182 THE GARDENER. [April 



cattings must be shaded from the sun, and as soon as they are well 

 rooted, they should be potted into 2^-inch pots, in a mixture of two 

 parts peat and one part loam, and a little silver sand. They should 

 be kept shaded until they have taken with their shift, then inure them 

 gradually to light and sun, supply them with plenty of water, and 

 attend to pinching the shoots and keeping off any fiower-buds that 

 may appear. As soon as these pots are filled with roots, shift into 

 5 -inch pots, using the same compost. For most purposes these 

 pots will bs large enough, as plants in small pots have the nicest 

 appearance, and are generally most useful. A temperature ranging 

 from 60° to 75° will suit them all summer. Do not pinch after the end 

 of August. After October they will do in a temperature of 5° below 

 what is recommended for summer. If they have been treated as 

 advised, they will show their flowers in great profusion early in spring. 

 Instead of growing on the old plants, the better plan is to grow young 

 plants from cuttings for next season's stock. Grower. 



THE BEDDING- OUT SYSTEM. 



I AM sorry my remarks under the above heading in the February issue 

 of the 'Gardener' should have had such a perturbing effect on "One of 

 the Advocates of the Hardy Brigade " as to lead him to consider them 

 "in the light of a slander." He surely cannot have seen " nearly twenty 

 years' " active service with the hardy heroes, as exposure to the ele- 

 ments for that length of time has a tendency to harden and thicken 

 the skin— a characteristic that he cannot lay claim to, if we are to 

 judge by his style of dealing with my remarks. His "knowledge of the 

 subject he writes about" may be all that he claims, but he should not 

 attribute a want of knowledge of herbaceous plants to all who differ 

 from him as to whether they, or what are generally termed bedding- 

 plants, are the most suitable for the decoration of the flower-garden. 

 The writer has the privilege of reckoning amongst his friends an advo- 

 cate of hardy herbaceous plants — one who has done as much as any 

 living man to popularise these plants amongst practical gardeners. But 

 I always observed that bedding-plants were largely employed in the 

 flower-garden under his care. The reason for this is not far to seek. 

 He being a practical gardener, is able to value the two classes of plants 

 at their true worth as decorative subjects, and to select the number 

 and kinds of each best suited to the object in view and requirement 

 of the establisment. 



I cannot find a good reason in anything that " One of the Advocates 

 of the Hardy Brigade " has said in opposition to my remarks why I 

 ought to withdraw any of them as he suggests I should do. Has not 

 he who arrogates to be the captain of "the Hardy Brigade" put it on 



