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JOUENAL OF HOETICULTUBE AND COTTAGE GABDENEE. 



[ Jane 20, 1867. 



migbt have obtained variegated foliage, of a more lasting 

 character, and adapted to the requirements of the humblest 

 cultivators. 



Although success in this direction may be slow of achieve- 

 ment, I nevertheless liopo to hear of some progress being made. 

 What I want is simply a substitute for Golden and Silver- 

 edged Pelargoniums that would look as well out of doors in 

 midwinter as these do in summer ; and why should we not 

 have such a plant? Do the best Golden or Silver-edged Pelar- 

 goniums of the present day' even when at their very best, 

 equal the Golden or Silver-edged Holly, as seen at all times, 

 winter and summer ;' and why should wo not have other plants 

 as hardy as the Plolly, clothed in the same golden or silver 

 garb ? I should very much like to hear that raisers of Tricolored 

 Pelargoniums had turned their attention to effecting improve- 

 ments in the Ivy. Their first efforts might prove failures, or 

 the progress might be slow, but it has been the same in the 

 case of other plants with which a good result has been at 

 length attained. 



Can any one trace the history of the Gold and Silver-va- 

 riegated Hollies, their origin, and how they comported them- 

 selves in the earlier years of their existence ? If so, something 

 useful as regards the treatment of the Ivy might he learned. 

 There are, it is true. Golden and Silver-leaved Ivies, hut they 

 fall far short of that clearness of colouring and constancy which 

 the Variegated Hollies present ; thus, although at the present 

 time (the end of May), a bed of White-leaved Ivy at this place 

 is very pretty, and a mound covered with the Tellow one is 

 prettier still, yet neither plant retains its beauty. In winter 

 the folinrre of the White variety becomes dirty and blotched, 

 and in that of the Golden, green is the rule, yellow the ex- 

 ception ; and the latter is anything but clean and handsome. I 

 have had more than one variety of each kind of variegation, 

 but perfection is far from having been as yet attained with 

 either. 



I trust that some one will direct his attention to the subject. 

 and that in a few years we shall possess as many varieties of 

 Ivies as we now have of Pelargoniums; and if an equal degree 

 of improvement can be eifected in tho one plant as in the 

 other, wo .ehall then have a plant capable of doing duty at all 

 seasons. The Holly may be pointed out as such, why not the 

 Ivy? The smooth glossiness of the leaves is much alike in 

 both plants, and why should not a similar degree of variegation 

 be produced in the Ivy to that whi.h the Hr.lly presents? The 

 Japanese have done much in transforming the foliage of plants, 

 and, no doubt, they could change that of the Ivy. There are 

 • other plants besides the Ivy, which I believe capable of being 

 improved for bedding purposes, l.ut its clear, bright foliage, and 

 its convenient habit of making itself .at home everywhere, and 

 adapting itself to all forms, point it out as being one of the best 

 to operate upon. Whoever can favour us with a Cloth of Gold, 

 a Silver Queen, or, perhaps, a Mrs. Pollock Ivy. will deserve 

 equal honoms with those who supplied us with the Pelar- 

 goniums of the same names. — J. FiOesok. 



USE OF A GLASS-ENCLOSED OUTSIDE VINE 

 BORDEE. 

 I HAVE a lean-to vinery, south aspect, in which Black Ham- 

 burghs were begun t" be forced on the 1st of February. On the 

 outside is a border 6 feet wide, 50 feet long, covered with sashes 

 on hinges to lilt. Between the border and the vinery are port- 

 able lights, so as to remove when necessary, and render the 

 two of equal temperature. The Vine border outside so covered 



1 am desirous ot tniuing to the best marketable account, if 

 this can be done without losing in one way what we gain in 

 another. I have thought of two plans : one to raise and bring 

 on Strawberries in pots, and ]>lant out on. say, 1st of October — 

 they will probably fruitin May ; and on, say. Istof June, to plant 

 out strong Melon pl.iuts not requiring bottom heat — they will 

 have fruited if at nil by October 1st; then top-dress and give 

 liquid manure to balance that which tlie two crops may take 

 from the soil. The other, and apparantly less desiraLile plan, 

 is to plant Vines after the manner of the curate's vinery. The 

 drawbacks to this are, first, shallowness of border, being onlv 



2 feet at b,ack from tlie glass to the surface of the earth, and 

 1 foot in front; the difticulty in thinning without injury to the 

 bunches; and, thirdly, the interference of the roots of one set 

 of Vines with the other. — Old Subsckibeh. 



