66 



THE GARDENER'S MONTHLY 



[ March, 



in proportion to i\pp:iront injury to roots. If not 

 much the worse for removal, cut but little o 

 the top away. Properly pruned, a good g.'irden- 

 er will not have the worst case of a badly dug 

 tree to die under his liands. In a nursery, where 

 these matters are well understood, trees 'never 

 die." 



Box edgings lay well now. Make the ground 

 firm and level, plant deep, with tops not more 

 than two inches above ground. 



If flowers have been growing in the ground 

 many years, new soil does wonders. Rich ma- 

 nure makes flowers grow, but they do not always 

 flower well with vigorous growth. If new soil 

 cannot be had, a wheelbarrow of manure to 

 about every fifty square feet will be enough. If 

 the garden earth looks gray or yellow, rotten 

 leaves — quite rotten leaves— will improve it. 

 If heavy, add sand. If very sandy, add salt — 

 about half a pint to fifty square feet. If very 

 black or rich from previous years' manurings 

 use a little lime, about a pint, slacked, to fifty 

 square feet. 



If the garden be full of hardy perennial flow- 

 ers, do not dig it, but use a fork, and that not 

 deeply. 



COMMUNICA TIONS. 



MOSAICULTURE. 



BY G., NEW YOKK. 



In a recent number, you published some notes 

 made lately by Monsieur Nardy on his route 

 through France. They were very interesting in 

 more senses than one. They show, the translation 

 being evidently rather literal, with what native 

 delicacy and also precision the French handle 

 their language in talking about flowers; and 

 they show how universal this style of gardening 

 has become in France. 



In the regular course of things we may now 

 expect Mosaiculture to grow epidemic hi this 

 country. It is the case with all fashions and dis 

 eases, they must have their run. Take Eastlake 

 furniture, take Japan and Chinese ware. What 

 if the former looks as though hewn with a 

 hatchet by a clever hatchetist, angular, and clum- 

 sy, and void of embellishment ; what if the latter is 

 positively ugly, according to all rules of ugliness, 

 and an utter pervei-sion of the teachings of Mo- 

 ther Nature ; they are "the go" and the style. 



and the grumbling nunority may grumble on 

 until the fever has died out. 



Here Mosaiculture has the advantage over 

 Eastlake and Satsuma. It does not cost anything 

 near as much, and the platebandcs and arabes- 

 ques will one day have disappeared, and the 

 place where they stood will not know them any 

 mure, and no great damage done to the purse of 

 the garden owners either. 



Meantime let them come on, these alhambric 

 designs, these architectonic figures, ribbons, 

 scrolls, devices ; let art teach nature how to bring 

 about stupendous eflccts until she own Vierself 

 beaten in her principles of simplicity, graceful- 

 ness, sparing contrasts, gentleness, delicacy and 

 fitness which have heretofore distinguished her. 



To the lovers of these effects I would suggest 

 that there yet remains one great feature, which 

 tickles mankind and has not yet been used — it 

 is surprise. For instance, Mr. Nardy found be- 

 for the City Hall of Havre on the lawn, the 

 words " City of Havre " in mosaics. Now why 

 not improve upon it? \^niy not before the door 

 of your country place have a live green mat with 

 the name of the owner in mosaics? say, "Mon- 

 tague B. Smith." After all, even that is not new, 

 as we have wool mats with " cave canem " or 

 " welcome " on them. But it would be a sur- 

 prise, nevertheless, such a rustic doorplate. 



It may, however, take several years to bring out 

 the highest degree of mosaiculture, viz., vege- 

 table portraits. Human vanity though, may ac- 

 celerate this otherwise slow and difficult evolu- 

 tion. To explain this art, let me state that from 

 the massing of mosaics we may step down to 

 mere lines, and from these violent contrasts to 

 delicate shading. Take green — rather an appro- 

 priate color, this we possess in innumerable 

 shades, from the glaucescent willow to the atres- 

 cent yew. The reader will excuse Latin, as there 

 really would be no spice in our teachings with- 

 out it; using common nam'fes would really not do ; 

 the reader would know the thing just as well as 

 I do. Not only have we the green in its various 

 shades, but we have every shade in its gradations 

 from light to dark. And when we look close, 

 we shall find we possess them all even in low 

 growing plants. There, take the Ivies and just 

 nothing else. I would undertake to find all the 

 kinds of ivies necessary for a vegetable photo- 

 graph. These found, find your subject. As I 

 don't want to be personal, say the lately success- 

 ful candidate for the Presidency. First we want 

 an oval frame, spaded out of the lawn. Next we 



