212 THE GARDENER. [May 



future growers for the mere chance of one to distinguish them by. So, 

 like the Chellastons, which w^ere ushered into the world some thirty- 

 years before them, producing, in the words of our dear old respected 

 friend Fred Wood of the Coppice, "confusion worse confounded," 

 so truthfully applied by him to the Chellastons. You had only to 

 forward your order to the fortunate raiser, with a draft for the 

 amount, to be convinced of the fact ; for in the most generous manner 

 possible would he pay attention to your requirements by packing you 

 off, in one parcel, breeders and broke flowers, flowering roots and 

 offsets, leaving it to yourself to supply the lacking nomenclature he 

 was so sadly regardless of. 



I find want of space compels me to leave the description of a few 

 of these beautiful seedlings for a future paper. Omicrox 



April 1869. 



HINTS FOR AMATEURS.-MAY. 



The past mild winter, cold biting March, and the warm weather we 

 have experienced in April, have given us a " hint " not to put too much 

 dependence in what may seem to tempt us to leave tender plants of 

 any kind unprotected, as it is in changeable weather that mischief is 

 generally done. After hot sunny days cold nights often follow. It is 

 better to err on the safe side than run any risk. This is applicable to 

 half-hardy plants, and also hardy ones which have been protected from 

 severe weather. We have lately seen the thermometer standing at from 

 50° to 60° in the evening, and the following morning the ground in low- 

 lying places has been quite stiff with frost. Vegetables — such as French 

 Beans, Tomatoes, Potatoes, &c. — which have been brought forward 

 under protection, must have that protection continued at night for 

 some time to come. Some of the hardiest plants we have often seen 

 killed by sudden exposure after being protected. As an example, we 

 bought a great many dwarf common Yew^s to form a hedge. After they 

 were planted, a severe frost, in March, set in and killed the most of 

 them, A number of our own, taken from our exposed " storing-ground," 

 and planted with the others at the same time, were left unscathed. 

 So much for protected hardy shrubs, and vice versa. It may thus be 

 necessary to caution amateurs and others to ascertain in what position 

 and other circumstances plants have been kept in nurseries before they 

 take them to exposed positions for planting Of course, green healthy- 

 looking plants are often the effects of injudicious protection. We 

 have lately removed many thousands of the usual bedding plants from 

 high temperatures under the shade of Vines, (fee, and have not had 



