted over with red seeds. This was Gunnera scabra, found by Darwin growing on the sandstone cliffs of Chiloe, a coarse-growing plant, whose leaves, he says, sometimes measured 6 feet in diametci'. Peter Incubald. The Lodije, Ilooingliaiii., Aivil, 1874. PREPARATION OF GROUND FOR TREE-PLANTING. By JOHN DARLING. TiiK history of avboiiculture in onr country in former times has too often been but a record of short-sighted economy. Except, perhaps, in tho vicinity of tho mansion-house, where shelter and ornament compelled the appropriation of good soil to tho grovvth of timber, it was only such portions of tho estate as were totally unfit for agricul- tural purposes, or even pasturage, that were devoted to the growth of trees, and not only was the poorest soil considered sufficient, but no caro was evinced to remedy its defects. It seldom seemed to be a matter of oonsidoration to make the growth of timber profitable. It I April 25, 1874.] THE GARDEN. 357 is time that the maxim should be applied to this which has been applied to many other departments of national industry, " What is worth doing, is worth doing well;" and, since the produce of the forest requires a lengthened period of time to arrive at maturity, it is all the more necessary that a reliable foundation should be laid to sustain the hopes of a future remuneration. Perhaps the fear of not realising a return in their lifetime for the necessary outlay has deterred many proprietors from laying down their plantations in such a manner as they could have wished ; but such a motive is surely unworthy, and can have no weight at the present day, when timber, in almost all its stages of growth, is such a valuable com- modity ; and since it has hitherto been, and most likely will still be the case, that, except for the purposes of shelter or ornament only, soils of an inferior quality will be de- voted to the growth of timber, it is the more necessary that pains be taken to make the most of the material. In making a few re- marks on the pie- paration of ground for planting, we shall state them in the following order : — 1. Clearing the ground ; 2. Fencing; 3. Making roads ; 4. Drainage ; 5. Mr.king pits. Clearing the Ground. On the greater part of laud which has not been used for agricultural pur- poses there will be much matter detri- mental to the growth of young trees if left untouched. Heath, Broom, Furze, Brambles, and other coarse ligneous plants must all be removed, that there may be nothing to impede tho full de- velopment of the trees. We would prefer burning, as the surest and most expeditious mode of checking the growth of U e a t h, where such an operation can bo performed with safety, and, where danger is apprehended, the flame can be stopped by turning over a line of sods across the direction of the flame. Even burning will not eradicate Heath, but will so check its growth that, by the time it recovers, the trees will be beyond all danger of injury from it. Were it not that, where tho Heath is rank, the young trees might be choked by it, we do not consider it otherwise detrimental. Broom, if old, can easily be destroyed by cutting over above ground; but, if young, the stem.s will be covered with eyes, and such cutting will only induce a more rapid growth ; therefore, it will be necessary to take such up by tho roots. Whins are in this quarter more detrimental to the growth of plantations than other anderwood plants, as well as more difficult to eradicate, and, where Court-yard gardeuiujj in Venice (see p. 355). they grow close, simply cutting over above ground is altogether lost labour. The greatest care should therefore be taken to remove them by the roots, and any necessary expense incurred by this operation will be amply repaid in the smaller amount of labour required in the future management of tho plantation. Raspberries and Brambles will sometimes, especially on gravelly soils, be found a great nuisance. It is next to impossible to eradicate these ; perhaps the best plan is to cut the canes successively till the young trees are beyond reach of injury from them. All other spontaneous growths, such as Birch, Hazel, &c., which, in almost all oases, will be entirely unworthy of a place in the new plantation, should be cleaned off, so that not only the growth of the young trees may not be impeded, buc also that subsequent operations on the ground may have as little interruption as possible. In cer. tain localities, the clearings may be of value as firewood, and may somewhat lessen the expense of preparation. If such is not the case, let them be collected into heaps and burned, and tho ashes blended with the soil. Fencing. We consider fencing the next in. dispensable opera- tion in the prepara- tion of ground for planting. It ought never to be con- sidered a point of minor importance, but ought to be attended to immedi- ately after tho clear- ing of the ground, lest tho future operations of making roads, drainage, and pitting might suffer damage from stray cattle, or other causes. In selecting a fence for a planta- tion the first object to be aimed at is durability ; next, the least possible ulti. mate expense. In some cases a neces- sity for ornament may guide the selec- tion, but in all other cases, and where the requisite material can be obtained, we would prefer a stone dike, both for durability and ultimate cheapness. In many situations, however, it may be difiB- cnlt, or altogether impossible, to obtainstones ; in such cases a wire rail, ing with Larch posts offers a good substitute ; and, if economical con. siderations extend beyond the present, a little extra labour and expense in charring the enrls of the posts or dipping them into some solution to resist the decomposition which inevitably ensues from contact with the soil, and coating the part exposed to the atmosphere with boiling coal tar, or other solution suitable for the purpose, will eventually remunerate, by increasing the durability of the paling ; but, where cheapness guides the choice, a dike and ditch, with a hedge of Whina on the top —tho materials of which the dike is built being taken 358 THE GARDEN. [April 25, 1874. from the outside — will form a fence of considerable efficiency, although this is, at best, but a clumsy and not very certain protection to the plantation, especially for the first three or four years, when the trees are young. In such places as require an ornamental fence, a hedge is no doubt the most suitable ; Beech, Hornbeam, Holly, and Thorn are the more common materials, but the two former do not offer such resistance to animals as may, in many instances, be desirable ; the two latter will, in time, make an excellent fence, especially Thorn, which offers greater resistance to animals than Holly, and is also much cheaper. Holly, being an evergreen,, may be preferred in some instances; still, as a general rule, we would prefer Thorn. Hedges, however, require to bo protected a number of years by a paling. Care should be taken to select such material, and give it such treatment, as will make the jjaling last till the hedge is a sufficient fence. Hedges also entail considerable expense, not in the orit'inal laying down merely, for continued yearly attention must be paid to them ; but they amply repay it all by the charm they give to the landscape. Making Roads. In a highly civilised and commercial country, such as this, time is of great value. It ought, therefore, to be the object oE the planter to provide the greatest possible facilities for the removal of foiled timber, as such facilities will greatly enhance its value. In former times this was never thought of till the trees were of large growth, when gaps were made in the fences, if any fences existed, and avenues cut through the wood. This must often have been at hap- hazard, and the soil was in all cases unfit for bearing the conveyance of heavy burdens, added to which, the stumps and roots of the cut trees combined to form a road as execrable as any in tlio backwoods of Canada ; nor are roads needful for the removal of felled timber only, but for the protection of the plantation when, in a growing state, they are highly advantageous, and also for preventing the necessity of removing prunings or thinnings over the fences. All these considerations enforce the necessity of forming roads at the commencement of operations for planting. We are not prepared to specify the particular distances at which they should be made ; this must be regulated by the extent, plan, and situation of the planta- tion, keeping always in view the economy of labour in convoying timber of large growth to the roads, taking advantage also of level tracts or gentle declivities leading to the outside of the plantation, and avoiding, if possible, steep ascents, thus lessening, as far as possible, the amount of animal labour required. In forming the roads, particular attention must be paid to drainage, especially where the soil is not hard. In most cases a drain on each side, with the material taken from them laid over the centre of the road, so as to give it a convex form and throw the surface water into the ditches, will be sufficient. When the inclination of the ground renders it necessary to provide cross drains, they should be built with stone, and have very strong stone covers. Wo would not bo inclined to lay down a road less than 7 yards in width, so that lo.idcd carts might pass with ease without injuring the edges of the ditches, and also to give room for loading and turning carts. A road mado in this manner when a plantation is laid down will, by the time the timber is fit for cutting, be in a state to bear any ordinary load. Drainage. The next operation is drainage, which, except on very dry soil, is all but indispensable. In proceeding with this, it is necessary to examine tlie inclination of the ground that the main drains may have the advantage of all the fall possible. The distance of the main drains from each other must be regulated by the nature of tho ground. It level, or nearly so, the small drains cannot bo expected to be effective farther than from 150 to 200 yards ; but, where considerable declivities exist they will act farther, and tho mains should be carried along the natural hollows. As a geneial rule, small drains should not be less than 2 feet deep, and, if the fall permit, an additional G inches would make them much more effective. If the ground is very wet, we would not be inclined to place them farther apart than from 24 to 30 feet. Where tho ground is not so wet, tho distance may bo increased by G or 'J feet. To keep tho drains clear, the mains require to be from 4 to G inches deeper, and where a natural fall does not exist to carry oft tho water from tho mains, no labour must bo spared to secure it. It sometimes happens that very steep ground requires to bo drained — in such cases, instead of leading the drains directly down tho declivity, wo would carry thorn obliquely across, taking care that sullicient fall is secured to carry off the water speedily. The propriety of this mode will bo apparent when we consider that the particles of water in tho soil of a deep declivity will have a greater tendency to settle down tho declivity than side- ways into a drain running straight to tho bottom. A drain carried obliquely across the face of tho declivity catches all the moisture as it percolates downwards, and, if a quick fall is secured, the water will have no inducement to penetrate into the soil below the drain, but will run off and secure a perfect drainage ; whereas drains cut straight down the declivity would do little more than carry off the rain water which might fall into them. The advantage of judicious draining must be apparent to even the most casual observer. Stag- nant water about the roots of the young trees prevents that develop- ment of the roots necessary for their healtliy growth — hence, on undrained groimd, young trees have a stunted unhealthy appearance, make little progress, and in many cases die out altogether. It may also frequently be noticed, on ground where the drains are too far separate, or too shallow, that the trees by the sides of the drains are thriving and growing rapidly, while in the centre between the drains they have the stunted appearance peculiar to undrained ground. Making Pits. This operation is necessary for all hardwood trees. In ordinary cases, slit planting is sulficient for trees of the Fir tribe, but hardwood trees will not succeed so well unless better pulverised soil is provided than can be got by slit planting. For trees of the size ordinarily got from the nursery , pits 2 feet in width, and depth regulated by the nature of soil, will be suiKcient. The pits should be dug some months previous to the time of planting, that the action of the weather may pulverise the soil, and make it more congenial to the tender roots of the young plants. Ordinary-sized hardwood plants, on gravelly soil especially, with a southern exposure, will require pits of much larger dimensions. In such situations pits of the ordinary size will retain too little moisture to sustain the young trees, whereas if a greater area and depth of tho soil is loosened, and the stones removed, the original chrmnels through which the water percolated are disturbed, and far greater power given to retain moisture. In such situations. Firs, especially if intended for standards, would require to bo treated similarly, and even in ordinary soil, if Firs are of larger size than common, they will require pits prepared for them. — Scottish Arhori. cultural Society's Transactions. THE FRUIT GARDEN. OUR SHORTCOMINGS IN HARDY FRUIT CULTURE. If a foreigner, vinacquainted with the fruit-growing capabilities of this country, was told that American Apples sell at four- pence each in Covent Garden Market in January, he would at once say, " These English must be fond of Apples, have plenty of money, and their country is incapable of growing this fruit." But, if, in addition, ho was informed that there are few countries better suited to Apple culture, and, moreover, that the last was a moderately good Apple year, he must come to the conclusion that our Apple culture is nothing to boast of. There are .several causes which have brought about this state of things. We are less provident than some of our neighbours. The really useful, except in matters of the first magnitude, is not studied as it deserves to be. The general prosperity of the country causes us to look with indifference upon anything that at first sight lias an appearance of comparatively little importance. The large land owners and occupiers have never been alive to their own interests, or to the requirements of the country, in the matter of fruit. And yet it does not require much consideration to convince anyone that the subject, whether looked at from a financial point of view, or in relation to providing a most necessary article of food for the people, is anything but a matter of little importance. If we except the cider-producing districts, and the market growers in the immediate vicinity of some of the large towns, comparatively nothing is done throughout the length and breadth of the kingdom in providing for the people this most wholesome and useful of all fruits. Even in many private establishments of considerable pretensions, not enough are grown to supply their ■wants. The occui)ier of a farm rarely thinks of planting a fruit-tree; liis agreement generally binds him in tho strictest manner from ever lopping a branch from a hedgcrow-trec ; yet he may with impunity grub up an old orchard, without any obligation of planting a new one. The absence of a lease, and consequent uncertainty of tenure, with no certainty of reim- bursoment for permanent improvements, naturally causes indifl'crcncc as to a cro)) that he is luicertain of ever reaping any benefit from. Benevolent and political economists vie ■with each otlicr in schemes for tho improvement of the labourer in rural districts, by providing him -with a better April 25, 1874.] THE GARDEN. 359 cottage and garden for the growth of his Potatoes and Cabbages ; but, in pulling down his old abode, the tree on the gable, which did something considerable towards paying the rent, comes down along with it, and there is often little or nothing done in the shape of instruction, or assistance, to induce or enable him to supply its place. Yet this is a means by which those who interest themselves in the improvement of the country labourer, might do much for his benefit directly, as well as spreading a knowledge and taste for a pursuit in which wo are, as a nation, behind many other countries. Even village horticultural societies, whose objects are to spread a taste for gardening amongst the poor, do little compai'atively to encou- rage the cultivation of the more useful species of fruits. So far as the cultivation of fruits, more especially the Apple, which I hold to be of more importance than all others which wo grow put together, I see little chance of their being produced in such quantities as to bring the price within the reach of all, unless the subject is taken up by the great land owners of the country, and by their planting and urging upon their tenantry the importance of the little attention necessary for the well- being of the trees. The quantity of Apples that might bo grown in the hedgei'ows without injury to other cultivated crops, is incalculable. Against this I have hcai'd it urged that it would be impossible to prevent marauding ; that every boy in a parish would become an Apple pilferer. If only a few acres were planted in a district, to some extent this might occur ; but, if this system of culture were carried out to the extent it ought to be, such would not be the case. Again, it is urged, if Apples were produced in such (juantities, they would not be worth the trouble of gathering. Those who argue thus, forget, or are ignorant, that tlie land through the kingdom, is not all suited to the growth of this fruit ; pro- bably, not more than one fourth ]night be calculated upon as suitable for its culture ; and, in these, as with other things, a considerable reduction in price, would increase the consumption, to an incalculable extent. Another fruit, the Damson — particularly the Yorkshire variety — is especially suited for hedgerow planting. It is hardy, a good cropper, and the tree, from its upright habit of growth, gets out of the reach of cattle. With Apples, for the purposes under consideration, it would be necessary to select such kinds as were found to succeed well in each respective neighbourhood ; they would also require to be specially prepared, by being grafted higher than for ordinary use. They should also be strong upright growei's, so as to be out of the reach of cattle, which are excessively fond of this fruit. Fortunately, there is no lack of good varieties, of which some do well in one locality, some in another, and others will succeed almost in any situation where Apples will grow. The great number of varieties of this fruit in cultivation have checked its extended culture by the disappointment many of them have caused. Hundreds of them are not worth growing, either as to the quality or quantity of the crop they produce, as com- pai-ed with a limited number of sorts of sterling merit that grow well in most parts of the kingdom, and are everything that can be desired in the ciuality, quantity, and keeping properties of their fruit. New varieties every year keep making their appearance, but few of them, when they come to be tested, gi-owiug side by side with approved kinds already well known, are found to possess a single quality superior to the old ones. There is one most essential property capable of development in now varieties that raisers appear to lose sight of completely, that is. the production of a race of late-flowering kinds that do not blossom until the season is so far advanced as to matei-ially lessen the danger from frosts. What we want is a thoroughly good representative of the different sections of Apple, with the late-flowering disposition of the Court Pendu Plat variety. This Apple, as is well known amongst hardy fruit growers, is quite three weeks later in both flowering and leafing than other kinds ; it is also good for dessert, a fair keeper, and a handsome fruit. Anyone who could raise half-a-dozen sorts of dessert Apples with the latc- flowcring habit of Court Pendu Plat, combined with the quality of fruit and free-bearing disposition of Irish Peach, Margil, Cox's Orange Pippin, Ribstone Pippin, Sykehouse Russet, and Sturmer Pippin (these should be associated with culinary sorts having this latc-flowcring habit and the general merits of Lord SufReld, Blenheim Pippin, Alfriston, Dumelow's Seedling, Yorkshire Greening, and French Crab) ; anyone, I repeat, accomplishing this would deserve honours equal to any ever conferred on an individual connected with horticultural pursuits, aa well as something more substantial. But, with the above, or any other possible selection, there are some that will not succeed on all soils; and, in planting fruits, espe- cially Apples and Pears, it is always best to ascertain what sorts are found to succeed best in the neighbourhood. Even for the supply of a private family, it is much better to restrict the number of varieties grown to a dozen kinds that are found to do well, than to grow half a hundred, many of which will either grow or bear indifferently, and not have distinctive merits enough to make them worth cultivating. The practice of the market growers, in any part of the countrj^, is much sounder than that of most gardeners in private establishments. The former confine themselves to the growth of such sorts as are found to succecdbest in the locality; the latter generally grow four times the number of kinds, either of use or required, even if all would succeed well. For instance, the American-grown Newtown Pippins are magni- ficent Apples of surpassing excellence ; whilst tlie same variety grown in any part of England, that I have seen, could not possibly be recognised, were it not that they retain the black spots on the skin peculiar to this variety. Tlie same holds good with Pears. What is the use of growing twenty sorts that all ripen in November, when a third of the number may be selected that possess all the merits of the rest ? Another very common mistake is to plant the best, and often tender kinds, in districts wholly unsuited to any but strong-constitutioned second-rate sorts. In Lancashire, the better kinds of Apples and Pears do not succeed, except near the coast, and even where these do well and bring good prices, the market growers find it more advantageous to confine their practice to good- con stitutioncd, free-bearing, second-rate sorts. An acquaint- ance of mine who lived some half-a-dozen miles from the coast, used to grow acres of Hessle Pears ; the crops he got were enormous, but instead of the trees being planted in the ordinai-y fashion, they were grown on ridges ; strong stakes were driven down in rows, the trees were tied to them, spreading their roots out on the surface, and then covering them to the requisite depth from the alleys. The ridges ran north and south, with treble the distance between the rows that existed between the trees. This was to admit of ridge Cucumbers being grown on alternate ridges, the Pears sheltering them from the strong west winds coming oS the Channel, that otherwise would cut them to atoms. The raisers of new Apples and Pears, I consider, make a mistake in working altogether from the best sorts, that are only suitable for culti- vation in the most favoured localities as to soil and climate, and which are only likely to produce varieties suitable for similar situations. Would it not be better to work from free- bearing hardier sorts, that succeed in situations less favoui-ed, with a view to increasing the varieties that succeed in such places? The culinary Apple, Lord Sufficld, is evidently a seedling from Keswick Codlin, and, notwithstanding the free- bearing disposition of the latter, how many raisers would ever think of breeding from so common a kind ? Yet, Lord Suffield has the merit of thriving freely, and bearing, even in a small state, until its branches are bent to the ground, in situa- tions so unfavourable to Apple culture that not half-a-dozen of even the mo.st common sorts would live ; yet. there is probably not a culinary Apple in existence for which the demand is so great for planting, even in good Apple districts, as this variety. It is a great disappointment, after planting a lot of fruit trees, to find that half of them, when they ought to come into bearing, are so far unsuited to tho locality as to be useless ; yet this is a common occurrence, arising through a want of knowledge of the kinds adapted to the district. In the selection of Apples, Pears, and Plums for planting, it is usual to divide the kingdom into south, midland, and northern districts; this is generalising far too much. There is scarcely twenty miles of a single county in any direction where very great differences in selection are required to be made, and nothing less than close personal observation, over a series of years, can enable anyone to make a selection suitable for any 360 THE GARDEN. [Apkil 25, 1874. i' 11 given neiglibourhood. In the choice of a situation for planting with fruit trees, care should always be taken that it is sufficiently sheltered from the west and north-west winds, as the storms we have from these points are most destructive to the crops on standard trees. Where it is the intention, with orchards or large breadths of land planted with fruit trees, to keep the ground dug, the best practice is to plant the trees one-fourth further apart betwixt the rows than the distance between the trees in the rows ; this gives room for a row of Currants or Gooseberries between each row of trees. The bush fruits so planted, frequently escape the effects of frost or cold springs, through the shelter afforded by the trees ; a id, with Black Currants, the shade is beneficial rather than otherwise. As to the storing of fruit through the autumn and winter, it too often happens, even in pi'ivate establishments, where the gardener is expected to produce Apples and Pears in good condition, so long as they are in season, that any sort of a place that can be called a fruit-room is thought good enough for the purpose. Yet, I feel confident that four out of every five of such places are totally unfit for keeping fruit as it ought to be. There is nothing with which I am acquainted that is more susceptible of taint, not only from actual contact, but even from being near anything affected with mould, or, in other ways in a state of decomposition. I have seen the flavour of a fine collection of Apples and Pears completely spoiled by being placed in a fruit-room, the shelves of which had begun slightly to decay. To preserve the natural flavour of these fruits, without imparting any- thing objectionable to them, as al o to keep them from shrivelling, requires the atmosphere of the fruit-room to be balanced to a nicety. It is scarcely possible to place any material over dessert Apples or Pears without affect- ing their flavour ; even Wheat-straw, in the sweetest possible condition, perfectly dry, will frequently spoil the flavour, through the moisture the fruit gives off causing the straw to mould, even so slightly as to be only perceptible by a faint odour. No second-storey apartments are fit for fruit-keeping, being too dry; the best fruit-rooms I have ever met with have been underground; a cellar in a thoroughly dry situation, where a sufficient amount of air could be admitted for a time after the fruit was gathered to dispel the moisture given off from it. I have in such a place often Icept Alfriston and Bedfordshire Foundling, plump and in good condition, until the succeeding year's crop was gathered, which is considerably longer than these Apples usually keep. After a dry summer, when all fruits are usually longer before they ripen here, Easter Beurre and Beurre Ranee were plump and full flavoured until the middle of May, and Nee Plus Menris equally good until June. After a wet sunless summer, Easter Beurre sometimes will not ripen ; it is often gathered too soon, which has the effect of causing this Pear to be worse to manage in this respect. I acoidently found out a means of remedying this; an old Peach-blind happened to be thrown upon one of the boxes filled with this kind ; this was early in the winter, it was not removed until March, when the fruit were in fine condition, plump and soft, others from the same tree being tough, leathery, and unfit for table. Evidently, after dull sunless summers, this variety loses too much water by evapo- ration when fully exposed, the absence of which prevents the ripening process from taking place. Since then, I have always after such summers covered the fruit in the way described, laying the material three or four thicknesses over them, being very careful to use nothing except linen fabric that has been long exposed to the weather, so that it has not the slightest remaining smell of the size or dressing tised in its manufac- ture. Pears that are kept in drawers made for the purpose and shut up, I have always found to be strongly affected with the odour of the wood. Apples and Pears are frequently kept plump and fresh in appearance long after their natural season for ripening, by covering them with bran, dry sand, or similar materials. Culinary Apples so treated are passable, but dessert fruit, either Apples or Pears, are insipid and worthless. All these materials — bran, dry sand, &c. — possess elements of decomposition, which, in their evolution, are, inevitably, im- parted to the fruit ; for them, the wcU-bloached linen alluded to will be found a most satisfactory substitute. T. Baines. THE EIG. Comparatively few ever taste really choice dried Figs in this country, and, fewer still, green Figs in that perfection which they attain under circumstances favourable to their growth. It is singular that this delicious fruit has never yet received in this country that cultural care which has been given to the Grape and Peach; hence, the fact, that we seldom see it in perfection, and how can it be otherwise, the back wall of a Grapery or Peach-house, being the place usually assigned to it, although it is a fruit that loves cloudless sunshine and the balmy mountain breeze. Mr. Rivers and others have done something to spread a more general taste for this fruit among us. Jewish history tells us, that during ten months of the year fruit was found upon Figs, and that they were of three different sorts, namely, the early Fig, the summer Fig, and the winter Fig ; the early Fig ripened towards the end of June, and was the most beautiful and delicious of the season. " One basket had very good Pigs and new, even like the Figs that are first ripe," said Jeremiah. And the prophet Hosea uses this beautiful figure regarding them, " I found Israel like Grapes in the wilderjiess, I saw your fathers as the first ripe in the Fig tree at her first time." The way that this fruit was gathered in Judoa is seized upon by Nahum to give expression to one of the most beautiful illustrations in the Bible — "All thy strongholds shall be like Fig trees with first-ripe Figs ; if they be shaken they shall even fall into the mouth of the eater." The summer Fig made its appearance in June, when the early fruit began to drop off ; it began to ripen in August ; unlike the early Fig, they could be kept for a long time. The winter Fig appeared in August, and came to maturity about the end of autumn. After the tree had lost its foliage, if the winter was mild, the fruit was allowed to remain upon the tree until spring, and was then eaten as a dainty ; it was larger than the early fruit and darker in colour. We cannot wonder that a fruit, so productive and delicious as the Fig, was seized upon both by prophets and poets in order to give force and expression to their language ; for, besides yielding luscious fruit in abundance, the tree afforded a refreshing shade from the fierce rays of the sun — indeed, it was a common practice with the Jews to remain, during the heat of the day, under their Vines and Fig trees. That the Fig tree in Canaan was — as with us — often barren and liable to shed its fruit untimely, we can glean from the Scriptures and other historical works. " Let it alone this year," says the husbandman, " until I dig about it, and dung it, if it bear fruit well; and, if not, then, after that, thou shalt cut it down." Of the different varieties of this fruit grown in Palestine wo know little or nothing ; but there is every reason to suppose that they were not numerous. We see, from a notice of this fruit in The Garden (see p. 290), that in the days of Cato only six varieties were known. We also see, from the same notice, what an important place this fruit occupies in the history of other nations besides that of the Jews ; but, apart from its historical associations, the Fig has enough in itself to recommend it to a high place amongst dessert fruits. If it bore three successive crops in the open air in Palestine, surely the same result might be attained under glass in this country. But, with us, the places are comparatively few where the Fig may be said to receive the same attention and cultural care as is bestowed upon other choice fruits. A young gardener may be brought up in many of our best places, and yet never have an opportunity of seeing this fruit grown in perfection. It is not necessary to enter into detailed descriptions of the different modes of culture practised in reference to the Fig in England, but there are certain condi- tions requisite before it can be grown in perfection ; that climate has a greater influence in the development of the Fig than soil, I am quite convinced ; under glass we have an artificial atmosphere to create, and it rests, in a great measure, with the cultivator whether he so regulates the means at his disposal as to produce fruit of the best quality— an inference which also holds good with regard to all artiflcally forced fruits. Another essential point in the successful cultivation of the Fig is, a complete command over the roots , this can be done with more facility when they are grown in pots, than when planted out ; indeed,, the pot system has many advantages when properly carried\ out. The finest Figs which I have ever seen were grown in 1 pots in a house fully exposed to the sun, and where no other April 25, 1874] THE GARDEN. 