October 9, 1886. J 



JOURNAL OP HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



277 



VIOLA CORNUTA. 

 In reply to "An Old SitRorsninE SoBScrunEit," "T. U.," 

 and many other correspondents who have kindly sent ine spe- 

 cimens of Viola cornuta for comparison with tho variety I grow 

 (and which still maintains its high position as one of the very 

 best bedding plants in cultivation), I beg to state that none of 

 the specimens sent, so far as I could judge, is identical with 

 mine. The specimen sent by " T. U." is the small-flowered 

 and dwarf-growing variety, of which tho colour is very much 

 lighter than mine. I have placed my surplus stock in tho 

 hands of a respectable nurseryman, whoso advertisement will 

 be found in another column, and must refer the numerous cor- 

 respondents of The Journal of Hokticultuiie to him for 

 plants of it, which will be distributed at a low price. For tho 

 description of its propagation and management seo previous 

 articles. Cuttings may be put in with a certainty of thoir 

 growing, as long as the weather remains open. Those who 

 have a greenhouso or propagating-house may place their plants 

 in heat about tho first week in January. Propagation may then 

 be effected as easily as in the case of a Lobelia. — J. Wills. 



PARIS. 



The first thing which strikes tho foreiguor visiting Taris is 

 the exquisite taste displayed in things small as well as great. 

 No one with his eyes open can walk about Paris, or any of the 

 large cities of France, without continually learning valuable 

 lessons — without picking up ideas which might with advantage 

 be carried out at home. At the entries of the cafes, in the 

 Palais Royal, in the Rue do Rivoli, and elsewhere, the dessert 

 is arranged in a most tempting manner. It is almost impossible 

 to describe in words the various — the ever-varying way — in 

 which it is so placed as to catch the eye of the passer, and to 

 charm him with its artistic beauty. These trophies (I must 

 use a word now naturalised among us), are often 4 or 5 feet 

 across, mixed with the fronds of Ferns, and just enough greenery 

 to relieve and lighten the whole ; the blushing Peaches look all 

 the more luscious from their proximity to the regal purple of 

 the Grape ; the Melon and the Pine nestle together ; the bril- 

 liancy of the red-cheeked Apples is toned down by the pearly 

 transparency of the White Currants or Grapes. Then, again, 

 the shops of the florists are set out in an equally attractive 

 manner ; and were I in business in this line, I should have 

 thought tho money it cost me to cross the Channel well spent in 

 the ideas to be picked up on this head alone. The same taste 

 is shown in shops of all kinds ; although very many of them are 

 smaller than the shops of London, Edinburgh, Glasgow, or 

 Aberdeen, yet it is almost impossible to realise the fact, for, 

 from the enormous use made of gigantic mirrors, tho apparent 

 size of all these is increased enormously. 



Dj 1848, most of the large trees which lined the principal 

 streets were cut down to form barricades, and the stumps of 

 these could be seen some three years afterwards. The few old 

 ones left seem healthy, and the others have been replaced by 

 young ones, which are in the best possiblo health. They are 

 also planted in all the new streets which have recently been 

 formed, or which are still in course of formation. There are 

 Elms, Limes, Horse-Chestnuts, Maples, Acacias, and other 

 kinds used for this purpose ; and in the Place do la Madeleine 

 I saw some fine young specimens of Paulownia imperialis grow- 

 ing most luxuriantly ; but their fine large leaves were then being 

 torn by the storms, of which we have had more than enough 

 this autumn. 