[We decidedly consider that all outside Vine borders are 

 better UDcropped, or having but little in them in summer. As 



your outside border is only 6 feet wide, and the inside one ia 

 wide, you might dispense with the outside one altogether. As 

 it is there, it will be to the benefit of the Vines to have it 

 covered over with glass in the way of a pit ; and as there is a 

 means of heating that pit from the house by sliding sashes, it 

 would do no harm to the Vines to keep Strawberry plants and 

 other things in that pit on the surface of the border in winter 

 and spring. For this purpose, in the way of profit, we would 

 recommend Keens' Seedling ; but we would grow the plants in 

 pots, instead of planting them out, for several reasons, such aa 

 having them more under control, and being able at once to take 

 out a barren plant. As to their future use, they may be planted 

 out in tho open ground, and they will bear immensely the 

 following year ; or they may stand at the back of a north wall 

 for a couple of months, have the earth shaken away, and be 

 repotted and grown on for the following year, when most likely 

 they will bear a great quantity of fruit, though individually 

 not so fine as would be procured from younger plants obtained 

 from early layers, potted, and the pots well filled with roots 

 before autumn. From what we stated at first, we would rather 

 not grow Melons and Cucumbers in such a place in summer, 

 not merely on account of the shade they would give to the 

 ground, but for the likelihood of having fly or thrips transferred 

 by such crops to the Vines. We have done so, however, exactly 

 as you propose, and with good success ; but, as a n at'er of advice, 

 we would recommend some rough backs and fronts to receive 

 the sashes in summer elsewhere. If the sashes could remain 

 a few weeks over the border after the Strawberries were re- 

 moved it would benefit the Vine roots. We did not gather 

 Strawberries out of doors until the 1-lthof June, and therefore 

 Strawberries might be had until they came plentifully out of 

 doors. Strawberries at all forced go so much to leaf when 

 planted out that we recommend pots.] 



GLADIOLUSES AT FONTAINEBLEAU. 



The readers of The Jofrnal of Hokticcltuee wUl have no 

 difticulty in understanding the reason of my paying a visit to 

 Fontaineblcau. It was not the grand old chateau with its 

 historic associations which brought me there, for so little did 

 this enter into my calculations, that I went there the only day 

 in the week on which it is closed (Monday) ; nor was it to see 

 its much-talked-of forest that proved to be the attraction ; 

 though I must say, as in duty bound, that these were high 

 considerations with some of my party to which I am bound to 

 pay all deference ; and certainly it I had taken tho journey 

 from Paris for the purpose of seeing the forest I should have 

 felt wofully taken in. Like everything of the kind that I have 

 seen in France, it is spoiled by its excessive regularity. Straight 

 avenues, ;;ud central crosses from which these diverge, meet 

 you on all sides, one as like the other as possible ; while the 

 trees themselves are allowed to grow so thickly together, that 

 very few fine specimens are to be seen of really fine trees. In 

 a few places there are some wilder spots — one especially, from 

 whence you can obtain a grand view over the forest, stretching 

 on all sides of you ; but having, as I had, lively recollections 

 of many a grandly wooded scene in old England, with its mag- 

 nificent Oaks and glorious Beeches, under whose shade, like 

 Tityrus of old, I had stretched my wearied limbs, I must con- 

 fess that feelings of disappointment formed the largest ingre- 

 dient in my thouglits when we had finished our drive. No, 

 it was neither of these, but a courteous invitation from the 

 Coryph.TUS of Gladioli-growers, Mons. Souchet, the jardinier 

 en chef ot the chateau, that drew me to Fontainebleau ; and 

 had I nothing to think of as the result of my visit btit the truly 

 hospitable and amiable reception we met with from him and 

 his good wife, I should ever recollect with feelings of deepest 

 )i!easure the very pleasant d.iy I spent with him ; but when 

 this can be supplemented with a long talk on a flower which 

 is a favoxtrite with us both, and which ought to be far more 

 popular than it is, my readers will readily believe that it was a 

 source of no little enjoyment. 



Mons. Souchet grows nothing else but the Gladiolus ; it is 

 his spccialite, and has been for many years. Indeed the taste 

 is hereditary, for his father, upwards of thirty years ago, turned 

 his attention to it, and originated many fine varieties of the 

 P.amosus section ; but these have been long since left behind 

 by the varieties raised by his son — varieties which are increasing 

 in beauty every year, and constitute one of tie greatest orna- 

 ments oif our gardens in the autumn. He occupies some 

 twenty-six acres of ground (twelve hectares), ajod has annually 