361 plants of any description were cultivated in the house, the floor was concreted, on which the plants were placed in rows, a prepared compost of stable-dung and leaves was placed around the pots up to the level of their brims, and this, besides yielding a slight-bottom heat kept the pots moist in a house fully exposed to the glare of the sun ; the roof, which was iron, was made as low as possible, and culver-shaped ; diluted liquid- manure was, occasionally poured upon the floor, and this, as it evaporated, helped to give health and vigour to the plants and to keep them free from the red spider. When the fruit began to drop, a mulching of dried Fern was spread over the com- post and from this the Figs were gathered every morning and evening. During two months in mid-winter the plants were allowed to rest in the open air while the house underwent a complete renovation. J. T. BLACK ORANGES. PAaAGR.vrns are going the round of the papers dilating upon an American story to the effect that an extensive Orange- grower in Louisiana has this season produced a fine crop of jet-black Oranges. This liisiis naliinn is described in the transatlantic press as being of a more extraordinary character than that so anxiously sought for among the Dutch florists of the seventeenth century, namely, a " black Tulip " — a phase of the Tulipomania whicli Alexander Dumas has immortalised in his picturesque romance, "La Tulipe Noire;" more extra- ordinary, even, than the " coal-black Rose " of the negro ballad. The reported black Oranges are, it must be confessed, a possiljility ; for though we have not, as yet, a black Rose, we have, at all events, a bright green one — a curious variety of the single Dog Rose — which exhibits no deformity, no abnormal growth, but has regularly-formed delicate green petals, as beautiful and perfect in texture as those which exhibit the tender blush-pink of the typical plant. We have also seen green Dahlias and black Apples. But to return to the black Oranges. Those who have seen the egg of a cassowary may picture to themselves the precise effect produced by the fruit of this now variety, so exactly does the surface of the egg resemble that of the rind of an Oi'ange, while its colour, so unlike that of any other egg, is indisputably blaclc. It certainly does appear within the range of possibility that a seedling Orange tree, from some peculiar constitutional character of the seed, may bear black fruit instead of orange- coloured. The seeds of other plants often produce both flowers and fruits differing in form and colour from those of the parent ; and the Orange is, perhaps, the most liable of all well-known plants to produce from seed plants yielding fruits of most unusual and grotesque shape, entirely differ- ing from the spheroidal conformation of the more usual types of the fruit. Yet, no very striking deviations of colour have hitherto occurred. Tho fruit-rind of even the strangest-looking varieties has constantly presented some tone of yellow, var3'ing from the palest straw-colour, through infinite gradations of green-yellow, full-yellow, and orange-yellow, to the deepest tones of rich goldeu-orange. It must, therefore, be by a very unusual and striking aberration of physical habit that a positively black-fruited kind has been produced. But this endeavour to account for a singular botanical novelty may, after all, be rendered futile, as applying, perhaps, to a thing which has no existence in reality, for the Yankee dressings up and padding by which it is thought, after the American fashion, to get " laughing gas " out of this asserted freak of nature, as well as political satire, makes the whole thing look rather like an ingenious hoax. For instance, it is suggested, that this strange vagary of plant-life having taken place in Louisiana, in the Orange-groves belonging to Mrs. Becoher Stowe may have been the necessary consequence of her enthusiasm as an Abolitionist, and her intense interest in niggers. It is, moreover, superadded, as a singular corro- boration of the foregoing nigger theory, that in the imme- diately contiguous Orange grounds, still belonging to good Southerners, the whole of the fruit remains of the usual rich golden-yellow. That a single tree, bearing black Oranges, might have appeared in the Orange-groves of Mrs. Beecher Stowe (if she have any), or in those of any other proprietor, is certainly possible. It is even possible that a peculiar kind of blight may have blackened the fruit of a whole district ; but when we are told of the black crop ceasing accurately at the boundary lino between two properties, we necessarily lose faith in the whole story, and feel that, if black Oranges be indeed a desideratum, that in all probability they will have to be waited for very patiently, and then, perhaps not found, even amongst the most wonderful forma of the " fruits of the future." OUTDOOR GRAPES. So^[E years ago I planted a border in my garden with Vines, more for the purpose of covering an unsightly mud wall than with the idea of obtaining fruit ; but, as the results obtained in this way have very much exceeded my most sanguine expectations, I will relate my experience. The border is mainly composed of brick rabble, old mortar, and ordinary garden soil, and the Vines were planted without any preparation whatever. I selected Esperiono, because its foliage becomes so very richly tinted as it is dying off in the autumn, and this has, quite contrary to my expectations, produced some nice crops of fruit, the best clusters of which are certainly eatable, but most valuable for wine making. There are half-a-dozen Vines of the old Black Cluster, a variety one so of ten sees recommended as a good and free-beariug Grape for out-door culture; yet, so far as my own practice goes, it is not nearly so certain a cropper, nor yet so prolific, as the first-named, which, if it never produced a berry, would yet be invaluable as a hardy-climbing foliage plant. I attribute much of my success to the open condition of the border, which is literally a mass of old foundations ; and, for like positions, I know of no more profitable use than the cultaro of Grapes for wine making. These Vines were planted twelve years ago, and have never been manured bnt once during the whole time. My garden is only a mile or two from the Trent, so that it can scarcely be called the sunny south. I should be glad to hear how far north the Grapevine will ripen its fruit in this country. J- C- P- Melton. "Wiring Garden Walls. — It has so happened that I have had no practical experience with wired garden walls ; but from what I have seen of them in different garden establishments which I have visited, I have, like your correspondent of last week (see p. 332), been led to regard the system as a very decided improvement upon the old nail and shred method, which is open to many objections. And I confess to having been somewhat puzzled on reading Mr. Baines's unqualified condemnation of the wiring system. Nor was I much less astonished at his assertion that nails ought to be driven into the bricks, and not into the joints. Surely Mr. Baines's nails must bo sharper, or his bricks much softer than those with which I have had to deal, or he would not be able to get one nail in fifty to enter a brick. Even, however, if this were not so, I would certainly hesitate to disfigure the even surface of the bricks, by driving nails into them ; joints can be re-pointed if desired, but splintered bricks cannot be so easily replaced by whole ones. My only object, however, in noticing this matter is to endeavour to elicit from some of your readers, who may have had experience with wired walls, if there really exists any reasonable objections to the use of them .' If so, it cannot surely bo the distance at which the branches are kept from the surface of tho walls, which need not be more than the thickness of the wire itself, and that is, of course, infinitesinal. — P. Grieve. I have not the least doubt that '■ One Who Practically Knows" (see p. 332) is well acquainted with wire-work, but that ho is no fruit grower is evident. When the writer talks of boring holds in the mortar with a gimlet, to admit nails in Peach-training ; tho next thing I should expect him to tell ns is, that he prunes his trees with a chisel. Nearly twenty years ago I had walls as well wired as ever " One Who Practically Knows " could wish to have them, and I can point to numbers of places where the system has been done away with for the reasons I have given, and others which I did not mention. — T. Baines. Flavouring Strawberries.— When my Strawberry sets arc fully colonrodm the Pine-stoves or Melon-houses, I remove them to a late Vinery— an operation wliicli not only vastly improves their tlavour ; but the display made by them in such houses my employer much enjoys. Walliing in a temperate climate, inhaling the delicious fragrance of this fruit, is a treat easier to realise than describe. — R. Gilheht. A New First-class Pear.— The current number of the Heme Ilorlict.U con- tains a coloured plate and a description of a new Pear named Fai-ontn Morel, a seedling from Williams's Bon Chretien, raised by M. Morel, of Vaise-Lyon. The fruit is of good size, and handsome in shape and colour, the flesh is white, fine-grained, melting, juicy, and agreeably acidulous, ripening from the end of September to the middle of October or later. The tree produces abundantly, and does well on the Quince stock. M. Carriere recommends the fruit as being in every respect of first-rate quaUty. 3C.2 THE GARDEN. [April 25, 1874. TEEES AJS^D SHEUBS IN AND NEAR LONDON. It tas been said that there is no street iu London in or from which you cannot see a tree ; a statement not literally true ; but there are more trees even in the middle of London than a stran^^er would guess. The tall Oriental Plane in Wood Street, Cheapside, has a rook's nest in it. A sister tree, and, perhaps, a larger one, spreads its arms over Stationers' Hall Court, and there are two good ones, much haunted by sparrows, in the mysterious region of Doctors' Commons. In one of the courts of Bartholomew's Hospital are some well-grown trees, and others adorn the garden of Mercers' Hall. The Bank of England itself, square stone mausoleum as it looks, has a garden iu its heart, gay with flowers and bushes. One of tho most nnlikely places for greenery is a sunk court in the stony area of Somerset House, yet there three or four Hawthorns manage to live and grow. In Gray's Inn is a shady Elm avenue, trees not the same, but successors of those under which Lord Yerulam used to pace and meditate, and haply made there his pretty piece " Of Gardens." The famous essays are dated " from my chamber at Graies Inu, this 30 of Jaunarie, 1597." " The Creator first planted a garden," he savs, '' and indeed it is the purest of human pleasures ; it is the greatest refreshment to the spirits of man ; without which bnildings and palaces are but gross handiworks." In many another space and square, and in many an unsuspecting nook in the very thick of the town, as, for example, behind certain houses near the British Museum iu Great Bussell Street, aud bcliiud others in Great Ormoud Street (among which latter is a Fig tree of unusual si/.e), aud among the ciooked lanes south of Westminster Abbey, trees continue under all difficulties to present to those iu populous city pent the boon of their varying interest and beauty. Tho roads, walks, shrubberies, and flower-beds of Kensington Gardens and Hyde Park are kept, on the whole, in pretty good order ; in some parts exquisitely, in others not so well as one would naturally expect, considering the metropolitan importance of.this two-fold riis in urhe, and tho largo sums pf money annnall}- expended on it. The old trees, the pride and glory of the expanse, are, to all appearance, allowed to rot, aud fall one by one without any of those attempts to prolong their lives which are successfully made for so many of their leafy brethren in the parks of other countries and of private owners. As a tooth cared for by the dentist, a tree may be saved for ever so long by timely attention. A plate of zinc, or a kind plaster of tar, would often give the drvad a new lease of her mansion. Caked and hardened ground should, in some cases, be stirred — now earth deftly supplied — an artificial shower, at need, drizzled from tho far-shooting hydrant or hose. But this and that majestic old tree must not only strive against the acids and soot-flakes of London air, but endure the slow rot of rain sinking into its hollow places, and the racking of the wind upon its weaker joints and branches ; and one vegetable King Lear after another breaks, falls, and lies ruined. As a further proof of neglect, you will often find the prostrate trunk or huge dissevered limb Iviug for many months in the place of its downfall, obstructive, puddle- making, ugly, slovenly, discreditable. The corner of Kensington Gardens, near the fountains at tho top of the lake, a very conspicuous part, lay in a dismal condition for several years past, with mud, dust, baldness, and ruined trees. It has lately begun to look a little better, tho rubbish having been, at long last, cleared away, and tho Grass allowed to grow by the simple expedient of partly fencing it on one side. But other parts of the gardens are in an ugly and neglected state. That huge knotted Elm, surrounded by a bench, ncai- the water, tho greatest of its tribe in these woods, still stands firm and apparently sound ; but decay may bo at work. I cannot gather that any regular inspection of the trees is made. A very prettj' and well-tended piece of shady garden, not much known, is that which adjoins on the east the opener grounds at the back of Chelsea Hospital, with a railing between. This eastward garden, with smooth winding walks, lawns, flower-beds, summer-houses, clumps of shrnbs, and some handsome taller trees, still bears the name of Ranelagh, and is part of the famous Kanelagh Gardens of tho last century, which further extended over the ground where you now see that huge barrack for the household troops. Tho north part of the present Eanelagh, a wide quadrangular space, sheltered by trees aud shrubs, tho red walls of tho hospital peeping up on tho westward, is occupied by tho Old Men's Garden, a number of little plots of ground cultivated by tho eamo number of pensioners for their jnivate amusement and benefit. There are uiuety-two of these little gardens, each about 18 feet square, onl)' divided one from another by narrow walks, where you see hero and there an old soldier in long blue coat and peaked cap creeping about and bending among his flowers and vegetables. Each follows his own fancies in the matter of garden- ing. One grows Peas or Beans, another Potatoes, a third Onions, a fourth Lettuces, a fifth Scarlet Runners, for staple ; but few are so prosaic as to have no flowers, while many others make these their chief boast. There is nothing that a horticulturist would deign to notice. The old-fashioned cottage blooms aud pot-herbs, with their fragrance of long-gone springs and summers, are still the sole favourites here — Sweet William, Snapdragon, double Pinks, Lilies, dwarf Roses, Larkspnr, Wallflower, Gillyflower, Batchelor's Buttons, Gentian, Musk, Thrift, Lupin, Columbine, London Pride ; green Rosemary, Rue, and Southernwood ; the lofty Hollyhock, and the lowly Hearts- ease. Some of the old gardeners have architectural whims ; one man has erected a castle of pebbles, five feet high, on whose top- most tower flies the Union Jack, another a kind of sentry-box encrusted with clam-shells, and two or three have with better taste twisted up little arbours. The few oddities are not enough tp disfigure, only serve to accentuate the impression of a variety of individual tastes at work, which gives a peculiar interest to this composite garden, made up of ninety-two pieces j and the general result h.as sufficient unity of effect, helped by the broad public walk which goes round the four sides of the whole space and binds it together. A little westward from Chelsea Hospital is one of tho oldest gardens in London, that of the Apothecaries' Company, mado between 1673 and 168(1, tho latter year being probably the date of the wall, as iuscrib?d thereon at the east gate. The freehold of tho ground was given them by Sir Hans Sloaue, in 1721. It looks, if you peep through the iron gate, just as a "Physic Garden" ought to look, dingy and formal, and as though laid out for growing Senna and Squills ; in fact, its chief crop seems to consist of labels. Tho few trees, too, ai'e mostly of a sombre and funereal aspect, one black Cedar, some Holm-Oaks, and a couple of specimens of Chinese Aibor Vitro, which resemble gigantic hearse-plumes. A^egetablo Porcupines, of the Cactus tribe, present their usual uncompromising aspect here and there ; and a statue of Sir Hans, bewigged and grimy, stands in the centre. Battersea, the last made of tlie metro, politan breathing spaces, is a very promising young park indeed, with its pretty boating lake aud sub-tropical gardens, its lawns for cricket and football, shrubberies, and, above all, its long terrace on the Thames, which forms its northern boundary. The ragged aud marshy Battersea Fields, with their Willowy ditches and scraps of Cabbage garden, were raised into this new and noble condition under the care of Mr. Gibson. The only trees of any height iu Battersea Pai'k arc some Willows and Poplars, the oldest inhabitants of the region. That tall group which decorates the west-end of the really charming island, mth its bays of Reeds and water Lilies, is the haunt in autumn of numerous star, lings, and any fine evening you may sec and hear a flock of them wheeling with multitudinous twitter above the foliage ere they settle for the night. In St. James's Park, too, tho Willows and Poplars are the chief ornament, especially those on the island facing the new India Office. The old Elms that remain are much in want of looking after. The best trees of tho Green Park are all in that dell facing Engine Street, Piccadilly, some large Horse Chestnuts tho most notable; but the ground beneath, which might be made remarkably pleasant, is needlessly abandoned to be trampled into dust and muil. Hyde Park lias uot many great trees. Its chief charm is the wide airy upland (permit the word) between the Marblo Arch aud tho Serpentine, but thei'e are trees in Hyde Park. The south side of the Serpentine is well wooded, and on the north side stand some sturdy Elms, thick of bole, with pleasant seats from which to look on the gliding toy ships, the pleasure boats, and tho water-fowl that whiten with their dropt feathers that new-created Island. The most rural part of Hyde Park, is round the Deputy Ranger's lodge, a viri- table grange, with its home trees, garden and paddock. And (Loudon being packed full of contrasts) near this peaceful scene, but just a little farther east is " The Reformers' Tree," a good-sized Elm some 10 feet in girth, the outside one of a row of eleven, two being stumps. Taking the path from this noblo tree — tho future goal perhaps of admiring pilgrims — towards the Serpentine Bridge, wo pass a Birchen grove, aud a few sturdy Oaks, At tho north-east comer of the bridge are four noticeable trees with light-coloured stems (Canadian or Cotton Poplars), their twigs in March thickly hung with long catkins. And so we come again to Kensington Gardens, tho place in all London for the lover of trees, w^hen he has no time for tho outlying shades of Richmond or Greenwich. Just inside tho gate, behind tho powder magazine, look at this group of Pollard Chestnuts, about twelve in number, the oldest trees, probably, in tho gardens; this one is tho biggest — broad, squat, grotesque. Another, you see, though still full of life and budding twigs, is half stript of its bark, and tho denuded wood is full of cracks, which call foE some kindly sm-gery. " Bo sure," says Evelyn (" Sylva," Bk. III. ch. ii), "to emplaster great wounds to keep out the wet." Ou the other side of the pathway stands an old Pollard Ooak, a wound in his veteran side, which the rain falls into, and idle fingers enlarge. See those freshly broken bits of wood lying on the Grass. So wo enter on the slope cast of the Serpentine, aUue country -like space of April 25, 1874] THE GARDEN. 363 Grass, bordered with trees, which form a grove on the side next the water. Here are large Elms (two especially grand). Horse Chestnnts, and a few tolerable Beeches. Passing the ngly fonntain-plateau, which needs entire remodelling, and the majestic Elm by the water, side, already mentioned, we see about a dozen stumps of various heights of wind-wrecked Elms, still living and sprouting, but the broken boles not protected in any way from the weather. Keeping near the Bayswater boundary, on our westward way, we note near Lancaster Gate some great Horse Chestnuts (which want looking after), four or five Beeches, and then a picturesque grove of Scotch Firs, their tall bare stems and flat heads looking like those of so many Stone Pines. They are about twenty-one in number, but s>k are dead, and six more are in a bad way. The bark is coming off in patches, and from the holes in the wood it is evident that some insect is at work. Can anything be done to save the sound trees ? The dead ones might be polled and made props for Ivy to climb npon. The adjacent Linden grove looks wery spindly, and in need of thin- ning. Now we cross the great Elm Avenue from Kensington to Bayswater, nnrivalled of its kind in all the parks, even including llichmond and Greenwich, and pass into a singular and delightful region in the westward part of the gardens, behind Wren's conserva- tory, with a Plutonian grove of Tews, and three tall Cudars lifting still blacker heads high above theirs. Some good-sized Hollies fringe the outer limit, and that bowery Holm-Oak shelters a seat, seldom unoccupied ; a pleasant place in March, the sun shining over the low hedge bordering our westward walk, nest-building rooks hovering and cawing round the tall Elm-tops, and a blackbird haranguing the woods and sky, as though London were fifty miles away. — Eraser's Magazine. WORK FOR THE WEEK. Flower-garden and Shrubbery. EvERGBEEX troes and shrubs may still be transplanted, mulching the roots with litter or leaves, over which an inch or so of soil should be placed. From Conifers all contending leaders should be removed, leaving only the most promising ; where there is a deficiency of vigour in the leader, it should be encouraged by judiciously removing the points of the side branches, or, if necessary, thinning them. Hardy Ferns wintered in pots may now be planted in Ferneries out of doors, or in other shady spots. Annuals, such as Mignonette, Saponaria, and Candytuft, should be sown out of doors, where they are to bloom. American Aloes may be planted or plunged outside in beds, or placed on rock-work, or in vases where they are to remam duiing summer; in case of frost, a mat may be thrown over them. Edgings of the hardier succulents around flower-beds and borders may be made. Hollyhocks, the better kinds of Fo.xglove, Sweet Williams, and llockets, maybe planted out where they are to remain. Gladioli should be planted. Box edgings pruned, and Ivy clipped. The latter should be cut close in to the wall, even though it should be rendered leafless ; in a short time it will be covered with the most beautiful bright green young foliage imaginable. Broad Grass walks may now be trimmed and swept, and lawns regularly mown and roUed. Stoves and Greenhouses. Plants of young and tender growth should be protected from bright sunshine, especially when the leaves are damp. Put a few neat stakes amongst the leaves of the earliest started Caladiums, so as to keep them from being broken. Place the young stock of Palms, Cycads, Dractcnas, Ixoras, Crotons, Pavettas, &c., in a warm moist temperature ; aud if a brisk bottom-heat can be given, so much the better for them, as, in that case, the plants start freely into growth, aud develop their foliage in greater perfection. Ee-pot the stock of Alocasias. Plants belonging to the macrorhiza section of that genus are partial to a good substantial loamy compost ; whereas, those belonging to metallica delight in an open turfy soil. They like plenty of water, both at the root and in the atmosphere ; indeed, A. metallica and Marantas would thrive set on inverted pots in an aquarium — i.e., if the bases of the pots were just above the water. Cyanophyllums, Sphioro^ynes, and Medinillas also enjoy a similar po.sition, and the large aud magnificent foliage they produce under such circumstances amply repays any attention they may receive in that way. Put some Tradescantias of the discolor section in 4 and G-inch pots, and keep them for a time in a brisk moist temperature, when they will make excellent flowering plants. Start Clerodendrons of the fallax, fragrans, and Ka3mpferi section, and give climbing ones plenty of string to support their growing shoots. As soon as Crinums have done flowering, re-pot them in good substantial loam mixed with some well-decomposed manure. They may be bloomed in the same pot for two or three years in succession, if the specimens are large, in which case mauure.water should be given them. Centradenias make useful winter plants, if propagated from cuttings now and well attended to during the summer. Free Bre.xias from scale an^l Ixoras from mealy bug. AUamandas, amongst the best of which are A. nobilis, grandiflora, Hendersonii, cathartica, Scholtii, and Aublettii, should now be kept in active growth. Marcgravia dubia is a useful plant, which will cover a stone or brick wall, grow on the wooden rafters on the north side of a stove, or make a nice covering for tho stumps of Tree-Ferns; indeed, the Marcgravia, dwarf-climbing Ficuses, iEschynanthuses, and similar plants, thrive admirably in such situations. Cut back plants of Scutellaria Mocciniana, and pot and start them into growth. Cissus discolor (a plant which well deserves every encouragement) enjoys heat and moisture when growing, and is rather partial to a slightly shaded nook ; cat back old plants close to the main trunks or shoots so as to induce them to start afresh ; the divisions of tho cut-away shoots will then strike freely, and form nice little plants for either suspended baskets or for pot trellises. Torenia asiatica, various sorts of iEschj'nanthus, Coococypselum discolor, Panicum variegatum, Hoyas, Selaginellas, some Ferns, and Dracajnas for centre-pieces, are also suitable for basket-werk ; but, if a little extra shade can bo afforded, many other plants, such as the beantilnlly-leaved Philo- dendron Lindenii, Pothos argyrea, different kinds of Cissus aud Pitcher plants, may be effectively employed for the same pui'posc. In conservatories. Camellias done flowering, and other evergreens not in blossom, should receive copious syringings on bright mornings ; air should be freely adaiittod, aud a slight shading afforded during bright sunshine. Tying, thinning, staking, and keeping the jdants free from insects, should receive daily attention. Plants that have been forced may now be put into pits or frames, and gradually exposed to the air. Pits and Frames. Continue to propagate bedding plants, and such as are rooted should bo petted or pricked into boxes; th'jse a little established should be gradually inured to the air, and strong well-hardened plants fully exposed, and shut up at hight. Pyrethrums, variegated Grasses, Sedums, &c., should be placed outside on wall-shelteied borders, where mats can be thrown over them if necessary. Stocks, Asters, and Marigolds may now be sown on slight hot-beds ; and, as soon as up, they should be gradually inured to the air. Those up and fit to handle are pricked off into boxes and pans, and kept near the glass. Auriculas require plenty of water at the root; but great care should be taken to prevent water or drip from coming iu contact with iheir flowers and foliage. Carnations should now be shifted into their flowering jjots, aud those for outdoor decoration turned into beds or borders. Heartsease may be sown, and established plants planted out. Bulbs done blooming should be placed iu frames, where they can be kept rather di'y so as to induce them to ripen. Market Gardens. The genial weather of the past fortnight has been instrumental in forwarding all sorts of vegetables. Winter spinach is now pushing up strong fleshy leaves, therefore have the beds cleaned and hoed. Hoe and clean Parsley beds after the leaves have been picked for market, and, if not already done, sow some seeds for autumn and winter bearing ; March, however, is the best month for this opera- tion. During the last three weeks there has been plenty of Seakalo obtained from the open fields, in which it is cut as soon as the tops are discerned making their way through the earthed-up soil. Finish the earthing-up of Asparagus ridges. Parsnips are now beginning to appear ; therefore, where Lettuces are planted between the lines, they should have the earth about them loosened with a short hoe, and the alleys between, i.e., where tho Parsnips were sown, raked smoothly, but not deeply, with a foot-wide iron-toothed rake, so as to break tho surface and to facilitate the egress of tho seedlings through the soil. Earth up Beans and draw the rake over the soil where they have not yet germinated. Beans are generally planted iu rows 2^ feet apart, with a line of Cabbages between them, the latter being removed before the former require the space. Radishes will now grow quite freely without coverings of litter — i.e., if the weather keeps fine and birds are kept off them. Therefore, remove such protection, which should be placed in the bottom of the manure heap to soak and rot. Still, however, keep litter on Rhubarb, for under it the leafstalks always come cleaner and crisper than when grown uncovered. Plum trees are in full flower. Pear trees are extremely promising, as are also Cherries; indeed, the fruit harvest, if uninjured by frosts and dry easterly winds, bids fair to be a good one. Cucumbers should now be planted out in frames, and well covered at night with litter. Keep the frames close for some time after they have been planted out. Those who grow Melons should now plant them in the frames in which they are intended to be grown. 364 THE GARDEN. [Apeil 26, 1874. EOTAL BOTANIC SOCIETY. Apbil 22. The most notable plants exhibited on this occasion were Azaleas, Eoses, Orchids, and Dielytras, together with Clematis, spring-blooming decorative plants, and florist's flowers, all of, which were well represented, and the gardens themselves never looked fresher, cleaner, or better, than they do at the present time. Stove and Greenhouse Plants. — Of these, Mr. "Ward, of Leyton, staged a dozen nice little specimens, among which were Erica profusa, well-flowered, two plants of Lycaste Skinneri, Cypripedum villosum, Odontoglossnm Pescatorei, three nicely bloomed Azaleas, and other plants. Mr. Wheeler, Regent's Park, also had a nice group, including Franciscea calycina, an old and valuable exhibition plant. Azaleas, Erica Cavendishi, and Lycaste Skinneri. Dielytras were very very fine, Messrs. J. Yeitch & Sons being first with plants a yard through, fresh in aspect and profusely flowered. Mr. ^VTieeler had smaller plants trained in rather too stiflly, owing to which they lost much of their natural gracefulness ; while Mr. Reeves had still smaller plants, also impaired in appearance by being trained in too formal a manner. In the class for six stove plants, Mr. Ward staged a large spathed form of Anthurium Scberzerianum, Rhyncospermum jasminoides, nicely bloomed, and a well flowered plant of Franciscea calycina. Mr. Wheeler, also, had a neat group of smaller plants. Messrs. Lane & Sons contributed a pretty group of twelve Rhododendrons, the varieties, and, in some cases, the plants, being the same as those shown last week at South Kensington. Messrs. Jackman, of Woking, again staged a beautiful group of Clematis, well- grown and profusely bloomed ; Cape Heaths in good condition came from Mr. Ward, who had fine plants of E. depressa multiflora, elegans, mira- bilis, aristata major, tricolor Eppsii, and Cavendishii. Mr. Wheeler had a smaller group rather past their best. Messrs. Low & Co., of Clapton, staged six plants of E. Lowii, a fine variety of the aristata group, having large inflated crimson flowers, slightly glutinous ; it appears to be robust in habit, and will i^rove a fine exhibition variety of this useful genus. Azaleas. — Messrs. Lane of Berkhampstead had some examples of what are called half-specimens, remarkably well bloomed, including Flag of Truce, a fine semi-double white ; and Comet, a biilliant scarlet, suffused with metalUc purple. Mr. Wheeler's collection consisted of smaller plants, the best of which were Model, a fine flat flower, of a delicate rosy-lilac ; and Stella, one of the best, resembling Comet, but not quite s o brilliant. Mr. James's group consisted of still smaller plants, but, so far as cultivation went, they were nearly perfect, the plants being trained in a natural manner, and well bloomed. Of these the best were Criterion, a fine rosy-Ulac variety, edged with white, the top petals spotted with deep rosy-crimson ; Due de Nassau, a rich lilac purple, with a very large semi-double flower, each segment being beautifully crisped round its margin. In the Amateurs' Class, Mr. Marcham also furnished six large plants very well flowered. floses in Pots. — Of these some fine examples were furnished by Messrs. Veitch & Sons, whose plants were perfect pictures of health and vigour. Among them were Paul Yerdier, a well-known old rosy-crimson variety ; Centifolia rosea, another fine well-known Rose, and one of the best for pot culture ; Charles Lawson, a fine deep rosy-tinted variety ; and John Hopper, a deep rosy. purple, with silvery-lilac backs to its loeauti- f uUy-ineurved petals. The best Tea-scented varieties in this group were i'resideut, a profuse-blooming variety, Avith well-formed salmon-tinted flowers, and Madame Willermoz, a good white-tinted kind with [delicate flesh. Mr. W. Paul, of Waltham Cross, staged a larger collection of smaller well-bloomed plants, among which we noted the new Tea-scented variety called Madame Frani^oi.