UiiTch 6, 1866. ] 



JOURNAL OP HOETICULTUKE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



193 



discussed in former Numbers of the Journal. The kinds found 

 to be most seneriillv serviceable, are — Rivers' Eliza, Eugenie, 

 Pi-iuce of Wales, and two or three other esteemed and well- 

 known varieties. For forcing, Ahce Maud, and Keens' Seed- 

 ling, are chiefly used. 



The flower garden is on the south-east side of the mansion. 

 The arrangement is simjile but elegant, consisting of beds for 

 summer decoration, with borders for the best perennial plants, 

 with clumj-is of shrubs planted here and there. As description 

 without a plan is not intelligible or oven possible, it will be 

 suflicient to state the kinds of bedding plants used. The display 

 was briUiant without being gaudy, and the harmony of the 

 colours all that coiUd be desired. The plants employed were : 

 Geraniums — Trentham Rose, Christine, Tom Thumb, Beauty 

 of Briuton, a variety with large trusses, very good, Zonate 

 kinds; Cerise Unique, Compacta, Variegated Alma, Bijou, 

 Flower of the D.ay. and ilrs. Mangles. Verbenas — Firefly, 

 Ariosto, Purple King. Lord Raglan, Mrs. Holford, Desdemona, 

 Perfume, Madeleine, White Perfection, and a seedling pink of 

 Mr. Knox's raising, a very useful and effective colour, distinct 

 and free blooming. Mr. Knox does not think this seedling of 

 sufficient merit to send out; but I thought at the time that 

 there was room for a different opinion of it. It is invidious 

 to set up one flower to distinction against another, as the 

 bedding Geranium has sometimes been against the Verbena, 

 much to the disfavour of the latter, and I share in the regret 

 which some florists have expressed, that Verbenas generally, 

 excepting Purple King, have been greatly discarded without 

 suflicienl reason, and often replaced by other subjects by no 

 means surpassing them. Though one season may prove un- 

 favourable to the Verbena, and favourable to the Geranium, 

 the conditions as reg.ards these two flowers may be just the 

 reverse in another year. Last season showed that where good 

 kinds of Verbenas were bedded out. in nearly every instance a 

 satisfactory continuous bloom resulted. I hope that we shall see 

 more of them than we have of late ; the beds at Laugton were 

 excellent. Besides Geraniums and Verbenas, the following 

 plants were u.sed, either for edging or otherwise — Cerastium 

 tomentosum, Kaniga maritima, Peiilla nankinensis, Ceutaurea 

 argeutea, Cineraria maritima, Mentha rotundifoUa variegata, 

 Tropa^olum Lobbianum, and Calceolaria Aurea floribunda. 



The parks in which the mansions of the principal landowners 

 of the county of Dorset are situated, are surpassed by few in 

 the fine appearance of the deciduous trees with which they are 

 adorned. This is especially the case at Langton, CritchUl, 

 and Bryanstone. At the last-mentioned the appearance in 

 summer is veiy manifestly improved by the intermixture of 

 exotic species, that have now attained considerable size. Among 

 them I noticed Acer eiiocarpon, A. platanoides, and some of 

 the American Cratsgus. I mention this to remind your readers 

 that the planting of exotic deciduous trees, which would eo ma- 

 terially add to the beauty of our park and woodland scenery, is 

 stUl deplorably and unaccountably neglected, excepting in the 

 public parks, and a few other places. Coniferi-B are not ex- 

 tensively planted in Dorsetshue — i.e., in the places I visited, it 

 being found that the soil is not very favourable to their growth. 



As it has been announced that the worthy rector of Rushton 

 will shortly retire from his clerical duties, permit me in con- 

 clusion to join cordially in the wish so aptly expressed by your 

 correspondent, " D., Dral," that he may long enjoy his utitim 

 rum di^nitatf, a wish which I am sure will be heartily con- 

 curred in by all who have the hajjpiness of knowing him. — 

 AnoLPHCs il. KzxT. 



BURYIXG THE STEMS OF ROSE TREES. 



I HAVE always thought that to bury the stem of any tree 

 more than 1 or 2 inches is contrary to nature, but mention 

 being made by " T. T.," at page 142, of some trees, the stems 

 of which had been buried 4 feet, I was reminded of some 

 Bose trees which the head gamekeeper planted at his cottage 

 here. They were planted 4 feet deep, the only object in doing 

 so being to have them dwarf. Well, such wood and such blooms 

 I have never seen before nor since, scarcely a sucker makes its 

 appearance, f.nd the watering-pot is never required. 



