188 



JOUKNAL OF HOBTICtlLTUBE AND COTTAGE GABDENEB. 



[ March 1», 1677. 



ibe Auricula with the apparatus behind that grips him by the 

 head, and is no doubt much to blame for those forced atti- 

 tudes and etifiuesBeB in nhich we all "come out" so little 

 like our own natural easy upright selves. 



As to the improved border Polyanthus competing with our 

 refined old sorts as floritt flowers I do not think they can do 

 it yet. They have not jet attained, as far as I am aware, the 

 purity and depth of colour, the breadth and smoothness and 

 uniform light yellow of the eye, or the perfect gold-wire 

 lacing round and down the petals that mark the florist flower ; 

 they are rough imitations, I have seen them nothing nearer. 

 The old florist Polyanthus may yet be grown gay with many 

 heads of bloom — witness Cheshire Favourite and Lord Lincoln 

 in black grounds, and Kingfisher and George IV. in red. But 

 our Polyanthus wants sceding-up. Most of the old sorts are 

 extinct ; but seedlings from those I name would possess vigour 

 enough and quality that could not now be surpassed. 



Like Mr. Douglas, I write all this in no captious spirit ; I 

 simply offer a reply as candid as the questions he has asked 

 in brotherly friendship, and he knows me well enough to 

 believe that I would not wittingly use one acid word. — F. D. 

 HoBNEK, Kirkbtj MaUeard, Eipon. 



KITCHEN GARDENING. 



Mr. MaoIndoe gives excellent advice in the remarks pub- 

 lished on page 161. If any young gardener, or old one either, 

 has not read the article to which I refer they have omitted 

 what will benefit them to remember and practise. A thorough 

 knowledge of how to produce a continual supply of first-rate 

 vegetables is a really valuable attainment, and no gardener 

 who does not possess this will ever retain the esteem of his 

 employer. Where there is a garden at all there is sure to be 

 a kitchen garden, consequently every young gardener has an 

 opportunity of learning in this department, so that I do not 

 think it is for want of opportunity that anyone need be igno- 

 rant of kitchen gardening ; but I fear that many consider it 

 drudgery, and this is a great mistake, as anyone may feel as 

 much interested in the kitchen garden and its work as in grow- 

 ing Orchids or. any fine specimen plants. Many young gar- 

 deners are compelled to pass a certain amount of their time 

 in the kitchen garden when they are serving their time, but as 

 soon as this is over their leading idea is to get into the houses, 

 from whence it is considered to lower their dignity to return 

 until they may be appointed to some charge of their own, 

 when their deficiency of kitchen gardening is very often the 

 cause of their failure. I can say from experience that a good 

 knowledge of kitchen-garden work will cover a multitude of 

 other deficiencies, but I pity the man who depends on his 

 knowledge ef specimens and housework to carry him through 

 the requirements of a general place. 



As the present is the most instructive period in all the year 

 for kitchen-garden work I would strongly advise all young 

 gardeners to pay great attention to all that is done in this 

 department. Do not think that by looking "through the 

 glass " that you know all about how the seeds are put in, but, 

 if necessary, express your willingness to go out and make your- 

 self useful in these busy times, and never rest satisfied until 

 you know how long it takes each vegetable to come to perfec- 

 tion, the tillage, manure, &c., which suits each beat, and all 

 the different ways of getting some things in early and others 

 late. — A Kitchen Gakdenee. 



NOTES FROM MY GARDEN IN 1876.— No. 3. 



GREENHOUSE. 



There cannot be much to say of a structure some 20 feet 

 by 12 with a small aunex, and yet there are a few noteworthy 

 things to record for the benefit of "little men" like myself, 

 who are obliged to make shift, and who wish at the same time 

 to have something at all reasons to look at. This seems to 

 me preferable to going in for a house full of bloom at one time 

 and comparatively empty at another. You may have it gay 

 with Azaleas, or Cyclamens, or Pelargoniums, or Fuchsias, but 

 if you give your house up exclusively to one or other of these 

 flowers it is very much hke the bedding-out in the open garden 

 — you sacrifice continuous enjoyment for the seke cf one grand 

 flush of bloom ; and hence my effort has always been to secure 

 a supply of flowers on which the eye may dwell with pleasure, 

 and especially during the earlier months of the year. 



