October 24, 1867. 1 



JOURNAL OP HORTICULTUBE AND COTTAGE GABDENEB. 



311 



tifal ; Sfi-ar des Angen, Souvenir de W. Wood, Souvenir de la 

 Keine d'Angleterre, Triompbo de Faria, Victor Vordier, and 

 William Griftiths. 



lioLRBoN Pkiipeti^l. — Baron Gonella, Baronne de Jlaynard, 

 Louise Margottin, Marguerite Bonnet, a nice llesby white Hose, 

 with fine growth and foliage. 



BoLT.iiONs. — Afidalie, Uupetit Thenars, Souvenir do la llal- 

 maison, Queen, diBtinct ; Sir J. taston, for poles. 



China. — Mrs. Bosanquet. 



Ti;a-;(Entei> Noiskttes. — Gloire de Dijon, Triomphe de 

 Kennes. Ci-line Forestier. These are three of the best Roses 

 in the Bose kingdom. Tbey will do well on briars, on the Ma- 

 notti, or on their own roots. 



Ti: i Buses. — .\dam, Devoniensis, Elise Sauvage, tender ; 

 Vicomtesse de Gazes, tender ; Madame Willerraoz, Souvenir 

 d'Kliae, Souvenir d'un .\rai, Kiibens, Sombreuil, a good Rose, 

 not ecjual to Madame Willormoz, but it is the hardiest Tea 

 Rise known ; and Mari'chal Niel. — W. F. Badclyffe. 



WINTEi; AND SPRING FLOWER GAltDENING. 



The flower garden is in most cases so situated that it can be 

 seen from the mansion, and is, therefore, more immediately 

 under the eyes of the occupants than other parts of the grounds. 

 This alijne renders its management of the utmost importance, 

 and its appearance should at all times be as gay and interesting 

 as possible. The prevailing system, however, is to direct all 

 the time and attention towards the production of materials for 

 a summer display ; and when that is over the flower garden 

 is a blank for eight months in the year, and at a time, too, 

 when decoration is most required. Any attempt to render it 

 more attractive in winter and spring is, therefore, likely to be 

 appreciated ; however, the subject is receiving considerable 

 public attention, and I anticipate that the decoration of the 

 flower garden at these seasons will become, as it deserves to be, 

 of as much importance and as popular as that of the summer 

 parterre. I believe many attempts have been made in various 

 ways to carry out what I am endeavouring to advance ; and in 

 some of the largest gardens in the country, where no expense 

 is spared, and soil and situation are favourable, the results 

 have been highly satisfactory ; but as it is not possible for all 

 to receive the encouragement alluded to, I oiler a few remarks 

 on a method adopted here, which has so far given satisfaction, 

 and, as far as expense and trouble are concerned, can be adopted 

 by the most scrupulous. 



I will first proceed to give a list of the materials nsed, and 

 afterwards their culture and propagation. In the first place, 

 the beds are all edged with Snowdrops and Crocuses of various 

 colours, the colour of each edging properly labelled. These, 

 not interfering with the summer plants, remain permanently. 

 The most prominent beds are planted with hardy evergreens, 

 such as variegated Aucubas, variegated and green Euonymus, 

 Thuja aurea, gold and silver variegated Hollies, variegated 

 and green Box, Yucca filamentosa, and Berboris aquifolium, 

 and even the common Laurel takes a place. All these vary 

 from a foot to 2J feet high, to suit the size of the beds and the 

 ideas of the planter. Then come Hyacinths and Tulips of 

 various colours, planted among the evergi'eens either singly or 

 in patches of a dozen or more, and as spring advances the 

 bulbs enliven the beds to such an extent as to make them 

 objects of interest and beauty. 



It may be thought that the use of evergreens gives the garden 

 a nursery-like appearance ; but I cannot perceive bow they 

 can bo dispensed with if the beds are to be clothed in mid- 

 winter, for they give an immediate effect, and afford protection 

 to the bulbs iilanted amongst them. They also allow of the 

 use of some of the doubtful hardy white-leaved plants, such as 

 Cineraria maritiraa, with less risk from frost. For instance, 

 plant a bed with the small Thuja aurea, IJ foot apart, and 

 cover the ground with Cineraria mavitima pegged down. The 

 former protects the latter, aad a few Tulips dotted over it have 

 a pretty effect. 



