478 



JOUBNAL OF HOBTICULTORE AND COTTAGE GABDSNEB. 



[ December 24, ISfe. 



say from the beginning of July till JIarcb, or the period be- 

 tween the close and commencement of the Loudon season, the 

 summer, autumn, and winter display is certainly cf more con- 

 sequence than that for the spring. There are many such 

 cases, and I make no apclogy for recommending in these the 

 winter instead of the spring decoration of the flower garden. 



Taking, therefore, this view of the question — that is, making 

 as good a show as possible from the earliest period that bedding 

 plants of ordinary kinds can be had in bloom, until the middle 

 or end of March, in an unbroken line or nearly so, vre shall 

 find, as is almost always the case, that some frosty morning in 

 November, or earlier in the autumn, destroys what remains of 

 beauty may still be left to the Pelargonium?, Verbenas, Cal- 

 ceolarias, and similar plants, occupying the most conspicuous 

 positions. Very often the beds in which these are principally 

 planted are in front of the mansion, whore it is advisable at 

 all times to present a respectable, if r^ot gay appcaranco, and it 

 is the blank which always follows the flower beds being stripped 

 of their summer garniture that has led in so many instances 

 to the adoption of permanent polychrome beds or compart- 

 ments. It is very likely that Mr. NesfielJ, to whom we owe so 

 many good examples of this art, was led to adopt it as a remedy 

 or partial remedy for the evil just referred to ; bnt whether so 

 or not, certain it is that in midwinter these tasteful arrange- 

 ments of colouring, with a certain blending of foliage, receive 

 their full share of attention at this time. The question, then, 

 may very properly be afked. Cannot such an arrangement be 

 prepared on a less elaborate ecale, perhaps, for winter use only ? 

 whilst allowing certain flowers to luxuriate in plain mother 

 earth during the proper period of the year, and contribute 

 theii share towards effecting a display at the fitting time. In 

 many cases, as will hereafter be shown, this can be done, and 

 with a less amount of trouble than is bestowed on the pro- 

 pagation of plants for spring ornament, while the system pro- 

 posed has also the advantage, and that a by-uo-means unim- 

 portant one, of affording a change every year, and thereby 

 giving scope to the endless variety of forms and arrangements 

 which the materials employed are capable of ajsuming. The 

 interest thus created is by no means the least important part 

 of the affair, besides v/hich, the plants that suggest themselves 

 to our use multiply each season, and give greater variety, and 

 enable us to weed out inferior ones. 



In the arrangement of the winter decoration cf the Cower 

 beds here, duo regard is paid to the requirements of the ensuing 

 summer's crop as well as to the display for ihe time being ; 

 and as a good depth of well-prepardieoil is necessary to render 

 our flower beds capable of supporting their occupants without 

 artificial watering in such seasons as the past, ws have for 

 many years been in the habit of trenching all our flower beds 

 upwards of 2 feet deep, sometimes 24 feet or more, in all eases 

 burying the plants in the bottom of the trench. Accordingly, 

 whenever the frost or wet weather destroys all tbot remains 

 of beauty in such pilauts as Pelaigouinms and Calceolarias, 

 these, if not wanted elsewhere, are trenched-in as described : 

 and even in the bods intended for winter dtooralion this is 

 done, as the vegetation is buried too deeply to interfere with the 

 planting of anything that maj' be required. It is well to 

 hasten on this operation, so as to have the whole completed 

 and the winter plants put in beftrj rain falls, which in Novem- 

 ber is not likely to be long in coming, and it is much better 

 alike for the operator and the well-being of the plants that 

 they should be planted while the ground is not too wet. Al- 

 though the ground is at all times injured in texture by being 

 trampled on when wet, (his is of less consequence in autumn 

 than in spring, from the greater length of time there is for the 

 frosts of winter and mellowing winds of spring to restore the 

 soil to its proper condition, yet there can be no doubt but the 

 less it is trampled upon when it is wet and in the looae, light 

 condition it is after trenching, the better it is for all purposes. 

 For these reasons I have always made it a point to carry on 

 such work, after it has been once begun, as fast as circumstances 

 allow. As one of the largest beds wo have to operate upon 

 consists of between 10 or 11 poles or perches of ground, it will 

 be seen that but a small portion of it can be reached from the 

 outside, wliile small beds of 5 or 6 feet across can often be 

 trenched at times when one of such size could not be touched. 

