March liu, 1869. ] 



JODBNAIi OP HOKTIOULTUBE AND COTTAGE GABDENEB. 



207 



raudors at baj'. Ordinary soil will in moat caBes answer without 

 manure, but the latter may be added when it is too light or 

 poor. The only after-atteutiou the plants require for many 

 months is cutting them down if they should become too tall 

 and strajjglinj; ; but this should not bo dune later than the first 

 week in .July, and sooner if the season be early, otherwise the 

 plant may (lerhapB not tlower at all. ThiDning-out some of 

 the shoots of old stools, if any such Lave been left, may be ne- 

 cessary later ; but do not shorten-in those intended to flower, 

 otherwise a blank may occur. In general, it is advisable to 

 take up and replant at least once in two years, for if this is not 

 done the llowers are poor or indifferent. 



As regards the position in which the Chrysanthemums are to 

 he grown everyone must judge for himself; but usually the 

 back of herbaceous borders, and ground immediately in front 

 of shrubs, are the places chosen for the purpose. Here we 

 have some Chrysanthemums at the back of a long ribbon border, 

 where they are planted ."> feet apart iu a row, with a Dahlia 

 between e^ery pair, and Pelargoniums and similar plants in 

 front. Generally both the Dahlias and Pelargoniums, owing 

 to frost, leave the Chrysanthemums the full and undisputed 

 occupants of the border eariy in November ; and in mild seasons 

 they continue more or less gay for several weeks, and in some 

 seasons flowers not to be despised for bouquets may be gathered 

 at Christmas. Notwithstanding the extreme heat of the past 

 summer, the Chrysanthemum was somewhat later in flowering 

 than usual. Can anyone tell me the reason '.' — J. Eobson. 



MAIZE AS A GAllDEN PLANT. 



Mr. BREHAnT's letter in your number of the 4th inst., in- 

 duces me to trouble you with a few lines bearing upon the 

 subject of the cultivation of Maize as a garden plant. 



You may remember that many years ago William Cobhett 

 attempted to introduce into cnltivation in England, what be- 

 came popularly known as " Cobbett's corn," the proper name 

 of which was, as I believe, the Dwarf Canadian. He gives 

 directions for its cultivation in his " English Gardener," and I 

 believe he really did cultivate it to a considerable extent at his 

 farm at Barnes. I remember to have seen a field of several 

 acres of it growing very luxuriantly at St. Lawrence near this 

 place, some twenty years ago, but, of course, it did not answer 

 for farm cultivation because it could be imported cheaper than 

 it could be grown, but that would not affect the question of 

 cultivating it as a garden plant. 



Curiosity induced me to attempt growing it in a small gar- 

 den in about the very centre of London. I procured a cob 

 and sowed the seed. The plants grew well, and bore as well 

 as could be expected. The cobs were certainly not so large as 

 the one from which I took the seed, but they ripened so well 

 that for, perhaps, six or seven years I continued to grow it 

 from seed of my own saving, but having no use for it except 

 to make presents of the cobs to my fiiends, I discontinued 

 growing it. I did not attempt to use it green, but always left 

 it to ripen. You will see that this was grown under almost 

 every disadvantage, when I tell you that it grew in a small 

 garden of about 50 feet by .30, at the back of my house, 

 on the north side of Chapel Street, Bedford Eow. shaded 

 on the south by four-storied houses, and on the east by the 

 flank wall of what was then St. John's Chapel, so that it 

 never had a gleam of sunshine. If this corn ripened in a 

 situation so unfavourable, what might reasonably be expected 

 if it were sown in a well-appointed garden and properly at- 

 tended to ■-' I rather think it might be expected to grow finer 

 than in its native Canada, and I do not know why it should 

 not be as good to eat green as the finer American sorts. 



I sowed a few grains of the " soft corn," sent me from New 

 York, in my garden here, last year, but I believe it was too 

 late, and it did not ripen. Perhaps I may have better success 

 this year. I rather think of obtaining some Dwarf Canadian 

 and trying that in this climate. — John Hoghes, Ventnor. 



Mk. Seward Snow, well known as a highly successful exhi- 

 bitor of fruit and vegetables at the Royal Horticultural and 

 Botanic Societies' Shows, as well as at the Crystal Palace, died 

 on the 10th inst. at Wrest Park, Bedfordshire, where he had 

 been gardener for a long series of years, successively to the 

 late Earl de (rrey and Countess Cowper. As long ago as 1835 

 he commenced the re-arrangement of the gardens at that place, 

 and he has left tbem a pattern of neatness, order, and skill to 



his successor in their charge, his nephew, Mr. George Ford. 

