September 29, 1863. ] JOUBNAL OF HOETICTJLTUEE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



251 



interest, both in an ornamental and useful point of view. 

 Amongst those introduced to Em-ope we may instance the 

 curious Umbrella Pine and various trees allied to the com- 

 mon Arbor Vitae, but quite distinct from it. There are also a 

 variegated Honeysuckle, some shrabs resembling our HoDy, 

 but in reality nearer to the Olive, new Clu-ysanthemums, 

 and a host of other things. Curious enough, the Japanese 

 seem to have had a taste for variegated plants long before 

 that taste gained gi'ound amongst ourselves. The Yedo 

 gardens were found full of such plants. There was a 

 variegated variety of Palni, of the Camellia, and even the 

 Tea plant was met with in this condition. Many of these 

 things have been exhibited at the horticultiu-al exhibition, 

 and are no doubt famihar to our readers. Mr. Fortune 

 seems to have visited Japan at the right time, for now the 

 gardens at Yedo which supplied aU these interesting novel- 

 ties are closed to foreigners, and are likely to be so for some 

 time to come. 



MUSCAT GRAPES. 



I AM much obliged to Mr. Thomson for his answer to my 

 letter. By the last sentence I see he is of my oiiinion — that 

 the question is deserving of more attention than it has re- 

 ceived ; and by the kind manner in wliich you have noticed 

 my communication, I am encouraged to send you what I 

 know of the subject, hoping I may assist in eliciting some- 

 thing useful. 



I have before me a French catalogue, in which the Vines 

 are classed as tres jirecoce, precoce, ordinaire, tardif, and tres 

 tardif, in wliich latter class I find the Muscat of Alexandria. 



I asked this firm if I might place confidence iu these 

 qualifications, and was assured I might. " Then, how were 

 they obtained ?" " From the latitude of Paris, and from the 

 open wall." "But this Muscat of Alexandria is marked tres 

 gi-os ? " " That was from a hothouse." " Do you think 

 these other Muscats and Chasselas marked " moyen," when 

 grown on the open wall, will improve in size if planted in a 

 hothouse ? " " No doubt some of them were capable of 

 great amelioration, they had no information which of them." 

 So for my amusement I bought some to ti-y if they were 

 capable of amelioration, but I never doubted their earliness. 



I planted them in fi-ont of the penuanent Vines in a 

 house where there was bottom heat, and gi-ew them a year 

 before fr-uiting them. I found they were not much im- 

 proved in size, at least, they were too smaU to be worth 

 growing after I ascertained they were not more than two 

 weeks earlier than the latest Vine in the house. In the 

 front row I had Muscats Blanc Hitif, Noir de Jui'a, de 

 Meurthe, Ingi'am's, Troveren, Buckland Sweetwater; 

 Chasselas Musque ; Chasselas Blanc, Supcrieur ; Negi-e- 

 pont, and Rose or Royal : for the permanent ones, Alex- 

 andria, Canon Hall, and Bowood Muscats. I have pvdled 

 them all out but Muscat Blanc Hatif. that did not fruit, 

 and is in front of a weak Vine which I intend to cut down 

 again. I was sony I could not try them another year, but 

 the permanent ones reqtdred the room. If, then, with Vines, 

 we choose the finest, and make them early, will doing so 

 have the same effect on Peach ti-ees ? I trust there are 

 among those who with so much ability supply the tables 

 of the great with all that is out of season, that can either 

 confirm Mr. Thomson and myself, or else explain where 

 our error is. — G. H. 



CONTEAST TEEsrs SHADING— AMAEANTHUS 

 BICOLOE AND TEICOLOE. 



We agree with "An Amateuk" whilst criticising the 

 bedding-oiit at the Crystal Palace this season, that contrast 

 is the real giver of effect and not shading. 



This latter certainly has its distinct merits, as also ad- 

 mirers — indeed it may be that the best-instructed eye would 

 favour shading ; that an artist who had made the har- 

 mony of colom-s — these in all their variations, even to the 

 most neutral ones — his chief study, would find gi'eater plea- 

 sure therein than when looking at the best and most taste- 

 fully laid-out gardens where contrast is the main feature in 

 its arrangement. "We admit, also, that it is far easier to 

 give striking effect by the use of the most distinct colours 



as applied by contrast than it is to attempt to cope with 

 the numberless neutral colours within our reach by shading 

 and the felicitous admixture of one colour with another of 

 the same hue, yet differently tinted. 



