2'64> THE FLORAL WORLD AXD GARDEJf GUIDE. 



plauted, and carefully kept ; the trees and shrubs are mostly well chosen ; 

 the flowers are selected for their gaiety rather than their rarity ; and the 

 people are freely admitted, an arrangement which contrasts strikingly with 

 the padlocked palisades and grim walls that inclose the gardens of towns in 

 this country. An additional feature of interest in the Parisian gardens is 

 the liberal employment of stove plants, such as in our recent paper on 

 tropical gardens we suggested for use in this country. At the Bois de 

 Boulogne, Monceaux, and the Champs Elysees, CaJadiums are used in beds 

 and clumps, as materials of the ordinary furniture. Caladium esculen- 

 tium is found to be the best for the purpose, and next to that any of the 

 showy species with pendant leaves, those with erect leaves being liable 

 to injury by wind. Another of their rich effects is produced by Cannas, 

 which are largely adopted, and form magnificent clumps. Of eighty 

 sorts tried by M. Barillet, the superintendent of the public gardens of 

 Paris, those found most suitable, were C. anuiBi, "Warczewiczoides, lilii- 

 flora, zebrina, discolor, and indica. These are seen to best effect when 

 planted in regular order, the tallest plants in the centre, and surrounded 

 with some rich foliage plants of colours suitable for contrast ; the com- 

 mon and useful grass (Phalaris) being largely used for the purpose. The 

 Cannas are taken up as soon as the frost has touched their leaves, and 

 stored in a cellar, but the Caladiums are kept grov/ing all winter, at 

 as low a temperature as will suffice for the purpose. In a recent account 

 of the public gardens of Paris, by Dr. Liudley, he says : " For the main- 

 tenance of these gardens in a state of luxuriance throughout the summer, 

 great care is talceyi in the original p-eparation of the ground, and constant 

 attention to weeding and watering. The soil is all made, for the lawns 

 as well as the beds." This is just the point to which we would call the 

 attention of those who have to do with town gardens, public and private. 

 The soil need not all be "made;" that must depend upon its texture in 

 the first instance, but we are satisfied that one general fact is sufficient to 

 account for all the failures, and that is, the common practice of planting 

 in sour, exhausted, trashy soil, in which it is impossible for any tree or 

 shrub, however robust in constitution, to make a single healthy root. The 

 process of planting citj' gardens is rightly described in a leading article 

 in the City Press, as consisting in " the opening of a hole, the jamming 

 of the roots into it, and the treading of the soil over till it is as hard as 

 a brickbat." On fertile soils already in good tilth in the open country, 

 bad planting, though entitled to nothing else than condemnation, is, 

 nevertheless, not always fatal to trees, the fi-esh air and the sunshine 

 help them through, and in the course of time they throw out root fibres 

 iu plenty, and grow with vigour. J^ot so in towns. They need every 

 encouragement there, by judicious preparation of the soil, and the abun- 

 dant use, if necessary, of fresh turfy loam and good manure, both of 

 which are easily obtainable at a very trifling cost beyond cartage. 



Yet where the altered circumstances under which the trees are to live 

 renders it imperative for success that no essential should be neglected, 

 there is generally an utter neglect of first principles, and of course failure 

 is the result, and the trees have to bear reproaches which ought to be cast 

 on human folly. Gardening has its votaries in every town of Great 

 Britain, and the majority of the best gardens are those to be found in the 

 suburbs of great cities. Hence the question of planting the waste plots, 

 the graveyards, and the squares of cities, is one that interests us all as a 