^ Janiu, a beautiful buff kind, with fine bright wax-like foliage ; Catherine Mermet, another excellent variety of a delicate flesh colour of fine form, but, in this instance, a little past its best ; Perfection de Montplaisir, a fine sulphur-tinted flower, belonging to the same group. Among the hybrid perpetuals we noticed Princess Beatrice, a very round and full-flowered variety of a delicate rosy-lilac colour ; St. George, anew variety with large smooth petals, ratherrough at the edges, and of a deep velvety-crimson ; EtienneLevet, a fine deep rosy flower, with large smooth ijetals ; this was introduced a few years ago, and is a good addition to Roses suitable for pot culture. Mr. Paul also showed two other new seedlings. Perle des Blanches, a paper-white variety, the flowers being borne in clusters of four to seven at the end of each branch, it will bo useful for pot culture or for cutting ; the other, Mdlle. Marie Amaud, is a sulphur-coloured Tea-scented kind, and, as shown on this occasion, promises to be useful for furnishing cut flowers, the buds being Dearly perfect, although not so compact as those of Madame Fran(,'ois Janin, to which we have already alluded. Cut Roses were shown in fine condition by Mr. Walker, nurseryman, of Thame, near Oxford, two boxes of Marechal Niel were perfect and very richly coloured. In another stand were blooms of Adam, a fine fresh coloured Tea, Duchess de Caylus, Charles Lefebvre, Souvenir dela Malmaison, Gloire de Dijon, and other well-known favourites. Florists' Flowers. — Among these. Cinerarias were shown in good condition by Mr. Marcham, who had bushy plants of Her Majesty, a fine jiurplc flower with a white centre ; John Mitchell, a deep purple self ; and Duo do Magenta, a deep crimson self. Mr. Waters, gardener to A. Mon- gredien, lisij.. Forest Hill, contributed some pretty plants, including I'urplc Prince, a deep purple-rayed variety with a white eye ; and Clara Oswald, a fine blue flower. Blue flowering plants, always scarce during the spring months, are likely to be substantially reinforced by means of blue-flowered Cinerarias, now so extremely popular in Covent Garden and elsewhere. Mr. .Tames, Isleworth, also .showed S, collection of dwarf, well grown, and profusely-flowered plants, and also staged a nice collection of fancy and Alpine Auriculas. Some fine blooms of Pansies, in good condition, were furnished by Mr. Hooper, nurseryman, Bath ; and the same exhibitor had a large box of a black and white bedding Pansy, named Mrs. Felton. Miscellaneous Plants. — Of these Messrs. Veitch had an effective group, including most of the novelties alluded to by us last week. The collection included half-a-dozen choice Orchids — viz., Oncidium fuscatum, 0. concolor, Epidendrum bicornutum (with two spikes), Masde- vallia Lindenii, Cattleya gigas, and C. Mendelii. Dracaana Hendersonii is a fiuely-marblod vai'iety, and colours well in a young state. The group included some of the elegant cut-leaved bronze-tiuted Maples, and a fino basket, of the hardy spring-blooming Azalea mollis. Two pans of Drosera were very interesting ; and the same firm sent a plant of Agave Leopoldii, a stout form something in the way of a dwarf A. Verschafi'eltii, but with stout dark brown wavy spines at the apices of its fleshy leaves. Amaryllis ■ — Half-a-dozen fine plants were staged by Mr. Harborough, gai-dener to C. Kaiser, Esq. ; and a new garden hybrid, of a bright crimson colour, named A. Mooreana, was staged by Mr. B. S. Williams, of HoUoway. Mr. B. S. Williams staged a very efiective collection, the most notable plants being Dendrobium nobile, alluded to in our last week's issue ; Imantophyllum miniatum, with fine trusses of orange-scarlet flowers ; Dendrobium infundibulum, Aerides Fieldingii, and Odontoglossnm Pesca- torei ; besides numerous choice Palms, Ferns, Bromeliads, and green- house plants. The same exhibitor also staged new plants, including Aphelandra fascinator, with dark silvery-veined foliage (this has recently been figured in the new L' Illustration Horticole) ; Ceterach aureum, Sempervivum triste, Echeveria pachyphytoides, Carludovica plicata, and others. Mr. Wheeler had a group of ordinary decorative plants, including a good specimen of Eriostemon intermedium, Asplenium (Veitohii) Belaugeri, Adiautum trapeziforme ; besides Orchids, Ferns, Palms, and flowering shrubs. Mr. W. Paul had a collection of Clematis in pots, and also a group of gold, silver, and bronze Zonal Pelargoniums in good condition ; but these plants are evidently fast going out of popular favour. Mr. Wheeler had a miscellaneous group of hardy herbaceous plants ; and Mr. Needle sent a beautiful and interesting collection of terrestrial orchids from Twickenham. Auriculas — Of these, some nicely grown examples were staged. In tho class for six show varieties Mr. J. Douglas, of Loxford HaU, Ilford, was first with fine specimens, amongst which we notod the following : Colonel Champneys (Turner), a fine grey edged variety of a rich purple ; Meteor Flag, a rich purple self ; Formosa, blue self ; Conqueror (Pppplewell), a flue white edged variety, good truss ; Competitor (Turner), a fine dark grey edged variety. Second, Mr. James, Isleworth, with smaller plants. Third, the Rev. H. H. Dombrain. In the class for one green-edged variety. Rev. H. H. Dombrain was first, with Lancashire Hero. Second, Mr. James, with Lovely Ann. Third, Mr. Douglas, with Appollo. Grey edge : First, Mr. J. Douglas, with a fine truss of Robert Trail (Light- body). Second, Rev. H. H. Dombrain, with Rob Headly (Lightbody). Third, Mr. James, of Isleworth, with Turner's Competitor. In the class for self, Mr. J. Douglas was first with Turner's Master Hole, a fine black. Second, Mr. James, with Charies Perry, a rich bluish-purple. "Third, Rev. H. H. Dombrain, with Spalding's Metropolifam, a fine purple, with coarsely serrate foliage. Rev. H. Dombrain was first in the white edged class with Taylor's Glory. Second, Mr. James, with Highland Queen. Botanical Certificates were awarded to the following :— Ficus Parcelii (Veitch). AlUided to last week. Dracffina Hendersonii (Vcitcli). A tree-growing variety, beautifully marbled with red and creamy white, quite distinct and very attractive. Croton ovalifolium (Veitch). A short blunt leaved form, coloured something like C. variegatum, but distinct from any other species, and n-eU worth grow- ing for variety. Abutilon ScUowianum marmoratum (Veitch). A large leaved golden blotched variety, well worth culture as a half-hardy foliage plant of vigorous habit. A^ave Leopoldii (Veitch). A Quo form, alluded to above. Cattleya gigas (Veitch). A large-flowered form ; one of the most attractive plants in the genus. . .,. ^ Drosera capensis (Veitch). A spathulate-leaved species. Interesting as a botanical curiosity. Acer vitifolium (Veitch). A bright green-leaved species of a novel and interesting group. , ,. . , .i j Acer fliivcscons (Veitch). Beautiful yellow folngo most delicately netted with green. One of the prettiest of the whole group. . . . , , Hypolepis Bern-iana (Rollisson). A beautiful finely-cut species, with bright green hairy fronds 1 to 2 feet long. It does not, at present, show the creeping habit of its congeners. . , ^^ . ,., Gyninon-ramma triangularis (Williams). A delicate little Fern, not unlike Che'ilanthus in habit, having triangular bright green fronds slightly powdered with gold beneath. Ceterach aureum (Williams). Alluded to last week. Betula alba puri)uroa (W. Paul). A purple-leaved form of the common Bu-ch, likely to be a useful addition to hardy-ornamental trees. Floral Certificates wore givcu to the following :— , . , „ Azalea Duke of Kdmburgh (Parsons). A very large-flowered variety, the seg- ments being thit and of good substance ; colour, deep rosy-scarlet. Amaryllis Mooreana (Williams). A very rich crimson-flowcro 1 variety. Clcma.is Marikata Oko (Jackman). A delicate lilac form, with flue wax-hko foliage, the petals very broad. . , , , Clematis Duchess of Edinburgh (.Tackman). A fino scmi-double white variety, having remarkably fresh and handsome bright-grceii foliage. Clematis Sir G.arnet Wolsolcy (Jackman). A flue bluish-pui pie variety, and a decided aquisition. H. P. Rose Pcrlo des Blanches (Paul). A beautiful flower of papery or snowy whiteness, blooming in clusters like a Noisette. H. P. Rose St. George (Paul). A deep and vivid crimsou flower of good form. Tea Rose .Madame Mario Arnauil (Paul). A delicate sulphur fine in bud. Tea Rose .Madame Jules Margottin (Paul). A Uno robust grower, with fine wa.x-like foliage and delicate salmon-tinted llowers. May 2, 1874] THE GARDEN. 365 THE GARDEN. " This is an art Which does mend nature : change it rather : but The AiiT itself is Katuke." — Shakespeare. ■THE INFLICTIONS OF FASHION. By T. BAINES, Southgate. The higher the point of civilisatiou at -which a country arrives the more its inhabitants become the votaries of fashion ; and that we, in this country, enjoy no immunity fi'om this inflic- tion, is everj'where evident. If this did not extend beyond an indulgence iu the luxuries of everyday life it would be a matter of less consequence ; but, when the infliction spreads to matters of such importance as horticulture and arboriculture, it behoves those who take an interest in these pursuits to look the matter fully in the face. It may be said that gardening, as it exists at the present day, is a luxury, and that, consequently, it must be governed by such fanciful laws as rule matters of a kindred character ; this, it must be admitted, is correct, so far as it relates to the purely decorative element, but here it does not stop. The introduction of a new genus of plants, or the resuscitation of an old, and, iu many cases, an undeservedly neglected one, appears to be the signal for a universal mania in £avour of the favourite of the hour to the comparative neglect of other things. When a useful plant makes its appear- ance, such as a Tricolor Geranium, Mrs. Pollock, for instance, why should wo for years run mad after Tricolors by the hundred, that have barely an infinitesmal difference from each other ? Iu the matter of new Roses there might be some excuse ; for any improvement relating to the queen of flowers is sure to be hailed with delight. But may I ask how often in these are our expectations realised in proportion to the disappoint- ments we experience ? The time has come, I think, when there is little necessity for deriving our supplies of new Roses from the Continent. The Roses of recent years, raised by English growers, are sufficient evidence of this, and in the case of these we at least have a better opportunity of ascertaining something of their general character, previous to purchasing, than we have in the case of those of foreign origin. At present it would appear that we are on the verge of a Lily fever. This, if not carried too far, may be looked upon as simply the amende honorable for the neglect into which this flower has been allowed to fall. Thus far have we been dealing with what may be termed the elegancies of horticulture. But now come matters connected with the more essential and indispensable branch of gardening. First, let us take the ever-recurring rage for new Peas, nine-tenths of which are deficient in general properties compared with others they are intended to supplant. Then, as to new Potatoes, they make their appearance by the hundred. In this, too, we are aided by growers across the Atlantic, whose timely assistance we should receive with gratitude were it not that, when their varieties are proved, they are found inferior to our own, to say nothing of the exorbitant prices asked for them. Let us now advert to new fruits, more especially Gi-apes. How much disappointment has there been experienced by those who have supplanted old and well-tried varieties largely with new ones, which, after trial, have, in many instances, either been rooted out altogether or have had their heads cut off, and been made to do duty as stocks. These are a few of the positive inflictions which fashion imposes upon us in matters horticultural. Those of a negative character are also equally baneful. What have we to com- pensate us for the neglect into which numbers of old and tried friends amongst herbaceous plants have been allowed to fall ? Nothing, except blazing stripes and circles of red, yellow, and blue, the glare of which is, fortunately, short- lived, for their repetition becomes apositive infliction on the eye. Let us not be misunderstood ; no one would discountenance healthy progress in anything appertaining to horticulture, for in it, as in other matters, it is human to require novelty and change. But the evil is, that whatever becomes fashionable, either in any particular family of plants, or iu the manner in which we employ them, we for a time lose sight of others of far greater importance. Again, if we look to arboriculture, we find that fashion has inflicted something more serious than a passing disappointment. Both in the vicinity of the suburban villa and in that of the more extensive country mansion, it is desirable to get as much variety as possible; this no one will attempt to deny ; but have our planting opera- tions fpr the last thirty years been judicious ? Have they not been governed, to too great an extent, by a rage for novelties in the shape of Coniferous plants, numbers of which are unsuited to the situations in which they have been planted, and are incapable of withstanding our occasionally recurring severe winters, leaving blanks that take years to fill up. Think of the numbers of grand deciduous trees and flowering shrubs that, comparatively, have been cast into the shade by these new comers. In this case, dear-bought experience would aopear not to have had much salutary effect — that of the winter of 1860-61 — when, in many a fine place, the destruction was such as one might have thought would have ensured cautiou in planting things that were evidently unable to with stand our severest winters. Let us go still further back and see what has been done as regards the planting of timber trees throughout the kingdom, for, say, these last eighty years. What gain to us have been the trees that we have substituted for the Oak, Ash, and Elm planted by our ancestors ? Great things were expected from the Larch, but, unfortunately, it turns out to be worthless in many situations, so subject to decay is it at the core. The destruction of hedge-row trees, which high-farming entails, has so far lessened the supply of late years, and the great increase in the price of iron has caused so much greater demand for our old English Oak, as well as for Ash and Elm, that it is evident that none of the timber trees recently introduced are likely to supplant them in a national point of view. MIXED PLANTING VEB8U8 GROUPED TREES. The editor's description of a garden at Verona in The Gaiiden of the 25th April, and of the Cypress grove therein, revives an oft-felt regret that the system of mixed planting has attained to such a degree that the home scenery of this country, beauti- ful as it is, is somewhat marred by a monotony which, by a more artistic treatment, might have been avoided. The art of forestry has always suffered under the sorrowful thought that the planter is preparing beauty which he will never be able to share with posterity. We plant our parks and gardens with a view to effects that we may never see, and it is fortunate if our successors understand and are willing to carry out our schemes. The following motives in managing ornamental woods may be worth consideration by those who are engaged in planting, or, as not unfrequently occurs, who succeed to long neglected and extensive woodlands. By mixed planting, we ascertain what trees thrive best in varying soils and exposures, and having practically acquired this knowledge it should be acted on intelligently and decisively. Given 100 acres of park with undulating varying soil, planted with mixed trees for shelter and ornament, probably the highest degree of beauty and character would ultimately be obtained in the following way. When the first thinning is under- taken, the designer should go all over the wood. He will find unmistakeable differences in the uses which the trees have made of the time since they were planted. Where the soil is deep and heavy, the Oaks will look unusually clean and healthy. He will not err if he sacrifices everything else to make this a grove of Oaks. Here, perhaps, is a bleak hill-side, exposed to prevailing winds, the soil light and shallow. In such a place, the most promising plants are probably Silver Fir, Pinus Pinaster, or P. austriaca. On the crown of the hill, the Scotch Firs will be masters of the situation. Let him look a hundred years a-head, and see here materials for a striking picture — gloomy depths of the heavy Pinasters ; further on the stately Silvers, in rank after rank ; and, on the height, a crest of the more lightsome Scotch Firs. Here, he will be encouraged to establish a dell of Beech trees ; there, a company of Ashes. Then, some trees tend themselves to the formality of avenues; indeed. Lime trees, "iew. Beech, and Araucarias seem to attain their highest character when so employed. Thoughtful design will brmg a higher reward than indiscrimi- nate planting of any kind. Salmoniceps. 366 THE GAEDBN. [May 2, 1874. NOTES OF THE WEEK. We are informed by Mr. Wills that in the decorations at the Mansion House last Wednesday upwards of two tons of Ivy were used in draping the pictures, mirrors, and walls, and that amongst the cut flowers were upwards of 2,000 blooms of Marechal Niel Rose, and large quantities of Stephanotis, Gardenias, and other sweet- scented flowers, while among the plants employed were Palms, Fandanads, Marantas, Aralias, and Orchids. DuKiNG the past week we have noticed one or two Horse Chestnuts in full bloom, more especially one opposite the Knights- bridge Barracks, in Hyde Park. The Horse Chestnut is one of the most distinct and ornamental of all round-headed trees, both in foliage and flower. As a town tree, it has one fault ; its leaves die off very early. It is a pity one does not oftener see the rosy-flowered Pavias grouped with the Horse Chestnuts, for the sake of contrast. The show of choice Orchids which has been so attractive to visitors at the Royal Exotic Nursery, Chelsea, for several months, is just now, if possible, more effective than ever. The cool Orchids are now well represented by dozens of the beantifnl, but variable, Odontoglossum Alexandras, one variety of which is by far the most richly-coloured of any we have yet seen. These are set off by the rich purple or puce-tinted Masdevallia Harryana and M. Lindenii, Cattleya Mossia), C. Mendelii, Vandas, and Dendrobes, completing one of the best displays of choice Orchids we have yet seen. • A SCHEME is on foot for the establishment in Liverpool of a Crystal Palace, with winter gardens attached. It will be modelled on the plan of the Crystal Palace at Sydenham, and most of the features which have made that resort so famous will be here repro- duced. It is intended to construct a large aquarium, and to have Zoological Gardens and spaces for ont-door recreation attached to the palace. Several of the leading public men and merchants of the town have signified their apjiroval of the scheme, and a proposal will, in a short time, be laid before the corporation for establishing the new institution within, or in connection with, one of the public parks. The gardens at Alton Towers, which, through the libei-ality of Lord Shrewsbury, are thrown open to the public between May and July, are generally considerably damaged by the thousands who frequent them. On this account his lordship contemplated closing them this year ; but has recently been induced to alter that determination. No excursion parties will, however, be admitted after the 31st July, though visitors by ordinary trains on Wednesdays and Fridays in each week, may inspect the gardens and grounds after that date, as heretofore. The restriction just alluded to is imposed on account of excursionists trampling on the edges and margins of the terraces, and scattering paper and bottles about the grounds, besides otherwise annoying Lord Shrewsbury and his family. We must protest against the colour of the painting which is now disfiguring the fine stretch of iron railing which divides the Temple Gardens from the Thames Embankment. At first sight wo thought it simply a preparatory coating of red lead laid on to protect the metal, but, on a nearer view, we found that several of the work- men were engaged in the final operation of gilding the rosettes. The selection of this colour (to whomsoever it is due) is particularly unfortunate, marring, as it does, all the fine effect of the greenery of the trees and shrubs now bursting into leaf in association with it. It also stands out in prominent contrast with the whiteness of the stonework which supports the railing. Passers-by, of all classes, pause to look at it, and are unanimous in their condemnation of the unhappy effect produced by it. Wo should have thought that some neutral tint would not only have harmonised better with the gardens of the Temple and their surroundings, but would have also formed a much better relief to the very expensive gilding, which, on its present ground. work, is to a very great extent thrown away. One of the permanent features most valued in connection with the Crystal Palace is its gardens. Since Sir Joseph Paxton first designed them, more than twenty years ago, the copses and trees have had time to become umbrageous ; and at this season, when the spring flowering trees and shrubs are in perfection, there are few sights to be met with of such exceptional beauty as can be gained from the rockery, from all points of which Sir Joseph arranged real l>ictures in the way of landscape scenery. Near the rockery, now covered with Gorse, Broom, and Ferns, are numberle.'js blossom- bearing trees and shrubs, among which the snowy Mespilus, flowering earlier than some others, double white Cherries, Lilacs, Laburnum, pink and white Thorns, scarlet and white Chestnuts, and Magnolias are grouped in profusion with trees of graceful foliage. On the rising ground, near the north end of the great fountain, is an interesting e.':ample of Weeping Beech. The shrubs around this have lately been cleared, so that the clustering proportions of the tree may be better viewed. The Rosery, on the corresponding mound near the railway-station, has been re-arranged ; as have also the Rhododendrons in the terrace beds and in other parts, and the improvement of other portions of the grounds has not been neglected. • The winter garden scheme at Bournemouth has met with the hearty concurrence of the authorities, and its erection is to be commenced forthwith. We learn that a company is in process of formation for erecting a Winter Garden at Brighton. The land selected for the site was lately in the market for £30,000 ; but when the company offered to purchase it, the price suddenly rose to £15,000. A MARKET GARDENER living at Barking has been fined £4 and costs for offering for sale in London vegetables in a condition unfit for food. Doubts were also expressed as to whether he should not have been sent to prison without a fine. We observe that the Royal Irish Academy has sanctioned, among other grants from the fund at its disposal for aiding scientific researches, £39 17s. lid. to Dr. Moore of Glasnevin, for investigating and cataloguing the Irish Hepaticas. Mr. Michols's fine collection of stove and greenhouse plants was sold by auction on Wednesday and Thursday last, and realised large prices. The first day's sale fetched about £1,100 ; one of the highest priced plants sold on that day being a noble Anthurium Scherzeriannm, which fetched some £60. The result of the second day's sale will be given next week. The French, Belgian, and Italian Railway Companies have made a reduction of 50 per cent, on the carriage of all articles sent to the approaching International Exhibition at Florence, which will be opened on the 11th of next month. The same redaction has been made by the Italian companies in the fares of visitors to the exhibi. tion. A Paris journal states that the annual cost of securing shade- trees, flowers, and rare plants for the parks and public walks is as follows: — "Bois do Bologne (keeping), 387,000 francs; Bois de Vincennes, 270,310 francs ; squares, 515,220 francs ; cost of plants, flowers, &c., 40,000 francs; expenses of the houses, 11,000 francs; total, 1,253,560 francs (£501,422)." The Pharmaceutical Society have offered a silver medal for the best herbarium collected in any part of the United Kingdom between the first day of May 1874, and the first day of June 1875. The collections to consist of British flowering plants and Ferns, obtained in a wild state, and arranged according to the natui-al system, the collections to be accompanied by lists, arranged accord- ing to the same system, with the species numbered. No candidate will be allowed to compete, unless he be an associate, registered apprentice, or student of the society, or if his age exceed twenty -one years. A FINE plant of Angra)cum sesquipedale has recently bloomed under Mr. Dunn's care at Dalkeith. The plant is about 2 feet high, and had five spikes bearing twenty-two very fine blooms with tails from 10 to 15 inches in length, and lasted six weeks in perfection. In the same collection there was in bloom a very fine plant of the Dalkeith variety of Vanda tricolor. It bore fifteen spikes having from nine to twelve flowers on each. There was also a plant of Vanda suavis — Veitch's variety — with sixteen blooms on one spike, which must bo regarded as a very fine example of this fine Orchid. There were other two spikes on some plants of this variety with fifteen blossoms on each. Vandas may be regarded as among t,he very Hite of Orchidaceous plants, and when not grown under too much shade, and with a liberal amount of air, they are seldom out of bloom. With reference to the subject of proxy voting at South Kensington, we have received the following from Mr. W. S. Cooper, HiUmorton Paddox, Rugby. Dr. Denny stated, he says, that, " If country friends made so much about the Society or thought so much about it, they could take the rail and como up to South Kensington to I'ocord their vote." Certainly, railway authorities will, doubtless, bo good enough to issue us tickets, but naturally they will expect payment in return. May I, therefore, ask if Dr. Denny and the town-anti-couutry interest aro prepared to pay the expenses of us rustics? I know not. They would, I think, rather keep us away anil quietly pocket our subscriptions. Mr. Bateman hit the right nail on the head when ho said " Fellows in the country were those who really cultivated horticulture." Formerly a circular was issued with the names of plants for distribution from the society ; now, forsooth, we country members are invited to Chiswick to select for ourselves ! More rail. Again there is to bo no provincial show this year. Altogether, those who have opposed proxy voting may yet repent of their obstructive conduct. Mat 2, 1874] THE GARDEN. 367 THE INDOOR GARDEN. CHAM^ROPS HUMILIS. This is the only species of the Palm family indigenous to Europe, where it is found growing wild as far north as the latitude of Nice. It is common in Sicily and North Africa, especially in Algeria, where it is so abundant as, in some districts, to interfere seriously with ordinary cultivation, as it speedily fills the soil with a dense network of fibrous roots, which send up suckers and prove to the cultivators of that country a greater pest than the Couch Grass of our fields. The only effectual means of extirpating it, as recorded a few years since in the Annales dcs Sciences nafiireUes, is to lay the fields under water for a considerable length of time, when the roots become completely rotted and changed into vegetable mould. This remedy, however, can only be employed in the vicinity of streams, which, in Algeria, are " few and far between." This species of Palm is of dwarf stature, being seldom more than 3 or 4 feet in height, unless the suckers are cut away, when the trunk will sometimes rise as high as 20 or 30 feet. It forms a roundish and tolerably dense head of fan- shaped, plaited, deeply-divided leaves, springing from a mass of coarse fibrous matter, which gives the stem a somewhat club-shaped appearance. This, as well as the general aspect of the plant, is well shown in our illustration. In this country it is quite hardy, in sheltered positions, as far north as Yorkshire, where I have known some specimens of it, planted out at the foot of a south wall, to stand for years without any covering whatever in winter. These specimens were exceed- ingly ornamental, and required no more attention than any ordi- nary evergreen. The comparative hardiness of this Palm, and the very effective contrast which its habit and foliage present to the shrubs usually planted in our pleasure-grounds (to say nothing of its tropical aspect), should re- commend it to more extensive cultivation than it at present receives. Throughout the greater part of England it will be found a very effective addition to the margins of shrubberies, if planted on the south side, or in any toler- ably well - sheltered position, where it will not be exposed to icy blasts in winter, or, at any time of the year, to such high winds as would tear and bruise its spreading leaves. W. M. Chamserops liiiiniUs. BULBOUS PLANTS. Few classes of cultivated plants are so universally beautiful, or so much admired when in flower, as bulbs. They are, almost without exception, easily grown, and, when rationally treated, flower profusely ; yet, we not unfrequeutly hear com- plaints that some of the commonest of them are shy bloomers, a circumstance, doubtless, attributable to some inattention on the part of the cultivator, rather than to any inherent defect ou the part of the plants themselves. Plants to bloom in per- fection, must be well grown and well ripened, and this is especially necessary in the case of bulbs. Nevertheless, nothing is more common than to see pots containing this class of plants, thrown carelessly under stages, or crowded on a shelf, and left without moisture for days together, as soon as ever their floral beauty is over. Where mal-treatment of this kind is practised — and it is unfortunately far from uncommon — we need not wonder at bulbous plants not blooming the following season. When the season of flowering is over, such plants require even redoubled attention, and, if they are grown in quantity, they should be all set together, either in a small compartment by themselves, or on a stage in a Vinery or jilant-house, where they can be readily seen and carefully watered and syringed as required. Bulbs, with the exception of what are called Dutch Bulbs, are not fashionable just now in the majority of o-ardens although, in one or two places which we could name, they are a speciality, and a most attractive one. At Meadowbank Amaryllises and other choice bulbs used to receive nearly as' much attention as the Orchids, for which that place has so long been justly celebrated, and most amply was the attention just alluded to repaid ; for nowhere else have we seen such a fine show of Amaryllidaceous plants as was to be found in the con- servatories of that northern Eden. We know of no other class of plants that would better repay any painstaking cultivator for his trouble, than hardy, half-hardy, and tender bulbs, collected^ weathered, and well grown. Only give them positions equal to those occupied by Orchids and Ferns, with half the amount of attention that is usually bestowed on these plants, and we would have a perpetual exhibition of the most goi-geously-tinted flowers. We frequently hear it said, that no plants rival Orchids in delicate- tinting and delightful fragrance ; but even the graceful Butterfly plants (Phatenopsids) with all their wealth of snowy blossoms, are not more beautiful, or more deliciously fragi-ant, than the chaste _ and pearly blossomed Eucharis. Place a blooming plant of the glowing Masdevallia ignea, or M. Veitchii, side by side with Hasmanthus coccineus, and ask an ordinary observer which is the brightest, freshest, and most effective. Take a handful of Ixias or Sparaxis from a warm sheltered border, and carry them into the vapour bath of an East Indian house, and they will hold their own against the most rare and valuable of tropical epi- phytes. Indeed, Ixias, Sparaxis, Tritonias, and Babianas, either as pot-plants or in borders, are invaluable, and furnish abun- dance of flue spikes for cutting and vase decoration. All they require is a rich sandy soil, hi a sheltered sunny position, where their delicate flowers will not get damaged by high winds. Another bulb, worth growing by the dozen in eve'ry establishment where cut flowers or decorative plants are required, is the bright scarlet-flowered Vallota purpurea. This grows as freely as an Amaryllis, but differs from it in being evergreen ; and not unfrequeutly inexperienced cultivators