for January, 1921 



439 



ticularly showy, like those of the Winter Sweet (Chimonanihus 

 fragrans) ; others, like the Rose and Carnation, combine beanty 

 of form and color with fragrance, but the garden that does not 

 contain a few of them is indeed dericient. A very pretty idea 

 sometimes carried out is to have a garden, or one portion of it, 

 entireh" devoted to plants which give forth sweet odors. There 

 is no lack of variety, for the list of plants entitled to find a 

 place will be very large, particularly if those whose scent is 

 stored up in their leaves are included. Roses and Carnations 

 and Pinks, Lilies, Irises, Jonquils, Hyacinths and Day Lilies are 

 almost as well known as Sweet Peas and Mignonette (and, by the 

 way, the varieties of Sweet Peas are so numerous that a pretty 

 garden miglit almost be made of them alone). Then there are 

 Psonies, Lilies of the X'alley, \'iolets. Rockets, Sweet Sultan, 

 Wallflowers, Woodruff, Musk-scented Mallow (Maira moscluita), 

 Lavender, Bergamot, ^Myrtle, Lemon-scented X'erbena (Aloysia 

 or Lifpia citrwdora), Balm, Mint and Thyme; and the Eve- 

 ning Primroses, the Sweet-scented Tobacco plant, and the 

 Xight-scented Stock, which are best towards evening. Of plants 

 suited for walls, the Honeysuckle is not often enough seen, while 

 some of the Clematises, Jasmine, and the Winter Sweet, with, 

 of course, Roses, supply a large choice. The Winter Sweet 

 blooms even in the open about Christmastime, and its odor is 

 powerful and most pleasing. Magnolias, Mock Orange or 

 Syringa (Philadcll'lius), L:\acs. the .\lmond, and Hawthorns 

 will be welcome where there is room for larger trees and shrubs 

 in the open. These do not by any means e.xhaust the list, and 

 if further additions are needed there are Sweet Cicely, Sweet 

 Gale, Primroses, and Cowslips, Alyssiiiii. Phlox, .Rosemary, Yar- 

 row, Southernwood and the Flowering Currant to choose from. 

 One advantage in making such a garden as this is that most of 

 the plants are old-established favorites, and neither difficult' to 

 olitain nor expen^ve to buy. — Gardening Illustrated. 



THE SHRUBBERY BORDER 



The general kinds of liedding and hardy herbaceous 

 plants are not. collectively, suitable for fringing natural 

 shrubberies, and ovcrplanting is detrimental to the desire 

 to attain fine results. First give consideration to such subjects 

 as Acanthus, HemcrocalUs. hardy Ferns, Saxifraga. Hy/'crkuni, 

 Ibcris, Polygonatun oiHcinatc (Solomon's Seal), Aster, Fo.x- 

 glove, Gyncriinn. l-'uchsia, Lavender, and varieties of Clematis, 

 Honeysuckle and Hedcra: these to a great extent, struggle for 

 supremacy with the roots of shrubs and Conifers. Simple groups 

 of one species are desirable, and should be planted with due 

 regard to aspect and the kind of shrub growing in proximity. 

 If space permits, hardy Ferns and Henwrocallis (Day Lily) 

 associate well; whilst Gyncrium (Pampas Grass) stands out in 

 relief from a wide encircling mass of broad-leaved Sa.rifraga. 

 Bcrbcris ll'ilsonee will gracefully overhang a closely planted 

 bed of common Thyme, and bold groups of Fuchsia corallina 

 make striking contrast against Ciiprcssus ntacrocarpa lutea. Inter- 

 esting relief is obtained by employing dwarf flowering plants 

 beneath trees giving light shade; for this purpose, Asperula 

 odorala and Sa.rifraga unibrosa (London Pride) should be in- 

 cluded. Polygonum baldschuanicum makes a pretty picture 

 growing through an evergreen tree, and also on old stumps, 

 although the latter are probably best reserved for Clematis and 

 Honeysuckle. The natural form of specimen Conifers growing 

 on the extreme margin should be carefully preserved and 

 encroachment by other subjects prevented. — The Garneners' 

 Chronicle (British). 



HARDY SHRUBS FOR FORCING. 



Large numbers of hardy shrubs arc suitable for forcing, and 

 some of them, such as Rhododendrons, will give good results if 

 merely lifted from the ground and potted. Others, such as Lilacs, 

 species of Pyrus, Prunus and similar sulijects can only be had at 

 their best when grown in pots over a sufficiently long period to 

 become established and active at the root. 



