Angnst IS, 18«7. ] 



JOUBNAL OF HOBTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GABDENER. 



121 



scarlet flowers which it forms ; whilst of the Tom Thnmb 

 section, so dwarf and excellent for bedding, King of Tom 

 Thnmbs, with large bright Bcarlet flowers ; and the crimson, 

 yellow, rose, and Bpotted varieties are in most profuse bloom. 

 One of tho best of the spotted kinds is Beauty ; Pearl is of a 

 creamy white, and King Theodore, on the contrary, very dark. 

 There is also a pretty rose-coloured sort having a bluish 

 tinge. 



At St. Osyth, the seed farm, which is oven larger than that at 

 East House, Dedham, is situated about eleven miles southward 

 of the latter place measuring in a direct line, but tho distance 

 by road is, of course, considerably more. Here many of tho 

 annuals and other flowers already noticed are also grown in 

 quantity. There are considerable breadths of Dunne tt's hybrid 

 I'otunias, Asters and Siilpiglossis in alternate, beds, Zinnias, 

 Carnations, I'ansies, Auricula-eyed Sweet Williams, among 

 which arc many of great beauty, Sweet Peas, including a largo 

 piece of tho Invincible Scarlet, Viola cornuta in splendid 

 bloom, besides large quantities of tho beautiful rose-coloured 

 Saponaria calabrica, King of Tom Thumbs Nasturtium, very 

 brilliant in colour and in very free bloom ; Marigolds, both 

 African and Frencli, and Antirrhinums, one of wliich called 

 Crescia, is of a beautiful dark crimson. The splendid scarlet 

 Linum grandiflorum is also in profuse bloom ; it is here sown 

 without previously steeping the seeds, and comes up very well. 

 The white and lilac-flowered varieties of Nycterinia sela- 

 ginoiJes, as grown here, are two of the prettiest of half-hardy 

 annuals (at least as to treatment), and are Tery dwarf and con- 

 tinue long in bloom. The little golden-flowered Sanvitalia pro- 

 cnmbens also carpets the ground, and is studded with single 

 or double flowers, there is also an orange-striped kind. We 

 likewise noticed several hybrid Leptosiphons, which, being very 

 dwarf and free-flowering, are well adapted for rockwork and 

 edgings. 



That most nsefnl little orange-flowered plant. Erysimum 

 Peroffskianum is well represented, and .so, too, are the Clarkias ; 

 among those there is a pure white Clarkia elegans, also a 

 showy double rose-coloured integripetala variety. Of Esch- 

 scholtzias, aarantiaca is of a uniform deep orange from the 

 base to the top of the petals ; and there are likewise an orange- 

 striped sort, and varieties of E. crocea and californica, in which 

 the petals are lapped over on the inside and toothed, being an 

 approach to quilling. 



Tho value of Tagetes pumila for bedding being well known, 

 the mt^ro muntion of it will suffice, and tho same remark applies 

 to Tritoma uvaria grandiflora as an autumn-flowering border 

 perennial. RhodantheManglcsii, of which there is a variety with 

 larger flowers than the ordinary form, and the white-llowered 

 maeulata alba, together with the charming dwarf lilac Abronia 

 iimbcllata, are jti.st now very attractive. Here, too, tliere are 

 several vuri/tics of Trop.i^olum, including one, Lilli Schmidt, 

 with fine .scarlet flowers, and a Tom Thumb variety of pyramidal 

 habit. Among other subjects there are numerous seedling Holly- 

 hocks, and aliout two acres of Gladiolus, most conspicuous I 

 amongst which is Brenchleyeosis ; but there are many fine light- \ 

 coloured sorts as well. ' I 



Vegctablra arc groivn both at Jupe's HUl and at St. Osyth, I 

 and though at no time whcr in the ground very attractive, they 

 are least of all so when seeding. At the farm at Jupe's Hill, the 1 

 extent of which is about two hundred acres, about one-tenth is 

 in Peas. Among these the Pcaboily, a very prolific variety little 

 more than a foot high, covers five acres ; Dwarf Waterloo, a 

 late branching Marrow, not exceeding IJ foot high, a like 

 extent ; and Maclean'.s Little Gem. a very early wrinkled 

 Marrow, a still greater aroa. Of Jfyatt's Improved Parsley 

 there are three acri'S at St. Osylh, and'at this phue and Jupe's 

 Hill, Pine Apple Beet, Carter's Champi(m, JIaulc'sLate White, 

 Snow's Winter White, and other kinds of Broccoli by the acre, 

 llaelean's Premier Pea occupies between three and ibur acres, 

 and though not more than i feet high, on some plants we 

 counted as many as forty well-filled pods. It is a rather late 

 sort of excellent flavour. Imperial Wonder Pea, a tall late 

 wrinkled Marrow, is also extensively grown, as well as Laxton's 

 Prolific Longpod, Epicurean, Yorkshire Hero, Kent Kival. ami 

 Carter's Lcviatlum, tho last a new late Pea to be sent out next 

 season. Carter's Champion Kunnerj, judging from the specimens 

 we saw, are of a very prolific race. Of Large York Cabbage, there 

 is a piece of about eisht iieros, and a like extent of Imperial 

 Oxheart; of Little Pixie two acres; of Asparagus for roots two 

 acres, and similar areas are devoted to JIarjoram, Thyme, and 

 other herbs. Musselburgh and Ayton Castle Leeks,' Onions, 

 Carrots, itat's-tail and other Iladishos, Celery, Sims's Mammoth 



and Keys's New Early Prolific Tomatoes also fill large quarters, 

 bpsidi-s which there are frames filled with Lynch's Star of tho 

 West, and other Cucumbers for seed. 