What gives us so great pleasure when one of Flora's most 

 favoured band is placed before us, we need scarcely say is the 

 eveidy-balanced markings ; we cannot err in oui' attempt to 

 copy these types of real beauty from the hands of so imerring 

 a master. Then let us not reject an attempt so seemingly 

 legitimate, without a fair and well-studied attempt at its 

 furtherance. As we have already intimated, the mode of 

 shading as practised at some of our leading places, ill agrees 

 with our ideas as regards the same ; as with some of our 

 most gorgeous flowers we would place the quietest neutral 

 where it could the more readily give effect to the warmer 

 colour. An instance we give below, which has an excellent 

 effect. 



Shades of scarlet. Verbenas planted, plant for plant — 

 Fii'e Fly, Robinson's Defiance, Admii-al Dnndas, and Lord 

 Raglan ; oi% again, Trop^olums Elegans, Ball of Fire, 

 Garibaldi, and it may be Eclipse. In the same way with 

 Geraniums, a good effect may be attained by planting 

 alternately, Christine, and Variegated Flower of the Day, 

 which may be edged with Fau-y. Or to have an effective 

 Ulac bed with shadings, plant alternately Variegated Mint 

 (Mentha rotundifoHa variegata), and distinct pink, approach- 

 ing crimson at the eye. These we might continue to a 

 further length, but we have in view two plants which, as we 

 have ali-eady suggested in these pages, shoidd be brought 

 more prominently forward in the variegated-foliage class, 

 and which in theu- markings may read a lesson to any one 

 upon both the subject of shading and harmony of colours. 

 They are not by any means new, though little used. We 

 allude to the Amaranthus bicolor and tricolor, which when 

 well grown are exceedingly pretty. In theu- first stage of 

 growth they are not unlike indistinctly-coloui-ed Amaranthus 

 melancholicus ruber. Like them also they have a great 

 tendency to run straight up with but one stem. They look, 

 l^erhaps, best so when not requu-ed more dwai'fed in form. 



When the plants have attained their growth, and pre- 

 vious to flowering, a number of very beautiful lateral leaves 

 shoot out from the main stems aU round, in form and size 

 not unlike the bracts upon the Poinsettia. These are 

 upon bicolor a light pleasing- scarlet ; those upon tricolor 

 being a glowing variation of bright scarlet and yellow, not 

 unlike in their markings the gayest Parrot Tulip. The 

 larger leaves, which hang sixfEciently away to admit of their 

 being readily seen, enhance their appearance, by their dark 

 coloui-, especially when in sunshine they are moved by a 

 slight wind, peeping forth alternately ft-om deep shade to 

 sunshine. 



An excellent effect may be attained by forming a centre 

 (a tail upright one being chosen for the middle) in a well- 

 planted bed of Coleus Verschaffelti, especially if a large one, 

 and where the centre could be planted in size sufficient to 

 give it as a central object distinct prominence. It is also of 

 a height rather in requisition for a back row, where ribbon- 

 bordering is done well, or for pots for summer and early 

 winter decoration. 



But, to retvu-n to the Coleus Verschaffelti. We have taken 

 up and potted recently some fine plants, unsiu-passed by 

 any in coloiu-. the same were planted out as mere cuttings 

 previous to the frost of about the 20th of May last. ^ We 

 are ftdly aware that the success has been very variable, 

 taking the country through, but we ask yet another trial 

 based upon the experience gained by the past season. — 

 William Earlet. 



HAEDY AQUATICS. 



Mentanthes nympha3oides, Stratiotes aloides, Hydrocharis 

 morsus-rans, Sagittaria sagittaifolia, Menyanthes trifoliata, 

 Acoi-us calamus, *Epilobium angustifolium, *E. hii-sutum, 

 *Lythrum saliearia, *Eupatorium cannabiniim, *Osmunda 

 regalis, and *Valeriana officinalis. 



A combination of the Typhas and Rumex hydi-olapathum 

 (a handsome oriental-looking plant), with some of the mi- 

 nor-growing "borderers," is very effective. The Osmunda 



• These as " borderer?." 



