October 13, 18C3. ] 



JOUENAX OF HOETICTJLTUEE AND COTTAGE GAEDENEE. 



287 



stocky growth. These and other inBtances have strongly 

 impressed on my mind the importance of imitating some- 

 what more the atmosphere of our old dung-pits ; and seeing 

 that the atmosphere of oui- glass houses is almost, if not 

 quite, as easily influenced as the character of the soil in 

 which plants are grown, the idea of success in the matter is 

 far from being so Utopian as many that have been broached. 

 I believe that in the growth of some of our fine-foliaged 

 plants — such as Begonias, Cyanophylliims, &c. — the effects 

 of such an atmosphere would be most mai-ked. 



The intense light which is available in hothouses now as 

 compared to former times, resulting from the use of more 

 glass and less timber, makes it all the more probable that 

 by increasing the amount of carbon and ammonia in the air 

 beneficial results would follow, for the decomposition of such 

 elements by plants is dependant on the degree of light to 

 which they are exposed. It may be fairly allowed that it is 

 most desii'able that we should give the matter a fair trial in 

 a systematic way. The practicals are, however, somewhat 

 open to the charge of fixing prejudice at the garden gate 

 lake a flaming sword ready to decapitate the very shadow 

 of any innovation which may seek to find an entrance ; but 

 it is possible to do homage to the god of science all the while ; 

 for why those continual syi'ingings with soot water, and 

 the preference to soft rain water to that which we draw 

 from the bowels of the earth ? Because the former is found 

 to have a healthful influence on vegetation wherever it is 

 applied, and the latter agrees much better with most plants 

 than hard water from the well. Now, in both these cases 

 science tells us that the water is largely charged with am- 

 monia, in the one case from the soot, and in the other by the 

 raindrops from the atmosphere in their descent from the 

 clouds. 



But the matter that I want to point to as being chiefly 

 involved m the chemical composition of the atmosphere of 

 hothouses is the incessant war which we find it necessary to 

 wage against the insect tribe all the year round, and which 

 is becoming of the greater importance from the ever-in- 

 creasing amount of fruit and flowers that are cultivated 

 under glass. There are, for instance, thrips, and bugs, 

 and spiders, besides their numerous allies, enough at times 

 to diive one crazy. Anything that would prevent their 

 appearance or destroy them when they appear, would be 

 worth something if discovered, and whoever might be the 

 fortunate discoverer he would deserve a rich reward, and an 

 enduring monument from all who are engaged in gardening 

 pursuits. 



Closing with the fact which I have abeady referred to re- 

 garding the comparative fi'eedom from some of our most 

 ti'oublesome and destructive insects, when plants are grown 

 under the influence of the gases with which fermenting 

 manures charge the atmosphere, I would virge the trial of an 

 imitation of such an atmosphere in the forcing-pits and 

 houses of the present day. Whether the ft'eedom from insects 

 arises from such gases being unfavourable to the production 

 of insects, or from the state of vegetation under such cir- 

 cumstances, matters not in a practical point of view. And 

 while it would not be at all desu-able to return to the dung- 

 bed and lining in a general way, it is certainly worth while 

 to try and produce the wholesome atmosphere peculiar to 

 that old appliance by some artificial means. I have used 

 guano in the case and manner already refeiTed to, and, as I 

 am warranted in thinking, with success ; and it would be in- 

 teresting if others would give any experience which they have 

 had in the matter, or if they have not tried it to do so, and 

 favour us with the results. The destruction, or still better, 

 the prevention of red spider in our hothouses, is one of those 

 questions which ranks of first-rate importance, and in my 

 case I have never found the application of sxilphur to the 

 pipes efiective, and the use of the syringe to such fruits as 

 Grapes is attended with nearly as many evils as the raids of 

 the vermin themselves. D. Thomson. 



EoTAi AsHLEAVED KiDNET PoTATO. — We have received 

 a few of the Ashleaved Kidney Potato from Mr. Elvers, of 

 Sawbridgeworth, and found them when cooked a mass of 

 flour. The flavom' is excellent, and with the eailiness and 

 prolificacy which it is said to have we do not know any 

 merit it ought to possess which it has not. 



GIVE US BACK OUE, FLOWEE-BOEDEES. 