THE COLEUS FOR TABLE DECOllATION. 

 WiTu good management, Coleus Verschaffelti can be grown 

 in small pots as low in tho scale as 72's, but OO's are a most 

 useful size. Beautiful compact plants can be grown in this 

 sized pot, clothed with heolthy foliage, so as almost to hide the 

 pot altogether. All tho care required is to keep the plant clean, 

 and stop at every joint, growing on in plenty of heat and 

 light near the glass. Cuttings strike freely in a gentle heat at 

 any season. When struck, pot off at once in the sized pot yon 

 require. 1 am aware the plant can bo grown to a large size ; 

 but in its liliputiau state I consider it looks better, and is 

 adapted for a greater variety of purposes. C. Blumei is also 

 admirably adapted for the same purpose, but lacks that rich ap- 

 pearance at night Verschallelti possesses ; still, for variety's 

 sake, I would recommend a few of the former being grown. It 

 is a plant fast going out of cultivation, as I seldom meet with 

 it now. I would also mention another plant which forms a 

 most lovely object in midwinter when grown in very small pots, 

 and is of easy cultivation — Oxalis comiculata rubra. To those 

 who have small vases to decorate, let me advise them to grow 

 a few dozens of this red-leaved Sorrel, and I am sure they will 

 find it useful. — J. E. (in The Gardener.) 



WORK FOR THE WEEK. 



KITCHEN G.IRDEN. 



This week will bring a press of business in the kitchen 

 garden. All the open ground having been duly tilled with the 

 various Biassica.<, the late crops of Celenj should be put in 

 forthwith, and the early crops carefully soiled. Cnhhage must 

 be sown directly for the main crops next summer. A little 

 Com Salad, and a little Chervil, and the various Cresses for 

 autumn use, may now be sown. Endive, continue to plant on 

 elevated beds, well manured. Some should be so contrived as 

 to receive hoops and mats, or other covers, in winter. Onion.i, 

 sow the Welsh and Deptford for drawing young through the 

 winter, also for transplanting in March for bulbing. Let all 

 forward Onions have their tops bent down in order to get them 

 shortly off the ground, which should then be manured, and 

 filled with Coleworts, in rows 15 inches apart, allowing 10 inches 

 between the plants. Peax, take all care of the late Marrows, 

 let them have the best ef stakes, and be sure to top them when 

 they reach the points of the stakes. Parsley, if any is becoming 

 too gross and forward, let a portion be mowed down forthwith. 

 This is an old plan, but a very excellent one. A top-dressing 

 of soot, blended with dry soil, ashes, or sawdust, may be in- 

 stantly app lied, this will produce by October fine young Parsley 

 for garnishing and of a better colour than the older leaves. 

 Spinach, sow the Prickly for supplying the table from November 

 till next May. Tomatoes, dress, and see that all lierbs are 

 housed, and the Chamomile flowers picked when perfectly dry. 

 If the ground is beaten with heavy rains, its surface will be- 

 come too compact when dry weather sets in. Tho surface 

 should, therefore, be stirred by forking over, or otherwise it 

 becomes too hard for working freely. In many cases, farmyard 

 manure, the most desirable of all, cannot be readily obtained, 

 and the gardener has to substitute whatever vegetable refuse 

 he can collect, weeds included ; the latter can be easily rotted, 

 with the exception of the seeds, of which enough to crop the 

 ground manured usually escape decomposition, and in a very 

 wet time these weeds, chiefly of the annual description, will not 

 be destroyed by hoeing ; they are. as it were, moved and trans- 

 planted by tho operation. Groundsel, for example, may be 

 tossed frequently on the surface in wet weather, and will 

 survive, its roots being rolled up in balls of mud. Under such 

 circumstances, when hoeing proves ineffectual, digging is to be 

 preferred, as being best for the ground, which afterwards re- 

 tains a fresh, clean appearance for a considerable time with 

 little or no additional expense. 



FRCIT GARDEN. 



Continue to cut off runners from Strawberry plants, where 

 increase is not required. Attend to the bottom heat for the late 

 crops of Melons, any stagnation in this respect will render them 

 a prey to thrips, canker, and other evils. 



FLOWXR OARCEN. 



Pillar Eoses out of bloom should be carefully pruned ; cut out 

 a moderate portion of the old and young wood, to as to thin 