either ruin it entirely, or seriously injure it, by forcing it to rest for a portion of the year. This should never be done under any circumstances, or disappointment is sure to be the result. This Vallota, which is sometimes called the Scar- borough Lily, is one of the finest of all bulbous plants for window culture in pots, lasting, as it does, a long time in bloom, and forming a very attractive ornament. Among the smaller bulbs adapted for general pot-culture may be named Triteleias, both white and blue forms ; Narcissi, of all shades of k 368 THE GARDEN. [May 2, 1874. yellow aud wbito; Crocuses; Snowdrops; and tbose most charming of all spriug-fioweriug bulbs, viz., Squills (Scillas). We have seen some splendid potfuls of the golden-yellow Hooped-Petticoat Narcissus (N. Bulbocodium) this spring, and the tall blue Scilla nutans, growing side by side ; and these, mixed with pots of Mignonette, Ferns, and other foliage plants, in a cool greenhouse, were strikingly effective. For autumn flowering, the Guernsey and Belladonna Lilies are invaluable, and their culture is as simple as that of the Hyacinth. Of these, well-developed bulbs showing flower- spikes may be bought for a few pence early in September, or as soon as they are imported by the nurserymen, and all they require is potting at once in any light sandy soil, and keeping them moist until their flowers expand ; lor window-culture, bulbs of this kind are specially adapted, and their delica.tely- tinted flowers shine and sparkle with crystalline brilliancy when placed under artificial light. For the decoration of the dinner-table, or for drawing-room vases, cut spikes or bulbs in sraall pots are specially adapted. During the coming season we hope to see both Guernsey and Belladonna Lilies imported in large quantities, and, as in the majority of cases, tlie flower- spikes are visible at the time during which the bulbs are offered for sale, their blossoming the same season may be relied on. As soon as the flowers are past, plant the bulbs in a warm sunny border, and, as a rule, they will again throw up their flowers the following year. The Belladonna Lily is specially adapted for outdoor or border culture ; and treated in that way, it flowers freely every autumn ; its delicate rosy- pink blossoms being borne on stout stalks 12 to 18 inches in height. Lilies are, fortunately, very popular just at present, and we hope they will long remain so, for as a class, no bulbous plants are more beautiful, either for pot-culture indoors, or for the decoration of beds aud borders in the flower garden or pleasure grounds. B. DENDROBIUM PIERARDI. Almost everybody now-a-days who has the means — even where no special houses exist for their cultivation — is anxious to grow a few Orchids. Donbtless, the discovery that many of the most beautiful Orchids will flourish in a greenhouse temperature during a consider- able portion of the year, and that they are not nearly so difficult to manage as was formerly supposed, has had much to do with their increasing popularity. Of course, comparatively few can afford to make a speciality of them, although, taking into consideration the high prices often realised at Orchid sales, they must, one would think, in many instances, prove a not unremunerative investment. For beginners, few families are more useful or beautiful than the Dendrobiums. D. Pierardi makes a beautiful basket plant, which may be had in good condition with as little trouble as many of the commoner creeping plants used for that purpose. We have a basketful of it literally covered with its soft velvety-looking flowers ; it has been in this condition more than a month, and there are still many buds to open. Two years ago, when it was a very small plant on a block of wood, it was placed in a wire basket lined with Moss, and the interior of the basket was filled up with Moss interspersed with pieces of charcoal and two or three pieces of very fibry peat. The basket was hung up near the glass, and was well supplied with water during the growing season ; afterwards it was rested by gradually withholding water and by exposure to the sunlight, not abaolately to dry it off so as to cause shrivelling. The great thing is to hang the plant near the glass, so as to get the growth well ripened. Where shall wo find any stove or greenhouse plant that will yield as much floral beauty with so little trouble as the common but beautiful Dendrobinm nobile ? It may be had in flower at any season of the year where there are several plants iu stock, by inducing them to make their growth at different periods; and, during their period of growth, heat and moisture are essential, accompanied by bottom-heat if possible. Much, however, of the success is due to tho proper maturation of the pseudo-bulbs near the glass, altogether exposed to the sunlight, or at first with ( nly the thinnest possible shade over them, to bo removed altogether as soon as the plants get inured to the sun. I think this cla.ss of plants are often too heavily shaded, and, as a consequence, they do not flower so well. For the purpose of experiment, I placed a large plant of Dendrobium nobile, early in August, out in the open air at the foot of a south wall. My object was to see if exposure alone, even in a warm spot, without the aid of glass, would mature tho pseudo-bulbs 80 as to [iroduco a good bloom. The experiment, however, was a failure, for the flowers are few and far between ; whilst other plants placed on a greenhouse stage near the glass have flowered well. It appears that a plant that requires an Indian summer to mature its growth must in England have the aid of glass ; but I know that many stove plants will flower all the better for being placed in tho open air, in a warm sheltered place, for a month or so, to complete the maturation of their growth. E. Hobdav. Salvias. — When large conservatories and plant-houses are required to be kept gay during the dull dark months of the year, scarcely any subjects are more effective for mixing with the permanent inmates of these structures than these brilliant and free-flowering plants. There is a great variety of sorts, but, as so many of them are merely different shades of scarlet, I have selected a few kinds that will form a succession of bloom. I think I may, with certainty, select S. splendens as the best of all as regards freedom of bloom and intensity of colour. In these respects it is unexcelled by any plant with which I am acquainted, and from September to Christmas is its host season — although it may easily be had in bloom earlier and prolonged later if wanted. I also find S. Ileerii a very distinct aud good sort to succeed splendens, as its crimson flowers with white throat are very pretty. S. gesnerEefolia comes in well in spring, and several other varieties ; but, of course, the winter bloomers are the most serviceable. We always grow fresh plants every year, as they may be grown to any size iu one season, and are particularly clean plants if kept growing freely with plenty of root-room and moisture. They are all best grown out of doors during summer, aud removed under glass as soon as the nights get cold ; for, although considered by some as old-fashioned flowers, they well repay all the care bestowed on them. — J. G. Euphorbia jacquiniseflora. — During the past winter few plants in our stove have attracted so much attention as this. Three years ago I planted out a small pot specimen, and trained it along the back wall, along with the elegant Ficus stipulata. The plant took kindly to its position and grew very rapidly, making much stronger shoots than it ever does when cramped in pots; indeed, so robust were its growths that I almost despaired of their ever flowering. It did bloom, however; the tips of its shoots being glowing masses of bright scarlet, its colour being intensified by the fresh green Ficus behind. I prune them back close every spring, and this year the whole back wall has been one mass of scarlet and green. Some of the strongest shoots had flowers at their tips for 15 inches, forming the most charmingly naturtil of all floral wreaths, and these came iu very handy for the drawing-room vases ; and the smallest were occasionally used by the ladies, as a relief from Camellias and Euoharis, for their liair. The brightest arrangement I ever saw iu a drawing-room vase consisted of two spikes of this plant, a spike of Eucharis bearing five open flowers and two pearly buds, this trio being further set off by just three fresh well-developed fronds of Pteris tremnla. Nothing could he simpler or more striking than this, the whole being contained in one of the elegant trumpet-shaped vases recommended by your correspondent Mr. W. Thomson, at whose suggestion I purchased mine, and must say that it has saved the gardener many a pang of regret at the loss of his favourite flowers, since so few sprays suftioe to fill them tastefully. — J. H., Sydmham. NOTES AND QUESTIONS ON THE INDOOR GARDEN. UrceoUna pendnla.— Thi.^^ grows freely in my little plant stove and blooms freely every year. The only drawback connected with it is that it blooms after the leaves are withered, or just loefore they again appear, and this gives the plant a naked aspect. Judicious grouping along with Ferns and other foliage plants, however, to some extent obviates this defect. — J. M. Camellia reticulata.— I am sorry to say that the fine specimen of this Camellia to which you allude (see p. 34.1) has been going back for these last few years. This season I have removed all the bloom-buds, and have also paid great attention to the nourishment of tho roots ; a course of treatment under which it is making some strong shoiits, and has the appearance of regaining lost vigour. — U. A., Bank Grove, Kingiitun-on-Thamcs. Fuchsia Insects.— I have sent you two insects which have been attacking a batch of young Fuchsias, and especially Avalanche. They eat the bark ofr nearly all round, just under the soil. What are they ?— J. C, P feet wide where the ground is vacant in the vegetable fpiarters. I, however, object, for various reasons, to thus using ground intended hereafter for vegetables, because, in the first place, the ground in the immediate neighbourhood gets trampled so much as to render it unfit for cropping for some time ; secondly, I am in favour of a hard surface for standing the plants on when turned out of the pots, with just sufficient soil placed firmly between and over the balls to induce them to make a host of fibrous roots, but not deep enough to encourage too much growth ; and thirdly, it is always desirable to economise labour by placing those extemporised nurseries as near the water supply as pos- sible. Having, therefore, selected a suitable spot in a sheltered position, the next consideration is the arrangement of the surface into handy-sized beds to facilitate the necessary watering and covering. The former will be reduced to a mini- mum, but the coverings will probably require to be placed on every evening. In nearly all gardens there is, or ought to be, a number of stout boards or planks for the convenience of carrying out any necessary alterations in winter cleanly and expeditiously ; and with those, and some short stakes driven in alternately on each side to keep the planks firmly on the edge in the retiuired position, a number of temporary wooden frames will be formed in a very short time. Stout laths or Holly- hock stakes may be laid across, at intervals of 3 feet, to support the mats or other protecting materials used, and a nail may be driven through the ends to keep them in their proper places. About 6 feet is a very convenient width for watering or cover- ing, I have sometimes, when short of planks, used bundles of Pea stakes laid end to end for forming the outside of temporary bedding-plant protectors, and, with au extra band round them to keep the sprays close together, they form no bad substitute for planks. However, anyone with a little ingenuity will always discover something near at hand suitable for the purpose. I may say also that much may be done to facilitate arrange- ments of this kind in winter, when there is not so much pressure upon any department. Assuming that the surface of the ground is level and perfectly hard, about 4 inches of soil may be placed in the frame, and the plants at once planted out almost closely together, aud the soil packed in firmly round the balls. Tricolor, Bicolor, and all .other Geraniums that are grown in pots for bedding, may be turned out, and the pots used again for potting off Coleus, Iresines, Fuchsias, &c. In this way our pots do duty sometimes two or three times during the spring. Verbenas, Petunias, Ageratums, Perillas, &c., are better pricked off into boxes, and the growth duly pinched in to keep them sturdy and dwarf. When the planting season arrives, the plants may easily be lifted and the balls divided without any serious check beiug felt. In fact, this turning out mto a cool open air structure a month or so before finally planting out is a decided advantage, even to the plants, without taking into consideration the important saving of labour. E. Hobday. THE WALLFLOWER. Is not this valuable spring-blooming plant worthy of much wider cultivation, and a more careful degree of selection, than it at present receives ? I regard the Wallflower as the most pleasing of all hardy early -blooming biennials, as, in addition to rich hues of colour, it also possesses the most delightful of perfumes. I have seen the single Blood Red growing by the acre in market-gardens about here ; but, as the flowers are cut as fast as they are ready for bunching, the efl'ect of a grand mass of rich colour is never seen. How is it that our fine London Market variety is so little met with in country districts ? I often ask myself the question ; but the reason is clear and simple. No spring flower is so eagerly sought after by bees ; and, as they continually flit hither and thither from plant to plant, and from garden to garden, it is obvious that they jnust be continually fertilising the flowers of one plant with the pollen of others of a different hue of colour, and, under these circumstances, it would be impossible to maintain pure a strain of the Wallflower, let the colour be ever so good. At least, it could not be maintained so by seed, but it might be done by the propagation of anything specially good by cuttings. There is but one other resource for the amateur or gardener who wishes to annually possess pure strains of the Wallflower, and that is, to purchase seed from some reliable source, where one colour only is grown, except at remote distances from any other. I have, of late, become so conscious of the great beauty and fine quality of some of our single kinds, that I have this spring made a selec- tion of certain forms and colours for naming, and to be propa- gated by cuttings, so that their fine features may be truth- fully maintained. Thus, of these, I have selected six as May 9, 1874] THE GAEDEN. 391 possessing notable merits. Warrior has a fine pip of good form and substance, well expanded, and in colour intense rich crimson. It grows to an average height of 18 inches when the plants are strong, and is most effective when in full bloom. Giant Red partakes somewhat of the robust habit of growth peculiar to the strain known as Young's Blood Red, but has a more compact growth, and is about 14 inches in height ; the pip is of great size and substance, and fully expands without curling ; the colour is bright crimson-red, and the variety is one of the finest I have ever seen. The Dwarf, compact red, presents a form that must become most valuable for spring bedding purposes, its height being about 9 inches, whilst it also possesses a close branching habit. It blooms early and freely, and is also of a deep crimson-red hue of colour; it will make a capital companion variety to the Belvoir Castle Yellow. We have at times obtained from the Continent novel coloured strains of the Wallflower, but they are remarkable for their straggling habit of growth and loose- ness of the flowers. Of these I hare made a selection of a variety that has purplish plum-coloured flowers of fair quality, and the habit of the plant is bettor than that of Wallflowers generally, being about 1.5 inches inheight, and even more. I call this kind Pluraripe. Good yellow Wallflowers, when pure in colour, and of an even habit of growth, make very effective spring beds. This is especially the case with a good strain of the Belvoir Castle Yellow, a variety that has several synonyms, but its large use by Mr. Ingram, at Belvoir, ere it was commonly known elsewhere, justifies the general use of the designation I have given it. Its merits are a very dwarf compact branching habit; early blooming ; colour, pure orange- yellow, and a most efl'ective bedder. For a fine border kind, however, I must give the palm to Cloth of Gold, a clear golden- yellow flower, large, flat, and rounded, and very ha.idsome. It grows to a height of 16 inches, and blooms for a long period. The latest novelty in single Wallflowers is a variegated kind, the leaves being edged and flaked with yellow, and the flowers striped yellow and crimson. It is quite hardy, and will make a pretty pot plant for a cool house. Seed of the single Wall- flower should be sown in the three first months of the year to secure strong plants, and an early bloom for the next spring. Our market-gardeners sow their seed usually on a fine day in January, and are oftimes enabled to cut flowers at the ensuing Christmas. Of the double kind little is now seen except the yellow, which is common, and makes a very attractive border plant. It is a great favourite with cottagers, as plants, if care- fully looked after, will continiie to grow and flower for several years. There is also sometimes to be met with a fine double chocolate-brown kind that is equally early and vigorous, but the least known and most richly coloured of all is the deep crimson, a fine and distinct variety. It is in all respects, except colour, an exact duplicate of the yellow, but I have not seen it for many years. These double kinds are easily propa- gated by cuttings taken off after the plant has flowered, as the young shoots are then firm and able to resist damp. A shady place, sharp sandy Eoil, and a handlight are all the remaining requisites to ensure a good stock of plants. I have seen the exhibits in the class for six double Wallflowers, staged at the spring show at South Kensington, for several years past, but the yellow kind only has been staged. If the class is to be continued, I hope to see more variety in future. " A. D. STOCKS. One of the most common, and, at the same time, one of the sweetest of garden flowers, is the Ten-week Stock, popularly known under the homely name of Gilliflower — a summer- blooming plant as indispensable to our gardens as the Rose. It is said to have come to us from the shores of the Mediter- J'anean; and if the original form, as introduced, could now be compared with the finest types in cultivation, we should be much surprised at the extent of improvement which has been effected in it. As in the case of the Aster, German culti- vators have done much in the way of developing finer charac- teristics than occur in the original species, and hence it has come to bo known as the German Ten-week Stock. This Stock is that which is most generally cultivated for summer-bloom- ing, and it is the invariable rule to import its seeds from Germany, where they are saved from plants carefully culti- vated in pots ; therefore, as a general rule, sixty to seventy per cent, of the plants produce double fiowers. In some cases, however, the chances of double flowers are very precarious. It is said that such seed plants as have more than the usual number of petals, that is, six or seven in.stead of four, generally produce double flowers when the seed is again sown. This may be true ; but it is no less certain that four-petalled flowers will also produce a large percentage of double blossoms. Still, it would always be well for the cultivator who may be bent on improving a particular kind of Stock to mark plants showing a redundancy of petals, and sow the seed separately with the view of testing the truth of the theory. It is by no means generally known that double Stocks do not produce seed, and that it is obtained only from single flowers, a fact also true with respect to the Chinese Primrose. In a perfectly double Stock there are no such things as stamens or anthers, consequently no pollen, but all flowers on single plants that have five, six, or seven petals, will furnish seeds that produce eighty per cent, of double flowers. The finest strain of this Stock is that known as the large-flowering Pyramidal Ten-week. I have seen magniflcent varieties of this come from imported seed — large vigorous-growing plants, branching freely, and producing a huge main spike of double flowers, with numerous branching spikes in succession. Where cut flowers are in request, a bed of these Stocks should be grown to assist in supplying them during the summer. The seed may be sown at any time from the middle of March onward ; but it is always well to get Stocks from the seed early, so that plants may be ready for bedding. The seed can be sown thinly in pans or shallow boxes, in a gentle heat, and, as soon as the plants can be handled withoxat injury, they should be transplanted into other pans or boxes, and grown on quickly, at the same time taking care not to draw them so as to make them weak and lanky. There are many places in gardens where a bed or line of Stocks might be grown with advantage ; only give them a good rich soil to grow in, and they will amply reward the cultivator. The German growers have a formidable list of kinds, many of which are more curious than showy. There are, however, sure to be sufficient leading colours among them, such as crimson, rose, purple, violet, and white, to yield distinct and pleasing hues. There is a strain of English selected Stocks known as Pyramidal, which are of tall growth, and remarkable for the large pyramids of fine flowers which they produce ; but they are by no means so generally cultivated as they deserve to be. There is a very distinct type of Stocks known as Wallflower-leaved, which were introduced many years ago from the Grecian Archipelago, and which have shining deep-gi-een leaves, not unlike those of a Wallflower. In all other respects the Wallflower-leaved type is like the ordinary German Stock. One of the flnest varieties of this type, and at the same time one of the most beautiful Stocks in cultivation, bears the name of Mauve Beauty, a kind remarkable for its huge compact heads of pale lustrous mauve-coloured flowers. The same treatment as that recommended for the Ten-week Stock will answer for this type of Stock. The Intermediate Stock, as it is termed, though only a later- flowering selection from or variety of the German Ten-week, may be set down as a distinct type. It is used for pot-culture, to flower in early spring, the seed being sown in July and August. In growth it is dwarf and bushy, and, being very free-blooming, it is well adapted for cultivation in pots. As striking colours are best adapted for this purpose, the varieties may be said to be confined to scarlet, purple, and white. There is a fine strain of this type grown in Scotland, under the name of the East Lothian Intermediate Stock, where it is much used for beds and borders, the cool moist climate of that country appearing to suit it exactly. Instead of sowing Inter- mediate Stocks at the end of the summer, they should be sown about the end of March in a cold frame, and in May they should be transplanted to the open gi-ound, in which they will flower freely through August, September, and October. In Novem- ber the double flowers should be all lifted and potted, as it is unsafe to expose them to the risk of wintering in the open ground, and they continue to bloom more or less during the winter in a cold frame or cool house. They should be again 392 THE GARDEN. [May 9, 1874. planted out in March, when they will make fresh growth and flower all the summer. The single varieties are also lifted in" November, and either potted or planted by the side of a south wall, where they are wintered, and flower and ripen their seed the following summer. They too require a rich light soil, in which they root freely. There are yet the Brompton Stock and the Queen Stock. The latter differs from the ordinary annual Ton-week Stock in being somewhat shrubby, of larger size, and of perennial duration. The priuoipal varieties are the pui-ple, scarlet, and white — the former being most generally grown. It is a great favourite in cottage gardens round London ; and, at this time of the year, dense bushes of it may be met with — a mass of fine double purple blossoms. By some the Brompton Stock is thought to be only a variety of the Queen Stock ; and certainly there are many points of resemblance between them, though the latter has a stronger, taller, and less branched growth. There are the crimson, white, and purple varieties. In some country districts, there is a fine form of the crimson or scarlet to be met with in cottage gardens, with long stems of great size and remarkably full double flowers ; and there is also a very fine form of the white Brompton in cultivation. The seed should be sown in April and May, either in a gentle heat or on a warm border in the open air ; the plants should be pricked out into beds and grown on during the summer, and in August and September planted out where they are to flower. They frequently suffer during the winter from hard weather ; and, it is not a little remarkable, that these biennial Stocks appear to have suffered more during the past dry winter than they did during the very wet winter of 1872-73. An old authority states that the true Queen Stock is rough on the under part of the leaf, and woolly. The Brompton Stock has leaves that are smooth on both sides. The seed of the white Brompton Stock is of a pale brown colour ; that of the white Queen of quite a dark tint. A great deal of confusion is caused by one being frequently sold for the other. Quo. NEW VARIETIES OP CHRISTMAS ROSE. (lIELLEBORUS.) The following remarks on this subject, by M. E. Rodigas, appear in the last number of the Bidlcfin iVArhoricnlture : — Among those varieties of Helleborus which are considei'ed to be true species, several possess a really ornamental character, and deserve to be better known. Such are H. niger, with its large-flowered variety, H. n. maximus ; H. purpureus, which has flowers of a fine velvety purple ; and especially H. abchasi- cus A. Br. (mentioned in Booth's catalogue of 1851, and two years later in the seed catalogue of the Botanic Garden at Berlin), and H. olympicus Bot. Reg., the flowers of which are larger and more rosy, and which is, probably, only a more perfect form of H. atrorubens Wald. The discovery of the last-named species dates back to 1822. It is a native of Hungary, while H. abchasicus was first found, fifteen years since, ou the slopes of the Caucasus facing the Black Sea. Seeing these plants in flower, side by side, we have often doubted their siiecific difference, and a personal experience of them fully confirms this view. In fact, repeated sowings which wo have made of seeds of H. abchasicus fertilised with II. olympicus, and y/cr ri.Txri, have produced forms possessing, in turns, all the characteristics of several species admitted by authors, so that H. abchasicus, A. B., H. atrorubens Wald., H. purpurascens Wald., and H. olympicus Bot. Reg., might well be reduced toa single ty])e, of which (following the recognised laws of priority in botanical nomenclature) the name should properly be H. atrorubens Wald. Whatever opinion may be formed of this scientific (piestion, at which we merely glance here, the jilants possess a twofold value for gardens on account of their (;arly flowering and their handsome foliage. Not only do their flowers withstand all the rigours of wintry frost and snow, but the verdure and vigorous growth of their leaves distinguish these plants througliout the whole year. In the course of the sowijigs to which we have made allusion, M. le ]Jr. Rodigas has obtained, in his gardens at Saint Trend, several varieties, which add to the other good qualities of the type the additional merit of new tints of colour in the flowers Of these varieties the following are among the most remark- able:— H. ABCHASICUS VAR. FLOHE BOSEO (Rod.), distinguished by a rosy tint, which, in fine lines or streaks, suffuses the pale ground of the flower. H. A. VAR. PL. pubpureo-LjEVIGATo (Rod.), remarkable for the round form and reddish-purple colour of its flowers. H. A. VAR. PL. ALBO (Rod.) is, perhaps, the most remarkable of these varieties, its pure white flowers, slightly tinted on the margins with rose, presenting a marked contrast to the flowers of the other kinds. H. A. VAR. PL. PUBPUBEO (Rod.), in its foliage and the colour of its flowers, resembles H. purpurascens, Wald., although it is certainly a seedling from H. abchasicus. Its flowers are not so large as those of the parent, but they are perfect in form, and their purplish tint is very striking. H. A. VAR. PL. LUTEOLO (Rod.). — This variety is remarkable both for the large size of its flowers, and for the yellowish tinge which suft'uses their green ground-colour. All these varieties are well adapted for the embellishment of the flower garden, and, if re-potted in autumn, may be kept a long while iu bloom as window plants. Their culture is ex- ceedingly simple. Ordinary garden-soil, half-sandy and half- clay, provided it be not too poor, suits them admirably. In dry and very sandy soil, they should receive occasional water- ings during the summer, or there is a risk of their not blooming well iu the following spring. The plants are multiplied by division of the stools in spring or autumn. Peculiar Sport from Pelargonium Mrs. Pollock. — I have sent you a truss of bloom cut from a green sport of Mrs. Pollock, in which yon will find a considerable amount of the Nosegay element. The colour too, is different from that of Mrs. Pollock. Have you seen anything like it? — J. MrrcnsLL. [Ou submitting this to Mr. Peter Grieve, he favoured us with the following reply : — " I should hardly have thought it possible that a sport from Mrs. Pollock could have produced the truss of bloom you have sent me, as the flowers are not of the same colour as the blooms of that variety. 1 have always found that the blooms of green sports from variegated varieties retained the same shade of colour as that of the plants from which they had sported, although, generally, of increased vigour. Moreover, neither of the parents of Mrs. Pollock were of the Nosegay section. The family of the modern Zonal Pelargonium is, however, somewhat analogous to the great Anglo-Saxon race, viz., composed of various elements ; and, this circumstance may to some extent, account for the extraordinary sport in question. If your correspondent will refer to ' Grieve's History of the Variegated Zonal Pelargonium,' he will find at page 21, the following pedigree of Mrs. Pollock: — 'In the summer of 1855, I fertilised blooms of the old variety named Cottage Maid with pollen taken from Golden Chain, and the result of this cross was two distinct varieties, both of them improvements upon their pollen parent. They were named respectively Golden Tom Thumb and Golden Cerise Unique. Dnriug the following sum. mer, blooms of the Emperor of the French were fertilised by the pollen of Golden Tom Thumb, and this produced a variety which was named Gold Pheasant, a decided improvement upon its pollon parent, and inferior only to Mrs. Pollock, which last, together with Sunset, were the produce of the two following years, and were obtained between Emperor of the French and Gold Pheasant, making the latter the pollen parent.'"] NOTES AND QUESTIONS ON THE FLOWER GARDEN. Heather-thatched Summer-houses.— Can any of your correspondents tell nic how to thatch a summer-house with Heather? The roof is dome- shaped .and supported on wooden piers. — M. Iris tomiolopha. — This showy species is now in bloom in Mr. Bull's establishment at Chelsea. Its foliage is about a foot in lici^jht, and tlie scape, wliich is about as long as the foliage, bears a large lilac llower witti purple s[)0ts. It is a native of China, and has been fully described in the Jouniut of Bfjfiniij. It does admirably as a pot plant in a cool house or pit, although a warm* sheltered border is tlie place for it when established. — B. Alyssum saxatile. — From the middle of April to the middle of M.ay, there is no morosliowy or beautiful plant in the spring garden than this Alyssum ; its lirif^'lit golden colour being the most pleasing of all yellows. Three years ago I i»Iantud out a row of nine strong plants, which liave been allowed to remain untouched, and now they make a solid mass of colour, !) feet long and 2 feet in width. These plants consist of the compact-growing variety of this Alyssum, and were originally raised from seed, from which plants may bo obtained as readily as WalHIowers, and, if it be sown now, strong blooming plants next spring should be the result. Propagation by means of cuttings is also a good mode of increasing the stock ; which should be put in under hand- lights as early in summer as good firm wood can be had. — Bedfont. May 9, 1874] THE GARDEN. 