268 



JOURNAL OF HOETICULTUKE AND COTTAGE GAEDENEK. 



[ Octobei- 9, 1873. 



fully over. Thcro uiay be two or three single Gladiolus 

 blooms round the edge if thought proper. The middle dish 

 should be edged with Maiden-hair, with half a dozen small 

 pieces of a red and white Fuchsia, such as Conspicua, alter- 

 nately with light sorts, such as Lustre and Guiding Star ; let 

 them dangle carelessly over the edge amongst the Ferns. I 

 should have stated that the sand ought to be covered with a 

 little moss, or, better still, Selaginella deuticulata, with its 

 roots embedded in sand. Thus put in it keeps much longer 

 than would otherwise be the case, and if it can be made to 

 stand up amongst the flowers so much the better. 



For three, or at most four shades of Gladioli, single blooms, 

 strip them off the spikes as they are growing ; we can then 

 come again for more in a day or two, and continue doing so 

 for a length of time. Place them in the dish so that they will 

 barely touch each other. Now plant amongst and to veil over 

 a few of them, a few small sprays of Maidenhair Fern, and 

 then place in the most careless manner a few bits of white and 

 blue Lobelia, or the small white and mauve Violas. Let them 

 stand well from the Gladioli with just three or four tiny pieces 

 of wild Grasses, and we may proceed to fill the bottom dish. 

 I find, as most other people do, that nothing is better than the 

 common Male Fern to dress round the outsides with. Have 

 the sand a little higher in this than in the middle dish, and 

 cover it as for that. Place the Gladioli as in the middle dish, 

 only let scarlet shades piedominate rather than white and rose 

 shades. Now for a spray or two of Maiden-hair, or, it prefer- 

 able, a few leaves of Polemonium coeruleum variegatum, and 

 then four nice sprays of Hoteia japonica standing well out 

 from the centre. Let them be clear of the Gladioli as well. 

 A few bits of very light, small, feathery Grasses and a spray 

 or two of blue Lobelia may be added. I think with these easy 

 airy-looking sprays over the scarlet Gladioli, put in with taste 

 and with scrupulous care not to overcrowd, but give every flower 

 sufficient room to show itself off to the best advantage, there 

 will be a stand fit to place before a prince. 



The Gladiolus will be of tener used for dinner-table decoration 

 than hitherto, being a plant within the reach of every person. 

 I have not given a list of a dozen or two of good sorts, as all 

 are now so good that if one only send for good mixed sorts 

 there will be httle disappointment. — J. Tayloh, Maesgwynnc, 

 S. Wales. 



WHICH VAEIETT OF STEAWBERRY IS BEST 

 FOR FORCING? 



To ask, Which kind is best to plant in a garden, or which 

 kind for general purposes ? is quite a different question, and 

 might call forth as many answers as the varieties of Straw- 

 berries grown in this countiy ; for, it is well known that both 

 soil and climate have to be considered in out-door cultivation, 

 not only of Strawberries, but many other kinds of plants 

 besides. A sort that bears prodigious crops at one place will 

 stubbornly refuse to bear at another place, though treated by 

 the same gardener ; hence the difference of opinion, and the 

 advantage of having sorts enough to test and choose from. By 

 pot culture under glass I think that most kinds of Strawberries 

 may bo successfully grown at the majority of places. An early 

 warm locality or county is ot course much more favourable for 

 getting early runners and the plants earlier matured than a 

 late cold place. 



I force here many pots ot Strawberries, and for some time 

 have been testing some of the popular sorts — viz., Vicomtesse 

 Horicart deThury, President, Keens' Seedling, Myatt's Prolific, 

 and Sir Harry. I have other kinds not equal in merit to any 

 of these for forcing. These five just named are, in my opinion, 

 excellent for early work. Sir Harry is named last on the list, 

 because, under the same treatment as the rest, it comes in last, 

 say about eight or ten days later than the others. I give it a 

 bad mark for loitering so long behind the rest ; and, with coals 

 at 20.S-. or 25s. per ton, all will admit that the variety deserves 

 it. Notwithstanding, I consider Sir Harry is incomparably 

 the best Strawberry known for pot culture. Its many good 

 qualities raise it high above the other varieties : — 1st, Sir 

 Harry bears forcing well ; will stand more artificial heat with- 

 out injury than any sort I have ever grown. 2nd, The fruit is 

 large and handsome. 'M\\, Flavour excellent. Ith, Colour 

 first rate. 'Ah, Very solid ; a highly important quality this 

 for those who grow tor market. The fruit ot Sir Harry is 

 heavier for its size than that ot any ot the other varieties 

 named. 6th, It is social : does not seek or need much elbow 

 room ; will bear well in jjots as closely placed together as they 



will stand. It has but few leaves, and these are on long 

 stalks. Keens' Seedling, President, and Vicomtesse Hericart 

 de Thury are more leafy in character, and require twice as 

 much room or space as Sir Harry and Myatt's Prolific. 7th and 

 lastly. Sir Harry is a continuous bearer. If well grown it 

 never tires of bearing, or sending up truss after truss of 

 flowers, and seldom tails to yield fruit ot considerable size. 

 " If you can speak so highly of Sir Hany, have you nothing 

 to say in favour of Sir Charles or Sir Joseph?" I am sorry 

 not to have a good word to say tor Sir Charles Napier. I have 

 three hundred good plants of Sir Joseph Paxton in 7-iuch 

 pots, and if these do well I shall be happy to recommend it. 



In another letter I may treat on the growing and forcing of 

 Strawberries in pots. — A. Pettigkew, Priory Vineijard, Sale. 



I 



COPINGS FOR WALLS.— No. 2. 

 In my former paper I have hinted that for walls 10 or 12 feet 

 high the projectin;j portion of the coping may be extended with 

 advantage an extra inch or two on each side, and I still think 

 so, because the greater the distance the water has to fall, the 

 more likely is it to come in contact with the wall it the coping 

 is a narrow one. I admit that it a stone coping is used, the 

 expense will be increased by the extra projection on each side ; 

 but it this should be an objection, there is a substantial way 

 ot getting over it by having a coping 

 such as is represented in fit/. 5. 'This 

 shows an 18-inch wall with a coping of 

 stone ot the same width. The stone 

 has a flat top and is 5 inches thick in 

 the centre, gradually reduced to about 

 2 inches on each side. The projection 

 is formed ot bricks and slate before 

 putting on the stonework. The bricks 

 are laid so that the ends project 3 inches, 

 thus forming an excellent foundation 

 for the slates, which are placed on ihe 

 top of the bricks and project another 

 H inches. The slates are firmly embedded in Portland cement, 

 and there are two layers of them— that is, where the joints 

 meet in the under row another narrow slate is embedded in 

 cement over it, which preserves the joint and prevents the 

 possibility ot the wet entering it. After this the stone coping 

 is put on and all joints made secure by cement. When build- 

 ing-in the bricks give them a shght incline outwards, so that 

 when the slate is put on there will be the necessary fall to 

 carry off the water quickly. 



Figs. 6 and 7 show another form of coping which I saw in 

 use at several different places years ago ; it is not submitted 

 as the neatest and most substantial sort ot coping, but it is 



X 



X 



Fig. 5. 



Fig. 6. 



one that will commend itself to those who have not the oppor- 

 tunity of procuring stone or similar materials without in- 

 curring a considerably greater expenditure. It is suitable for 

 a wall 10 or 13 feet high, and is intended to serve the double 

 purpose ot protecting the wall from wet and the trees from 

 spring frosts. The coping, of which a section is shown in 



