Ootobor 23, 1873. ] 



JOUBNAIi OP HOETICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER, 



307 



pruning needed ehould be done in spring, just before or when 

 they are beginning to grow. 



Cerasu.^ lusiianica tntjrtifoUa, or Myrtle-leaved Portugal 

 Lanrel, has bright deep green narrow leaves, much smaller 

 than the species, and is very useful. It is effective as a central 

 mass margined with Erica herb.icea earuea, it liaving an inner 

 line of B. mediterranea alba. For a second line round a mass 

 of Hollies, either gold or silver, it is effective, the outer line 

 being Euouymns radicans variegatus, or the Silver tree Ivj-. 



La»nii(i«its. — The white flowers of this on dwarf bushy 

 plants are very effective, and a mass margined with red, blue, 

 and white Hepatica forms a pleasing group or l)ed. It is also 

 very suitable for the angles and centres of extensive arrange- 

 ments. It moves well, requiring to be cut-in in spring if 

 becoming too largo and growing out of shape. 



Liguftnim juponicum. — Large, shining, bright green leaves. 

 This is very effective in a mass margined with Bollis aucuba;- 

 folia, either with or without inner lines of Scilla sibirica and 

 Snowdrops. It moves well, and may be kept of auy height by 

 pruning in spring and pinching in summer. The flowers, 

 which are white, are produced in spring or early in summer. 



Pernellj/a mucronata. — Shining deep green leaves; very 

 effective as a green bed or line, especially when in berry and 

 margined with Snowdrops. It retiuires peat soil.' 



Gaultluria Sliallon. — A pretty procumbent plant with purple 

 berries. Effective as a second line or margin to beds of bold- 

 folisged shrubs, as the Tree Ives, Hollies, and Aucubas, or in 

 a bed by itself, eJged with Aubrietia purpurea variegata. 



Guultheria proctimbois. — Shining oval leaves and red berries ; 

 very effective as an edging to a mass of Aucuba limbata, or 

 other masses of bold-foliaged shrubs, especially those with 

 variegated or coloured leaves. Requires peat soil. 



Itdinospora pUifera is very effective by its plume-like foliage 

 tinged with brown, and dwarf plants of it make a neat mass 

 when margined with Euonymus radicans variegatus. There 

 are others of the Retinosporas, but I have not had sufficient ex- 

 perience of them. r>. cupressoides, R. plumosa, quite a gem, 

 as are its golden and silver forms; B. ericoides, which in au- 

 tumn has the foliage of a violet purple hue ; and R. obtusa 

 nana with its fine golden foliage, would be welcome additions 

 to oar self-coloured-foUage hardy trees, and very effective for 

 winter gardens. 



Taxus elegantissima. — Both the silver-striped and the gold- 

 striped Yew are at their best in antumn and winter ; plants 

 not more than 2 feet high make fine masses margined with 

 Ganltheria procumbens. 



Abiei ClanhrasiUana and A. pytjiniaa are very distinct and 

 effective as margins to masses of bold-foliaged shrubs, and for 

 dotting in carpeting, as, for instance, in a broad band of 

 variegated jVrabis a yard wide, disposing them that distance 

 apart along its centre, the effect is very fine. 



Other subjects might be pressed into our service, but I have 

 selected those I am most conversant with, and shall only add 

 a few shrubs that are useful as forming objects on flat surfaces 

 or carpeting, and in imparting beauty to their otherwise mo- 

 notonous aspect. 



CuprtMiu LaK.-<oniana nana. — Dwarf and very compact ; deep 

 green foliage. 



Ciiprfssus Laumoniana stricta. — Of pyramidal form, dense 

 habit. 



Picca pectinata pyomtea. — A mere pigmy Silver Fir, which 

 is superb planted pincushion fashion on a ground of Bellis 

 aucubecfolia. 



Thujnpsig dolabrata is the subject I will mention as the finest 

 of all for centres. Its graceful plume-like habit and dark green 

 foliage render it very suitable. It is, perhaps, the most beauti- 

 ful of evergreens. — G. Abbey. 



BOCCONIA .TAPONICA IN NEW ZEALAND. 