I have made it a practice for several years to put clay on the 

 branches of Peach, Nectarine, and Apricot trees, when the sun 

 has in any way ruffled or cracked the baric, and I always found 

 at the end of the season that some nice new bark had been 

 made. Some years ago we cleared the stems of several Oak and 

 •other trees which had been buried several feet, but I never saw 

 ithat the branches were injured at all; the only case that I 



remember was a Lime tree which had been earthed up several 

 feet, and the tree will never recover. 



With respect to Grape Vines, I am in favour of keeping the 

 stems above ground, the bark being more tender than that of 

 most other trees, and, consequently, more Ukely to decay. 



Perhaps " T. T." will kindly give us the names of tlie trees 

 which have done so well on the " landing-up system." — John 

 Pekkixs, Thornham Gardens, Suffolk. 



ROY.:Si HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



Wk are authorised to state that the Council of the Royal, 

 Horticultural Society, having received an application from Mr. 

 Wilham Earley, DigsweU, that the Journal of the Society 

 should be supplied to gardeners at a cheaper rate than to the 

 public, have determined that any honn fide gardener sending to 

 the Assistant Secretary, Royal Horticultural Society, South 

 ICensingtou, the sum of 4<. id. in postage stamps, being one- 

 half the charge to the public, will be supplied with the Journal 

 quarterly for twelve months. 



THRoron the continuance of the severe frost that commencetl in the 

 midille of last week, the Meeting on Saturday last was not well sup- 

 plied with exhibition snhjects. Messrs. Cntbush it Son were almost 

 the only exhibitors, and they filled one of the large tables entirely 

 themselves with a large collection of forced fiowei-s and a very fine ex- 

 hibition of forced bulbs, to both of which iirst prizes were awarded. 

 Messrs. Cutbu.sh .also exhibited some well-bloomed plaut.s of forced 

 Ldy of the Valley, which received an extra prize. Mr. Young, gar- 

 dener to Mrs. Barclay, of High'.;ate, sent a large and handsome speci- 

 mexi of Oncidium sphacelatum majus, full of bloom, and which elicited 

 much praise in favour of Mr. Young's successful cultivation. It was 

 awarded an extra Iirst prize. Messrs. Lucking, Brothers, sent a fine 

 collection of fox'ced ilowers, which received a iirst-class certificate. 



VERBENA CUTTINGS FAILING. 



C.ej there really be a disease amongst Verbenas? I thought 

 the only reason they have done so badly this season, is, as 

 stated in the Journal of February 6th, being covered with 

 thrips. 



A friend of mine, a large and generallv a very successful 

 grower of the Verbena, has the following plan. 



Early in July he takes a few cuttings of each kind and dibbles 

 thom in the alleys between his Asparagus-beds. After well 

 watering they require no further .attention, except a sprinkling 

 with the syringe to keep them from drooping, as the Asparagus 

 stems give a nice shade. 



When grown a couple of inches high the tops are pinched off. 

 By the end of August they are taken up, three or four plants 

 put into a 48-pot, kept out of doors free from worms, and the 

 branches stopped as required. By the usual time to take into 

 the greenhouse they are strong and bushy. This season he 

 finds, is no exception. I should scarcely like to say how many 

 dozens of cuttings could be taken from each pot at the present 

 time.— W. C. 



WINTER TREATJIENT OF POT "\aNES. 



The fruiting of Vines in pots often le.ods many young be 

 ginners into difficulties, and in some cases they lose their 

 situations through buying from the nurseries, for fruiting in 

 pots. Vines which have been growing in bottom heat aU the 

 summer, in many cases up to the end of August or September, 

 when they are ready for sale. They will then have filled a 

 l(J-inch pot with good, well-ripened roots and masses of fibres ; 

 and the canes will be fi feet long, short-jointed, in fact 

 everything that can be desired. A gardener obtaining the per- 

 mission of his employer to buy some pot Vines for starting 

 early, say in January, would most probably order them in 

 October. The employer would then inquire if the Vines had 

 come, and the gardener would answer in the affirmative, and say 

 they were in excellent condition and sure to produce a good 

 crop of Grapes. Such a result would not be nuhkely if they 

 were treated properly from October to January. Now, where 

 are the pot Vines put when the gardener receives them ? Any 

 place will do for them till thej' are wanted, he often says — 

 out of doors exposed to all weatlier, cold rains, frost, and hot 

 sun. It is very certain that the canes will look all right 

 throughout ; but how is it with the good roots and masses of 

 fibres, without which we cannot have fruit? They are too 

 often dead by the time they are wanted, in consequence of ex- 

 posure to too much wet and cold, or from drying in a shed. 



