223 



JOUKNAL OF HOETICULTtTEE AND COTTAGE GAEDENEE. 



[ March U, 1? 



remedy ; and I fear if M. Souchet, who allows his ground to lie 

 fallow for two years that he may occupy it on the third year 

 with Gladiolus," finds the disease notwithstanding, I very much 

 fear no remedy is to be apphed. 



But my main object in directing attention to the subject is 

 to notice one or two remarks connected with this deterioration. 

 In the first place it is held by some, Mr. Standish amongst 

 others, that the disease is the result of high breeding, or rather 

 breeding in-and-in. I know this is a very favourite way of 

 accounting for degeneracy, and no doubt to some extent is 

 true in many things, but I fail to see its applicabUity to the 

 Gladiolus disease, for these reasons : First, that I find it in 

 varieties which are not generally looked upon as so highly 

 bred — I have had it very decidedly marked in Brenchleyensis 

 the past year, and this is one of the oldest varieties in culti- 

 vation ; and secondly, because what I regard as some of the 

 veiy best-bred flowers that we have are not iieculiarly hable 

 to it. Let me instance two models — Meyerbeer and Madame 

 Furtado. Now, my own experience of these varieties is, that 

 they suffer very Uttle from the disease. I can say the same 

 of Shakespeare, '\\1iy, then, should these highly bred flowers 

 be more exempt fi-om it if, as it is said, high breeding is the 

 cause of it ? Mr. Standish anticipates much from the infusion 

 of Cruentus blood. I confess I do not, nor do I think that the 

 collection shown by him at Kensington gave much promise of 

 the improvement. We may obtain a later-blooming section, 

 but I do not think we shall secure long spikes or fine flowers 

 by it. Cruentus never has more than three blooms expanded at 

 a time, and this can give no advantage in hybridising. It is 

 small, and so wni not add size, while its colour is not more 

 brilliant than some we have already. It may lead to some- 

 tlung fantastic in shape, as in the variety named, I think, Miss 

 Wilson, exhibited in the collection alluded to. My own im- 

 pression of the varieties was that in many there was but little 

 sign of the cross, and where there was it was no improvement. 



There is another question raised as to the supposed degene- 

 racy of light flowers. Here again I must dissent. I do not see 

 it. I will take two representative flowers — Souehet's Madame 

 Furtado and Standish's Eleanor Norman, one of the best he 

 ever raised, and very like Eui-ydice. I have grown these for 

 years, and I venture to say that I can produce flowers of each 

 of these as clearly marked as when they were first introduced. 

 I am aware that they sport very much, and that you may get 

 some very differently marked, but the same bulb will the next 

 year probably produce a very clearly marked flower. It is not 

 difficult for one who has been growing them for years to name 

 the light varieties in a stand, say of thirty-six, which could 

 hardly be the ease if they had degenerated, as some suppose 

 they do. 



Notwithstanding its drawback, the increase of growers 

 amongst amateurs is a strong proof of the beauty of the flower. 

 It is like the homage paid to a beautiful woman — we pardon 

 her capriciousness in consideration of her chai-ms ; and I fully 

 anticipate that at the Metropohtan Floral Society's Show in 

 August at the Crystal Palace we shall have a large number of 

 exhibitors. — D., Deal. 



HIXTS FOE THE FLOWEB GARDEN. 



Now, whUe the propagation of plants for summer use is in 

 full action, it is well to consider our plans in order that there 

 may be no waste of valuable space, nor unnecessaiy increase of 

 stock. It is best to arrange the colours for each season in the 

 preceding summer, than which there is no better time, since aU 

 defects can then be noted, and changes thought to be more 

 advantageous decided upon. A note of any intended alteration 

 should be made at the time, as it is far- more to be trusted 

 than the record from memory of an idea dimmed by the lapse 

 of time. 



A good flower garden should be simple, as vei^y elaborate 

 details but too often imply confusion, and a few well-filled, 

 well- arranged beds frequently afford more enjoyment than a 

 larger and more pretentious design. Numerous flower beds 

 tax the energies of a gardener to tlie utmost, for they are con- 

 tinually making a heavy and exhaustive demand upon his stock 

 of plants and labour power in order to attain that finish 

 pecuhar to a well-managed garden. My object is not to advo- 

 cate a more extensive, system of flower gardening, as I think 

 already in too many instances too much is attempted, and verj' 

 little done properly. Certainly few are able to afford the plants 

 snch admii-able winter cultirre as that advised by Mr. Peach, 

 but if the generaUty of persons cannot do this, they can at 



least do a great deal by adopting a more systematic course of 

 action. The number of plants required for each bed, if noted 

 down, will be fomid very useful for reference, and for avoiding 

 all chance of unnecessary propagation. In planting, the plants 

 should be weU graduated, the largest being in the centre of 

 the beds, and the smallest outside. If the weather is at aU 

 dry, water the plants immediately after they are put in the 

 ground. I have had plants seriously affected for an entire 

 season through being left unwatered and exposed in their fresh 

 quarters to bright sunshine for an hour or two. If obtainable a 

 mulching of rough leaf mould should be used as soon as pos- 

 sible after planting, to retam the moisture about the roots. 