Camellias were very good with me ; the buds did not drop 



and the flowers were fine. I attribute this to three causes — 

 the obtaining of Mr. Epps selected peat, which is really a great 

 boon to small gardeners ; the keeping of the plants in the 

 house all the year, never standing them out of doors ; and the 

 use of Standen's gardener's manure two or three times when 

 the buds are swelling. A shift out of doors in the shade la 

 congenial to the Camellia, but the danger is that watering is 

 either overdone or neglected, and then when one is looking for 

 the buds to open they become brown and drop off ; whereas 

 when in the house under the shade of the Vines they are not 

 liable to the vicissitudes of weather and can be more carefully 

 looked after. Amongst the few that I am enabled to grow I 

 was particularly struck with Madame Ambroiae Verschaffelt, 

 most beautifully flaked with rose. There were some blooms 

 of it that might well have passed for a rose flake Carnation, 

 and without the need of any dressing. 



I have already drawn attention to the beautiful class of 

 bulbous roots — the Ixias, Sparaxis, and Babianas. The former 

 of these especially it is almost impossible to praise too highly. 

 They are so elegant in form and habit, and so beautiful in 

 their colouring, that I have been induced this year to grow 

 them still more; and they are so thoroughly appreciated, 

 too, for cutting for decoration, that they ought to be more 

 grown than they are. 



Another class of bulbous plants remarkable for their quaint- 

 ness and beauty I had a few of last year, and owing to the 

 kindness of Mr. Bull a larger number this year. I allude to 

 the Californian bulbs, Cjclobothra and Calochortus. They 

 are utterly unlike anything we have had as yet ; are said to be 

 perfectly hardy, and, if not that, they are certainly most easily 

 grown. Cyolobothra cierulea is very lovely, and Calochortus 

 venustus is a gem ; but indeed all are very beautiful. 



I had as usual sent me from Slough the new varieties of 

 Pelargoniums, a class of plants the neglect of which one must 

 ever more and more deplore, for they are very lovely, and for 

 two months at least give a continuous and brilliant bloom. 

 With one exception all those sent out last year came from the 

 garden at Clewer, whence Mr. Foster has for so many years 

 sent forth so many fine varieties. Some of my earliest floral 

 associations are connected with them, and one must only hope 

 that some day there may be a revival of the taste. There is 

 improvement from year to year, although small, yet on looking 

 back and comparing those of the past season with those, eay, 

 of 1873, the improvement is seen. 



Ambassador (Foster). — A flower in which the spot does not 

 cover the whole of the upper petals, but is of medium size, the 

 petals being deep pink, while the lower petals are a lighter 

 shade of the same colour. 



Arduhike (Foster). — In this the upper petals are entirely 

 covered with deep maroon with the exception of a narrow wire 

 edge of deep orange; lower petals are pink, slightly veined j 

 centre pure white. 



Aurora (Foster.) — Brilliant fiery scarlet ; a remarkably high- 

 coloured flower with a medium spot. The plant at once strikes 

 the eye even amongst others of a similar shade. 



Challenger (Foster). — Scarlet petals with maroon spot. An 

 attractive flower. 



Diplomatist (Foster). — Top petals deep maroon ; lower petals 

 purple with a clear white eye. A very fine flower, and free in 

 growth. 



Enchantress (Foster). — Crimson pink, with dark maroon 

 upper petals ; clear white centre. 



Gipsy (Foster). — A very dark flower, meriting its name. 

 Very dark top petals with a narrow crimson margin ; centre 

 white ; lower petals very richly painted. 



Judith (Foster). — Upper petals dark maroon ; rosy pink 

 lower petals, white centre. Flower full and large. 



Mrs. A. Matlliews (Matthews). — A beautiful soft rosy-coloured 

 flower ; centre white ; very smooth and even. 



Potentate (Foster). — Maroon top, deep rose lower petals. 

 A very lovely flower. 



In addition to these Mr. Biehaut, who is an enthusiastic 

 grower of this class of plants, sent me three or four small 

 plants of seedlings of his own raising, amongst them a pure 

 white flower which I think will be highly prized as a stage 

 flower, and which will I believe appear in Mr. Turner's list of 

 new varieties of this spring. 



I have found some difficulty in filling up my house after the 

 Pelargoniums were out of bloom, but last year managed by 

 the help of Lilies, Fuchsias, and the bulbous-rooted Begonias 

 to keep it tolerably gay. The latter are very useful and hand- 

 some, and snoU kinds as Vesuvius, Model, and others of a like 