The remainder of the beds in which evergreens are not pnt 

 are filled with such plants as Wallflowers, Alyssum saxatile 

 compactum, Viola cornuta, Iberis scmpervirens", Myosotis syl- 

 vatica, Cliveden Tansies ; red. white, and rose Daisies, mixed 

 Polyanthus, the pretty little .\ubrietia deltoidea, lilac Prim- 

 roses, and the common one, which also makes a showy bed. 

 All these are quite hardy, and bear moving well from time to 

 time. A few annuals are also used, snch as Nemophilas of 

 sorts, CoUinsia bicolor and vema, Limnanthes Donglasii, and 



Silene pendula. Saponaria calabrica, Lasthenia califomica, 

 and others might be added ; but in the selection of materials 

 for this branch of gardening it has been my object to choose 

 those which I have proved to be hardy, dwarf in habit, and 

 early flowering, that will move well at any time, and which 

 can all be produced in any quantity without the aid of glass. — 

 TuoM.\8 Riicoiiu, llawklnirst. 



PROPAGATING GOLDEN CHAIN 

 PELARGONIUM. 



I w.vs much pleased to learn the success attending " R. E.'s " 

 experiment in propagating this charming flower garden plant, 

 but in my opinion there are a few circumstances to be con- 

 sidered by amateurs and practical gardeners before they can 

 adopt the plan recommended by him. Where will you find an 

 employer who has been at great expense in having his flower 

 garden filled in the first week in .Tune, be.'^in to cut it up in the 

 last week? And, on the other hand, where are your cuttings 

 to come from, unless you take tho half of the plants you planted 

 out only three weeks before, if the seasons are not much 

 milder in Yorkshire than has been the case here, in Oxford- 

 shire, for the last few years ? 



I have not the least doubt but the plan is a good one for pro- 

 pagating the Pelargonium for which it is recommended, but 

 there are other modes of increasing this plant equally good, 

 and at the same time prolonging the season of the plants in 

 perfection. 



Here we never commence propagating till the last week in 

 August, and at the present time we have as fine cuttings of 

 Pelargoniums as could be desired. 



Golden Chain I do not employ much, finding Golden Fleece 

 better adapted for all purposes. My mode of propagating is 

 not unknown to " B. E." — James Siew.ikt, Nuneliam Park. 



[We shall be glad if you will state your mode of propagating 

 Pelargoniums. — Ens.] 



KEEPING ICE THROUGH THE SUMJIER. 



I WAS thinking of having a deep hole dug in my garden suflS- 

 ciently large to hold twenty cartloads, which would be about the 

 quantity I should require. I should have the hole bricked up 

 and brought up to a dome at the top, and a lid about 20 inches 

 from the top. I should then fill up with sawdust, and have 

 another lid to close up level with the surface of the ground. 

 Over all I should have a small thatched roof to keep off the 

 sun. As my demand on the ice would be perhaps every day, 

 would the air that must get to it waste it very fast ? Suppose, 

 I say, I fill a house or pit with twenty loads, each load weighing 

 ft ton, I shall then have 400 cwts. " Is it possible to go two 

 hundred successive days, and take out each day 1 cwt., and 

 allow the other 200 cwt. for waste ? — A Poor Cocntrviian. 



[Providing you can secure drainage for the well we think 

 the plan would answer. Drawing daily supplies would lessen 

 the ice more than anticipated. If you obtain one-fourth the 

 quantity stored you may consider yourself fortunate. We 

 think your plan good, but shall be glad of the opinions of 

 others, now being a very good time for the ventilation of the 

 question. Ice-keeping is every year more sought after. ] 



I CowrER's ScsiHER-HocsE. — A proposal having been made 

 in the columns of the SlaiularJ newspaper, to restore Cowper's 

 summer-house at Olney, Mr. W. H. CoUingridge (of tho Ciltj 

 PiY-.i) writes : — " Correspondents have over-estimated the value 

 of the names pencilled on the walls of the summer-house at 

 Olney. Some of them are, it is true, ' familiar in our mouths 

 as household words,' but I am very doubtful if all these are 

 genuine, while the majority are unknown to fame, and many 

 are undoubtedly of the class referred to by Cowper, when speak- 

 ing of the Alcove. He says : — 



' Not all its pride secures 

 Tho grand rotreat from injuries impress'd 

 By rural carvers, who with knives detac© 

 The panclH, leaving an obscure rude name, 

 la characters uncouth and spelt amiss.' 



" There are, however, no donbt, some autographs that are 

 worth preserving ; but it is obvious that to restore the summer- 

 house, which is only a lath-and-plaster erection, in the way 

 that has been snggested, would very efiectaally get rid of all 