393 GARDEN DESTROYERS. OAK-APPLES OK GALLS. These arc pt'odiiced by au insect known to entomologists under the name of Cynips Querous-potioli, -which deposits its GiTgs in the tender bark of the young twigs of the Oak. Soon afterwards the portion of tlie bark in which an egg has been deposited begins to swell, and ultimately forms a rounded tumour or excrescence, sometimes over an inch in diameter. " On cutting into these galls," says Dr. Fitch, " the small limb on which they grow is found to have its wood thickened or swollen, and, over it, forming the chief bulk of the tumour, is a corky substance of a yellowish-brown or snuff colour, between which and the wood are several small hard grains (resembling seeds, each having a cavity in its centre), in which, doubled together, lies a soft, white, footless worm or maggot. Tliis, on completing its growth, changes to a pupa in the same coll, and, subsequently, into a fly ; whereupon, to escape from its oonSnement, it gnaws through the corky substance and the external bark, thus producing those small perforations like pin-holes, which are always seen in these tumours after the insects have made their exit therefrom." Fig. 2 in our illus- tration represents a section of one of these galls cut through the middle, and showing the central cavity in which the grub grew to maturity, prior to eating its way to the outside, through the channel which is also shown. The injury done to Oak planta- tions by these insects is some- times very great. A few years since they appeared in such numbers in thecountiesof Devon, Cornwall, Dorset, and Somer- set, as to create quite a panic among the landowners, who were threatened with the entire loss of their Oak plantations. Some of the ti'ees withered and died, others had their leading shoots killed, while the younger trees were seriously checked in their growth. A remarkable effect which these galls produced on the larger trees is thus recorded by a gentleman, writing at the time from the neigh- bourhood of Worcester : — ■" The mischief is that the Oaks are certainly rendered barren by these hard gall-nuts, and, wherever they occur on the larger trees, there are no There is another species of 1, Oak-gall (full size) ; 2, section ; 3, larva ; 4, female, and 5, male Cjnips. Acorns at all produced." Cynips which deposits its eggs in the same manner in the leaves of the Oak, causing them to swell .similarly. The tumours, however, produced by this insect are soft and much smaller than the bark-galls. In both oases it is probable that the parent in.sect,_ when depositing her eggs, injects with each a small quantity of some acrid secretion which has a specific effect in so irritating the tissues of the bark or leaf that they at once commence to swell and produce the spherical induration which forms the nidus of the future larva. W. M. Mouutain Ash tree Insects.— Wliat is the name of the enclosed insects which are destroying small Mountain Ash trees?— M. W. W. [Thev are a species of Phyllobius, named P. mali. They usually attack the Ap]ile aiid Pear and other allied snecies ot the same family as the Mountain Ash. We linow of no remedy. — A. M.] Insects and Flower Fertilisation.— According to Dr. Midler, of Lippstadt, who has recently published an exhaustive treatise on the fertilisation of flowers by insects, it appears that insects are not impelled by their instinct to frequent particular species of plants. This may occur, but it is only in isolated cases, of which he is able to cite only two. In general, insects ronm at random over the holds, and light indifferently on any flowers that attract their attention, and it is not uncommon to Bud them making fruitless search in flowers that contain no honey. This important fact has been generally overlooked by former observers. THE GARDEN IN THE HOUSE. BALCONY GARDENING. With very little outlay or trouble, a balcony may be made a mass of bloom during a great part of the season, and its decoration affords pleasant occupation. If it be covered, I would suggest, first, that Virginian Creeper be trained over the roof, as nothing with which I am acquainted grows faster, and its colour, in summer, is a bright green, while in autumn it becomes a mass of glowing red. It should be planted in a tub or box, placed at the end of the balcony, along the front of which should be trained Creepers, such as Clematises, and these should also be planted in pots or boxes at each end of the balcony. If the latter be very long, how- ever, some may be placed in the centre as well. On the pillars or supports. Honeysuckle, Passion-flower, and .Lasmine might be trained with advantage, and neat baskets suspended between the pillars hafe a fine effect, filled, say, one with a fine-leaved Coleus, surrounded with blue Convolvuluses to hang down all round it. Another might contain a white and pink Fuchsia, surrounded by blue Lobelias ; a third might be furnished with a handsome Calceolaria in the middle, and scarlet Tropajolum to hang round it ; and a fourth might consist of a plant of Centaurea, surrounded by Rollis- son's Unique Geranium. Then, standing at equal distances in pots along the front, might be placed either handsome-ilower- ing plants or shrubs. All the plants which I have mentioned might remain out of doors all the year round, except those in the baskets, some of which may be saved in a small greenhouse if such a convenience be at hand. The cost, however, of filling them afresh every season is but trifling. In autumn I would advise their being filled with variegated Ivies, many of which look lovely drooping down round the edges, and in their centres should be placed Hya- cinths, Tulips, Squills, or any spring-blooming bulbs. In the case of balconies which have no roof, but which merely consist of an ornamental railing, arches of iron rods should be placed along the front, lengthways, and covered with creepers, consisting of the varieties above-named, a basket being suspended from the centre of each arch. An arrangement of this kind has a very good effect. Instead of having large plants along the front, a box, made either of wood or tiles of whatever width is desirable, to run the entire length, might be used filled with bedding plants during the summer months, and in autumn with bulbs and spring-flower- ing varieties. When purchasing baskets, I should always advise well shaped, but not ornamental worked patterns to be selected, as those with ornamental work on them are much more expensive, and when the plants are in them, little of the ornamental part can be seen. A. Hass.\_rd. Upi^er Norwood. Cobsea scandens. ^ — This and its beautiful variegated form are tolerably well known as conservatory climbers of quick and graceful growth, but it is not so well known, that the green-leaved or typical form is one of the best of all climbers for window or balcony culture. If grown iu pots and trained inside the window, it flowers earlier and more profusely than when planted outside, but in either position it is a valuable decorative jjlant, and one well worth general cultnre as above indicated. It is a native of mountain ranges in Mexico, and bears large bell-shaped flowers of a greenish.purple, with bright golden stamens. The variegated form is rather more tender than its green-leaved kind. — J. L. McFaklaxe. 394 THE GAEDEN. [May 9, 1874. THE ARBORETUM. OUR PARKS AND WOODLANDS IN SPRING. SrfiiNG — the season when Nature puts forth her first promise of the glory that shall follow in the leafy days of summer — comes, I fear, to the pent-up multitudes in great cities only with its lengthened days and warm blinks of sunshine. How little do the vast majority of townspeople know or see of the beauty of our English woodlands, lanes, and parks at this enohantmg season.'' Nevertheless, there is in the heart of most townsmen a deeply ingrained love of a garden and its belongings, and it is a hopeful sign of the times iu which we live that we have amongst us men with means and sufficient generosity to part with their money to purchase that most elevating and rational of all enjoyments, namely, a public park or garden. Although such places may be wanting in some of the bright features and surroundings of the fine English parks far away in the country, yet they are, to the artisan and toil- worn multitudes that frequent them, a very paradise ; and not alone to them, but, to the children of the rising generation in our towns, what the lanes and woodland-meadows are to our country children, a place of healthful resort, whei-e they become acquainted with Nature and her wonderful produc- tions. Many of us can trace our love of flowers to the days of childhood, when we gathered Daisies and Buttercups with other " wildings of Nature," to be carried home in triumph to deck the cottage window-sill. Nothing has a more h umanising effect upon the young than flowers, and those who set apart either a park or garden for the use of their toiling brethren deserve the best thanks of every man who wishes well to his country. Even to those whose lives are spent in the countrv, spring is peculiarly interestuig. The Pine copse, on which, during the short and stormy days of winter, the eye delighted to rest, becomes comparatively dark and sombre when the Larch puts forth its exquisite green and lovely rose-coloured catkins. Than the Plane, too, no tree in our English woodlands or parks is, at this season, more ornamental, its varied tints being most remarkable ; some trees look as if clothed in dark bronze, others in the deepest olive-green. The perfect sym- metry of outline of the Plane, too, makes it one of the most striking objects in our landscapes. The Gean and double- blossomed Cherry are likewise lovely objects, perfect in outline, and being covered, as it were, with a sheet of purest snow, contrast strikingly with their green surroundings. It is a matter of regret that the Birch does not occupy a more prominent place than it does iu our parks. All who have seen it in its natural habitat, on mountain passes and wild gorges, will, I feel sure, like Sir Walter Scott, term it the " lady of the woods." Even in winter, we have no native tree to equal it in gracefulness, and, when clothed with young leaves, the perfume which they exhale when refreshed by evening dew or a passing shower, is most delightful. Of the tree " with boughs that quake at every breath, we can hardly have too many," says Sir Walter Scott; and he planted about 100,000 Birches round Abbotsford. The Hawthorn is so in- dispensable that few parks or woodlands are without it; next to the Yew and the Oak, it is the most durable and long-lived of our native trees, and, perhaps, more his- torical and poetical associations cluster around it than surround all our other trees put together. About the durabiUty of our native Hawthorn there can be no doubt ; Scott set the age of the " Whitehope tree" at 300 years; it had ceased in his time to put forth leaves, and it stood long afterwards a leafless trunk, giving character to the landscape around it. In early spring as well as in the months of autumn, colours blend most harmoniously; yet, each tree may bo known in the distant landscape by its outline. Distinctness of form as well as of colour is, therefore, a point worth the attention of planters. In many of our English counties, the leafy grandeur of our woods and parks is eclipsed at this season by the floral beauty of the Apple and Cherry orchards tfiat surround our rustic liomcsteads. He would be a dull observer, indeed, wlio could pass them by without feeling some emotion at a sight so beautiful, while, beneath their slied blooms may often be found a host of our sweetest spnng flowers. What a wreath of floral beauty " blooms all unseen " in the unfrequented glades and recesses of our wood- lands ; the quantity of wild Pi'imroses in this county (Northum- berland) alone is something remarkable. Indeed, many of our woodlands are literally carpeted with them, relieved by the Violet and Wood Anemone, &c. I have not seen the Lily of the Valley growing wild in any of the woods iu this county, although it grows plentifully in the highlands of Yorkshire, in a wood near Grassington. J. T. TRANSPLANTING EVERGREENS. Cultivators, both those who write on the subject and those who practice planting trees and shrubs, are not agreed as to which is the best season of the year for planting evergreen trees and shrubs. Some plant in the autumn, others in the spring — any time from February till the end of May — and all hold that their own practice is best. As in every dis- puted or debateable matter, so in this question a good deal may be said with some show of force on both sides. The advocates of autumn planting say, that an evergreen trans- planted at that season has the remainder of the autumn before it to establish itself before winter comes on with its nipping frosts and cutting winds, and before the soil becomes water- logged and chilled down to its minimum temperature. But those who stand by the practice of spring planting maintain, that they altogether avoid the evils implied in the recognised necessity for planting early in autumn, because winter beuig gone before they begin, their plants have the whole summer before them iu which to recover from injuries which are unavoidable in even the most carefully conducted planting. Our own experience and reason are decidedly in favour of spring planting of all kinds of evergreens, about the trans- planting of which there is any difficulty or risk. Many things may be planted at almost any season without risk, while others are particularly unmanageable, except at the most favourable season, and this we have proved — to our own satisfaction at least — is the period at which the particular sorts begin to grow. At that time life is fresh and buoyant, therefore any check administered is comparatively easily overcome. The influences of genial sunshine, gradually increasing iu power, along with gentle showers, carrying warmth and nutriment into the earth, alike sustain and accelerate the process of healing the wounds inflicted on the roots. And this is the first process to be accomplished before any progress can be made by the plant in re-establishing itself in its new position. Circumstances are all iu favour of this in spring, but the reverse is the case in autumn. Winter is coming on, indeed, is very near before it is generally practicable to engage in planting in the autumn ; consequently, the chances of plants recovering from injuries, before they are forced to rest by the increasing cold and decrease of light, are very small indeed. Such are some of the reasons in favour of spring planting, in so far as evergreen trees and shrubs are concerned, and the experience of all who have tried it, with the exception of those who have to deal with light dry soils, which are liable to bo dried up with the first spi'ing drought. In such soils, no doubt autumn planting is best, but they are the exceptions which, to our minds, prove the soundness of the rule. The particular period in spring in which the various classes of evergreens, shrubs, and trees may be planted with the greatest safety varies very much ; but a good rule to go by is the period at which the particular kinds begin to grow. If the rule is rightly observed, it will be found that ample time may be had tor carrying on very extensive operations, and that there is no cause to hasten the work unnecessarily. From the middle of April to the end of May is a pretty long period, considering the length of the day as compared with that of late autumn, and also the ease with which such work may be done owing to the soil being drici' and in a more workable condition than in autumn. All tender .shrubs and trees may be transplanted in April and May with more safety than in any of the autumn months, and the result at the end of the first twelve months in many cases will bo found as two to one iu favour of spring planting. This is particularly the case with many of the choice Conifcnu, such as Deodars, AVellingtouias, and many others, which should never be transplanted, except they are to May 9, 1874] THE GARDEN. 395 be moved many miles, till they have fairly started to grow and made some progress. No one need be afraid of the young growth suifering because of the check. We have lifted many sorts of Coniferas of considerable size late in May, after some progress in growth had been made, and though the leading shoots which had grown 6 or 9 inches or more, at mid-day leaned to one side, quite alarmingly in appearance, for some days after planting, yet every morning they stood as erect and firm as if nothing had happened to them, and in a few days they started growing, and continued to do so at a pace quite equal to the progress made by them in former seasons. K B. A. CUPEESSUS NUTKAENSIS. The north-western shores of North America, especially in the vicinity of Nootka Sound, Observatory Inlet, and the Island of Siboha (places familiar to the reader of " Cook's Voyages "), are the exclusive habitat of this remarkable species of Cypress. Cones and leaves of Cupressus Nutkaensis. When the late Dr. Fischer first saw it, he noted it down as a Thujopsis, so much does it resemble that genus in habit and foliage. Later authors, however, prominent among whom is Mr. Gordon, have determined that the tree is most properly classed amongst the Cupressineos, in the sub-order Chamrecy- pai-is, which is distinguished from Cupressus proper, by having only two seeds under each scale of the cone, whereas, the true Cupressus has several. The subject of our notice was first introduced into England in 1851, and the specimens which were then received were kindly supplied by the director of the Botanic Gardens, St. Petersburgb, where the young plants ■were raised in the open air — a sufficient indication of their hardiness. Under favourable conditions, the tree attains in its native habitats a height of 80 to 100 feet, with a bole of over 4 feet in diameter, perfectly straight, and covered with a smooth, soft, dark-coloured Ijark. The branches spread very much, and are sub-divided into a vast number of smaller pendent ramifications, which in old trees are thickly covered with a highly aromatic resinous exudation. The leaves, in shape, ar- rangement, and colour, bear a remarkable resemblance to those of Thujopsis, being a little brighter, perhaps, and with somewhat less of bluish reflexion. The cones (of which we give an illus- tration) are solitary, almost sessile, or borne on very short stalks, and are covered with a glaucous pubescence ; they are about the size of large Peas. If a twig or branch of this tree is broken or bruised, it exhales a very powerful balsamic odour, and the wood, which produces white and soft timber, also yields in great abundance a very aromatic gum, which, in its appearance and scent, has a strong resemblance to Canada Balsam. The tree is, on account of this property, known on the Continent as the Sapin aromatique. Possessing, as it does, the desirable qualities of beauty, hardiaess, and much indilfer- ence as to the soil in which it may be planted, we need hardly add another word in commendation of one of our finest evergreens. W. M. Value of Pinus Pinaster for Sea-side Planting.— Having, in a recent number of The Gardex, had occasion to recommend the Pinus Pinaster for sea-side planting, I now take the liberty of send- ing a sketch of one of many trees of this kind which grow here. The tree from which the sketch is taken grows within a mile of an exposed sea-coast. It measures 10 feet in circumference at a height of 4 feet from the ground, and is probably from 70 to 80 feet in height. Although these dimensions may be nothing unusual, it is au encouraging fact that timber of this size and beauty can be grown even in a stormy exposure like this. — Herbert Maxweli,, Hlonreilli, Fort William. [The sketch in question is a representation of a fine tree with a bare trunk, many feet in height, surmounted by a noblo head of healthy foliage. — Ed.] Dry Hot in Timber. — A remedy has been discovered, by the use of which this destructive enemy to the woodwork of a house may be destroyed or arrested. What is linown as " dry rot " is caused by the spores of a species of Fungus (the Merulius lacrymans), which, though they are sometimes carried by currents of air to the scene of their future devastations, are more frequently present in the soil upon which the house is built at the time of erection, and are brought into near contact with the woodwork in the filling up between the joists, or sometimes even in the mortar. Notwithstanding its name, dry rot does not act upon perfectly dry timber, but begins its ravages whenever the wood is in the necessary state of humidity. It may be prevented by mixing with the rubbish used for filling in the floors, the " tank-waste " from alkali works, or the same substance will completely check it if already developed. Tank.waste is of no commercial value, and may be had at alkali works for fetching ; it wholly destroys this species of vegetable life, and generates no bad smell whatever. NOTES AND QUESTIONS ON TREES AND SHRUBS. Daphne pontica.— There is a remarkably fine specimen of this charmiug aweet-sconted shrub gi-owinr jtutumn ; Snow's White, for winter; Watts's Excelsior, for mid-season ; und last, but uot least, Cattel's Eclipse. Excelsior hero, this season, is simply perfection. — Stasifoed, Kitchen Garden Crops.— Here Peas are in full flower, William the First beint^ till- 'iiilic^t t connected with fruit and flowers, that does not afford somu kind of hint more or less worthy of note to a horticulturist. No. 1,350 is called " A Venetian Fruit Seller." A wiry young fellow has just driven his boat close up to the back door of one of the great palaces, opening in the rear to a narrow canal, by a dexterous stroke of his single oar. A Venetian servant girl is waiting for the arrival of the daily supply, which consists of Onions, Leeks, Grapes, and Garlic — and, piled high in the boat, is a great heap of mighty Italian Gourds, of every variety of strange shape — some elongated to a curious extent, some whole, and some out, to sell by weight — showing their rich scarlet-orange flesh. There is a somewhat ambitions picture, called " Covent Garden in 1873," represent- ing the arrival of fruit and flowers in the early morning. The figures, nearly half life-size, are well drawn, and the colouring has the merit of sobriety ; but the fruit and flowers displayed are scant in quantitytoapoverty-stricken degree; andinquahty so poor, shabby, and stunted, that, few as they seem to be to meet the greedy demand of each day, even their rarity would be of no advantage to them; " they wouldn't sell !" not at any price. One would like to have spoken of Mr. Faed's " Violets and Primroses," Mr. Yeame's " Flowers for Hall and Bower," Mr. Poole's " Grape-gatherer," and many other works ; but the allotted space is already over full, and there is scarcely room to tell gardeners that they have every reason to be proud of this section of the exhibition ; for, with the exception of the wild flowers and the Blackberries, they have furnished both the flower and fruit models for all those charming pictures. Levelling the Malvern Hills. — Digging down the Malvern hills, has, it seems, been seriously contemplated. The available agricultural land of England, in i^roportion to its population, has been long a subject full of the darkest doubts and forebodings to those who are always on the look-out for imaginary rocks ahead. Under the excitement of such reflections the idea of levelling the Malvern Hills, and so rendering the area which they cover amenable to the production of human food, made so strong an impression upon the brain of a certain Mr. Johnstone, of the hamlet of Colwall, situated near the foot of the Herefordshire Beacon, that he deter, mined to devote his fortune, which was considerable, to this, as he deeemed it, most sacred purpose. • He commenced, and long perse- vered gallantlv, in his self-imposed task. But death overtook him, tho other day, " before he had completed the great work," though he had succeeded in making a tolerably big hole in the beacon. He must one would think, at some time or other, have come across the remarks of the American traveller in Switzerland, who said that the tiny Republic indulged in very tall talk about its high mountains, and that all tho people were a good deal stuck up themselves on that account — and that it was an " almighty pity " the said mountains wore not rolled out flat, as by that means the tiny Republic might attain the dimensions of a respectable little State. The Duke of Devonshire, who has only recently completed tho formation of an extensive recreation and crioket-ground at East- bourne, has expressed his intention of executing further works for tho benefit of the town at an estimated cost of £1G,000. The want of a large assembly-room has long been felt, and his Grace intends erecting a spacious pavilion, 350 feet in length, on laud near tho new cricket-ground. While providing a largo hall for meetings, space will also be afforded for a public library. Adjoining will be winter gardens and a skating-rink. The whole of the fittings and appointments will bo of the newest and most complete description. The land recently devoted to the town of Eastbourne by his Grace comprises about thirteen acres, in the best part of the town, and would realise for building purposes £30,000. Mat 23, 1874.] THE GARDEN. 431 THE GARDEN. " This is an art Which does mend nature : change it rather : The Aet itselp is Natuke." — Shakespeare. but GAEDEN FERTILISERS. By THOMAS BAINES. TuEKE are few matters connected with a garden, whetlier large or small, of greater importance than manure ; and there is nothing in which gardeners are so often reduced to severe straits, as they are, through an insufficiency in the supply of ■ Jiis all-important element to success in the cultivation of -egetable crops. This does not so much apply to small or moderate-sized places, as it does to those of greater extent. In many large establishments, where the gardener has every load of dung meted out to him, with a grudging hand, through the farm bailiff or agent, he stands much in the same position as the Israelites found themselves in the Egyptian captivity, of being required to burn bricks without stubble, and yet he is held responsible for the accomplishment of an equal impossibility. The man who cultivates his broad acres on the farm has the advantage over the gardener that his opportuni- ties for change of crops are much greater, and the elements they extract from the soil, in the process of development, are so different in the cereals, grasses, and roots, that, through skilful rotation, he is enabled to make shift with much less manure per acre over a series of years than the gardener can possibly do with. The greater number of the crops which the gardener has to grow, in many instances from ground that has produced the same things for scores of years, vary little except in degree as to the elements they require for their sustenance ; the difference laying principally betwixt deep- rooting and surface-rooting plants. Strawberries and bush fruits may be held as some exception, but the breadths they occupy in private establishments are compara- tively small, and, with the exception of Strawberries, cannot, with advantage, be often changed. During the pre- sent century the chemical researches and experiments, with respect to manures, of Liebig, Lawes, and others have done much to enlighten the world upon this subject, and have also pointed out to us how ruinously wasteful our practice, as a nation, has been, not alone in the matter of the sewage with which we have polluted almost every river and stream in the kingdom, but also in the case of our wasteful proceedings in the preparation of manure ; in this latter, gardeners have, in many instances, either unwittingly, or, in some measure, through necessity, been accessory to the general waste. Before hot-water was extensively introduced as a heating medium to plant and fruit structures, more especially pits and frames, hot dung was the principal material employed, and then, as now, the preparation was highly destructive to the essential constituents of the manure, more especially as regards its richest element— ammonia, which, as is known by nearly every gardener, is dispelled by the heat in the process of fermenta- tion. Through the preparation it has undergone, old hot-bed manure often holds, relatively as to strength, a similar value that brewers grains holds to good malt, most of the best fertilising elements being gone from it through violent heat- ing ; this, to some extent, will occur under the best of manage- ment, but when the manure is not allowed to lay too thick, sufficiently often stirred, and mixed with half-rotten leaves, the loss which it sustains is reduced to a minimum. When guano was first introduced the prejudice against it was so great, not only amongst the farmers, but also amongst gar- deners, that many were slow to either try it or admit its fertilising properties ; this was, in some measure, attributable to the frauds perpetrated through its adulteration; and, even, at the present day, after some forty years' trial, this, the richest of all ammonical manures, is insufficiently known or appreciated by many gardeners. Great numbers of plants, like ourselves, thrive best upon a mixed diet ; and I never yet met with a quick-growing plant, from a Rhubarb root to a Raspberry cane, that was not benefited by the judicious use of guano. As an experiment, I once gave a liberal dressing of this manure to a Raspbeny plantation that had stood for thirty- seven years from the time of its formation, and which was in a very weak state, the canes not running more than 4 feet in height, and correspondingly thin. With nothing but the guano applied in the beginning of April, and a light surface dressing of leaf-mould, the canes grew from 7 to 8 feet in height, and proportionately thick, bearing an enormous crop the following year. By an alternate yearly dressing of guano and farm-yard manure, they have, for some years, kept on doing as well as any plantation I ever saw, of only a few years standing. Even Strawberries, when not sufficiently strong, are benefited by a moderate application after the fruit is gathered, but, with these, care must be taken not to overdo the dressing, or the plants will make too much growth to ever ripen the crowns properly. Currants and Gooseberries, where at all poor, are much improved by it. There is one thing that I scarcely expected to find, and that is, they have no tendency to wear out, or become exhausted, by its use. All the Brassicas, Carrots, Turnips, Peas, Beans, and, more especially, Lettuce and small salads, are greatly benefited by it. This, to some, may look like the repetition of a very old story, but we meet with numbers of gardeners who are at their wits ends for an adequate supply of manure, and yet who have never used this or any other description of what may be called light fertilisers, except in, perhaps, some experiment that was insufficient to determine their value. I do not mean to say that farm-yard manures can be done without, quite thi contrary, but, to all who labour under a short supply of these, I would say, make up the deficiency with guano, nitrate of soda, or sulphate of ammonia, changed according to the character of the soil, or the particular element in which it is found deficient, for the particular crop it is under. For old gardens that have been manured continuously with farm-yard dung, heavy dressings of leaf-mould and other vegetable soil, I much prefer the use of a portion of some light manure to that which is of a heavy nature. One great advantage which these concentrated manures possess is their immediate action. Where a scarcity of dung existed at the time of pre- paring the land or putting in the seed, assistance can be given, in this way, to the crop in its after stages, as occasion may require. In the case of culinary vegetables on strong reten- tive soils, there is no better way of applying these light manures than that of sowing them broadcast over the land before digging, and working in with, whatever portion of dung is used. B3' this means the manure is dispersed through the body of the soil, in which the roots ramify, meeting with food in whatever direction they extend. On light surface soils, or where the sub-soil is of a sandy or gravelly character, light ammonial manures should be applied on the surface, when the crops are in active growth, for the obvious reason that they are soluble in water, and unless the roots are in a state to at once absorb the essence of the manure held in suspence, the descending rains carry it deep down into the hungry sub- stratum out of their reach, and so it gets lost. On all such soils as these, heavy dressings of manure, of whatever descrip- tion, are a mistake, for the land is not of a nature to hold it longer than the reqiiirements of a season's growth ; and when the autumn and winter rains descend it is carried away. All .experience leads to the conclusion, that manure, of whatever description, is the quickest in its action when applied in a liquid state, consequently, when any crop gives evidence of an insufficiency of support, there is nothing so effectual as liquid manure, this in particular applies to kitchen- garden crops, where the necessary application is practicable. In fact, there are some vegetables that, in their more advanced stages of growth, can be brought to a perfection by the use of liquid-manure, that could not have been arrived at by any application of manure previous to planting, without inducing plethora. The French summer salads that are held in equal estimation with those they produce in winter, owe their excel- lence largely to the rich liquid with which they are unstintingly supplied. Lettuces, Radishes, and even Mustard and Cress, that are grown quickly by the use of liquid-manure, are as different as can well be imagined from the tough, flavourless, undigestible stuff of which an English salad is too often com- posed. The comparatively large plants in the smallest of pots, unsurpassed in their way, which the growers for Covent Garden Market turn out, are telling examples of what may be accomplished by means of liquid-manure alone. 