256 THE GARDENER. [June 



be ready for planting. Let me say that the difference a little rich com- 

 post makes to them, even when the ground has not been particularly 

 well prepared, is simply wonderful. The way to do is to mix an extra 

 rich compost, and place a spadeful and a half of this where each plant 

 is to be put ; this is mixed with the natural soil before planting. 



R. P. B. 



HOW TO MAKE THE MOST OF WALL - BORDERS IN 

 KITCHEN-GARDENS. 



NO. VI. 



In many well-managed gardens, where there is a great demand for 

 forced flowers especially, the wall-borders are made to play an important 

 part in the preparation of the plants for that purpose. Very much 

 depends upon this preparation. Not only will they be much improved 

 by being planted, or, in some cases, merely plunged, and the roots 

 encouraged to ramble through the pots ; but much labour, in the shape 

 of innumerable waterings, will be saved. In some gardens a good 

 piece of ground may often be seen either unoccupied after the first 

 crop, or else cropped with some kind of vegetable that might with 

 advantage be grown elsewhere ; while, at the same time, in frame 

 ground, numbers of Callas, Deutzias, Solanums, Capsicums, Eupa- 

 toriums, and other serviceable kinds of flowers, may be seen in a semi- 

 starved state in pots. Those who are in the habit of thus treating 

 their plants, I advise to try the effects of a more liberal treatment, 

 which I will endeavour to briefly detail, commencing with 



Hoteia japonica. — A more generally useful and more easily grown 

 flower cannot well be mentioned. At one time it was the fashion to 

 purchase imported clumps ; now, however, they are being pretty generally 

 home-grown, and with better results. Supposing, at the present time, 

 we had only a dozen strong plants that had been recently flowered in 

 pots, we should at once prepare part of either a south or west border 

 for them. Should the soil be light and poor, it would be freely 

 manured and deeply dug ; if heavy and strong, a quantity of leaf or 

 other light soil would be worked in, or otherwise the plants will not 

 so readily establish. The same remarks apply to the preparation of 

 the ground for other plants. The Hoteias would be turned out of 

 their pots, split in halves with a plunging fork, the halves rounded off, 

 saving the corners, and the whole planted ; the large round patches 

 growing in rows about 2 feet apart and 1 foot asunder in the rows, and 

 the smaller pieces somewhat closer. They require to be planted 

 firmly, and should the soil be at all dry, be watered in, and receive 

 occasional waterings till established. The whole of the strong clumps, 

 however little fresh top-growth they may have made, may be forced 

 the next season ; but if allowed to remain till the second season, will 

 give much better results. In this case they will require to be potted 