 In our case dry weather is important, and in;n:e^iately after 

 the trenching has been finished, and any uueverness of the sur- 

 face rectified by levelling, the ground is regularly and firmly 

 trodden all over, so as to prevent as far as possible its sinking 

 unevenly while undergoing the process of planting, or covering 

 with colonied materials, tm will be described. 



The bed being now a smoothed or flattened surface of earth, 

 and a plan more or less elaborate selected, the various figures 

 are marked out. Generally, for convenience, I begin with a 

 cential one, and the beds being large, usually a modification 

 of some geometrical design is adopted, a coloured scroll or em- 

 broidery work being combined with groups, or compartments 

 of plants selected for their good appearance in midwinter. It 

 will easily be perceived that variety of form may be given to a 

 space of this kind ; in fact, I never copy any portion of pre- 

 vious years' arrangements, nor need it be done. 



For the guidance of those who may be disposed to engage in 

 this sort of ornamentation I may give the same advice I have 

 often given to those making flower beds on lawns, which is, 

 that the simplest forms are the best. No figure whatever, in 

 my opinion, looks so well as a plain circle when planted, and 

 next to it is an oval. The reason ia obvious enough ; the eye, 

 except when close to the object, can rarely take in the whole 

 of the outline of fancy figures, owing to the growth of the 

 plants concealing the margin farthest from the spectator, 

 whereas in a circle, the portion behind being a counterpart ol 

 that immediately in view, the whole is understooel if it be 

 not actually seen, which it is more likely to be in a circle than 

 in any other figure. Bat however much weight these consider- 

 ations ought to have as regards groups that are planted, there 

 is no objection to any amount of fancy work that may be 

 thought desirable iu conjunction with the groups, as it is ex- 

 pected that the embroidery, if I may so call it, will be dis- 

 tinctly seen from any point of view, and by introducing it 

 judiciously the general appearance of the whole is much en- 

 hanced, but avoid too much crowding iu the portion where the 

 groups of plants are. — J. Eodson. 



(To be contmucd.) 



"WALL-FRITIT TREE PROTECTION. 



The late gales have made sad havoc with my "scrim." 

 They have torn it to shreds. I have now put up a stouter 

 material, No. 2 sail-cloth, about 22 inches wida. To the sail- 

 cloth brass rings are affixed which run on two iron rods as for 

 bod curtains. The rods are five-eighths of an inch in diameter, 

 and 10 feet in length. The upright battens, on which the 

 lower rods rest iu staples, are 10 feet apart. They are 3 J inches 

 wide each way. One foot iu length tarred is let into the 

 ground, and the upper part of the battens is painted white. 

 These battens may in summer be either removed, or stay in 

 their position. The upper rings run on a rod of similar length 

 nnd strength to the rod which rests on the battens, having in 

 (he centre an open rest with lips to support the weight of the 

 iron, which here, with the violence of the wind, would other- 

 wise draw (he staples at the ends. In situations protected 

 from the violent assaults cf the south-west wind lighter ma- 

 terials would do. The rings are attached to the curtains with 

 tar twine four or five times doubled and twisted, and sewn 

 to the sheets and rings with strong twine. I doubt whether 

 even that will be sufficient to withstand such gales as we have 

 had here lately. 



My object in putting the curtains up so early is to keep ofi 

 snow, which, when it thaws and is suddenly followed, before the 

 trees are dry, by zero temperature, gives a greater power to 

 frost to injure the bark of these natives of Persia. Frost 

 following rain or melted snow, before the tree is dry, is one 

 cause of canker. No ore can in England count upon a crop 

 of Pears, Peaches, Nectarines, or Apricots without some kind 

 of spiing covering to keep the night dews and rains out of the 

 blossoms after expansion. 



Napoleon I. said, "Impossible was not French," and I say 

 that though it is diiSeult and laborious to produce largo crops 

 of the above fruits annually, yet it can be done. No one can 

 have a more exposed place than this, and yet I expect, in the 

 face of great difficulties, to show next season that, " impossible 

 is not English." 



I have upwards cf 120 Peach and Nectarine trees, primed on 

 the alternate system, in fine condition, and promising a fine 

 result. I havegiven in a previous article a list of the varieties 

 of both, but I have since added two more trees of the Princess 

 of Wales, a splendid late Peach, two Lord Palmerston, 

 one Lady Palmerston, and two Mr. Kadcljffe, all late Peaches, 

 and successional to the Princess of Wales. They are Mr, 

 Ilivers's seedlings, and are said to be first-rate. These vrill 

 carry mo into October. Later than this such fruits out of 

 doors would rarely be good in England. Five out of the above 