 Mr. Snow was the raiser of several improved varieties of veget- 

 ables, one of these being the excellent Winter White Broccoli 

 with which his name is associated. His funeral took place on 

 Saturday last, and the respect in which ho was held was marked 

 by the many who attended from far and near. 



EAST LOTHIAN STOCKS. 

 My experience with regard to this much-lauded strain of 

 Stock is identical with that of " G. S." I purchased my seed 

 of a noted seedsman in lidinburgh, and sowed it the first 

 week in March. From white, purple, and scarlet, with the ex- 

 ception of two spikes on a plant of a white one, I have had no 

 bloom on about eighty plants, and as I put them in a promi- 

 nent position, I need not say I was much annoyed. They were 

 in good soil, had abundance of water during the hot weather, 

 and everything was done to coax bloom, but without avail. 

 Will some of your writers who have succeeded with this strain 

 explain where " G. S." and I have erred in our treatment? — 

 Calc'auia. 



PORTRAITS OF PLANTS. FLOWERS, AND 

 FRUITS. 



Vanda insionis (Noble Vanda). Nat. ord., Orchidaceffi. 

 Linn., Gynandria Mouandria.— A magnificent Orchid, native of 

 the Moluccas, imported by Messrs. Veitch. Flowers bright 

 brown, with darker blotches, and rose-coloured ]ip.—(Bot. Maij-, 

 t. 57.50.) 



AoLAONEMA Mannii (Mann's Aglaonema). Nat. ord., Aroidea. 

 Linn., Moncecia Polyandria.— Native of the Victoria Mountains, 

 one of the Cameroon range in tropical Africa. Spathe creamy 

 white ; male portion of spadix white ; female portion scarlet. 

 [Ibid., I. 5760.) 



Amomuu sceptkdm (Sceptrate Grain of Paradise). Nat. ord., 

 Zingiberaceaj. Linn., Monaudria Monogynia.— A very beautiful 

 native of the vicinity of Gaboon Kiver, South Africa. Flowers 

 rosy-purple. — (Ibid., t. 5701.) 



Cauyota Cumixgh (Cuming's Wine Palm). Nat. ord., 

 Palma?. Linn., Monaxia Polyandria.— Native of Singapore. 

 An elegant little Palm, about 10 feet high..— (Ibid., t. 5762). 



K.EMPrERiA Parishh (Parish's KLompferia). Nat. ord., Sci- 

 tamine.f. Linn., Monaudria Monogynia.— Native of_the Moul- 

 mein forests. Flowers white and violet. — (Ibid., t. 5763.) 



Fancy Pelabgoniuhs :— P/uicfss Teck ani Leotard.— " h&at 

 summer we had occasion to remark on the exceptionally fine 

 character of the new variety of Fancy Pelargoniums produced 

 by Mr. C. Turner, of Slough. These novelties were as much 

 deserving of notice, on account of their diversity of colouring, 

 as bv reason of their excellent quality. We have to thank Mr. 

 Turner for the opportunity of introducing to our readers two of 

 the best and most distinct amongst them. Until within the 

 last few years, this very elegant and pleasing race of Pelargo- 

 niums was rather overdone with heavily-coloured flowers, both 

 light-coloured and bright-coloured varieties being more spar- 

 ingly met with. Mr. Turner has been for some time working 

 with much success amongst the latter group, until it has been 

 brought up to a high state of perfection, both as to size, form, 

 and brilliancy ; and now he has hit upon a most decided ad- 

 vance in the light-coloured group. 



"Princess Teckis a remarkably pleasing flower, andquite un- 

 like any other variety of recent date ; its finely -shaped stout- 

 petaled flowers are white, with slight blotches of rosy carmine 

 on the lower petals, and a much larger feathery patch of violet- 

 rose on the upper ones ; it will make a most attractive stage 

 and exhibition flower. Leotard is a rich, smooth, rosy carmine, 

 with a blue dash on the upper petals, a clean white throat, and 

 a narrow, evenlv defined wliitemargin." — (Florist and romologist, 

 3 3. ii. i;).) ■ 



NEW BOOK. 



.1 History of the Veyetable Kingdom. By W. Khind. London : 

 Blackie & Son. 

 Very difiicuU to accomplish, and very rarely successful, is 

 the efiort to write popularly on any science. The man who is 

 master of it seldom knows how to detail it takingly, and he 

 who writes takingly on it is usually superficial, and, therefore, 

 prone to incorrectness. The work before us has almost, but 

 not altogether, surmounted the difficulty, and this new edition, 

 corrected and supplemented, praisewoithily effects the purpose, 



