8 4 



1 * • GARDENING. 



Dec. I, 



In both cases the plants are started 

 from slips, taken in the ease of the large- 

 flowered specimens in April, May or June, 

 and for the standards much earlier. The 

 standards are allowed to produce side- 

 branches flowering at the tips, while the 

 single stemmed plants, destined to pro- 

 duce but one flower, have all their bloom 

 buds, save the one chosen to remain, 

 pinched off as fast as they appear. The 

 texture of the soil, the enriching by ma- 

 nure water, and in fact all treatment up 

 to time of flowering save training into 

 position of the standard, is essentially the 

 same. Thus all the root power in one 

 case is used to produce but one flower, 

 while in the other it supports many. 



L. G. 



AL0CA5IA SANDERIAMA. 



This most gorgeous foliaged stove plant, 

 a native of the Eastern Archipelago, was 

 sent out bv Mr. William Bull in 1884 

 and '85. 



The magnificent specimen illustrated 

 was grown by Geo. McWilliam, of Whit- 

 insville, Mass. It was awarded a richly 

 deserved medal by the Massachusetts 

 Horticultural Society. 



This plant grows well in a mixture of 

 fibrous peat, sand and charcoal, but will 

 grow better in fibrous loam, leaf mould 

 and charcoal, in a warm stove house with 

 a winter temperature of 65°, rising 20° in 

 summer. Treated kindly, with water the 

 temperature of the house, it will thrive 

 first rate and make a pleasing subject, 



ALOCASIA SANDERIANA. 



GLOXINIAS. 



The effect of selection and cross-fertiliza- 

 tion in this genus of South American 

 bulbs is the production oi a race of flowers 

 that now hold up their bell shaped tubes 

 and display their marvelous beauty in an 

 unstinted manner. All of the six species 

 in the genus originally discribed had 

 drooping flowers. They are such free and 

 continuous bloomers, and of such ex- 

 quisite beauty, that all amateurs possess- 

 ing even the smallest greenhouse should 

 grow a few. 



Dry bulbs may be started in February 

 or March in 3-inch pots filled with a light 

 sandy soil, with an addition of some well 

 rotted manure. The pots should be 

 placed near the glass in a warm green- 

 house and shaded from the sun, and after- 

 wards shifted into larger sizes. 



Never let the plants suffer for want of 

 water, which should be given at the sur- 

 face of the soil, care being taken that the 

 upper parts of the leaves do not get wet. 

 Keep the surrounding air moist and 

 warm. After flowering gradually cease 

 watering until the plants are dry when 

 they maj T be set aside in some warm dry 

 place until the next season. H. P. 



but treated carelessly, with cold water 

 from an ordinary hydrant, it will dwin- 

 dle away and there will be nothing left 

 but the pot and soil. I). A. 



LONDON PARKS. 



One of the most beautiful examples of 

 decorative landscape gardening is to be 

 seen in Battersea Park, situated on the 

 banks of the river Thames. Considering 

 the location of the park, so near the cen- 

 ter of the city, it is of quite large extent. 

 It contains few if any driveways, and is 

 largely used by the public as a place for 

 recreation, there being extensive tracts of 

 green lawn laid off for tennis, cricket and 

 other outdoor games. 



The bedding and decorated portion 

 occupies probably one-fifted part of the 

 whole and is separated from the open 

 lawns by an irregular grouping of ever- 

 greens and trees. This portion of the 

 grounds is beautifully laid out. No two 

 beds are the same shape and there is a 

 great difference in the plants they con- 

 tain; at the same time they all seem to be 

 arranged so that each group forms a part 

 and adds to the beautiful landscape in 



such away that if anything were removed 

 it would mar the picture. Although not 

 very ex tensive a general vie w of the whole 

 could not be obtained from any one point. 

 An irregular walk circles about the outer 

 edge of the lawn, which is undulating and 

 contains here and there fine specimens of 

 trees; these interfere with the general 

 view, but by their aid beautiful vistas are 

 made possible and the artistic effect 

 greatly enhanced. 



Along both sides of this path on the 

 grassy slopes the various beds are laid 

 out. There is little or no carpet bedding, 

 for which this park was at one time 

 noted, Tuberous rooted begonias are 

 largely used and make a gorgeous display 

 with their wealth of bright colored flow- 

 ers. The smaller flowered semperSorens 

 varieties also do well and are frequently 

 used in connection with other plants. No 

 bed is filled wholly with one kind of plant, 

 the ground surface being covered with 

 alternantheras, dwarf begonias, or other 

 low growing plants, while tuberous 

 rooted begonias, fuchsias and geraniums, 

 mostly the ivy leaf section, are set atsuch 

 distances apart as to show the other 

 plants beneath. A border of lobelias, 

 different colored alternantheras, pansies, 

 Meseiijbryanthemum cordifolium varie- 

 gation, echeverias or other low growing 

 stock finish each bed. Groups of stand- 

 ard fuchsias are arranged, planted in 

 the lawn five to six feet or more apart, 

 so that each specimen stands out. Palms 

 are also arranged in the same way, the 

 pots being plunged, while a few handsome 

 large specimens stand out by themselves. 

 Some of the beds on the outside are made 

 to conform to the curve of the walk, they 

 are placed some fifteen or twenty feet 

 away with the shrubbery as a back- 

 ground. One of the most striking con- 

 tains castor beans, tobacco, white her- 

 baceous phlox, white stocks, fuchsias and 

 border of lobelia. Through this bed, 

 standing above the lower plants, are 

 beautiful Japan lilies. These latter are 

 used with good effect in many other teds. 

 A very pretty and unique bed is filled with 

 herbaceous plants principally; there are 

 campanulas, white and blue, Hyacinthus 

 candicans, and a quantity of Lilium 

 auratum that stands up above the others 

 in bold relief. The groundwork of the bed 

 is ivy geraniums and stock gillies with a 

 border of pansies. There are miniature 

 paths laid out in this group which are 

 covered with variegated mesembryanthe 

 mum and lobelias. The grass of the lawn 

 is kept in splendid condition, being cut 

 frequently, and the trees here as well as 

 all through the park are well taken care 

 of, no dead limbs being seen anywhere. 

 In the center of the recreation grounds 

 there is a restaurant and about this a 

 circle is laid out and contains some very 

 pretty bedding. 



HYDE PARK. 



The flower beds in this pleasure ground 

 are situated along one side of the park, 

 next to an avenue called the park drive- 

 way. This avenue is lined on the oppo- 

 site side with fine residences. Like Bat- 

 tersea Park, it contains no driveways, 

 though the grand stretches of lawns are 

 quite extensive and there is an abundance 

 of beautiful and symmetrical trees. The 

 public are allowed to use the lawns for 

 cricket and other outdoor games. There 

 is also a very pretty artificial lake crossed 

 by ornamental bridges. The bedding is 

 arranged in two long rows, there are 

 circles, parallelograms and squares all cut 

 out of the sod. A wide gravel walk sep- 

 arates one line of beds from the other and 

 a similar path runs between the inner 