432 THE GARDEN. [May 23, 1874. NOTES OP THE WEEK. The dismal character of May, up to the present time, has not made Covent Garden much less attractive than usual at this time of year, though the supplies have been considerably affected by the cold. Good samples of English Peas are now in the market, the produce of Somersetshire. Tomatoes are visible on many stands, forced, and from Algiers ; Cherries have come in considerable quantity from Algeria and the south of France ; a small cargo of excel- lent Pine-apples arrived from the Azores during the week. Peaches (forced) are plentiful and have been obtainable since the middle of April. In the case of Grapes our forcing-gardeners now produce them all the year round ; Melons, English grown, are to be had of good quality ; and also Figs and Nectarines, both the produce of hot- houses. New Potatoes arrive in large quantities from the Channel Islands, and some of good quality have come from Lisbon of late. Gaily decorated as was the Crystal Palace on Saturday last, it contained nothing of more interest, even to roj'alty itself, than Mr. W. Paul's exhibition of Roses, including, as it did, not only a formid- able array of old and well tried favourites, but also many new varieties, worthy additions to the court of the Queen of flowers, raised at Waltham Cross. These were all skilfully and effectively grouped along with specimen Ivies, Acers, variegated Oaks, and other hardy trees and shrubs of a highly decorative character. The council of the Eoyal Horticultural Society telegraphed on Tuesday last to the President of the Tuscan Royal Horticultural Society, to propose that an international show be held in 1876. In the event of the proposition proving acceptable, the council will at once take steps to organise a joint committee representing the society, the Royal Botanic Society, and other leading horticultural bodies, should they be willing to lend their assistance. The council also propose that the Royal Horticultural Society should hold a dinner this year in the latter part of June. The prices of tickets and other details will be notified as soon as possible, and, if practicable, the dinner will take place at Chiswick. Several interesting herbaceous plants have recently been in flower at the Exotic Nursery, Tooting. Among them may be men- tioned the beautiful Omphalodes Lucilia3, a glaucous-leaved species, with pale-blue flowers ; Aquilegia ca)i'ulea ; nice plants of Cheiranchus Dillenii, which bears brownish-yellow blossoms in profusion ; and Anthyllis erinacea, a quaint-looking spiny shrubby species, about 6 inches high, with purplish-blue pea-like flowers, produced in tolerable abundance. We also noticed a good plant of the double variety of the Cuckoo Flower (Cardamiue pratensis) , an old, but somewhat seldom-seen, plant. This was growing on a moist bank— a position that fully answers its requirements. Although many plants are suffering from the inclemency of the weather, a considerable number of highly attractive subjects is now in flower at the Hale Farm Nursery, Tottenham. Foremost among these are the American Cowslips (Dodecatheons), of which great numbers are in full flower, particularly the dwarf deep rose. coloured D. integrifolium and the distinct-looking D. Jeflreyanuni. The double variety of the scarlet-blossomed Geum chiloense is very conspicuous in one of the borders, as are also fine specimens of the yellow-flowered G. montanum. The pretty dwarf light rose-coloured Iberis jucunda is in bloom, and a large tuft of Onosma taurica, has an abundance of pale yellow flowers. Scabiosa montana, just beginning to produce its purplish flowers, promises to become an attractive plant ; large masses of our well-known spring-flowering plants are in bloom here. Mr. Bailey Dentox, in a letter to the Times, remarks that in the winter just passed the rainfall has been very considerably below the average, though not so much less, as the previous winter had been more than the average. In the eastern counties — the driest part of tho country — for instance, the quantity of rain that fell in the six months from October, 1872, to March, 1873, inclusive, was 21 i inches, while the amount duo to tho same period last winter, 1873-4, has barely reached nine inches. Tho mean of many years is somewhat above 13 inches. Comparing this mean with the rainfalls of tho last six winters (in the eastern counties) we shall see (pro. ceeds Mr. Denton) that although wo have had within that period two singularly dry years, the fall of this last winter (nine inches) was less than any. The English edition of tho Illustration Ilorticolo, for April, oontaius excellent figures of the following choice plants, viz. : — Carludovica imperialis, an elegant plant, closely resembling in general appearance some of tho Gcouomas, but, in reality, belonging to tho Cyclanthacoa). It has dark green bifid foliage elegantly recurved, and will prove an ornamental addition to stovo plants. Of Oncidium Barcodes there is a good figure, evidently made, however, from a pale- flowered variety. It is probably only a good variety of O. amictum — and in habit is identical with that species, 0. pubes, O. cruci- gerum, and ono or two other species. We have seen this plant with 100 flowers on a spike 4 feet long. Dieffenbachia lancifolia is a narrow-leaved plant blotched with pale green on a darker ground. It is an elegant addition to a useful genus of foliage plants. The old-established firm of Osboru and Son is, we find, turning its attention to matters of decoration. Those at the Foreign Office, when it was visited by the Czar, were, we are informed, done by Messrs. Osbom. On the rook-work at Kew, which has been rebuilt, and the planting just finished, several plants are conspicuously in bloom, and among them may bo named Efodium petrasum, Anthyllis mon. tanus, a pretty dwarf species, admirably adapted for such positions, and a vigorous composite called Craspedia Richea, a plant which bears a large round head of yellow flowers. The Americans have introduced a Silver Occidental Arbor. vitas (Thuja occidentalis ai'gentea), which they name Victoria, and which is described as a curious and beautiful dwarf plant, wholly unlike any hitherto described, being of a fresh green colour, with the branchlets distinctly tipped with white, entirely hardy, and most attractive and pleasing in appearance. A fine hybrid Phyllocaotus, is in flower just now in Mr. Peacock's collection of succulents at Sudbury House, Hammersmith. It somewhat resembles P. Corderoyi, but differs from that kind in colour, which is a delicate satiny-rose. Even in the case of a small plant the flowers are so large and showy as to clearly indicate that, when better grown, it will stand in the first rank amongst what are termed tall Cacti. Chkysanthemuji Catananche, a plant brought, we believe, from Morocco, has lately been in flower in a frame at Kew. Its foliage somewhat resembles that of some dwarf Artemisia, and tho flowers are about the size of those of Catananche coarulea, but of a white or sulphur colour, with a dark ring outside the disk. We also noticed in a frame in these gardens Phlox bifida a plant resembling P. divaricata, but with narrower foliage, and petals narrower and more distinctly two-parted than those of that variety. — — - Among recent additions to the floral attractions of Covent Garden, we may direct attention to the beautiful specimens of Ixias now being exhibited by Messrs. Hooper in the Central Row. These vary in colour from faint rose and white to rich crimson-purple, while one form has flowers of a peculiar metallic green. The blossoms are borne on slender spikes and are well adapted for purposes of indoor decoration. These Ixias are imported from the Channel Islands. ■ At the exhibition of the Royal Botanic Society on Wednes- day last, a plant of Dondrobiura Falconeri was exhibited from the collection of D. Hanbury, Esq., The Poles, Ware, bearing some fifty large richly-coloured flowers. The plant, which was not a large ono, was the best-bloomed specimen, for its size, which we have ever seen. It is a plant which, during the growing season, likes a good supply of water ; but after it has finished growth, which is by autumn, it should be kept rather dry till it begins to show flower, but it must never be allowed to suffer from want of water, as it frequently grows during the winter months. Under this treatment it well repays the trouble that is taken to induce it to produce its charming white and purple flowers. • — — M. Linden has received, says the Illustration Horticole, three new species of Masdevallia from M. Roezl, who discovered them in northern Peru. They are, M. melanopus, having white flower-tubes, and very dark ovaries and tails ; M. caloptera having larger, probably white, flowers, with dark purplish or violet longitudinal stripes on the sepals — two on the upper sepal and three on each lateral one ; and the highly curious M. polysticta, bearing spikes of seven or eight pale or white flowers, with numerous dark brown spots. M. Roczl found tufts of this species bearing twenty flower-spikes at the same time. These additions to this peculiar and interesting genus will give a fresh impetus to the favour in which these plants have been held during these last|few years, both in this country and on tho Continent. Not only are the directors of the Alexandra Palace Company fortunate in possessing a fine building and a beautiful park, but the internal arrangements of the palace promise to be on an equally grand scale. Flower and fruit shows will be occasionally given, and certain portions of tho building are to form a porennial horticultural exhibition of a high character. In conservatories and under glass domes, of groat beauty and lofty elevation, hundreds of magnificent greenhouse plants will find a homo. Palms of great size, and other tropical plants, have been given to tho company by many distin. guished lovers of horticulture. Mr. Peacock, of Hammersmith, has arranged to transfer to the palace a duplicate collection of his Agaves and Cacti, in tho formation of which he has spared neither time nor money ; and this example will, no doubt, be followed by other liberal gifts of choice collections, making this department of the palace equal to anything of the kind in the country. May 23, 1874.] THE GARDEN. 433 THE GARDEN IN THE HOUSE. FLORAL DBOORATIONS AT THE CRYSTAL PALACE. The decorations on Saturday last (the 16th inst.) in honour of the Czar's visit to the Crystal Palace, were of a very tasteful character, the saloons being carpeted with crimson baize, and fringed with banks of the choicest flowering and foliage plants. Among these were Palms, Cycads, Ferns, Azaleas, Clematis, Roses, and other plants, while hanging baskets over- head were decorated with the gracefully pendant branches of the Golden Cobarn, Perns, Selaginella, and other exotics. The staircase leading to the royal saloon and private box was divided in the centre by means of a ribboa design, composed of Golden Feather Pyrethram and purple Iresine, the column at the top being gracefully wreathed with Clematis profusely covered with great lilac and satiny white flowers. The semi-circular front of the royal box was fringed with fresh green Selaginella growing in small pots, the latter, of course, being concealed, and on the Selaginella were laid clusters of Spirasa, Lily of the Valley, double pink Pelargoniums, and Eucharis flowers, the whole forming a charming contrast with the heavily gilt and crimson-velvet lined furniture. The chief point of attraction, however, was the saloon immediately behind the box itself, the decoration of which was entrusted to Miss Annie Hassard, whose taste in such matters is well known. The main features consisted of three handsome vases of parian and porcelain ware beautifully modelled, and the medallions at the base were very gracefully de- signed. These Miss Hassard rendered still more beautiful by using them as receptacles for the choicest of flowers and the most graceful of foliage, the bright glowing colours of the one being toned down and artistically blended by the judicious contrast of the other. The largest of these vases was about 2 feet high, and its rim and pedestal were gracefully draped with fresh green fronds of Pteris serrulata, and the still more elegant spray-like drapery of Lygodium scandens. Above this, and resting on the rim of the vase itself, were choice Rose blooms, consisting of ilarechal Niel (golden-yellow) and the exquisitely-tinted roseate-hued La Prance, the two alternating with each other, the line being bi'oken here and there by the introduction of flowers of the iEthiopiau Lily. These were the lax'gest blooms used, and formed a foundation for smaller and still more elegant blossoms. These consisted of sprays of rosy and white Rhodanthe, the flowers of the latter glistening like frosted silver or the richest of satin fabrics. Mingled with these, and rising as naturally from the vase, as if growing, were feathery sprays of the white Spirasa japonica, common wedge-leaved Maiden's-hair, and astern or two of the gracefully-arching Solomon's Seal (oneof the most attractive of all hardy plants, so far as form is concerned) — these were added with excellent effect, the whole forming a very beautiful group. In addition to the above, two smaller vases were tastefully filled with the fresh green fronds of Pteris cretica albo-lineata and Adiantum cuneatum, among which were grouped clusters of pearly Stephanotis and Lily of the Valley, Pelargoniums, Ericas, and Spirica japonica. These occupied positions on the side- tables ; and, with the addition of a few graceful Dracasnas and other plants, made one of the most charming arrangements we have ever seen. Duration of Cut Flowers.— This spring I have carefully noted the time during which some of tho most showy of early -blooming plants retain their beauty when cut, and I find the Narcissus amongst the most durable. This, if out when the buds are fully developed, opens out beautifully in water, and lasts in flower, on an average, nine or ten days. One species, N. gracilis, lasted sixteen days, and was not much withered even at the end of that period. The blossoms o£ the German Iris contrasts well with those of the Narcissus, and if the spike is cut with the first flower expanded, the other two or three unopened buds will follow in succession, causing the same spike to last fully a fortnight. Solomau's Seal keeps fresh for a week or ten days, and sprays of Forget-me-not even longer if arranged either in damp sand or Moss. Squills, snoh as Soilla patnla, S. oampanulata, S. cernua, and their varieties, also last long indoors ; the flower- spikes turn upwards, and the flowers open almost as well when cut as when on tho pla-its themselves — B. J. I. WORK FOR THE WEEK. FLOWER GARDEN" AND PLEASURE GROUND. By PETER GRIEVE, Culford Gardens. The present spring, which is now merging into summer, succeeded a remarkably mild winter ; consequently, vegetation generally had acquired undue earliness, which, in many instances, has been severely checked by the long-continued drought, and inclement character of the latter part of the spring and early summer. Even now the weather is remarkably cold, and hardly a night has passed without frost, of more or less intensity. This degree of cold, there- fore, combined with drought, has, of course, been unfavourable to the display of spring flowers, and has induced early-flowering Tulips, &c., to pass out of flower much earlier than usual, while tolerably hardy spring flowers, such as the beautiful Myosotis dissitiflora, have suffered severely from the effects of the late frosts. Other species of spring flowers, however, such as Aubrietiaa, which possess, in a greater degree, the power of resisting cold as well as drought, have for some considerable time been exceedingly attrao- tive, and will, no doubt, continue in excellent condition for some time to come, where they can be allowed to remain undisturbed ; but, in many instances, this wiU not be the case, for, as regards the parterre, the time has arrived when spring-flowering plants and bulbs of various sorts must be removed into the reserve garden, in order to leave the beds at liberty for summer.bedding plants. This removal, however, must be effected with the greatest possible care, allowing as much soil as possible to adhere to the roots ; and the planting should be immediately followed by liberal waterings, and shade from bright sunshine until the plants have become again fairly established in their fresh quarters. In cases where it maybe.desir. able to increase any of the varieties of plants used for spring bedding, such as Aubrietias, Daisies, Forget-me-nots, Polyanthuses, Primroses, Pausies, Violas, &c., this can now be done by division and planting in a shady situation in the reserve garden, or under a wall; while cuttings of Wallflowers and similar plants may be inserted under hand-glasses, and should, when fairly rooted, be planted out in beds in the reserve garden, to be in readiness for again furnishing the beds in the parterre, &o., when summer.bedding plants have again passed aveay. As soon as the spring-blooming plants have been removed, the empty beds and borders should have their margins carefully regulated, and to the soil should be given a liberal application of manure, or some suitable material, such as fresh soil of good quality. This should be well incorporated with the original soil by deep diggipg ; and, in supplying fertilising materials to flower-beds, the nature and probable requirements of the plants intended to occupy them should, of course, have due consideration, as, for some species, the soil can hardly be too rich ; while, for others, such as Tropieolums and strong-growing Zonal Pelargoniums, this is by no means desirable, as it tends more to the production of foUage than bloom. The arrangement of the flower garden should always be decided upon during the previous summer, so that the material required should all be in readiness by the present time ; and, sup- posing this to be the case, planting out ought to commence at once, beginning with the more hardy species, such as Calceolarias, Verbenas, Zonal Pelargoniums, &c. ; while the first week of June is quite early enough to plant out the various varieties of Tricolor Pelargoniums, Heliotropes, Coleuses, Iresines, Altemantheras, &o. In planting the , various beds in the flower garden, care should be taken to avoid a too free use of the primary colours, as few things can be more objectionable than large flat surfaces of bright scarlet and yellow, &c., unless the same is duly toned down by the inter, spersion of more quiet and pleasing shades, in the form of margins to beds and clumps of considerable dimensions ; while anything like monotony may be greatly relieved by the judicious introduc- tion of standard and pyramidal plants of various sorts, such as Pelargoniums, Fuchsias, Cytisuses, &c., together with plants of remarkable foliage, such as the Acer Negundo variegatum, Abutilon Thompsoni, Draoaanas, Palms, and Yuccas; and nearly all the beautiful new Clematises form most ornamental objects when planted upon the turf and trained to wire arches or other tasteful devices. Annual flowers, which m'ay have been sown m the open air, may now require to be thinned out ; and others, sovra under glass, such as Asters, Stocks, Phlox Drnmmondi, &c., will require to be carefuUy planted out in beds or borders where they are intended to flower. Very few annuals are suitable for furnishing the beds of the flower garden, on account of the short time during which some of the most beautiful varieties remain in perfection ; but they are, nevertheless, exceedingly useful as marginal plants for shrubbery borders, and for planting in beds containing bulbs in the spring gai-den, with the view of rendering the beds gay when the bulbs have ceased to bloom ; and a border devoted to the purpose of growing a 434 THE GARDEN. [May 23, 187-t. selection of the finest annuals forms an interesting and often a very attractive feature in a garden. Hardy herbaceous plants, many of which are exceedingly beautiful, should now have every necessary attention paid to them, such as thinning out the shoots, staking and tying np, removing decayed flowers, weeds, &o., while climbing Roses, Honeysuckles, Jasmines, &c., should bo carefully regulated. In establishments where a hardy Fernery exists, and this, if properly managed and favourably located (in a situation not too much exposed to the sun), is a very interesting department ; and, whether in the form of a root or rock-garden, must now have its share of attention as regards eradicating weeds of all sorts, removing decaying fronds, loosening the soil, and intro- ducing young plants of the comparatively delicate sorts which it may be found necessary to keep, during winter, under glass. In the pleasure grounds evergreen shrubs may yet bo trausplanted if necessary, while the growth of others may bo regulated by being cut in, so as to prevent strong.growing species from encroaching too much upon their more delicate and slower. growing neighbours. Box and other edgings may now be trimmed, and the Grass margins to walks, drives, and coach roads, &c., should also bo regulated, or edged if this has not been already done. Plantains and other broad- leaved plants should now bo car'efully extracted from lawns and Grass belts ; while the Grass should, in all cases, be kept level and short by the frequent use of the mowing machine ; advantage, too, ought to have been taken of the long period of dry weather, which has in most localities been experienced, to stir up the surface of gravel walks, in order to thoroughly eradicate weeds and Moss, and when this has been accomplished, roll the gravel well down with a heavy iron roller, soon after the first heavy rainfall, and this rolling (if tho gravel be of a good binding quality) will render the walks firm and comfortable ; and to ensure a continuance of this desirable condition, throughout the season, an occasional application of the roller, soon after a heavy fall of rain, will be all that will be required. COOL ORCHIDS. ByF. W. BURBIDGE. Many of theso will now be making vigorous growth, and mnst not on any account be allowed to suffer from want of moisture either at the roots or in tho atmosphere, as nothing tends so much towards check- ing their vigour and injuring the plants as sparsity of moisture when making their growth. Keep a sharp watch for red spider, thrips, and green fly. The two former are extremely fond of Pleioues and Cypripedium Schlimii, and the latter, if present, are sure to be found on the flowcr-spikes of other species. The red spider and thrips are readily kept in check by repeated spongings, and occa- sional fumigations with tobacco-cloth or rag will settle tho aphides. It is not advisable to smoke Cool Orchids too vigorously, as it often causes Odontoglots and Miltonias to shed their leaves prematurely. Give air freely, carefully guarding against cold draughts, and shade the plants from bright sunshine as may be required. Any species that have been resting, and are now starting into fresh growth, may be re-potted at once. MasdevallLis will now be growing freely, and should be placed at tho coolest end of the house, and syringed once or twice daily. Cypripediums and Disas are also benefited by being syringed occasionally. Some of tho pots that ai-fe unsightly may be top-dressed with lumps of fibrous peat and fresh living Sphagnum, so as to give them a fresh and healthful appearance. Sphagnum, in a fresh state, is rather difficult to procure, especially in the south of England, while that which has been heated in sacks, and which has become lifeless, is of little service to the cultivator. The following plants, amongst others, are now in flower, viz., many beautiful forms of Odontoglossum Alexandra), O. citrosmum, 0. retusum, 0. Lindoy- anum, O. luteo-purpureum, and others, Masdevallia nyctorina, M. Harryana, M. Lindeni, M. ignoa, M.Veitchii, Epidendrum Ibaguense, Oucidium concolor, lonopsis panicnlata, Lielia majalis, Nasonia cinnabarina, and Ornithidium coccineum. HARDY TLOWERS. By THOMAS SPANSWICK. With bitter cold winds in the day time, and more or less frost at night, many hardy plants which would have been in full bloom had genial weather prevailed, have received such a check as will probably spoil their beauty for the season. Two fine-leaved hardy Polygonums, viz., cnspidatnm and saohalinense, in the neighbourhood of London, have suffered considerably from spring frosts; as has also a fine specimen of the Ollicinal Rhubarb, at Kew (Rheum officinale). The latter promises to be, when moro plentiful, a foliage plant fit to bo associated with such noble leaved subjects as Gunnera scabra, Rheum Emodi, Acanthus latifolia, and plants of similar character suitable for isolation on tnrf or other prominent positions, Notwith. standing the weather, however, there is a good display of bloom on many plants, as, for instance, the Columbines ; than the varieties of common Columbine (Aquilegia vulgaris) there are no more valuable plants for purposes of general decoration, and they may be easily raised from seeds, which are cheap. Iberis corresefolia, probably the best of the perennial species, is just now coming freely into flower. It is a plant which forms a compact edging thickly studded with pure white flowers about mid-May, and when grown in pots it is equally ornamental. Several Veronicas are also nicely in bloom, prominent among which may be mentioned the pale blue flowered V. gentianoides and the dwarf dark blue V. prostrata and pulcholla. Lupines, too, are now highly attractive ; also Thermopsis fabacea and lanceolata, two yellow-blossomed ornamental leguminous plants, well worthy of general culture. Spring and early summer-flowering annuals have come so tardily into bloom this season that we miss the grand displays usually mado about this time by such kinds as Collinsia grandiflora, Saponaria, CoUomla, Limnanthes Douglasii, Nemophilas, and others, raised from seed sown in the open ground in autumn. Little advance, ment has been made in the planting out of annuals from pots, on account of the dryness of the weather and coldness of the winds, but as soon as rain comes they should bo planted out with as much expe. dition as possible. Early. flowering hardy bulbs may be taken up, if necessary, to make room for summer. flowering plants ; but, except iu the case of rare kinds, this is not at all a commendable practice. Seedlings of perennials sufficiently advanced for pricking off should be attended to, and any choice additions made to collections of herbaceous plants should be looked after, and, if necessary, increased by moans of division, or, if this is not practicable, cuttings should, if possible, be taken off and inserted in pots. HARDY FRUIT AWD KITCHEN GARDEN". Where Apricots, Peaches, and Nectarines have been protected, the coverings will want gradually taking off, so that the trees may not suffer from too sudden exposure. Disbudding the shoots, by only taking off a few at a time, till all danger from tho influence of cold weather is over, must now or soon be proceeded with. Apricot trees are often much infested with a grub, which curls tho leaves up and eats the young fruit. As this pest is safe from syringings or dressings of any kind, it must be searched for and crushed with the finger and thumb; and the more effectually this is done, the fewer grubs will appear next year. In the kitchen garden, Brussels Sprouts, Savoys, and Can.liflowers should be transplanted into deeply, worked, well-manured soil. Another plantation of white Paris Cos Lettuce should be mado. The ground intended for the main crop of winter Greens and Broccoli should be prepared by well manuring and deeply digging it. These crops generally succeed Celery, autumn-sown Onions, Parsnips, or early Cabbages, as may be most convenient. New Zealand Spinach may now be planted in rich warm soil. A sowing of Scarlet Runners for succession may be made, also of French Beans, and a few of the Broad Windsor. Some dwarf Marrow Peas may now be sown, and early ones topped ; Spinach for succession may be sown, also a few seeds of Scorzonera and Salsafy. A few Lettuces and Turnips, if required, may be sown in cool shady places; sowings of Kampion and Corn Salad may also be mado. Root. crops, such as Beet, Carrots, Parsnips, and Turnips, should be thinned as they advance in growth. Potatoes should be hoed, aud, in some cases, the soil between the rows loosened with a steel fork ; a little earth should be drawn to tho most forward of them. Ridges for Cucumbers may be prepared, and the ground got ready for Celery. Epithets of the Months. — The following titles of tho months are taken from " Five Hundred Points of Good Husbaudrie, newly sot forth by Thomas Tusser, Gentleman." London, 1610: — A kindly good Jauiacero Freczcth pot by the feere. February fill tho dyko With what thou ilust like. March dust to bo sold Worth ransom of gold. Sweet April sliowers Do spring May flowers. Cold May and windy Barn lilluth up fiuely. Calm weather in June Corno sets in tune. No tempest, good July, Lest Corue look ruely. Dry August and warmo Doth harvest no harme. September blow soft Till truit bo in loft. October good blast To blow the hog mast. November take flailo Let Skep no more faile. O dirty December For Christmas remember. Tho word skep, in Lincolnshire, is in constant use for a pock measure ; while in Leicestershire, and elsewhere, it is used indiscrimi. natoly for any small wicker-work basket used for packages, tho larger forms being called " hampers." In Scotland, beehives are called "ekeps." ITay 23, 1874] THE GAKDEN. 