THE FLOEAL WOULD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 



281 



then not so likely to suffer from the sun striking 

 on the pots. A bed over a hot-water tank, with 

 a temperature of 70° to start with, is the best 

 way ; but a sweet heat in a cucumber frame will 

 do, but then it would be better to defer sowing 

 till February. The pans in which the seeds are 

 sown, should be covered with bell-glasses till 

 the seedlings make their appearance, and then 

 have air by degrees, and a temperature of 05°. 

 Your first letter arrived too late for reply in the 

 November number. With regard to the Indian 

 seeds, we gave the names, and invited readers 

 to choose for themselves. On those terms, they 

 were freely accepted, and they have been dis- 

 tributed, far and wide, over the three kingdoms. 

 But correspondents who a:>ked for " any seeds 

 F. A. S. might be able to spare," were treating 

 us as if we were agents for the universal dis- 

 tribution of the stock of a seed warehouse. How 

 could we undertake to make selections, when 

 letters are pouring in every day containing 

 precise lists of sorts wanted ? With every desire 

 to meet the wishes of our friends, and to carry 

 on the " Floral World " in a way to be pro- 

 fitable and agreeable to all, we never did, and 

 never could have undertaken to make selections 

 for anybody. It is no small matter to devote 

 two or three whole days together in making up 

 packets, in accordance with precise lists, but we 

 performed that duty with pleasure, knowing 

 that we were obliging a large number of per- 

 sons who knew what they wanted, and it is very 

 unpleasant to hear complaints from those who 

 did not know what they wanted, and whose 

 letters we must decline to answer for that simple 

 reason. If we once began to distribute ad 

 libitum, we should require a seed warehouse 

 and a stall' of clerks, and we should like to 

 know who would care to give seeds to appli- 

 cants possessed of no definite idea or purpose 

 respecting them ? 



Lawn with Beds. — AT. A. Arnold. — We have 

 looked over your plan carefully, and can scarcely 

 come to any definite conclusion with regard to 

 it, simply because between a view of the ground 

 and an outline on paper, there is all the dif- 

 ference between a thing seen and a thing ima- 

 gined. However, judging the plan according, 

 to our own taste, we should say you have too 

 many small beds, and not one distinct and 

 striking feature. We should turf over every 

 one of those little crescent-shaped beds, and 

 the two star- shaped beds on the main breadth of 

 the lawn ; then we should have a border all 

 round, namely, under the fence right and left, 

 and under the paling at the back, and at the two 

 corners, where the evergreen fence meets the 

 wooden paling ; at each side, the border would 

 be brought round in a curve, so as to destroy the 

 angularity of the plan. Those borders we should 

 plant with hollies, rhudodendrons, phillyreas, 

 berberies, arbor-vitas, <fcc., with spaces for 

 flowers between, and the two rounded corners 

 would be elevated three or four feet, with a 

 green bay or Minorca holly on each, to form a 

 pair of handsome trees to look cheerful all the 

 winter ; then a fine bed of Americans in the 

 centre of the lawn, and flower beds at the two 

 corners would complete it, and the ground 

 would (have some bold features about it ; at pre- 

 sent it has none, and must, as you say, look 

 bare. You would then require fewer bedding 

 plants, and have a much better effect, because 

 the details would be bolder and more simple. 

 But then comes the question, what is your 

 climate ? — what soil have you ? — do you live on 

 the top of a mountain or down in a marsh ? 

 When we know none of these points, we are 

 obliged to guess at conclusions, and may just 

 guesa wrong. 



Fig-treb IH Fruit.— S. Baker.— In some parts of 



Devonshire, where geraniums stand out all the 

 winter, the second crop of figs is generally the 

 best, and is preserved without any trouble, but 

 in your eastern climate, we doubt if yon will 

 find it an easy matter to save even a fourth part 

 of the young fruit now on the trees. Our 

 advice is, to remove all the largest of the fruit, 

 and leave on the trees only those that arc no 

 larger than peas. If these get through the win- 

 ter, they may furnish a fair quantity of ripe 

 figs next season. The largest will be the first 

 to suffer if we have a severe winter, and the 

 longer they remain on, the more they exhaust 

 the trees, and interfere with the production of 

 the first crop next year ; so make no scruple to 

 sacrifice them. As to protection, we advise you 

 to use none which will be likely to coddle the 

 trees at all. During sharp winds without frost, a 

 breadth of Haythorn's hexagon net would bo 

 the best, to which add some Russian mats 

 during frost, removing the whole during mild 

 open weather. If unnailed, the branches should 

 be tied round with loose straw during frost, 

 with some chance of keeping the young fruit 

 alive; but we are not much in favour of unnail- 

 ing in such a case as these tigs, because the 

 operation gives a check, which, however benefi- 

 cial in some cases, is hardly in favour of the fruit 

 holding on when spring comes. How have they 

 fared in former winters ? On that question will 

 turn very much that of the preservation of the 

 fruit now on them. 

 CiTir Flowers.— Rer. H. J. — If Lilium lancifo- 

 lium does well in your city churchyard, you may 

 take encouragement to grow all the kinds of 

 hardy bulbs there. Hyacinths and early tulips 

 do well in city atmospheres it they have a good 

 soil. With the exception of the polyanthus, be 

 careful not to waste patience on any of the 

 primula tribe, till you see your way clear with 

 them, for they are very impatient of smoke. Car- 

 nations we can give you but little hopeabuut,lmt 

 cloves and any of the better kinds of pinks 

 would do. The following really good flowers 

 bear smoke well, and, in your hands, will be sure 

 to succeed. Dielytra spectabilis, Christmas rose, 

 yellow and white Alyssum, Aubretia purpurea, 

 sweet William, sweet Scabious, Lily of the Vul- 

 lcy, (when once planted not to be removed again 

 for seven years,) double Kocket, Aster fulvis, 

 a lovely autumn flower, Statioe latifolia, Althea 

 frutex ; all the showy kinds of annuals and 

 popular bedders, except white-leaved geraniums 

 and heliotropes. Ageratums will do and give a 

 useful colour. Among your annuals make sure 

 of the common red Valerian, (Centranthus 

 macrosiphon) ; we grew it some years ago in 

 town, in a worn-out soil, and it did amazingly 

 well ; indeed, we have never had it so good since, 

 even in fresh air and as gcod a soil as was 

 ever turned with the spade. 

 Tulip Nomenclature. — Amateur. — Tulips are 

 classed under four heads, only three of which 

 are reckoned as show flowers. Bibkemens arc 

 those which have violet, brown, or purple 

 marks on a white ground ; Bizarres have pur- 

 ple, scarlet, and rose marks on a yellow ground ; 

 and Roses have white grounds with rose timings 

 of various shades, from blush to deep crimson. 

 These terms are commonly abbreviated to Bib., 

 Biz., and B. The fourth class are selfs, or, as 

 they are termed by tulip-growers, Breeders. 

 When they. break, that is, assume new variega- 

 tions, which does not happen sometimes till they 

 have been cultivated for from seven to twenty 

 years, they go to the classes to which their col- 

 ours assign them. The marks on the petals are 

 called by the terms flamed or feathered : the 

 feather occurs on the edge of the petal, and the 

 flame in the centre of the petal. Sometimes a 

 flower is both flamed and feathered, in which 