 We are indebted in the colonies to Messrs. Shepherd, 

 nnraerymen, of Sydney, for the introduction of this novelty, 

 which is now pretty well spread about in our gardens ; for I 

 find it very easy of cultivation, as well as very ornamental, 

 growing amongst other border plants. In their catalogue they 

 state of it the following : — " This grand-foliaged herbaceous 

 plant was discovered in .Japan in 18(iG, and sent to Prussia, 

 where it was an object of univLrafll admiration. We intro- 

 duced it into this colony in 18G8, and succeeded in growing a 

 splendid specimen last year, fully 8 feet in height. It has 

 proved itself perfectly hardy, and can be grown freely in any 

 I>08ition ; but shelter is necessary to preserve its magnificent 



foUage from injury." — William Swale, Avomide Botanic 

 Garden, Canterbury, N.X. 



POT-CULTDRE OP STRAWBERRIES. 



All gardeners know that early warm localities are the best 

 for the cultivation of Strawberry plants in pots, for in such 

 places runners can be obtained comparatively early in the 

 season, and be grown into strong fruiting plants. In cold and 

 late localities it is rather difficult to secure ruuners early 

 enough in such seasons as the present. Southern growers 

 have, in this particular, a great advantage over those in the 

 northern counties. 



There are different ways adopted to obtain runners early. 

 A very common one is to plant out in a prepared bed the 

 plants that have been forced, as soon as they have ceased to 

 yield fruit. These produce ruuners pretty early. Another 

 mode is to plant runners of this year in a rich bed, with a 

 view to obtain runners from them in the next year. Both 

 ways are excellent and practised here ; which is the better I 

 cannot say. I fancy the runners of last year produce ruuners 

 rather stronger than the forced plants of this year. 



Where the expense of labour is not so great a consideration 

 as excellent plants, our best gardeners layer the runners in 

 small pots filled with soil, and hold them there by placing 

 stones on them till the runners take root in the pots. In this 

 way the plants receive no shock or check when cut from the 

 mother plants. As soon as convenient afterwards they are 

 shifted into larger pots, and placed in a sheltered open place, 

 where they enjoy the sunshine, and grow into strong stubby 

 healthy plants. About the middle of July they are repotted 

 in their fruiting pots, which are generally about 6 or 7 inches 

 in diameter. It is now of great importance to let the plants 

 have plenty of room to develope their leaves and allow the 

 wind to play amongst them. Every plant needs a square foot 

 of surfaea for itself. Though plants treated thus require 

 much attention, having to be watered almost every day, and 

 the runners frequently taken from them, they will abundantly 

 repay all the labour bestowed on them by yielding a great 

 weight of fruit. In private garden establishments this mode 

 of layering the runners in small pots, and repotting them twice 

 afterwards is generally adopted and practised. Our best gar- 

 deners think it is the safest way of preparing Strawberry 

 plants for forcing. But where time and expense of labour are 

 taken into account — where everything is balanced in the 

 scales of profit and loss, another mode is practised which 

 answers very well. The ruuners are not layered iu pots, but 

 allowed to grow attached to the old plants till July, when, by 

 using a clean sharp trowel, they are lifted with good balls and 

 placed at once in their fruiting pots. Thus good plants are 

 obtained and grown with much less work and attention than 

 the system which calls into use three sizes of pots. I dare 

 not say that the three-shift system is more successful in pro- 

 ducing a better crop of fruit than the one-shift system. The 

 end is reached by both ways ; one way, however, is much 

 shorter than the other, and all my life I have preferred the 

 shortest and easiest road. 



In confining the roots of such plants as Strawberries iu pots 

 we do them an injury — the whole thing is artificial, and so far 

 as art can repair the injury it should be done. If less space 

 be given to the roots of the plants richer food should be 

 afforded as compensation. Strawberries like rich soU every- 

 where ; in pots they require it richer still. One-third rotten 

 sods, one-third rotten dung, one-third sand, and a little bone- 

 dust well mixed make an excellent compost for Strawberries 

 in pots. It the sods are rather sandy less sand, of course, will 

 be used. In this rich soil the plants grow strong and fast, and 

 worms fatten when they get into the pots. It is no easy 

 matter to keep worms out, they will go through 3 inches of 

 clean ashes or cinders to reach the soil in the pots. 



Plants, like animals, need rest — a winter as well as a summer. 

 If Strawberries in pots are not allowed three months' rest 

 they are more difficult to manage. Hence it is important to 

 have their crowns ripened early, and the plants at rest iu 

 October. This is done by placing all the pots on their sides 

 with their faces to the south. Thus they become compara- 

 tively drj' and send the plants to rest. When the fruit is 

 wanted about the end of March, plants should be placed under 

 glass and subjected to the influence of a gentle heat three 

 months sooner, for it takes three months of artificial treat- 

 ment to force Strawberries to perfection. Those which are 

 not put into heat till February or March generally bear 



