330 



THE GARDENER'S MONTHLY 



[XOV EMBER, 



make a growth to cover that much. My ten-feet 

 pyramids require centre poles twelve feet long; 

 which, when planted, are nine feet out of the 

 ground, and my plants are so large that I could 

 take them considerably higher. When the cen- 

 tre pole is fixed, drive in half a dozen more in 

 a slanting direction and tie them at the top 

 firmly to the centre. These should not be more 

 than two feet and a half from the centre at the 

 base. Ifow, make up a tent-like frame with 

 slighter poles between, and plant your tallest 

 geraniums and train them in carefully, having in 

 view to furnish the upper part of the pyramid 

 only. It matters not how leggy they are, so long 

 as they are inclined to grow at top, and have 

 good roots to begin the season with. 



The next work is to build again with shorter 

 and slighter poles two feet and a half from the 

 last. They must be driven in only slightly aslope, 

 and be bent to bring their tops to the inner frame- 

 work, and of course they must be notched to 

 prevent the ties slipping, and must be well tied 

 like the last with tarred rope. Now plant again 

 with shorter plants and tie ae before. As re- 

 gards the tying of the plants, you cannot be too 

 severe. Train your pyramid to the stiflest out- 

 line possible, but take care that every tie is loose 

 enough to allow for the swelling of the wood. 

 In my first attempts I trained my plants so as 

 to ensure— as I thought— a ratlier soft outline, 

 but this was a mistake. I found that the tying 

 in should be in the style of those gigantic pyra- 

 mid azaleas that startle us at the great London 

 exhibitions. If you do not make a sharp, hard, 

 precise pyramid in the first instance, you will be 

 in a precious muddle before the season is out, 

 for the growth will floor you thoroughly. But 

 make your outline severely correct, and you will 

 scarcely have to touch the thing all the season 

 through ; the natural growth will soften the out- 

 line beautifully, and by the time the flowers are 

 showing freely all the hardness of the outline 

 will be gone, and your pyramid will satisfy the 

 eye of taste. 



I had almost forgotten to say that before I 

 plant I nip out all the flower trusses that are 

 visible, and shorten back any shoots that appear 

 to be superfluous or misplaced. 



The finishing of the scheme is of course ac- 

 complished by planting circles of proper bedding 

 geraniums, &c. I find a good circle of old 

 bushy plants of Flower of the Day, and a broad 

 margin of blue lobelia next the gravel, a capital 

 finishing to a scarlet pyramid ; but tastes difter, 



and I shall say no more about the finishing 

 touches. 



When the drizzle of October begins, we lift our 

 plants carefully, slightly disroot them, and pot 

 them in as small pots as possible without dis- 

 tressing them, and house them in a cool vinerj' 

 where they cover the back wall, and being too 

 tall for the house are tilted all aslant like a lot 

 of drunkards ; only, perhaps as they all lean one 

 way, and give no trouble, the comparison is un- 

 fair. As a matter of course, they get very little 

 water all winter, and are kept as cool and airy 

 as possible to be safe. — W. Kemp, in Gardener's 

 Magazine. 



QUERIES. 



Rose, Tea Duchess of Edinburg. — Mr. J. S. 

 Lovett, Red Bank, N. J., writes : — " By this mail 

 I send you a leaf and flower of ' Duchess of Ed- 

 inburg Tea (?) Rose,' figured in the Gardenei-'s 

 Monthly of August. If it is not too far gone 

 when it reaches you — particularly the leaf — I 

 think you will agree with me in calling it a Bour- 

 bon. When I first saw this new rose in blooni 

 at the Kissena Nurseries, nearly a year ago, it 

 struck me as strongly resembling the Bourbon 

 cla.ss, which I remarked to Mr. Trumpy. His 

 reply was, that he had noticed the same, and 

 was of the opinion that it would turn out to be 

 a Bourbon. Having since watched it closely, I 

 am now satisfied from its habit, appearance of 

 leaf and flower, that it is a true Bourbon, though 

 the handsomest one I have yet seen. It pos- 

 sesses much merit, and is worthy a place in all 

 collections, yet those who buy it for a crimson 

 Tea Rose, will, I am satisfied, be disappointed." 



[The habit is much of the Bourbon, but how 

 about the fragrance ? Bourbons are only beau- 

 tiful ; Teas are sweet. — Ed. G. M.] 



Gladiolus BrenchleyI':nsis, — B., S. E. Central 

 0., says : — " Some bulbs of this fine old variety, 

 planted deeper than usual (four or five inches), 

 were overlooked in taking the others up last fall. 

 The past winter was mild, and they seemed to suf- 

 fer no injury, as they started early and have grown 

 well. They have been in bloom for a week or 

 more, and are finer than ever before, rivaling 

 even Meyerbeer in splendor of coloring." 



Comparative value of Bronze Bedding Ger- 

 aniums. — Mr. Geo. Moore, Waban Conservatories, 

 writes : — " I enclose herewith leaves of what are 

 considered the three best Bronze Geraniums — 



