December 81, 1603. 1 



JODBNAIj op HOaXIOULTUBE AND COTTAGE GABDENEB. 



501 



most gardeners possess examples of, leaving the principal 

 parterre, if there bboiiUl bo one in a conspicuous place, to be 

 occupied by tlie plants and other things recommended for 

 winter embellishment. Some early- flon-ering annuals as well 

 as bulba and perennials, are deserving everything that has 

 been said in their favour, and although we arrange some of our 

 teds for winter as described, others are planted with Forget- 

 me-not, Sapouaria, Sileno pendala. Wallflower, Alyssum 

 sasatile, and other plants ; but those latter are in a less con- 

 spicuous place, and where a good display of bedding plants is 

 not looked for by the middle of June. Although the season up 

 to the time I write (the middle of December) has been ex- 

 ceedingly mild, these plant.; prefeut but little that is interesting 

 to look at, while those in the winter beds, with their accessories, 

 are all that can be desired. Let, therefore, both plans be 

 tried, and tried fairly, and excepting in the cases where an 

 April and Slay display is of more consequence than one in 

 June and July, the winter decoration of the flower garden will 

 commend itself in preference to that in spring ; and the ma- 

 terials, as I have shown, are neither esponsive nor difficult to 

 bo obtained. 



Although, like most otherp, I object to the eye continually 

 resting on polychrome figures alone, yet when a pleasing design 

 of these and foliage together can be arranged, there are few 

 who will not admire it, especially as it is only intended for the 

 dull months of the year ; besides, each year gives scope for a 

 fresh design, which of itself is no small incentive, and its 

 comparison with that of former years supplies matter for 

 remark. It is scarcely ueceasary to observe, that the number 

 of different designs which may be so carried out is infinite, 

 added to which the very-oftea-all-important summer planting 

 is not in the least interfered with ; on the contrary, I am not 

 certain but the ground is in a better condition it left some- 

 what firm all winter than if loose and fresh dug, and as it is 

 recommended to trench it in the autumn, ordinary digging in 

 the spring is all that is necessary. We always dig in what 

 sand and broken brick may have been on the ground, and 

 even a portion of the cinder ashes is left on, but we usually 

 take the most of them of?. 



The soft red brick used for colouring is broken so as to pass 

 through an inch sieve or screen ; it is well not to pound it too 

 much into dust. Two or three boys will speedily break up all 

 that is wanted, as we do not lay it and the other colouring 

 matter on more than an inch thick, after having first smoothed 

 the ground as well as can be done with the back of the spade 

 or shovel. In marking out figures a pointed stick is all that is 

 wanted, with, of course, the measuring rod to determine the 

 true position ; practice, however, enables one to do this more 

 rapidly than might be expected, and as fine dry days are not 

 over-plentiful in November when this work baa often to be 

 performed, the most must be made of those that do offer them- 

 selves. A transformation from a mass of Pelargoniums and 

 other plants, hopelessly destroyed by frost, to a pretty device 

 worked out as described, is the more relished, perhaps, when 

 it has been accomplished during the few days' absence of those 

 for whose pleasure it has been made. 



I hope that some one who has successiully practised winter 

 decorative gardening in a diiierent manner from that which 

 has been here described, will be so good as to give an account 

 of his practice. There is much to Jcarn, at the same time 

 do not let us confound winter with spring gardening ; the latter 

 has had its advocates plentifully enough, while the former, 

 though embracing a longer space of time, has never yet had 

 full justice. Let us hope the time has come when it can 

 be practised as advantageously as other kinds of gardening, 

 and let those whose winter sojourn in the country is gladdened 

 by no floral display, have no cause to complain that objects of 

 natural or artificial beauty are so scarce as at present. It may 

 be the case that some plant or material available for winter 

 decoration may have never yet been thought of ; let, therefore, 

 ail interested in such matters turn their attention to the siib- 

 ject, and the Antipodes will have to yield their treasures ere 

 we be satisfied. — J. Eoeson. 



and the mercury goes down to about 15° Fahr. every night, and 

 has been once down to 5°, and in Toronto to 2° below zero. 

 This ia unusually severe for this time of year. In the back 

 settlements, bears and wolves are very numerous, having come 

 into the inhabited districts in search of food.— W. T. G." 



A TREE-PROTECTOR. 



Here you have a tree-proteotor that will ward oft the rabbits, 

 One may be made of strips of lath tied together with annealed 

 wre. It can be made of any size or length desired, according 

 to size and height of tree. You simply wind it round the 

 tree, and fasten with the wire or a tarred string. It may bo made 



large enough for any tree, and then can be used on small ones 

 by wrapping it further round. When not wanted it will 

 straighten out and pack away in small compass. It is simple, 

 any boy can make it. It is cheap and effective, and properly 

 cared for will last a lifetime. — L. L. F. (in Prairie Farmer.) 



THE WINTER. 



Mild as it is here, yet at St. Petersburg the cold ia as in- 

 tense as usual ; and the following is an extract from a letter 

 we have just received from Canada. It is dated Dec. 12th : — 

 " There is every indication of a very severe winter setting in 

 here. The snow has lain on the ground for two weeks already, 



CULTURE OF ASPLENIUM TRICHOMANES, 



AND A FEW OTHER FERNS. 

 Seeing at page 437 of the Journal, that " G. H. T." says 

 Aspleuium trichomanes is "very unwilling to be domesti- 

 cated,'' I beg to state for those who may wish to grow that 

 most beautiful and interesting evergreen Fern, that of all the 

 i British Ferns that I have cultivated, I find this the mostao- 

 ! commodating. I have had beautiful plants from 8 to 10 inches 

 i high, grown in peat and leaf mould in pots in the greenhouse, 

 i and have them now in the fernery out of doors, beautiful dark 

 green tufts, with fronds or 10 inches long, and looking at 

 this season better than any other Fern there. I have Cetcraclr 

 officinarum with fronds G or 7 inches long, and Asplenium 

 adiantum-nigrum, with fronds 10 or 11 inches long. All these 

 may be seen hy hundreds on walls in Gloucestershire, but t 

 have never seen them so fine as those artificially cultivated. X 

 have also seen Asplenium lanceolatum growing abundantly at 

 a place about 4 miles from Bristol, fortunately where the 

 public have not access. I have also Asplenium viride, very 

 fine, fronds 7 or 8 inches long ; Polystichum lonchitis, with 

 fronds from 14 to 15 inches long; and Asplenium marinum, 

 with fronds from 9 to 10 inches long. 



All those I have mentioned are planted out in artificial 

 rockwork, in a mixture of loam, leaf mould, and peat, with a 

 little silver sand. The aspect is north, and sheltered from the 

 wind. I should like to know the reason why no Ferns are 

 found growing wild in this neighbourhood, yet they appear to 

 do well when planted. 



There are two Ferns I cannot do anything with — namely, 

 Asplenium septentrionale, and AUosorus crispus. I have had 

 several in-doors and out, which live for about one season, anj 

 then die. If any of your correspondents have grown them 

 successfully, I should be very much obliged for the treatment 

 they give them. — John Bryan, Audley End Gardens. 



YocB correspondent " G. H. T.," speaks of Asplenium 

 adiantum-nigrum as "never found, I fancy, in great abund- 

 ance." It is most abundant in this neighbourhood, but not 

 easy to grow in the hardy fernery. I think the reason is, that 



