Mny SO 1873. ] 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTUKE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



Ur, 



whether double rows of the plants, and ouly ouc-half the 

 Iduds enumerated, would uot have been better, but this may 

 have been practised in some former years. The border on the 

 other side of the walk iu a great measure resembled the above 

 as regards the planting of the lirst five rows, which were re- 

 peated in an inverse way on the other side, so that both sides 

 were alike, the sixth, seventh, and eighth rows being of course 

 omitted. This also looked well. The same cai-e in skilful 

 training had maintained that uniformity so essential to this 

 mode of planting, that nothing was wanting to entitle it to 

 tlifl highest honours if prizes had had to be awarded. 



We now come to the planting of that heterogeneous class 

 of beds which form a feature in other places as well as this, 

 being, iu fact, links couuectiug one kind of gardening with 

 another. Those beds or borders were of varioirs kinds, now 



assuming the form of a raised bed, a baud of Ivy 2 feet high 

 surrounding a bed on which a mass of the most showy of all the 

 bedding plants were growing and flowering in great luxuriance 

 — in fact, a huge pan of flowers is the nearest comparison I 

 could make. Other beds were somewhat smaller, yet elevated 

 in the same way, and with a bow over them covered with 

 chmbers — these were basket beds, the planting being the same 

 as in the others, perhaps ; while in some beds the little eleva- 

 tion given to them was by rough stones, on which some hardy 

 plant, as the Sasifraga hu'ta or a Sedum, was allowed to 

 luxuriate as an edging. Other beds, or rather borders, were 

 masses of shrubs, around which two or three rows of bedding 

 plants formed a pleasmg baud, while now and then was a mix- 

 ture — far too httle met with at most places — of herbaceous 

 plants. The whole showed that care and attention, even to 



Ai'ch at the east end of the Ribbon Borders. 7^ — 



the most minute detail, which are the source of all success, 

 and good keeping prevailed everywhere. 



Entering the kitchen garden on the west side, or rather 

 before doing so, one catches a glimpse of the pits and ether 

 appliances in which Mr. Fish winters the host of bedding plants 

 he yearly turns out, and one is astonished at the smallness of 

 space at command, and a sight of this quarter at the end of 

 April would be well worth going some distance to see. It was 

 September instead of April when I was there, and I could only 

 see good crops of Melons, Cucumbers, Capsicums, &c., in the 

 pits that will hereafter have to furnish a winter home for Gera- 

 niums, Verbenas, and other plants. 



Fine rows of trained Pear and Apple trees are planted on 

 e.ich side of a central walk that crosses it from east to west. 

 These trees, which were 11 or 12 feet high, had been spurred-in 

 for many years, were in the best of health, and what was of 

 more consequence, nearly all of them weiie bearing good crops 

 of fruit. I omitted to take the names of conspicuous ones, 

 but I hope Mr. Fish wiU favour us with them at some fitting 

 time, for these fruits are often so scarce that one looks with 

 feeUngs akin to envy on such good crops as those at Putte- 

 ridgebury. A glance at the vineries, which occupy a portion of ' 



this north wall, and a simOar hurried look at some excellent 

 Peaches in an orchard house adjoining the Grape house, and 

 I find myself again at Mr. Fish's dwelling ; and time, that 

 inexorable tyrant which breaks up so many a friendly chat, 

 warned me I had no more minutes to stay, so with a hearty 

 shake of the hand I reluctantly left Putteridgebury with the 

 perfect certainty that, if I attempted to put down what I saw, 

 onlj' a few of the many features of that tine place would be 

 described. 



Before concluding, however, I have one more remark to 

 make about the contents of the flower-beds, and that is, a 

 great number of plants are used which many at the present 

 day call old-fashioned , and yet their superiors are not to be met 

 with amongst newer ones. Geraniums Brilliant, Trenlham 

 Rose, Rubens, and Tom Thumb, I saw frequently used. Not 

 a few hardy plants were turned to good account, as Scdnms, 

 Saxifrages, and the like ; but newer plants had also their 

 place. Amongst others not met with every day was a good 

 batch of the variegated Polemonium, which many are unable 

 to keep alive ; but it will be a very difficult plant indeed to 

 manage if Mr. Fish do not turn it to good account : I expect it 

 will be the first thing he ever failed iu. — -T. Ronsox. 



SOjME predatory insects of our gardens.— No. 30. 

 Rkturn'int, to the subject of aphis hfe, which was under our I remarks of Professor Dyer, quoted in the article upon honey- 

 consideration in the last paper, we proceed to observe that the | dew which appeared in this .Journal a short time since, open up 