435 GAEDENERS' COTTAGES. TirE accompanying sketch, which, represents the gardener's cottage at Henham Hall, Suffolk, the residence of Earl Strad- broke, maj- well be taken as a model of how such a necessary- appendage to a garden may bo made an attraction, instead of an eyesore requiring a screen to hide it from view. Its internal arrangements are quite equal to its external appear- ance ; it has a good entrance hall and spacious staircase, from which ready access may be oljtained separately to each room. The four front rooms are about 14 feet square, and the back rooms, kitchen, and other appurtenances, about 12 feet square. The back premises communicate with a private road, a better arrangement than that of making the gardener's cottage form, as is often done, a central object in the kitchen gardens, or range of forcing houses. The garden-front, partly shown in the accompanying illustration, is tastefully laid out in the form of a flower garden enclosed by evergreens, and an orna- mental wire-fence clothed with Roses, and the walks leading to the kitchen gardens and pleasure grounds are also spanned by arches, which are covered with climbing plants. The to afford a pleasing variety of colour ; and, by way of experiment, such plants as Camellias, Myrtles, and .scented Verbenas, are used in sheltered spots, in which they will stand mild winters without any protection. I may remark, in conclusion, how- evei', that the effect produced by these plants, comparatively common though they are, is, as in all other matters connected with gardening, just in proportion to the care bestowed on them ; if they are annually thinned, and the young wood trained in to replace the old and worn out shoots, fine blossoms will repay the operation, but if their pruning consists in simply mutilating them with garden shears, their blooms will grow " small by degrees and beautifully less." J. G. Weather Predictions. — At a recent meetiEg of the East Kent Natural History Society, Mr. Kingsford said he agreed with the general impression that the seasons were more subdued as regards cold and heat than formerly ; at the same time extremes of tempera- ture from time to time occur. Prognostications of forthcoming weather, he considered only mislead, because not tested by or based on true knowledge and facts. The test of the general condition of Gardener's CottaRc at Henham Hall, central porch forms a sort of open conservatory, in which, owing to its sheltered position, a gay display of floral beauty is constantly kept up. It is, however, to the increased interest which climbing plants give to buildings, that I wish now spe- cially to refer. Drapery of this kind not only enhances archi- tectural beauty where it exists, but also covers a multitude of defects in buildings of ordinary appearance. I need only refer to trade lists to prove that there is abundance of material in the shape of flowering, foliage, and beri'y-bearing plants suitable for the purpose, and for producing a fine effect at all seasons. I may add that the most conspicuous plant in bloom at present (May 11th) is the Yellow Banksian Rose, which is quite a cloud of blossom, and which contrasts well with large masses of Forget-me-nots, and other spring flowers at its base. When this Rose goes out of bloom the different varieties of Perpetuals, Teas, and Chinas come into beauty, conspicuous among them being the Climbing Devoniensis, which, under the shelter of the overhanging roof, blooms in perfection. To provide for autumn and winter effect, plants of variegated Ivies, Coto- neaster, Pyracautha, &c., are trained amongst the Roses so as the summer by the character of the weather at the vernal equinox had more than once proved correct, but he preferred more scientific methods. The early arrival of birds in autumn was said to fortell a severe winter. Last September a woodcock flew up from the shrubs near his house, but there had followed anything but a hard winter. Similarly, the abundance of Holly-berries, greater than had been previously noticed, did not confirm the adage as regards the season ; for neither was the weather sevei"e, nor were there as many redwings and fieldfares, as usual, to feed on the thick crop. His grandfather had recorded that on January 1, 1779, a remarkable storm occurred, long known as the " new year's gale," which blew the roof off his house ; yet the following spring was so forward that Gooseberry pudding was eaten in April. The severity of former winters, as well as the presence of birds, not now seen in the same localities, was demonstrated by several incidents. Associated with climateric changes were many alterations in the lands in the neighbourhood of Canterbury. The surface had become drier, tlie places where water remained for months, yielding an extensive evaporation to the atmos- phere, had been greatly reduced. Ditches had been filled, woods cut down, and more land brought into cultivation and drained ; these, and other causes, speak for themselves in a meteorological point of view. 436 THE GAEDBN. [Mat 23, 1874. GARDENS AND VEGETATION IN THE EIVIERA. TO THE EDITOR OJ " THE GARDEN." Sir, — I have recently received two letters from a friend travelling in the South of France, principally in the depart- ment of the " Alpes Maritimes," which appear to me so interesting that I fancy they may prove equally so to the readers of The Garden. I have selected those passages which I deemed of general interest, placing them under distinct headings, and forward them to you for publication, if you think proper. H. Noel Humphreys. Hereabouts the Alps come down to sun themselves by the southern sea, and Mentone is one of the towns that nestle at their feet, protected by them from the harsh north and east, and it is usually considered the best sheltered spot on the coast. In the gardens the Geraniums seem to grow wild, and flower profusely during winter and spring ; the Castor-oil plant lives through the winter ; the Wigandia (macrophylla, grown for its huge leaves only in the London parks) becomes a tree 20 feet high, covered with panicles of blue flowers, veiy handsome; the Mesembryanthemum drapes the walls and rocks, as at Naples ; Salvia gesnera3flora is a bush of fire, in April ; the Heliotrope flowers untouched through the winter, as it would against a back wall in a warm greenhouse ; the fine old Sparmanuia atricana blooms freely in the open air ; and over 200 kinds of Cacti and succulent plants thrive there also. So much for the gardens of the town ; gardens, which, however, contain many other things, including the Gum trees talked of so much of late. The main features of the place are the cultivated gardens, nearly all terraced, as you have so often seen in Italy, but covered with a vegetatiou which one rarely sees there. Olive Trees. In Italy the Olive is merely an " orchard tree," and does not seem to be at all happy with its lot. Here, too, it is essentially a cultivated creature ; but it grows so big, stately, and venerable-looking, that it has little trouble in deceiving one as to its real position in the world. One sometimes forgets the prim narrow terraces, and the world of care bestowed on its culture, and groups it with the old park Oaks and Kensington Elms, and other tree patriarchs. It has grace too, for it often weeps like the Willow, and, however old the trunk or branches may seem, the shoots are always fresh and vigorous, as if on seedling trees. It never knows when to die ! They say some of the trees hereabouts may have afforded oil in the time of Augustus ; and they certainly look as old as any trees I have ever seen. Sometimes you see a tree split up into three or more stems, as if he had been on the point of death from old age 500 years or so ago, but was saved by several young strips of living bark running down his time-worn hide. These said to themselves we must not let the old one die ; and, by each doing his best, they have managed to keep a little of him together near the ground yet. Sometimes the trees are pierced with holes, as if they had in old times stood a siege ; but they tell mo that in olden times it was thought a good practice to bore holes into the trees to make them fertile. These holes you must have frequently seen in your long Italian journeyings. When the branch of an aged tree here seems at all overladen or weak, it is propped carefully up — as a good old man might be — on a crutch. Some trees spread wide about the root, so as to remind one of an old Chestnut. It is impossible to give any idea of the variety and beauty of form pos.sessed by the Olives here ; but, as I have not seen them either in flower or fruit, as yet, I have perhaps said enotigh of them for the present. Lemons and Oranges. After Olives, Lemons — the staple crop of the land. A shade or two warmer, and better sheltered than many of the shores of this sea, the Lemon is at home. Madame Lemon is a littlo more delicate in constitution than Monsieur Orange, and, as she is the more valued here, ho mostly goes to the wall. Everywhere you sec the Lemon groves, which are flowering and fruiting at all seasons, and form a most valuable property even on a small jiicce of ground. The Oranges arc grown, particularly the bitter variety, but not nearly so much as the L^mon. They, however, can be grown over a much greater area of Southern Europe, and are therefore not so profitable as the Lemon. What is this fair star-like white flower, in such profusion beneath the Oi'anges and Lemons ? The Naples Allium, pretty as any Daffodil, and as bright a spring flower as you would wish to paint. I intend to bring home a thousand bulbs of it ; and, should you make a wild- garden, I will ask you to scatter some of them in it. It is so plentiful in the Lemon groves, that the ground is whitened by the blossoms, which appear about the time those of the Anemones are passing away- Indigenous Vegetation. There is a little cape Francewards, and just outside of the town, not altogether occupied by Olives, and here one gets some idea of the native vegetation of the place. Here, too, one gets out of the odour of the Lemon groves and feels the cool breath of the sea. And what a sea ! You know its divine blue well ; but nobody, I suppose, has ever attempted to paint, or even remember in any distinct way, the many difllerent tints that one sees in it ; near a muddy or sandy beach it seems but a northern wave that is washing the shore ; but here, on the brow of this cape, where there is no shingle or loose material, a very different aspect is presented. The worn rooks spring from the deep blue water, and, as the waves roll high against them, the crest of each, as it rears over, is exactly of the same peculiar green hue as the crest of Niagara, when the light from below flrst strikes the falling mass. It is on stormy showery days that the tints of this sea seem the most varied and charm- ing. The vegetation is peculiarly interesting, as a good many of the native plants are among the oldest and most favoured plants of northern gardens. The low copse vegetation beneath the Aleppo Pines is composed almost exclusively of Myrtle and Rosemary ; the last in flower in April, and showing here and there a white variety. The Rosemary is seen every- where. In such company, one would naturally expect to meet Miss Lavender ; and here she is, happy enough on the warm rocks. The Lavender is so abundant on the sunny mountains all round here, that there is no need to cultivate it for distilling, so the stills are brought on to the mountains when the flowers are ready. As interesting in their way as any of the preceding, are the little bushes of the true garden Thyme, which every- where dot the land. It is exactly the -plant cultivated for ages as a pot-herb, and, of course, quite different from our common field Thyme. Then we have the Rue, common enough ; as if so many fragrant herbs could not be permitted to grow together in peace without an emissary from the evil one, in the shape of the foetid Ruta. If we pass from this cape to the hills around the town, many interesting plants are met with, as, for example, an Acis, which flowers in spring, and is like a Snow- drop ; beautiful insect-like Ophrys ; Hepaticas, here and there mixed with our common Primrose ; and, most beautiful of all, perhaps, the graceful and handsome Dog's-tooth Violet, with its mottled leaves. Daffodils and Anemones have been very numerous, but in April they are seen less frequently, and many of the rarest flowers select the winter as their blooming time. A Valley in the Maritime Alps. It we pass up one of the valleys for some distance, a better idea of the region generally may be obtained, and there is no more interesting one than that which runs up to the Col do Tende, three hours' walk or so above Tende — the Tende of Beatrice, of whose history you know. We enter the valley through miles of conglomerate cliffs, often several hundred feet high, and here and there veined with sandstone, which is fretted into tracery, looking almost like that of a decaying gothic cathedral. Few things among the rocks look more imposing than these cliffs, made up of blocks and stones and pebbles, from the ruins of some old world. Imagine the torrents, and the rivers, and the continent they must have sawn into to admit of such a cyclopean deposit ! The culture of the Olive by no means ceases with the sea slopes, but runs very far into the warm valleys, the slopes of which arc terraced for its reception. There is one place in this valley whore the hills assume the form of an amphitheatre, and the terraces and Olives follow the same outline. This is a peculiarly interesting sight, and one you would like to sketch. It loolcs like the Coliseum escaped to the woods, and enlarged a May 23, 1874.] THE GAEDEN. 437 hundredfold. Hard by, and nestled in the gi-ey wood, is one of those close built Italian towns, so attractive to the artist (and to the general eye, at a distance of some hundred yards or more), but which are so dismal when you walk through them ; the streets like deep graves ; the houses so miserable-looking, externally ; the filth inside so evident, that one begins to be grateful for having first seen the light in a clean, if not a picturesque house. Some of the streets are so narrow that you might hand ai'ticles from one house to another from the windows ! And into these towns the people crowd, instead of building in their pretty Olive gardens. It is part of the curse of the old time that is upon them. I suppose they crowded up for defence, and now, when both castle and ram- parts are gone, they crowd still. They look all the worse for it, too, and have the faces of creatures born ia the stews of some unhealthy city. As we pass along the outer street, a great snake-like stem of a Vine is seen emerging from a hole in the wall of the lower storey, and gradually winding its way to the top, where it forms (trained on a trellis over the flat roof) the upper story, so to say. This is but one of the countless ways of training the Vine in Italy. What a docile plant it is for the trainer ! and what curtains it makes at Naples, stretching in lines, four deep, from tree to tree I And what covered walks at Florence ! But I must not begin. A man with one-half of your knowledge of Italy might form a charming illustrated volume on the " Vine in Italy." What a contrast to the primmer than Currant-bush Vines in France ! But taste the vin da pays in these valleys, and, ten to one if 3'ou do not imagine that the fiend of astringency has possessed you at last. Happily, however, the inns mostly have some fair Asti, and Asti, when good, seems to me (a poor judge) the most agreeable wine of Italy. Terraces. When the terracing for the Olives on the low grounds and hill-sides is completed, next come terraces for Wheat and Vines. It is surprising to see how these terraces are won from the mountains. Tou look above the Olives and against the face of a mountain that seems too steep for any climber but the chamois, and are astonished to see little horizontal lines, which prove to be terraces. Man, the featherless biped, has been there, and, wherever it was possible, stolen a few yards of earth from the stony face of the scarp. Some of these terraces are not more than a few yards long and -i or 5 feet wide. Talk of difficulties of culture after this ! In more accessible places than this, one can see the terraces with their green young Wheat, which, I am told, they bear, year after year, without end and without change. After the Wheat frequently comes a crop of Indian Corn, which the climate is so good as to perfect, even though sown after the Wheat is cut. In some of the small fields, and most easily acces- sible terraces, we saw the old Roman plough — the Virgilian plough — at work ; and not a bad implement, though a very rude one. I presume this was the first of the great series of English ploughs also ; as, of course, the Romans would have introduced it. They could not rule and civilise us for nearly 500 years without using the plough as well as the sword. There seems a great scarcity of animal life in these valleys — even the dogs are few, happily. Some few teeth and a tuft of black wool on a high ridge, however, remind us that the wolf is yet seeking what he may devour on the hills, for these are all he has left of a sheep. He is, however, far from common, only leaving the high woods when driven by the heavy snows to seek food lower down. The red Valerian grows well everywhere in the Riviera Valleys. So, by the way, do some of our favourite garden shrubs, as, for example, the beautiful Venetian Sumach (Rhus Ootinus) which is a true rock shrub, dotted over the enormous precipitous walls of stone everywhere. So, too, in these valleys we find the Oleander — which we usually associate with the Jordan. It grows in the river-beds and banks, and freely in the warmer and lower parts of the valleys. In these valleys, like many others, the rocks frequently become almost perpen- dicular, and this by no means only when the great face is formed of one solid mass ! Many of the masses of stone are free, having just a resting place on the mighty wall. Hence, after heavy rains and similar causes, ponderous slices slide down into the valley or on to the mountain road, leaving such a ruin as makes one grateful to have been out of the way when it tumbled down. Well, for many miles throughout this valley one sees these colossal walls of rock, and they interest us mainly from the vegetation that cliugs to them. Wherever a chiuk occurs, or a resting place of any kind, there is the home of a mountain shrub, so that no matter how high the rocks are, they are garnished everywhere, sparsely, with the young green of spring or the silvery tints of its bush flowers. Most frequent, perhaps, is the common European Amelanchier, which forms a low-spreading bush, with white flowers, very ornamental as it dots the cliffs 400- feet overhead. With it, and a little prettier, and also with white flowers, is the Mahaleb Cherry, a species very much used by the French for grafting purposes — 1 mean as a stock. Here and there, among these whitened bushes, is a stain of glistening green, that of our old friend, the Ivy — native here, of course. Sometimes the eye is refreshed with a mass of the most delicious, fresh, and tender green; it is that of the Lime tree, which, on a ledge larger than usual, has attained, after many years of effort, a height of 10 feet. It looks all the more striking from contrast with the dark green Cypress bushes near, and with the dark green Pines above. The Arbutus may be seen on the warmer slopes, not at great elevations ; its fruit is very good here in autumn. Here, too, is a rather uncommon tree, the Celtis australis, small and bush-like, but forming a noble tree in good ground in shrubberies. Pretty among all these is the yellow Coronilla Emerus, which suspends its strings of coronas from every rock. The ground is carpeted, in the higher parts of the valley, by the curious little Cob-web House Leek (Sempervivum arachnoideum), and the fine strap- leaved silvery Saxifrage (S. ligulata) is abundant in large tufts. But what are these delicate stains of lilac among the Grass on that high bluff ? The flowers of the charm- ing Margined Primrose (P. marginata) ; you know, the little Primrose with a vein of silver round the margin of the leaf. This is abundant here, and frequently spreads so as to form almost a tuft. There are two other good Primroses here, P. latifolia, which I saw very few plants of, a rare kind, and Allioni's Primrose — a beautiful dwarf kind, with fine rose-coloured flowers. This was in abundance, staining the face of an enormous cliff of solid rock, several hundred feet high. The roots had wormed themselves into the smallest chinks, and there formed tufts of little rosettes, every one of which bears a brilliant flower, almost large enough to obscure the plant that bore it. Except for a few yards at the base the plants are wholly inaccessible to man, so that P. AUioni will, probably, have its garden there for as long as the rocks will endure. I forget if I told you before that our common Harebell is replaced in these regions by a species with somewhat larger flowers, and very ornamental, C. macrorrhiza. The Maiden-hair Fern abounds, as you might suppose; sometimes, as one goes down to drink at some stream — the streams that come into the main valley from the gorges, are usually clear as crystal — one sees the worn walls carpeted with the Maiden-hair Fern. Frequently it creeps into caves, and mantles them too, hanging down freely from the roof. A striking contrast occurs between the arid-looking mountains and the water-meadows in the valleys, through which tiny streams wind, and from which several crops of Grass are annually obtained. Between these meadows and the rocks on stoney flanks, for the most part, the common Chestnut is abundantly cultivated ; the Chestnuts from this valley having a great reputation. This is probably owing to the trees being pruned, and in an excellent manner. They are not mutilated, but the branches are simply thinned, and this, of course, throws the vigour into the remaining ones. This is a lesson in its way, as, obviously, if the Chestnut is greatly improved by this process, it is no less needful for every other kind of fruit. The Chestnut is peculiarly valuable here, as it grows on arid-looking slopes where the Pear and Apple would, I fear, have no chance. The Mulberry is common, and so is the Fig, which latter attains stately dimensions in the lower part of the valleys. I measured one since I wrote last, 2 feet 6 inches in diameter of stem, and 60 feet in diameter of bi'anches — a very noble object. What a paradise it must be in autumn for those who love green Figs, if the Figs happen to be of good kinds ! The Walnut is also common, and profitable. 438 THE GAEDEN. [May 23, 1874. I should like to have a walk with you through one of these valleys, but then you would want to sit down and sketch at every step. I will now bid you good bye for the nonce, by the fringe of the receding snow on the (^ol de Tende, where a few blossoms of the small white form of the spring Crocus, are opening their deep cups to the sun. THE FLOWER GARDEN. SELECTIONS OF ROSES FOR VARIOUS PURPOSES. There is a difficulty in making selectiona of Roses even for special purposes, because so many gardens have their peculiarities of soil and climate which require to be taken into account, in order that the best possible selection may be made. AVith those who are not well acquainted with Roses and the conditions of their successful cultivation, it is the best plan to appeal to some one who is well informed on the subject. By this means the end desideiated may be Burely and completely attained. The following lists, then, should be taken as of a general character, as the best only for such gardens— which are numerous— where no special conditions of soil and climate exist. Moss. Crested Hybrid Chinese. Charles Lawson Hifhn-l tcrpelnaU. Abel eiraud Alfred Colomb Aiidri!' Dauand Autoiue Ducher Buron Chaurand Beauty of Walthani Bessie Johuson Black Prince Camillo Bernardin Caroline de Sansal Centit'olia rosea Charles Lefebvre Claude Levet Comte Raimbaud Comtesse de Chabrillant Countess of Oxford Devienne Lamy Dr. Andry Due de Rohan Duchesse deCaylus Duke of Edinburgu Dupuy Jamain Edward Mon-en Elie Morel Emilie Hausburg Etienne Levet Exposition de Brie Felix Genero Ferdinand de Lesseps Fisher Holmes Francois Michelon Provence. Cabbage or Common "White Provence Moss. Baron de Wassenaer Created Common Gloire des Mosseuses Lanei Reine Blanche White Bath Jjamimk. Madame Soetmans Alhii. FiSlicitu Parmentier French or Gallica. (Eillet Parfait Perle des Panachi-s B.>jhr'id ChincHe, Charles Lawson Coup d'Hebc* Madame Plantier Paul Ricaut Aiinfrinn. Persian Yellow Perpf^tuiil MoHM. Madame Moreau Madame William Paul Perpetual White Mosa Salet llyhrid Ftrpcfuah. Abb6 Brammerel Alfred Cohmib Anna Alexieff Antoinc Ducher Auguste Kigciturd Baron do lion.-tcttin Beauty of Waltham Boule de Ncigo 100 Good Show Roses. Francois Treyve General Jacqueminot , Horace Vcrnet Jean Lambert John Hopper I John Keynes La Duchesse de Morny , La France Lielia Lord Macaulay ' Louis Van Houtte I Lyonnais ' Madame Alice Dureau I Madame C. Crapelet 1 Madame Chas. Wood 1 Madame Chirard 1 Madame C. Joigneaux Madame Creyton ! Madame Fillion Madame Geo. Schwartz ' Madame Lacharme Madame la Baronuc de Rothschild j Madame Victor Verdier Madame Vidot I Madlle. Annie Wood I Madlle. Bcnnaire Madlle. PJugt^nie Verdier ' Madlle. Maria Rady Madlle. Therese Levet I MargQcriLe de St. Amand I Marie Baumanu ' Marquise de Castellane Maurice Bernardin j Monsieur Noman ! Paul Neron 100 Good Garden Roses. Centifolia rosea Charles Lefebvre Comtesse de Chabrillant I Countess of Oxford I Dr. Andry I Duchesse de Caylus ' Duke of Edinburgh Duke of Wellington Dupuy Jamain Elie Morel pjhzabeth Vigneron Fehx Genero Firebrand Fisher Holmes , General Jaqueminot Jean Goujon Jean Lambert John Hopper Jules Margottin Lady SutKcld La Brillante La France Lord Macaulay Louis Van Houtte Louise Darzens Mme. Alfred de Rouge- mont Mailamc Boutin , Matlamc Chaa. Wood Madame 0. Joigneaux Madame Emile Boyau Madame la Baronne de Rothschild Madame Rivers Madaniu Victor Verdier Madlle. Annie Wood Madlle. Eugt-nie Verdier Madlle. Marie Rady Madlle. Thc-icse Levet Pierre Netting Prince Camille de Rohau Princess Beatrice Richard Wallace Senateur Vaiase Souvenir de Mons. Boll Victor Verdier Xavier Olibo lionrhon. Souvenir de Malniaison N>ji.^ette. Celine Forestier Cloth of Gold ' Mme. Caroline Kuster Tea-scenfed, Alba rosea Belle Lyonnaise Catherine Mermeb Climbing Devoniensis Gloire de Dijon Jean Pernet Madame Margottin Madame Villermoz Madlle. Marie Arnaud Mari;chal Niel Marie Ducher Marie Van Houtte Niphetos Perfection de Monplaisir Perle de Lyon Rubens Souvenir de Paul Neron Souvenir d'EHse Vardon Souvenir d'un Ami Triomphe de Guillot fils. Marie Baumann Marquise de Castellane Maurice Bennardin Paul Nerin President Tbiers Prince Camille de Rohan Xavier Olibo Prince de Portia Princess Beatrice Princess Christian Princess of Wales Senateur Vaisse Thorin Victor Verdier Bourbon Pcrjietnal, Baron Gonella Comtesse Barbantanne Madame Gustavo Bonnet Michel Bonnet Boitrb'iji. Souvenir de Malmaison Noiacfte. Celine Forestier China. Mrs. Bosanquot Tea-Hceiifed. Adricnnne Chri6to[)hlc Alba rosea Belle Lyonnaise Gloire de Dijon Homer Madame Falcot Madame Margot'.in Madame Villarmoz Mario Van Houtte Safrauo Sombreuil Souvcnii- d'un Ami. 32 Roses for Town Gardens. Madame Hardy Madame Soetmans Brennus Charles Duval Charles Lawson Chenedole Coupe d'HebL^ Madame Plantier Alphonse Damaisin Anne Alexieff Beauty of Waltham I Charles Lefebvre Dr. Andry Duchess of Sutherland Duke of Edinburgh Elizabeth Vigneron General Jacqueminot -Glory of Waltham Horace Veruet John Hopper Jules Margottin Mme. Clemence Joigneaux 12 "Weeping Roses. Ruga I Fehcite pei'petue I Laura Davoust I Celine Forestier j 24 Pillar Roses. Growing from 8 to 10 feet hi, Princess Adelaide (Moss) Anna Alexieff Lanei Falgens Gen. Jacqueminot (Hyb. Mme. Plantier [Chinese) Vivid Madame Victor Verdier Marechal Vaillant P rince Camille de Rohan Prince de Joinville Princess of Wales Souvenir de la Reine d'Angleterre Aimee Vibeit Mrs. Bosauquet Sombreuil Gloire de Dijon. Desprez a fleur jaune Ophirie Gloire de Dijon Marechal Kiel. Baron Chaurand Duke of Edinburgh Elizaljeth Vigneron General de Lamartiniere Glory of Waltham Madame C. Crapelet ■ Madame Jacquier Madame Soetmans Brennus Charles Lawson Chenedole Madame Plantier Paul Verdier Vivid 24 Climbing Roses for Trellises^ Arcades, &c. Growing from 20 feet to 40 feet in height. Marquise de Gibot Marquise de Ligneris Perfection de Lyon Princsss Louise Victoria Souvenir de la Reine d'Angleterre Climbing Aimee Vibert Gloire de Dijon. Laure Davoust Fi?licite perpetu*? Myrianthus renoncule Ruga White Banksia (Wall) Yellow Banksia (Wall) Blairii, No. 2 Celiue Forestitr Hybrid Chinese, Charles Lawson Paul Ricaut Hybrid PerpduaU. Alba mutabilis Alfred Colomb Alphonse Damaizin Anna Alexiefl" Antoine Ducher Augnste Rigotard Baron Adolphe de Roths- child Beautj' of Waltham Bessie Johnson Camille Bernardin Caroline de Sansal CentifoUa rosea Charles Lefebvre Claude Levet Cceur de Lion Comie Raimbaud Comtesse de Chabrillant Countess of Oxford Devienne Laray Dr. Andry Duchesse de Caylus Duke of Edinburgh Duke of Wellington Dupuy Jamain Edward Morren Elie Morel Etienne Levet Felix Genero Ferdinand de Lesseps Fisher Holmes Francoise Fontaine Francois Michelon Desprez iv fleur jaune Cloth of Gold (Wall) Ophirie Solfaterra (Wall) Belle de Bordeaux Belle Lyonnaise Climbing Devonlensis Gloire de Dijon ICO Pot Roses. Francois Treyve General Jacqueminot Glory of Waltham Horace Vernet John Hopper Jules Margottin La France Ljelia Louis Van Houtte Lyonnaise Mme. Alfred de Rouge- mont Mme. Alice Dureu Madame Chas. Wood Madame C. Joignanx Madame FilUon Mme. la Baronne de Rothschild Madame Lacharme Madame Victor Verdier Madlle. Annie Wood Madlle. Eugenie Verdier Madlle. Marie Rady Madlle. Marguerite Dom- brain Maddle. Th^rese Levet Marguerite de St, Amand Marie Baumann Marquise de Castellane Marquise de Montmartre Maurice Bernardin Paul Neron Paul Verdier Pierre Notting Princess Beatrice Princess Christian Princess Louise Victoria Madame Levet Madame Trifle Marechal Niel (Wall) Triomphe de Guiliot his Brennus Charles Lawson Chenedole Vivid. Princess Mary of Cam- bridge Richard Wallace Senateur Vaisse Souvenir de Mons. Bull Victor Verdier Xavier OUbo Bourbon Perpetual. Michael Bonnet Bourbon. Souvenir de Malmaison. Noisette. C^hne Forestier Tea-scented. Alba rosea Catherine Mermet Devoniousis Gloire de Dijon Jean Pernet Madame Camille Madame Falcot Madame de St. Joseph Madame Jules Margottin Madame Margottin Madame Villarmoz Madlle. Cecil Berthed Marechal Niel Marie Ducher Marie A'^an Houtte Monsieur Furtado Niphetos Perfection de Montplaiser President Rubens Souvenir d'EUse Vardou Souvenir de Paul Neron Souvenir d'un Ami. Old Roses that should not be lost sight of. Cabbage, or common Provence Crested Provence White Provence De Meaux Miniatui'e Provence Old or Common Moss Pompon Moss White Moss Maiden's Blush (Alba) , Painted Damask I Tuscany Rosa Mundi ] Village Maid , Yellow Austrian I Copper Austrian Crimson Boursalt Single Macartney Scarlet Four Seasons Old China or Monthly Yellow Tea-scented (The Jaune) Lawrenceana or Minia- ture China. 24 Seed-hearing H.F. Roses. Alfred Colomb Antonine Verdier Baron de Bonstettin Beauty of Waltham Dr. Andry Duke of Edinburgh Dujniy Jamain Fisher Holmes General Jacqueminot Glory of Waltham John Hopper Jules Margottin Lady Sutlield Madame Chas. Crapelet Madame Victor Verdier t Madlle. Annie Wood Madlle. Eugenie Verdier I Madlle. Thuruse Levet I Marie Baumann I Prince Camillo de Rohan I Souvenir de Dr. Jamain Thorin Victor Verdier I William Jesse. —FJwid. Anemone Robinsonii. — As there is no answer in last week's GARbEN to the inquiry (see page ^7^) about this Anemone, I may mention that I got iny original plant of it from the Manse Garden of Kirkpatrick-Juxta, Dumfriesshire, some eleven or twelve years ago. The kev. Mr. Little, the late incambeut, was an excellent botanist, May 23, 1874..] THE GARDEN. 439 and he considered it merely a seedling of the A. nemorosa, which overran his borders, and he allowed me to take the only little patch I could find of it. In our prepared spring border it grows stronger and larger than it did in the border and walk about the Manse door. I have given it away to many friends, always under the name of " Mr. Little's Anemone," and I saw it first at the Botanical Garden here, named A. Robinsonii. — F. J. Hopk, Wardie Lodge, Edinlmrgh. THE TRUE MEDICINAL RHUBARB. (rheum officinale.) Until quite recently, the species of Rheum yielding the best medicinal Rhubarb has never been seen in our gardens, owing, probably, to the fact that a great part of tlie district where the plants grow has not, as yet, been explored by travellers. What is known in English commerce as the best Turkey Rhubarb in reality comes from China, through Russia, bj- way of Kiachta. It was formerly imported from Natolia, whence the name Turkey Rhubarb. The root is said by PalUis to be dug up in the summer, washed, bored with a hole, strung on a thread, and dried in the sun. In this state it is sent to the chief towns of China, and to the Russian frontier town, Kiachta ; at . the latter place it undergoes careful examina- tion by the agents of the Russian Government, and all in- ferior or decayed specimens are rejected. In 1867, what is now regarded as the inedicinal Rhu- barb, was introduced into French gardens, and has more recently, we believe, been added to the Kow collection of medicinal plants. At p. 20ti for the present year, we gave an account of the plant ; and we are now enabled to give an illustration of it. This Rhubarb, as will be seen, is a plant of noble aspect ; and, although, perhaps, not suffi- ciently hardy to withstand severe spring frosts, it will, doubtless, form an attractive decorative plant, either on lawns singly, or in other prominent positions, during the hottest months of the year. WINTER STOCKS. Winter Stoolcs comprise the finest and most effective of this Rheum officin.ale, charming family of sweet-scented flowers — not that they possess brighter or richer hues than the summer or annual kinds ; but their biennial growth admits of a much larger development of the flowers, and to this is gene- rally allied a free-branching habit combined with a long blooming period. Winter Stocks comprise the Brampton, Queen, Winter Cape, and Intermediate kinds ; but these latter cannot, in any case, be regarded as hardj-, and scarcely deserve this classification. The true Giant Brorapton is the finest of all the Stocks; as, where it is well grown, it oftimes rises to a height of 2 feet, and then throws up magnificent spikes of bloom 12 inches in length. When grown in this way, the Brorapton is a grand border-plant, and is well worthy a place in the finest garden. Tliere are three colours in the Brompton — scarlet, white, and purjile ; and there is an inferior strain of the Brompton, as distinguished from the Giant, that is more branching, and but rarely develops double flowers. Of these I have grown all thi-ee colours ; but have found them so inferior, that they have been discarded. Of the Giant kinds, I grow both the scarlet and white ; but I have not, nor have I, indeed, ever, seen the purple. No doubt it exists somewhere; but it is certainly rare. The scarlet is well known ; but it is more commonly found amongst cottage gardens than in those of greater pretensions. It is said that all single flowers that have, say, flve or six petals, will assuredly produce pods that will contain seed of double kinds. This may be partially true, as regards a good double strain ; but that it is not absolutely true of ordinary strains, I have had abundant proof, having, on several occasions saved and raised the seed from such flowers, but the result was that they all came single. Where a good strain exists it is best to pinch out the points of all flowering shoots after they have developed a fair number of blooms ; and then, as the seed swells and ripens, there is more strength and plumpness in it than would be found if the plants were allowed to seed indiscriminately. The true Giant White Brompton is a magnificent Stock, producing enormous spikes of huge double flowers. I obtained this kind after considerable trouble, and I have now a flne lot of it in bloom. The Winter Cape Stocks are little known, and form quite a distinctive class, as they are intermediate between the Brompton and the Queen, having the tall stems of the one with the bushy heads of the other. They are, however, not so hardy as the latter ; although they would do well in sheltered gar- dens, where they would make delightful boi-derplants in spring. Of these I have flve colours — white, scarlet, purple, lavender, and fawn ; the two latter shades being exceedingly pleasing, and are not to be found in any other winter kinds. I find that these give about two-thirds double to one of single ; the Bromptons, if of a good strain, giving about one-half of each. The Queen Stock forms one of the oldest and most useful of all winter kinds, and it is, I believe, the hardiest. Here, again, the three common colours of scarlet, white, and purple only are found, except whei'e, in some cases, variegated floorers come, a circumstance probably arising from the fact that the white and scarlet, or the white and purple, have been grown in close juxtaposition. As I pass to and from here to the Feltham railway-station I pass several cottages, the front gardens of which are almost full of scarlet and purple forms of Queen Stocks, dwarf, branching, and literally a mass of beautiiul flowers, of these more than one- half are double, and the strains pure and good. These Queens seem to be almost stemless as their heads rest close to the ground and their branches of flower rise to a height of from 10 to 12 inches. The white kind of Queen Stock is not common, although I have seen it in years past, and, no doubt, some of the readers of The Garden are acquainted with its whereabouts. The Queens are largely grown in market gardens, and their flowers are cut for market purposes ; they are of equal value for decorating the borders of private gardens. Intermediate Stocks are, necessarily, Wmter Stocks, but by no means hardy. If seed of them be sown early in spring under glass, it is probable that the plants will only just come into full perfection iu the autumn, too late to be useful. Seed of these should be sown during the months of July and August, but the first week in August is very suitable if sown under glass. The plants should be pricked out io a cold frame, or be potted up and placed in a frame or cold house to stand the winter, and then, if so desired, should be turned out into the open borders or beds about the middle of April, when they will Ijloom freely for several weeks. The Intermediates give still white, scarlet, and purple, and, if of a good strain, will yield 440 THE GARDEN. [May 23, 1874. about 80 per cent, double. I sliould much like to see growing at Chiswick a collection of every known variety of Stock, it would be a most interesting sight and as sweet as beautiful. Bedfont. A. D. LILT OF THE VALLEY. The flowery mouth of May produces no plant more exquisite either in form or fragrance than this. Most plants have an especial beauty of their own— a something distinctive that is capable of endearing them to us ; but this Lily has attractions peculiarly its own. The graceful manner in which its pretty white bells hang on the slender, arching stems, and the agreeable contrast which they make with the bright green foliage, have rendered this little flower not only a favourite with all parties, but especially so with our poets. This little modest flower formerly grew in our woods and valleys in great abundance ; but increased cultivation has rendered it comparatively rare in a natural state. In gardens, however, it is the most cherished of all hardy flowers, and the quantities of it used for forcing in early spring would surprise the uninitiated in these matters. Old writers on gardening tell us that about the end of the flfteenth century it grew abundantly on Hampstead Heath, in Bushy Park, at Lee, in Essex, and, indeed, in most counties in England. It grows plentifully in the woods of France and Germany, and is indigenous to most parts of Europe— from Italy to Lapland. It is sometimes called May Flower ; but as it grows spontaneously in shady places, though not in reality a Lily, the name Lily of the Valley seems a natural one. The best situation in which to place this Lily in the garden is where it will be partially shaded by shrubs and trees, and it flowers even better in a north aspect than when fully exposed to the noonday sun. It will succeed in almost any kind of soil ; but it blossoms in greatest abundance in a light soil, rather poor than otherwise ; for, when planted in rich garden earth, the roots spread, and ' multiply rapidly, but the plants produce but few flowers, and, like many other creeping-rooted plants it seldom seeds. This Lily may be planted with advantage by the sides of water, where, beneath the branches of some Weeping Willow, or other pendulous tree, its fragrance quite scents the air. Autumn is the best time for placing the roots of this Lily in the ground, in which they should be covered about 2 inches in depth, and should not be disturbed oftener than every third or fourth year, as they seldom flower strongly or plentifully the year after being removed. When above ground they will require no other attention than that of keeping them free from weeds. Lily of the Valley is said to be so abundant in woods in Hanover that the ground in many places is completely carpeted with it, and the air to a considerable distance scented with its agreeable perfume. In Germany it used to be common to make a wine of the flowers, by drying them in the summer, and in the time of vintage mixing them with Grapes when pressed. A snuff has also been sometimes made of the dried flowers and of the leaves and essential oil of Marjoram. The fresh blossoms, gathered while wet with the morning dew, have also been used for purposes of distillation. J. M. NOTES AND QUESTIONS ON THE FLOWER GARDEN. The Double Cuckoo Flower (Cardamine pratensis).