September 15, 1863. ] 



JOURNAL OF HORTICTJLTTJEE AND COTTAGE GAEDENEE. 



205. 



WEEKLY CALENDAR. 



SEPTEMBER 15—21, 1863. 



A. L. Jnssiea died, 1836, Bot. 



Ember Week. 



Silere itiaritima fiower^. 



Prof.' J. F. Jolinston died. 18-55. 



.4renariii eiUatj, iinwers. 



16 Sunday afiee Tei-itv. 



St. Matthew. 



Average Temperature 

 near London. 



Day. 

 67.0 

 68.1 

 68.8 

 66.5 

 66 6 

 6C.8 

 64.9 



Night. 

 46.5 

 48.1 

 4C.4 

 44.5 

 46.2 

 44 

 46,0 



Mean. 

 56.7 

 68.1 

 67.6 

 66.4 

 65.9 

 65.4 

 85.0 



Rain in 



last 

 36 years. 



Days. 

 18 

 15 

 14 

 17 

 18 

 16 

 19 



San 

 Kises. 



m. h. 

 36af 5 



37 5 



39 6 



40 5 

 42 5 



44 5 



45 5 



Sun 



Sets. 



m. li. 



15af6 



13 6 



10 6 



8 6 



6 6 



3 6 



1 6 



Aroon 



Rises. 



m. h. 

 17a 8 



27 9 



39 10 

 49 11 

 54 

 52 1 



40 2 



Moon 

 Sets. 



m, h. 

 S8a 6 



5 7 



38 7 



20 8 



13 9 



15 10 



28 11 



Moon's 

 Age. 



Clocls 

 after 

 Sun. 



m. s. 

 4a44 



5 5 



6 26 

 6 47 



Day of 

 Year. 



258 

 269 

 260 

 261 

 262 

 263 

 264 





From observations taken near London during tlie last thirty-six years, the average day temperature of the week is 66.9°, and ita night 

 temprratnre 45.7'. The greate.'-t heal;: was 84', on the 17lh, 1843 ; and the lowest cold, 20", on the 17th, 1840. The greatest fall of ram 

 W.1S 0.90 inch. 



AMAEANTHUS MELANCHOLICUS EUBEE AIN'D 

 COLEUS A^EESCHAFFELTI. 



APIDtliougli the increase of plants 

 has been which the enter- 

 iirise of eollectoi-s sent to 

 distant lands ha-s placed 

 within our reach, and not- 

 withstanding the- many im- 

 provements which the hy- 

 bridisers of the present day 

 have effected in bedding 

 plants, it is questionable 

 whether the plants culti- 

 vated in the most fashionable flower 

 gardens of the present time pre- 

 sent so large an arra}' of names as 

 similar lists did fifteen years ago ; 

 for the yeai'ly additions are coun- 

 terbalanced by corresponding weed- 

 ings-out. Probably in many in- 

 stances the latter work has exceed- 

 ed the former, so as to leave fewer 

 names on the flower-garden list than 

 existed before variegated plants be- 

 came such an important feature ; 

 or before the Cuphea and more re- 

 cent introductions found their way 

 into general use. That successive 

 wcedings-out are wanted there can be no doubt ; and 

 some go to great extremes in this respect ; while others, 

 anxious as much to retain a collection as to produce an 

 efiect, preserve a longer list of names. There are, how- 

 ever, plants which have gone out of fashion through the 

 current of public opinion having set in against them, and 

 this latter class is everj' year receiving fresh accessions, 

 often from plants that have scarcely had a fair trial. 



So fastidious have our flower-gardening connoisseurs 

 become of late, that it is not an easy matter to please 

 them now. The properties possessed by a plant arc far 

 more carefully examined than years ago. To be a 

 favourite in the flower garden now it is requisite that 

 a plant be ornamental from June until November, no 

 lack of servitude during that period being permitted. 

 A freedom but not rankncss in growth is also required, 

 as well as sulKcient hardiness to withstand cold winds, 

 and many other points of merit. This strict and almost 

 unreasonable service on the part of a plant has of ne- 

 cessity in some cases driven flowers from the stage, and 

 substituted foliage instead, the latter being more constant 

 and lasting ; and the increasing use of foliage instead of 

 flowers in our flower gardens threatens to drive the latter 

 from the field ; but a change in public opinion may take 

 place, and flowers be again in the ascendant. Now and 

 then, however, useful additions in the way of coloured 

 foliage have been tried with good effect. The Perilla 

 is gi-own in many places to a large e.xtent ; and not long 

 ago, in a popular flower garden in Yorkshire, I noticed 

 Ko. 129— Vol. V., New Series. 



that Eed Beet had been introduced into the flower-beds 

 with tolerably good effect. Purple Orach had been tried 

 many years before, but its use is now on the decline ; 

 the more accommodating habit of Perilla fitting it better^ 

 for the various duties a plant of extraordinary-coloured 

 ibliage is called on to fulfil, and in its pecidiar tintr 

 perhaps no more suitable plant could be had. There 

 are, however, other plants to which it would be desirable- 

 to give a trial for out-door work of this kind, and pro- 

 bably with a little coaxing at starting they might do 

 good service. 



The AiiAKANTHUs .\iELANcnoLiOTJS suBEE, which I ac- 

 knowledge to having recommended to the notice of all 

 flower-gardeners last year, has, in a very great many 

 cases, failed this season in giving that satisfaction which 

 it was expected to afford ; and at several gardens which 

 I lately had an opportunity of seeing in Lancashire, 

 Yorkshii-e, and adjoining counties, it was pronounced a 

 complete failm'e. I confess to having my own misgivings 

 as to its utility in the early part of the season. Since 

 then, however, or rather since the last week in July, it 

 has made rapid progress in the garden here, and at 

 the present time (September 1), it is second to no plant 

 in the garden for general effect ; and a plant with a 

 better habit could not well be conceived. I have two 

 rows of it forming lines of colouring in two striped or 

 ribbon-borders, consisting of four rows each, which are 

 respectively Lobelia speciosa, yellow Calceolaria, this 

 Amaranthus,- and Cloth of Gold Geranium. The three 

 plants which form its companions are well known, and 

 the Calceolaria and Lobelia are generally regarded as 

 free growers. The Geranium Cloth of Gold is not so 

 free ; but the Amaranthus at the present time far out- 

 strips them all. The foliage from the spreading branches 

 having touched the ground on all sides it has been 

 necessary to stop, otherwise it would have spread over 

 the adjoining Calceolarias and Geraniums. The colour, 

 I may observe, is of that rich purple-crimson which con- 

 trasts so well with everything around it ; and looking at 

 it either in the direction of the sun or the reverse way 

 it is equally beautiful, although it must be observed that 

 there is a difference in the tints it presents when viewed 

 in opposite directions. Its utility is, however, so well 

 established, that I feel disposed to give it. a more ex- 

 tended trial next year, but wUl treat it in a somewhat 

 different manner, having learned from experience that 

 the usual treatment given to ordinary bedding plants is 

 not alike suitable for all. 



Taking a view of the treatment which the four varieties 

 of plants forming the ribbon-border above mentioned 

 received. I would observe that the Calceolaria A.urea 

 floribunda was planted out some time about the middle 

 of April. Some in another place were planted out earlier 

 than that and did well; but the Geranium, Lobelia, and 

 Amaranthus were all planted at one time, the second 

 week in May — too soon for the Amaranthus, as the 

 sequel proved ; for a great many of the plants dwindled 

 away, forming a sort of abortive seed-stem. The places 

 of those which failed were filled up about the bcgiuulug 

 Ko. 781.— Vol. XXX., Old Sebies. 