Queen Flora.— "Where, gardener, are my loved plants 

 "VVbicli once adorned your tjorders and mine too ! '* 



Gardener.—" Your Majesty has but to look and see 



Our borders rich with red Geraniums bright, and " 



Flora (in great wrath).-" Churl ! these are bedding plants ! " 



New Play. 



I HAVE spoken of King Croquet as being likely to cause 

 improvement in our small gardens. I own I am old-fashioned 

 — some may pertly say "antediluvian" in my ideas; per- 

 haps a residence at Hampton Court, and daily walks in its 

 stately gardens, when an enthiisiastic youth, have something 

 to do with my gardening notions. Twenty years ago how 

 I loved to glide along the Thames, and peer into the dear 

 old gardens at Twickenham ! How I " suspended the dash- 

 ing oar" to look into the gardens of Pope's VUla, and al- 

 most worshipped an old Cedar, somewhere, if my memory 

 serves me, at the back of the villa ! 



Perhaps this early love, to say nothing of older times, 

 when playing in petticoat trim in gardens of relations long 

 since gone to their last home, has something to do with my 

 love for the old-fashioned border plants, and makes me raise 

 my voice on their behalf. 



But let us look at the subject in its various bearings — 

 let us turn it over, now this way, now that way. To begin 

 with : there is to me a gi'eat charm in the regulai-ity, gene- 

 rally to a few days, at which our old plants make their 

 appearance — their flowering, I mean — in then' old places, 

 so that we constantly connect circumstances in our families 

 with their blooming. Thus, not only with poor Thomas 

 Hood do we mark an event as having happened " in the 

 time of Eoses," but when such and such a flower was in 

 bloom. We say, "Ah, dear! so and so was with us last 

 year when the Erica camea was in flower." This regularity 

 of blooming as to time did not escape the eye of Thomson, 

 who thus sweetly sings, — 



" Alonp these blushing borders, bright "with dew, 

 And m yon mingled wilderness of flowers. 

 Fair-handed .Spring unbosoms every grace, 

 ThrowM out the Snowdrop and tlie Crocus first; 

 The Daisy, Primrose, Violet darkly blue. 

 And Polyanthus of unnumbered dyes ; 

 The yellow Wa'lflower, stained with iron brown. 

 And lavish Stock that scents the garden round ; 

 From the soft wing of vernal breezes shed, 

 Anemones ; Auriculas, enriched 

 "With shining meal o'er all their velvet leaves; 

 And full Ranunculus of glowing red. 

 Then comes the Tulip race, where Beauty plays 

 Her idle Ireaks ; from family diffused 

 To family, as flies the father-dust. 

 The varied colours run ; and, while they break 

 On the charmed eye, th' exulting florist marks, 

 With secret pride, the wonders of his hand. 

 JVo gradual bloom is wanitiKj ; from the bud. 

 First-born of Spring, to Summer's musky tribes ; 

 Nor Hyacinths, of purest virgin white, 

 Low bent, and blushing inward; nor Jonquils, 

 Of potent fragrance ; nor Narcissus fair. 

 Nor broad Carnations, nor gay-spotted Pinks ; 

 jNor, showered from every bush, the Damask Rose. 

 Infinite numbers, delicacies, smells,/ 

 With hues on haes expression cannot paint, 

 The breath of Nature, and her endless bloom.'* 



This is indeed a delicious flower-picture. We see — we 

 almost smell — the glorious flowers. In fact a well-kept 

 border, in addition to its other excellencies, is a floral al- 

 manac. 



Then, too, it pleases my mind to think and wonder how 

 long it took our forefathers to collect and aiTange their 

 flowers, culled some from wood, some from water's brim ; 

 then how gradually they learned fi'om experience that such 

 a flower would bloom in February, such another in March, 

 and so on ; and how they must have watched to see if these 

 rules held good year by year. 



We force o\u- flowers. Well, be it so. A flower in one 

 sense can never be out of season ; bat stUl Nature reigns 

 supreme, for no forced flower is equal to one of the same 

 kind coming " in its due season." 



But, again, who that loves a garden does not love a flower 

 (I mean an individual plant), almost like a living personal 

 ti-iend ? On revisiting the home of my boyhood in the flat 

 fens of Cambridgeshire I rushed to see if my old Mezereon 

 tree was yet living. It was gone ; but I did find some of 

 my old Eose bushes. Moss, Cabbage, and Maiden's Blush. 

 Nothing like Eoses on then- own roots : ye votaries of the 

 budding-knife, hear and heed ! 