The streets of Paris are kept cleaner and in better condition 

 than those of any city it has ever been my lot to visit ; but I 

 should not have mentioned this subject had it not a bearing on 

 horticulture. Those who are old enough to recollect the dire- 

 ful tales which filled our papers, day by day, in 1818, will recall 

 the uses to which the paving-stones of Paris were turned. We 

 shall never read a second edition of those tales, for nearly all 

 the paving-stones have been removed — the policy of the Govern- 

 ment is everywhere considered. In their place, the broad and 

 comfortable pavements have been floored with asphalt. Now, 

 I have seen a good many paths, courtyards, &c, covered with 

 this material in the old country ; but a very large majority of 

 these were anything but satisfactory. They must have a better 

 way of doing it than we have. It wears well, too, even with 

 the enormous traffic of such a city as that. I inquired how 

 often it required to be renewed, but nobody seemed able to tell 

 me, and that simply because they had had no experience. I was 



shown Rome which had been down for six or seven years, in 

 places it had occasionally been repaired ; in fact they were 

 doing it at tho timo, along a spaco which had been opened for 

 thr purpose of putting down a gas-pipe; the greater part of 

 it, however, was the original work, and to all appearance it 

 was as good as ever. Within tho last few years a still bettor 

 plan has beon adopted. Tho roads are made with concrete, 

 and then thinly covered with some brown powdery stuff look- 

 ing like cement. This is laid dry, to the depth of about half 

 an inch, and then patted down with hot irons. I may show 

 my ignorance by saying so, but I must add that I never saw 

 this plan before. The substance is not melted, but it hisses 

 and smokes under tho iron, and becomes so hard and solid that 

 the heaviest vehicles make not tho slightest impression upon 

 it. I did not see the men at work upon it, hut this is how it 

 was described to me by one of the natives. The French call 

 it by a term which may bo translated " compressed asphalt." 

 Now, as all the roads and footpaths are covered in this way, 

 you might suppose the tree3 have but a poor time of it ; their 

 welfare, however, is studied. Around tho stem of each of 

 them there is an ornamental cast-iron grating, on a level with 

 the footpath, made in concentric circles and segments, so that 

 as the tree enlarges it may be accommodated by the taking 

 away of a part of this grating, which admits air and water to 

 the roots. 



While talking about the streets, lot me mention one other 

 circumstance, from which we may gather an idea. In this 

 coimtry our roads are dusty, or, when the water-cart comes 

 along, muddy, not that we as gardeners have anything to do 

 with that either ; but in France they manage it better. When 

 the water-cart is used it damps the surface without making 

 it muddy ; but there are many parts, as near the Bois de Bou- 

 logne and in the Place de la Concorde, where the roads are 

 kept moist by sprinkling them from a hose. And now we come 

 to the fact which may be of service to the managers of large 

 gardens. With the exception of the piece held by the man 

 working it, the whole is made up of nine-feet lengths of iron 

 tubing, like gas-pipes, and united by flexible pieces of indian- 

 rubber hose. But how does he drag it about ? you say. Why, 

 each length is fitted with two little wheels at each end, thus 

 keeping it up some 3 or 4 inches from the road, and enabling 

 the man with the most perfect ease to take it in any direction ; 

 and, when he has finished, he folds them up, and runs them 

 off to some other place. One man can thus do the work of 

 two, for he needs no one to help him, even if using 150 feet of 

 pipe ; and all the wear and tear of dragging the hose along the 

 road is avoided, and we all know how soon, under such circum- 

 stances, the best indian-rubber or leathern hose will wear out. 

 This apparatus is also used for washing the trees and shrubs 

 so plentifully seen in the streets of Paris. They do not, how- 

 ever, get so dirty as with us, because wood or charcoal is the 

 common fuel used, and, therefore, less smoke is made. English 

 coal costs two guineas a-ton, and Belgian coal is nearly as dear, 

 so there is a cause for this. In dry weather it is necessary to 

 water the turf in the parks, and this is done with the same 

 kind of apparatus — certain lengths of the iron piping being 

 drilled with innumerable small holes, a gentle shower is given, 

 and one man can manage a lot of work, as he can attend to 

 three or four places at once. — (Scottisli Gardener.) 



ROOM PLANTS AT ST. PETERSBURG. 



We have very little idea in England of the extent to which 

 horticulture is practised in northern Europe, for, firstly, few 

 of our gardeners and amateurs (" D., of Deal," for instance), 

 ever get beyond France, and if they do, they are very chary 

 with their news. I had the pleasure of giving your readers 

 two sketches of St. Petersburg, as far as regards flowers, and 

 can only say I much regret that want of time prevents my 

 following out my plan — that of describing the Czar's gardens 

 and ranges of houses at Tsarskoo-Selo. 



What I wish to draw attention to at present is the house 

 decoration — the arrangement of plants of various kinds — in 

 the St. Petersburg drawing-rooms, &c. ; and hero it would be 

 well to remark, that although my views have been taken from 

 the houses of the upper classes, nevertheless, the more mode- 

 rately furnished houses all boast of plants — Palms and creepers. 



On entering the room you are struck by a screen, a trellis- 

 work screen, fitted with a box and pan for creepers, on the room 

 side of the door ; and when covered with a kind of Vine much 

 used for the purpose, or Ivy, it looks very pretty, and has for 



