368 



jodenaij of hoeticultukb and cottage gardener. 



[ NoTOmbor 14, 1867. 



was remarkable in 1811 for a vigorous defecce by the artillery 

 of the marine, assisted by some pupils of the Polytechnic school, 

 and is a very favourable point for viewing the city, although 

 Dot so much so as the Arc de Triomphe, for the manufactories, 

 which have so greatly increased of late years in Paris, in some 

 degree by their smoke tend to obscure the view ; but before 

 you is Jlontmartre, at your feet lies Paris. The course of the 

 Seine may be easily traced, while far away in the distance 

 stands Mont Valijrien, one of the most formidable of the forts 

 which overawe Paris ; on one side is the new cattle market, 

 and on the other side the new abattoirs, two of the greatest 

 improvements the city can boast of. The park itself com- 

 prises only about fifty-two acres, and on one of its eminences 

 used to be erected the gibbet of Montfauvon, on which there 

 were often sixty to seventy corpses hanging, while a cavern re- 

 ceived them afterwards. 



One could hardly have supposed that so wild looking a spot 

 could be so close to Paris ; but the manner in which the stone 

 has been quarried has left the rocks singularly rough and 

 natural looking, and the skill of the gardener has been used to 

 fall in with this, and not to make a trim Bois de Boulogne out 

 of such a spot. To have done so would have violated all the 

 proprieties of the place, and hence the style is entirely different. 

 In the very centre of the ground there is a large hill of con- 

 siderable elevation, on the top of which a small temple, some- 

 what in the style of that of Venus at Tivoh, has been erected. 

 This large piece of rock has been made into an island by a 

 piece of artificial water, which surrounds its base, and apart 

 from it stands a lofty piece of rock, some 50 or CO feet high, 

 quite detached, and the whole piece of land is joined to the 

 mainland by a bridge. Near this has been arranged a pretty 

 waterfall, somewhat in the style of that of the Bois de Bou- 

 logne, but higher, and with not so large a volume of water, 

 while from the hill two small rivulets, most naturally arranged, 

 flow down into the lake. All this seems very cockneyish ; but 

 the result worked out does not give one that notion at all ; 

 for in the first place all artificial vases, fountains, busts, &c., 

 are banished; and in the second place everything has been 

 done by the gardener to give it a natural effect. Alongside the 

 waterfall Ferns, Brambles, and the wild plants which flourish 

 in such localities have been planted, and so along the little 

 rivulets care has been taken only to place such plants as are 

 raturaUy found there. Again, on the rockwork numbers of 

 Cotoneasters have been planted and carefully trained ; the 

 Ivy has been made to run over the rocks, and is kept in its 

 places by ties of various kinds. A large number of Conifers 

 has been used in the place, as being more in character with the 

 ground than other trees would be. When you get away from 

 the wilder parts you come on beds similar to those used in the 

 public gardens— Coleus Verschaffelti, &c. ; and a plant which I 

 think ought to be more used with us, the Lantana, is planted 

 in large quantities ; but this was not so interesting to me as 

 the wilder portion of the ground. Bad taste might have made 

 a Eosherville or Cremorne of it ; but the really good taste dis- 

 played has made an effective piece of landscape gardening of a 

 very unique character, and in a few years, as I have said, it 

 will be much more effective. 



How is it, I frequently asked myself, that in going through 

 such gardens in Paris we do not see the sort of people we meet 

 in the London parks ? Go to Battersea, and you will find always 

 some miserable-looking, ill-conditioned people, whom you would 

 be sorry to meet in a lonely place ; but here the workman, when 

 he turns out for the day, is a different-looking being. What 

 Jjecomes of the Paris roughs ? are they kept in the background, 

 or is there a propriety of behaviour innate in them, which one 

 looks for in vain in Loudon ? Whatever be the cause, certain 

 it is so ; and it adds a little, I must say, to the enjoyment of 

 such places, to see that the people for whom they are intended 

 seem to appreciate them so much, and speak as old Antoine 

 did of them, with so much pleasure ; and amidst the many 

 proofs of the wisdom of the present Emperor, the opening of 

 such a place as this is a prominent one. By all means, then, 

 I say to English visitors what Antoine said to me, Go and see 

 Buttes-Chaumont. — D., Deal. 



by the rain. It is easily propagated by cuttings in the spring, 

 and should not be planted out till the second week in June. — 

 M. H. W. 



BEGONIA PRESTONIENSIS FOR BEDDING. 