— While travelling near Boston, the other day, I met with a donlile-tloweviiig variety of this plant, growin(f near a slump of the single kind, which it far surpassed in beauty, and was about fl inches taller. Is a double-flowered Cuckoo flower a rarity or not ?— A. B., Sleaford. [By no means a rarity.— Ed.] Androsace corouopifolia.— This elegant species, with its beautiful diffuse umbels of suow-white Hovvers is flowering beautifully with mo this season. I Imd It best to treat it as a biennial ; it seeds freely. Plants raised from seeds in early spring, and wintered in a cold frame, flower well the following season. — J. \y. Moeley. Cheiranthus ochroleucus.— Plants of this useful hardy perennial, divided and planted out in July last, are now masses of bloom, about as much in diameter as in height (6 to 8 inches). Being deliciously sweet-scented, this showy little Wallllowcr deserves even more extensive cultivation than it at present receives.— Wst. Rdmset, Joyning's Nimern, Waltliam Cnsa. The StemlesB Gentian (Gentiana acaulis).— Gentians of various varieties aroKCiionilly .supiKjsed to follow pretty closely the thaw lines on mountains. As the snow melts, the azure blue springs forth behind it, and no severity of weather seems to hurt the Gentians. The best I have ever seen were in Perth- shire, on a cold clay bottom and a northern aspect. Yet I have never seen Gentians in East Anglia so full of flower as now. The plants are all (lower, and their flowers are large and fine, and the plants healthy, as if they had rather enjoyed, and thriven tlio bettor for, the mildness of the winter.— D.' T. l'\ St. Bruno's Lily (Authericum (Czaokia) Liliastrum).— When in bloom, this is one of the most charming of all spring-flowering plants, cither for a warm sheltered border, or for pot-culture. I recently i-aw some pretty little specimens of it blooming in a cold pit in Messrs. Barr's Sugden's trial ground at Tooting, and it struck mo that it ought to bo more generally grown, as a ilecorative plant, than it is. It has narrow glaucous foliage, and erect spikes of pearly-white blossoms, deliciously scented. If planted out, select a warm moist border in a sheltered position for it, as its delicate blossoms are often injured by dry cutting winds, — B. THE FRUIT GARDEN. WATERING PINES. In reply to Mr. Simpson's strictures on my remarks on this subject (see p. 426), I beg to say that what I have advocated, and further wish to confirm, was sufficient, but not excessive, watering. I did not, nor have I any cause to describe, any disastrous results attending this practice ; but it is abundant watering, or watering of any kind, after the fruit commences to ripen, and the baneful consequences which I have found to follow, that I particularly wish to guard against. That many Pines are over watered cannot be controverted. Fruits of all kinds, Pines not excepted, that are ripened and gathered from plants that are living in a semi-aquatic state, are always very much inferior in flavour to those ripened under more genial con- ditions. Pines so ripened may be exceedingly rich and flowing in juice, but where is that peculiar saccharine flavour, so desirable in the Pine, and without which it is of little value? I have not the schedule of the Nottingham show by me, but I presume the society must have been more liberal in those days than it is now, if six or eight Queen Pines were awarded first and second prizes individually. Here again the finely swelled and finished appearance is all that is looked at. Unfortunately, Pines are never tasted on such occasions. Good prizes were awarded to Pines at the Glasgow International Show in 1872, and those who obtained them are, of course, at liberty to make the most of them now, but the editor of the Gar- dener (whose opinion on anything connected with Pine culture is worthy of the highest respect), in his notice of the exhibition in question, sagaciously observed — " We have omitted remarking on the Pines exhibited at this show, for they were very ordinary, and some of them were all but rotten, and should never have been staged." As I am not in the habit of frequenting any of the local shows which Mr. Simpson mentions, I have never inspected his fruit on such occasions ; but, if those which he exhibited last year at the International Show in Manchester were samples of his wet practice, I would recommend him to give the comparatively dry system a trial. I am asked if I know under what conditions the Pine grows and fruits in its native habit ? I have always given more attention to its artificial cultivation at home than abroad ; but, so far as that is concerned, I suppose that Mr. Simpson's knowledge and my own are derived from much the same source. A friend of mine, a planter in the tropics, who is rather fond of a good Pine, in a recent letter, says—" Pine- apples grow naturally here; they are as finely flavoured as English grown Pines during the dry seasons ; but, if not pro- tected during wet seasons, they are not worth eating." Can any but one inference be drawn from this ? I have for weeks and months watered every stove plant under my charge daily, and Mr. Simpson (see p. 217) says, " The Pine recjuires as much water as any ordinary stove-plant ; and, unless it gets it, it will not thrive." The inference, therefore, is that it should receive water every day. After some comments on air-giving, watering, and many figures of temperature to be strictly adhered to, we are informed that " with plenty of water at the root a Pine will thrive luxuriantly without shutting up or syringing at all." The technical definition of " shutting up," as applied to Pine growing, is the closing of the ventilators to exclude cold air. Surely, therefore, there must bo some mistake in reference to this statement. J. Mum. WIRING GARDEN WALLS. TwENTT-TWO years ago I had two Peach-houses erected under my direction ; they were lean-to houses, tho length of which was about 120 feet, and the trees were to occupy the back wall, which I had wired pretty much in the way in which walls are now wired. When building the walls I had square plugs of wood placed in them at certain distances apart ; to these upright laths were nailed, .at distances of 5 feet. Between the laths the wall was plastered, and the laths were embedded in the plaster to a depth of nearly an inch, leaving no interstices in which vermin could find a shelter. After the plastering was finished and the projecting portion of the laths painted, the wires were stretched along the wall at distances of May 23, 1874.] THE GARDEI^. 441 5 inches apart, each wire was firmly secured to the upright lath by a staple after the wire had been tightened to its grestest tension by a screw and nut. The Peach trees planted against this wall were lender my care for sixteen years, and during the whole of that time I cannot remember that any harm was done to the young shoots by tyiug them to the ■wires ; but the system which I followed may, in part, account for this ; they were pruned on the spur system, the young leading shoots I never tied to the wires until they had grown a considerable length, and even then I began at the base of the shoot, proceeding with the operation at stated intervals, as the shoots had acquired hardness and consistency sufficient to bear the pressure of the ties. In tying I wound the matting once round the wire, tied it in a single knot on the side next the wall, and then brought it round to the front ; by this means the shoot had room to develop itself, besides having protection from direct pressure upon the wire. Whatever, therefore, may be the faults of wire trellises out-of-doors, I consider them a great advantage where Peaches are grown vipou walls under glass. I have here only two small Peach-houses, the trees in which are grown iu a similar way to those I have just described. Every year the trees are taken entirely off the wires and the back wall is white-washed. After the trees have been carefully painted with a suitable composition, they are re-tied to the trellises ready for spring work. I have never had an opportunity of trying a wire trellis on walls out-of-doors. J. T. FEUIT SHEDS. A YEAR or two ago I gave an account of an open glazed shed built by Mr. Foster, of Beeston, accompanied by an illustra- tion and description. It is five years since it was planted, and it has every year had a fine crop of fruit. This season it is worth going a long way to see. In my experience I have seen nothing in fruit culture so remarkable as the uniform success of this fruit shed. Who would have thought that a shed open to the north-east would have produced crops five years in succession as this has done, in spite of unfavourable seasons ? Last year, when no one here had Apricots, Mr. Foster gathered twenty-five dozen beautiful fruit from two trees which had been loaded every year since they were planted. One Plum — a Rivers' Prolific — produced, when it was cleared, thirty-five pounds, and it was estimated that ten pounds bad been previously gathered. A Pitmaston Oi'ange Nectarine bore twelve dozen beautiful fruits, and now every tree in the shed is as full of fruit as it is possible for it to be. When it is added that these trees have never been watered since they were first planted, that they have never been syringed at all, and that the only trouble taken with them has been to train them to the wires, thin, and gather the fruit, I think few will deny that the success of this plan of growing fruit is very remarkable. Whoever before heard of a plan of growing fruit under glass when a week or a month's aljsence of the gardener made no difference, when a frost of 14^, when the trees were in flower — as we had when Apricots were in bloom — did not require to be guarded against, and did no harm ? No wonder people are building similar sheds all over the country ; for, one thing is quite certain, that no plan of growing unforced fruit has ever been tried to be at all compared with this, either for certainty or economy. Nobody, after seeing this shed, would for a moment think of building a shed for pots and soil, and covering it with slates or tiles instead of glass. Ghilwell. J. E. Pearson. Wood instead of Fruit in Gooseberry Bushes. — How is it that our Gooseberry bushes are throwing out quantities of young wood and not bearing fruit ? They were pruned as usual in the autumn and manured ; in early spring they showed good promise of fruit, and blossomed at each joint along the stem, but now, instead of fruit, a young shoot about 3 inches long has appeared, besides tlie young wood which always comes in the centre of the tree, and any fruit that was formed is falling off. This is the case with young as well as old trees. They are planted along the borders of a fruit and vegetable garden, and are manured every year. — A Constant Sub. SCKIBEK, Belfast. [The bushes in question have, probably, been too close pruned in the autumn, and by being very vigorous from grow, ing in a richly .manured border, that would cause them to make a quantity of young wood instead of setting fruit. If this is the cause the evil may be cured by root-pruning, or by lifting the bushes and replanting them in the autumn, if not too large and old. No pruning the young wood should be done till the spring of the year after being planted, and then only by thinning out a few of the branches where too thickly placed, and especially all in the heart of the bush. I never prune or spur the young wood of my Gooseberry bushes ; all I do is thin out the branches in the spring, before the buds break, and thus they never suffer from the birds eating the fruit-buds in severe winters, or from their making too many shoots to the detriment of the fruit. — Wihiam Tillery.] Gooseberry Caterpillars. — I have seen acres of Gooseberry trees in market gardens stripped of foliage by caterpillar, a cure for the ravages of which may be found in a decoction of Foxglove. Get a quantity of stalks and leaves of this plant, bruise them, and throw them into a copper of boiling water, and let them simmer all night. The next morning the liquor will be the colour of porter ; this strength can be reduced by adding water. Strain through muslin or fine netting, and syringe with a very fine rose, if possible, lecting the liquid fall on the trees like dew. If no copper is handy, use a water-barrow j pour scalcling water on the Foxglove, and cover up with sacks or mats. We have used the above, more or less, for the last twenty-four years, and have always found it to answer. Some recommend Hellebore powder; this I have never tried. — William Hill, Keele Hall, Staffordshire. Codling Moth, and Sheep. — We have repeatedly urged for years past the importance of turning flocks of sheep and pigs into orchards at the time the young and wormy fruit is dropping. These animals will get at least a part of them. One of the most successful experimenters in this way is Mr. Harris, of Rochester, who gives some striking proofs of the advantages of the practice. Ho holds the codling moth in check in one orchard by pasturing it with sheep. Another orchard, forty years old, has always been used as a hog pasture, and the Apples are entirely free from the codling moth. Outside the orchard in which the sheep run, is a row of seven trees, which produced last year from two to five barrels of Apples per tree, and being unprotected by animals from the codling moth, all the good Apples from these seven trees were put into one barrel. In his garden, where the animals cannot run, from fifty sorts of dwarf Apples there is scarcely a fair specimen. — CiUtivator. The Alpine Strawberry. — In many places Alpine Straw- berries are not in much demand before the bulk of the large varieties has been consumed ; therefore, as it is not necessary for them to bear till August, it will be better (to avoid exhaustion by unnecessary crojjping) to go over them now, and, as far as possible, to cut of all the flowers. Where only a few are grown, this may easily be accom- plished with the knife ; but, where they are grown in quantity, this would be found a tedious process, involving a good deal of labour and time. We, therefore, use a sharp scythe. Auy man accustomed to the handling of such a tool would run over the beds in a few minutes, skimming oil the flowers ; and, if a few loaves are sacrificed, it is comparatively of little importance, as the plants make foliage so rapidly at this season. This, also, would bo a good opportunity to mulch them, if not already sufficiently done. Half-decayed stable manure we find to be tlie most suitable material for mulching Alpines, as it furnishes a good deal of support and stimulates produc- tion. It will settle down and form a clean surface long before the fruit is ripe, and the fruit of the Alpine is supported more by dtuse close foUage than other Strawberries. — E. Hobday. NOTES AND QUESTIONS ON THE FRUIT GARDEN. The Golden Queen Grape.^Can jou kindly give me any information respecting this Grape. — Delta. [It is a seetUing between Ferdinand dc Lessepa and Black Alicante. The bunch and berry are exactly like those of the Madres- field Coui't, but in colour bright yellovr. The flavoui- is said to bo excellent. —Ed.] Singular Lemon, — Prof. Oudemans has recently narrated a case in tho Archives JS^eei'Jaiidaisett, in which a Lemon, when cut across was found to partake internally of the ch i meters of both the Lemon and the Orange, four of the seg- ments having the colour and taste of the Lemon, the remaining five those of the Orange. The exterior was in nowise different from an ordinary Lemon, M. Oudemans inclines to the view that this fruit resulted from the fertilisation, of the flower of a Lemon by the pollen of an Orange. Attempts to Protect Vines from Frost.— During the recent severe and most destructive frosts, every possible attempt was made in France to protect the Vines by means of straw coverings, made up into the shape of beehives, umbrellas, &c., and in many places wooden planks have been used ; but these devices have been attended with Ijut little success. Artificial clouds of smoke from fires kindled in tho Vineyards have also been had recourse to, but have equally failed; and the only shelter that has at all succeeded, has been linen cloth spread out over the Vines. Surely these facts are enough to convince Vine growers in these regions that cheap canvas, or similar covering, is what ia wanted to prevent wholesale destruotion. 442 THE GARDEN. [Mat 23, 1874. DRUMMOND CASTLE GARDENS. Br NOEL HUMPHREYS. Although Druinmond Castle is not remarkable either for site, magnitude, or architecture, and although the park is not of great extent, the gardeus have become more celebrated than any others in Scotland, and, owing to their interesting character and beauty, have cast a redeoted light, as it were, of celebrity ou the somewhat inconspicuous building. The charms of horticulture have, in fact, rescued the place from obscurity. Drummond Castle only consists of an ancient keep, still perfect, but now tenanted merely by a fine collection of Scottish weapons and defensive armour, and a fine series of family pictures, many of which are of historical interest. The modern residence is on the same level as the old castle, but is of very recent date. The castle, like most of the strongholds of the period, was naturally placed on the highest point to be found in the domain. The side of the small but elevated piece of high table-land, beneath which the present noble gardens lie, was originally, no doubt, a precipitous and inaccessible rock, the practicable approach to the keep being at the back. In early times the only garden was, doubtless, such a one as could be planned within the battle- ments surrounding the crest of the rooky hill, in which narrow space the Chatelaine had, probably, her bower and her Rose bush, and a few old-world flowers, such as we see repre- sented in the painted miniatures of mediasval chronicles. But in later and less lawless times, when it became possible for a lady to pass outside her castle gates without a company of men-at-arms, the present gardens were gradually formed, which, as a specimen of the geometrical style, are, on the whole, more attractive than any with which I am acquainted — princi- pally on account of the richness and abundance of the- foliage which surrounds them, and which occasionally breaks up with such graceful interruptions the lines and devices of the ground- plan, which, without this softening, would have been somewhat glaring and obtrusive. The approach to the castle hill, through the park, is beneath an avenue of Beeches nearly a mile-and-a-half in length, yet nob at all monotonous, on account of the many pictui-esque variations of aspect which occur during the approach, in consequence of the natural irregularities and rocky character of the ground. In many places the road has been cut through solid rook, and these cuttings have become entirely clothed with Mosses and Lichens of olive, grey, orange, and creamy tints, forming a soft velvet mantle of many colours, and producing a most charming effect. la some places the irregularities of surface are of sufficient dimensions to give to the general effect an air of considerable grandeur. It is, in fact, a half wilderness of mountain-like aspect, often becoming solemnly impressive by the continuous shadow of the great Beeches,* between the ancient trunks of which sparkling glimpses are obtained of a picturesque lake. The final ascent to the castle is bright and open, and the entrance is through the ancient gateway of the " keep." By a narrow-vaulted passage the visitor enters a spacious court, on the opposite side of which ai'e the more modern buildings which form the present residence. At the time of my visit the banner of the Drummonds was flying, denoting that "the family" were at home; yet no restrictions on, the free circulation of visitors was the consequence. After visiting the interesting collections of arms and pictures in the ancient chambers of the keep, the principle object of a garden-lover's visit began to be realised by a glorious view over the wide-spread display of foliage, flowers, walks, and fountains, obtained from the parapets of the castle court, which, though not so extensive as that from the top of the old tower, was more rich and beautiful, the objects seeming to bo more pictorially grouped and blended than in the bird's-eye view from the greater elevation. It put me somewhat in mind of Fontainebloau, but it is certainly finer. The main lines of the design are those of the cross of the patron saint of Scotland (St. Andrew), namely, two bands crossing each other diagonally in the centre. Beyond those characteristically national main lines there are, at each end of the design, two broad walks running past the end of the cross, with a circle between them ; and beyond is another walk in the same direction. From this main and simple nucleus of the plan scores of minor ramilica- tions spring, spreading themselves in every direction, and creating, by their intersections, geometric figures, which are each filled (on the present system o£ planting this garden) with a mass of only one kind of some handsome flowering plant. These are oftener tall-growing plants than dwarf bedding plants, and their upper stems and branchlets, laden with flowers, bend and sway in the wind, like the surface of a lake gently moved by a summer breeze — And o'er them lights and shadows pass, Like lights aud shades ou waving Grass, — but with a more magical effect, inasmuch as each waving mass is of a different colour — from crimson and purple to the opaline-pearly tints of orange, green, and emei-ald. It must be confessed, however, that the geometrical principle is some- times carried to excess; in such devices, for instance, as that of the production in living flowers of the Drummond badge, the red wavy band on a gold ground, an effect produced by a carefully planted band of scarlet or crimson flowers serpentining through a square or shield-formed mass of yellow ones. This, and other effects of a similar kind are, perhaps, scarcely defensible on aesthetic grounds ; but the dimensions of the devices are so large (the kind of plants by which they are effected being tall and robust) that effects are produced which quite over-ride the ordinary objections to the small neat fashion of the " bed- ding system," which has been satirically called the "pin-cushion style." The intermi.xture of free-growing foliage, too, com- bined with the tall and (I am sorry to add) cropped spires of greenery formed of Yew, Holly, Juniper, and other trees, combine to produce a general effect extremely rich and striking ; insomuch, that one might fancy the whole scene the glittering fancy of a passing vision — a waking dream of the gardens of some fairy palace, such as one might read of in media3val romances. The accompanying engraving represents a perspective view of the upper terrace — a noble piece of semi- rustic masonry, surmounted with vases and busts — above which appears a portion of the modern buildings, and some of the foliage of the high ground ou which the castle and modern residence stand. At the time of my visit, last autumn, this terrace-wall was clothed with beautiful climbing plants, most of them ornamental flower-bearers, among which, it appeared to me, that Clematis Jackmanni (with its masses of streaming purple, looking like vast festoonings of velvet or satin, according to the light) most certainly bore off the palm of splendour. The border in front was filled with masses of Canna, Hydrangea, Scotch Thistle (so-called), with its hoary leaves and spines glistening like frosted silvei'. But to allude to all the plants, by name only, which completed the display of that glorious border, would be a useless recapitula- tion, as every horticulturist at the present day knows well how to fill a border, even of that extent, and make it, through its whole length, a scene of as great floral splendour as that at Drummond was when I saw it. The lower terraces are equally attractive, though of a different character ; but of all the terrace work it is the grand central flight of marble steps, guarded by carved balustrading, and surmounted in suitable places by handsome urns, which is the most decorative and most effective feature, and is the one most frequently selected by artists. It has been transferred to canvas, to paper, and to photo- graphic cardboards, over and over again. The general ciuality of the statuary and fountain-work of the gardens is not of a high character, but it serves to produce the effect required, and, not being overdone, is a valuable and, indeed, necessary adjunct to gardens of a geometric character. A vase or a statue, forming the closing object of many a long vista of green (such as a turf walk, shadowed on either side by evergreen shrubs), is, indeed, one of the most pleasing featui-es of these extensive gardens. Walks, of the kind described, radiate at many points from the more geometrical portions of the design, and are, in each instance, formed by shrubs of different kinds. The more out- lying divisions of the general plan, as they become large by divergence, are filled with detached, well-grown, and slightly- trimmed shrubs, generally evergreens, and these masses have the richest possible effect when seen from the terraces above. The eventual blending of the gardens with the fine sur- rounding woods is also one of the agreeable characteristics of the place, and it should be noted that some of the Laurels and Portugal Laurels of the ontlying portions of the gardens ai-e May 23, 1874.] THE GARDEN. VIEW IN THE GARDENS AT DRUMMOND CAtel'Li: 444 THE GARDEN. [May 23, 18?4r wpll fiirnished with handsome water plants; and tiom tue bridge befwTen"the trunks of g-t trees a pcture^qu glimpse of the n\h^j£X'b£Sy.^ci^^^^^^^ waters of one end of the lake, tne oiue „i<^y , ^^nlrl rnnreru- beyond it in the far distance. Much more might be told concern inrinterestincr features in and about these celebrated g^^dens, moment-it is a sort of continuation »' the teirace efiect in one direction, by means of a vast green wall ot ^^01^™^^^ codes of law, which arebegmnmg to f^^™ ^'^f ^"^/^^o'^'S its eitect is pleasing, and not purposeless ; tor, on s«n.iy .umuier If ernoons, when the sun is blazmg down upon the Wd giavdTed°walk, these sbeltered recesses must present themselyes as very agreeable retreats for an houi of mnsm„, or reading, or other enjoyment mSEOT DEVOUEING PLAINTS. are plants which turn the tables and feed upon tbem. Some, bem mraa tic upon living animals, feed insidiously and furtively ; these SaCgh really casfs in point, are not so ^-'^^^^^^^^^^y '^^^^'^fZ Clnn Ao the lower orders, they are not much regarded, except tor the I'^m they do There are others, and those of the highest orders, which n e or Jntrap animals in ways which may well -«' f °- ^^P^^^ wonder-all the more so since we are now led to «°"«Y, thl tvv o or not only capture but consume their prey. As respects the tvvo or theelst notable instances, the conclusions which have been reached ire amonc the very recent acquisitions ot physiological science. Curiously enough, however, now that they are made out, it appears ^hat they m™ in good part long ago attained, recorded and mamly orgotten. The earlier observarions and surmises shared the common fatfof discoveries made before the time or by ^^---^"^^^^^^^^^'^ sLacious enough to bring out their full meaning or impoitance. Yfg~e morpLlogy, dinily apprehended by Lmnxns initiated b Taspar Frederic Wolff, and, again, independently in successive generations by Goethe ^nd by De CandoUe, offers a parallel instan e The botanist of Goethe's day could not see any sense o PracW application to bo made of the proposition that the parts ot a blossom answer to leaves ; and so the study of homologies bad long to wa>t. riy-eatchera. Until very lately it appeared to be of no consequence whatever (exec , peAaps, to the' insects) whether Drosera and Sarracema caught flL or Aot; and even Dionxa excited only ^'^rea<^ctmg wonder as a vegetab e anomaly. As if there were real anomaUes in Nature, and some one plant VO^^^^ff^^^l Crel^ha? begins, cteseribed the structure and - - °/,^Xth tho%uick correctly ; noticed that the irntabiuty wmc bristles ^oveme'nt closing ^^^J^ZZml .^H^cf Z f^le^a.ii^. glands, of its upper face ; that tbis wnoie suiid, ^ which probably secreted a ^^^^ ■! ;/°^^ ^^^ *„^ the de^*'' °f ^^^ ^n° ^'uhoTchXle::! etrsonwSnrthing was caught, or ■ -Cthf SrCs causeU a^^^ateVr c^Jnt^^^y 'l'^ substance. It was ^^^-^^ 7^^ "evaUed i° tbe\ooks, that the erroneous statement l^^^^^Z\"l^^::tllL quiet, and let it go ; trap re-opened when tne.iau^ueu u ^ „!,qtime ' Linna3U3 also as if the plant caught flies in mere Pl-y ^^^ P^^^'^^^^^^^, justifiable, as omitted all illusion to a secreted liquid wh^ch .^ ^^ ^.^ ^^^ Ellis does not state that he had actually seen any, , ^^^^^ ^^ it, quite mistook its use, =°P.P°=™^ jt t^J^^' '^^^^^ j„ f^^, the flowers, a lure for insects, a bait foi the trap VVhe , ^ .^ lure, if there be any, must be an odour vaii ,° reted by the i^crceptible to the human olfactories) ; for he i^,uk1 --^^f^^J,^, glands never appears until the trap has '='°!^^^P^ej,tfe^r or forty, held it at least for some hours a P"«°^^^^ , ^'^fe.atTn^ the body of the eight hours this glairy liquid is '^'^^"'l^"*;'™^;"^^ tie gastric juice, perished insect. Its analogue is not ^«=f '^ ^^^^f ^,= recent, and ?he observations which ™-f l?°t statd The late Bev. Dr. M. the substance ot them may be hnefly statecu ^ j^^^h A. Curtis, forty y^'^f ^"""^ ,^°''^Jfj-Mtoyv^roh the Dion^a is Carolina, in the midst of t^^". °°}y •i'^t^^'the^rst volume of the native; and he published,^ m 1^34, ^n^^'^gtory" by far the best '. Journal ot the Boston Society ef Natural Histoiyy account of this singular P^ant which had then appealed. ^^^^ ^^ that "the little prisoner is "°t cr-ished and su _^ y ^.^^ ^^^^ is sometimes supposed," ^°^^lY^f^ZT\oy could hasten them." spiders, which sped away as fast as t