It is true that most of the shrubby species used for forcing prove 

 more or less successful when forced if merely lifted from the 

 ground, but there is a great difference in the time they last in 

 flower compared with those specially prejjared in pots. Pot- 

 grown Lilacs, for example, will give flowers that keep fresh for 

 .several weeks, while those of plants lifted from the ground will 

 only keep fresh for a few days. Where a stock is grown in pots 

 the plants should now be sorted, selecting and standing together 

 all those that are well set with flower buds ; at the same time 

 examine and correct faulty drainage. Subjects that have to be 

 lifted from the ground and placed in pots or tubs should be 

 attended to forthwith, that thev may have time to make fresh 

 roots before they arc forced. Pot firmly and work the soil well 

 m between the roots. The plants slinuld afterwards be stood out 



of doors, and the pots protected from the frost by placing leaves 

 or litter of some sort around them. Some of the most useful 

 shrubs for forcing are Pyrus Horibunda and its variety atro- 

 sanguinea; P. speclabilis and P. Scheideckeri. The Prunus family 

 includes the beautiful double flowering Peaches, also /'. triloba 

 lar. H. pt., P. japonica, of which there are two double varieties, 

 rose and white-colored ; P. subhertclla, and the Japanese Cherries, 

 P. pseudo-cerasus. 



Spirseas, such as S. argula, S. prunifolia, tl. pi, and 6". I'an 

 Plouttci, are also suitable for forcing. Of Lilacs some of the 

 most reliable varieties are Marie Legiaye, Charles A. and Mm€. 

 Lemoinc, double white. Kerria japonica var. II. pi., is an e.xcel- 

 lent plant that forces readily. Ueiitcia gracilis is also an old 

 favorite for this purpose. Forsythia suspcnsa is also useful, but 

 is excelled by /'". speclabilis^ which flowers with wonderful free- 

 dom and lasts in bloom for several weeks in a cool greenhouse. 

 Xanthoceras sorbifolia is less commonly used for forcing, but it 

 is a very beautiful plant in flower. Large, poi-grown specimens 

 of Wistaria chinen<';is flower with great freedom, but thex- will 

 not stand much forcing, and should be brought on gradually in 

 a cool house. 



The A::aleas of the so-called Ghent section include a wide 

 lange of beautiful colors. The small, white-flowered, sweet- 

 scented Acalea Da'i'isii is very popular for flowering early under 

 glass. Rhododendron pracox is naturally early in flowering and 

 excellent for forcing, as also is the variety, liosy Bell. .Among 

 the larger evergreen Rhododendrons there' is plenty of material 

 to choose from, hut all are not adapted for forcing, the most 

 suitable varieties in most cases lieing those that naturally flower 

 early. One of the best and most dependable is Rosa Mundi. It 

 is dwarf, very floriferous and may easily be had in flower at 

 Christmas. Good early varieties are Boule dc Neige, Cunning- 

 ham's White, Mme. Wagner, Pnncc Camillc de Rohan and Pink 

 Pearl. — The Gardeners' Chronicle (British). 



COTONEASTER SIMONSII AS A HEDGE 



PLANT 



Those about to plant^ a garden hedge may lie reminded of the 

 value of Cotoneasler Simonsii for the purpose. In a coinpara- 

 tively short time it forms quite a good hedge and presents a 

 pretty aspect at all seasons. It is quite easy to keep trimmed, and 

 does not resent this process in the way that some plants do. We 

 know a fainous northern nursery where the dividing hedges are 

 all coinposed of Cotoneasler Simonsii, and very pretty indeed they 

 are; while it serves admirably as a dividing and sheltering sub- 

 ject. It is more expensive than Thorn or" Privet ; but, on the 

 other hand, is less costly than Holly or Arbor i-itce. Another 

 .good point is that it is not too fastidious regarding s,o\\.—The 

 Garden, 



DEPARTMENT OF BOOK REVIEWS 



FERTrLizER.s .\NU Crops, by Lucius L. \'an Slvke, Ph.D.. cloth, 

 Svo., XIV + 734 pages, with illustrations; The Orange judd 

 Company, Xew York. 



To this volume inay be applied fittingly a grand term that in 

 these days of things all practical, when speed and directness and 

 cojiciseness and swift efficiency are to the fore, is not often inet, — 

 thesaurus, "a treasurj- or storehouse; hence a repository, espe- 

 cially of knowledge ; — often applied to a comprehensive work like 

 a dictionary or cyclopedia." It really does, as the Preface claims 

 it docs, "not only assetnble. in a connected way, the facts and 

 principles relating to soil' fertility and plant nutrition": it follows, 

 "such a preparatory foundation with a systematic, rcasimably 

 thorough study of plant foods with relation to practical use 

 in crop growing." It is far from being "a mere collection of 

 recipes giving the number of pounds of different materials to 

 apply to different crops" ; for it makes as prominent as possible 

 the vital factors influencing or controlling the effectiveness with 

 which a crop uses the plant food furnished it." The reasons 

 underlying every practice are suggested. Though an academic 

 man. Chemist of the X^ew York .Agricultural Experiment Station, 

 the autlior has for a quarter of a century been in more or less 

 constant touch with plant feeding questions ; "he has been enabled 

 to learn the practices, difficulties and needs of the farmer in 

 relation to many problems of crop- feeding." He keeps these 

 needs in view in the handling of the iriany theories of soil fertility 

 and soil infertility, which are very, very many in these recent 

 times of flux and transition. Rut while endeavoring thus to be 

 positive in his instruction of practical farmers he keeps a broad- 

 mindedness without which his work would nut W of service, as it 