 This, however, is sometimes objected to, as it looks nntidy and 

 attracts the birds, especially during a dry season. When, 

 therefore, mulching cannot be used the surface soil should be 

 sth-red frequently, and, if it is dry, thoroughly watered, so that 

 the water may reach all the roots. 



The growth of the jjlants should be regulated in a manner 

 suitable to the jiosition they occupy — that of flowering plants 

 by pegging, and of flne-fohaged plants both by pinching and 

 pegging. Never resort to the barbai-ous practice of eUpping 

 the growth -nith shears. What beauty is there in a row of 

 Yinca or Gnaphahum after it has been thus pruned to a formal 

 oirtline, and the surface presents a bristling aiTay of the 

 stumps of shoots and halves of leaves? In a flower garden, 

 where the aim shoxild be to impart an air of the most exquisite 

 neatness and finish, such rough practice is entirely out of place. 

 When the flower-beds contain attractive plants all necessary 

 work among them should be done as early in the day as pos- 

 sible, so as to have everything in perfect order later in the day. 



In the an-angement of the coloirrs it is desirable to introduce 

 some novelty if it can be done, as the annual repetition of 

 masses of red, blue, yeUow, pink, and white is apt to become 

 tame and monotonous. Gardens sheltered from high winds 

 may be planted with tropical plants, and much may be done 

 everywhere by the introduction of carpet-beds — that is, beds 

 having a groundwork of some decided shade of colour, with 

 plants of another colour interspersed either irregularly or else 

 arranged in a design suitable to the outline of the bed. I am 

 of opinion that the introduction of Beet into the flower garden 

 is erroneous, not because it is a culinary vegetable, but rather 

 because we possess in Coleus Yerschaffelti a plant of easy 

 culture and most chaste and refined beauty; its rich, dark 

 fohage being altogether superior to the vulgar glossy metallic 

 hue of the Beet. The easy culture of Beet may cause it to be 

 a useful plant in those gardens which have extensive flower- 

 beds and a paucity of glass houses ; but then such a state of 

 things is in itself an error. Each department of a garden 

 should be in correct proportion to the other parts, and unless 

 this " balance of power " be maintained there will be failure 

 and confusion. It is, of course, most praiseworthy on the part 

 of those having insuffieient means of procuring a supply of 

 plants to adopt the best makeshift they can, and looked upon 

 from such a point of ^■iew even Beet is a desirable plant ; but 

 then it ought not to take rank with those plants which are 

 altogether superior to it. — Epwafj) Luckhcesi. 



SUCCESSIONS OF VEGETABLES.— No. 7. 



PoETUG.u, CAEB.iGE. — This most deUcious vegetable ought 

 to be grown in every garden. The parts used are the midribs 

 of the leaves and the hearts, and of these the latter are par- 

 ticularly delicate and agreeably flavoured. The midribs of 

 the leaves are wliite, fleshy, and sohd, and when stripped and 

 served like Sea-kale make a very tender and deUcious vegetable. 



If a supply is required for early summer, the seed should be 

 sown about the 20th of August, and the plants pricked out 

 early in October into a frame, where Cauhflowers may also be 

 placed, and the whole batch subjected to the same treatment 

 as the latter usually demand. They should be planted out 

 2 feet apart in a rich soil eai-ly in Api-0, and will be found 

 to come in some time during June, and continue in season for 

 six or eight weeks. For a late summer supply the following is 

 the treatment. Sow the seed early in March on a gentle hot' 

 bed, give a free circulation of air and plenty of Ught until the 

 plants have appeared and brought forth their first rough leaves, 

 then plant them out in rows 2 feet apart, and at an equal 

 distance from each other. It is a good summer and autumn 

 vegetable, but ven' susceiitible of frost. 



MiLAX Cabbage. — It is a Borecole, in growth much like the 

 Cottagers' Kale, but with plain bluish green leaves. It pro- 

 duces a great number of sprouts in the spring time, which 