It may not be generally known that the above Begonia is 

 Tery useful as a bedder, either in masses, or in rows for ribbon 

 borders. It possesses three good qualities — namely, it is a 

 profuse bloomer, is of close dwarf habit, and never looks dashed 



A PLEA FOR SALVIA SPLENDENS. 



Fon those who have a large conservatory to supply with 

 flowering plants during the autumn and winter as well as sum- 

 mer. Salvia splendens will be found invaluable. Its profusion 

 of bright scarlet flowers, fine pyramidal form, graceful foliage, 

 vigorous constitution, and easy cultivation, justly entitle it to 

 a place in every garden. 



Good plants may be obtained by making cuttings early in 

 March, inserting them in very sandy loam, and placing them 

 in heat. As soon as they are struck they should be potted 

 singly in CO-sized pots, using the same compost as before. 

 When these pots are filled with roots, which they will be by 

 the middle of April, let the plants be shifted into 48 or 32-sized 

 pots, according to the strength of the plants, using less sand 

 and adding a little well-rotted manure. It compact bushy 

 plants are required the points should now be taken off, and as 

 soon as the plants have recovered this stopping .and thrown out 

 side-shoots, gradually harden them off until, by the last week 

 in May, they are able to stand with impunity the outer atmo- 

 sphere. 



They should now be planted out in rows G feet apart and 

 6 feet from plant to plant. A position sheltered from high 

 winds, with a good, rich, loamy soil, suits them well. During 

 June they should again be stopped once or twice, according to 

 the size of the plants required, taking care to maintain a pyra- 

 midal form. 



By the end of September they will begin to show bloom, when 

 they should be taken up with a good ball of earth attached 

 and carefully potted in a compost of two-thirds loam and 

 one-third well-rotted manure, with a liberal admixture of sharp 

 sand. If kept rather close, and shaded from bright sunshine, 

 giving them a liberal supply of water, which they at all times 

 enjoy, they will make new roots in a few days, and be ready for 

 removal to the conservatory. 



They will continue to flower during the autumn and far 

 through the dark winter months, after which they may be con- 

 signed to the rubbish heap, with the exception of one or two 

 plants from which to obtain the requisite cuttings. — Thomas 

 WlNKWOKTH, EliiiJiaiH Gardens. 



VARYING THE ARRANGEMENT OF COLOUES 

 IN FLOAVER GARDENS. 



In- planting flower-beds for a succession of years, however 

 pleasing in itself any one arrangement of plants and colours 

 may be, still when repeated, or even slightly modified, in the 

 course of some years it acquires an appearance of sameness. 

 With the view of lessening this in some measure. I have, so 

 far as the means at command would permit, altered the arrange- 

 ment of colours ; having, while young, had a lesson from seeing 

 the plants in a greenhouse made to change places and face in 

 a different direction from that which they previously did. 

 This simple means of itself often gives a very refreshing ap- 

 pearance. 



I have had beds of Mrs. Pollock Pelargonium both with and 

 without a ring of other plants between Mrs. Pollock and the 

 grass. It may be somewhat difficult to obtain what will be 

 in every respect a suitable plant for the margin of a bed of this 

 Pelargonium ; but this year I succeeded well as follows : — For 

 two slightly curved beds cut out in grass and raised towards 

 their centre, Mrs. Pollock was planted rather thinly, and then 

 all the rest of the bed was planted rather closely with Lobelia 

 erinus. The effect when the beds were viewed from a short 

 distance was very pleasing, for the close carpet of the blue 

 Lobelia, with its slender flower-stems shooting up, contrasted 

 well with the foliage and flowers of Mrs. Pollock. 



In ribbon borders I formerly had by way of change, in front, 

 next to the grass, or rather next to the Lobelia, Gnaphalium 

 lanatum. This is well known to become too strong, but nothing 

 bears pinching better to keep it within proper limits. By way 

 of making a change I planted the Gnaphalium and the Lobelia 

 together as one row next the grass, knowing, of course, that 

 much and frequent pinching would be necessary to keep the 

 Gnaphalium from smothering the Lobelia altogether. How- 

 ever, the trouble taken in doing this was amply repaid by the 

 appearance of the edging, consisting of a foot or more in width 



