46^ 



JOOBKAIi OF HORTICTJLTUEE AND COTTAGE OARDENEB. 



r TtAj S9, wen. 



■BOJrK inNTS AS TO THE AKRANGE^rENT 



01' IXOWEUBEDS AND BORDl'.l!?^ 



(Continued from jHige 302.) 



No. 2t». Centre, Polnrgoninm Stella ; next row, TroiJipolum 

 Elegana ; third row, Verbena Velvet Cushion, with an edging 

 of Unapbaliuni lanntum next the grass. The Gnaphalium 

 must be kept closely pegged down and pinned in, otherwise it 

 will overgrow the Veriena. 



No. 30. Centre, Verbena venosa — the plants of this should 

 be well established ; 'ind row. Geranium Flower of the Day, 

 with the flowers left on ; 3rd vow, Amaranthus melancholicus 

 ruber, with an edging next the grass of Golden Chain Geranium. 



No. 31. Centre, Calceolaria Sparkler; '2nd row, Geranium 

 Christine ; 3rd row, Iresine Herbstii, with an edging of Gaitania 

 splendens. This bed would present a very dazzling effect. 



No. 32. Three or four feet of the centre should be filled with 

 Coleus Verschaffelti ; next to this a two-feet band of Viola 

 comuta, with an edging of .\rabis lucida variegata. 



No. 33. Geranium Boule de Feu ; "ind row. Verbena Purple 

 King ; 3rd row, Geranium Christine ; 1th row, Lobelia speoiosa ; 

 5th row. Geranium Queen's Favourite. 



No. 34. Centre, Centaurea g3'mnocarpa ; 2nd row, Coleus 

 Verschaffelti ; 3rd row, Geranium Hose Eendatler, with an 

 edging of Geranium Spread Eagle. 



No. 35. Centre, six good plants of Anindo donax variegata ; 

 next, a band 3 feet wide of Dracsena fen-ea variegata, with a 

 foot margin next the grass of Viola cornuta. 



To be succes.sful with tliis bed and the following, it will be 

 necessary to make proper preparations. The whole of the 

 soil should be taken out, also 16 or 18 inches of the clay below 

 the good soil. These beds .should also be so situated that they 

 may be easily drained. The bottom of the hole should then be 

 filled up with brick rubbish, and this should come up 6 inches 

 or so above the level of the clay ; some chopped sods should 

 then be laid over the brick rubbish to prevent the soil from 

 trickling down amongst the drainage ; the good soil should 

 then be replaced, mixing in with it a good quantity of leaf 

 soil, peat, and rough sand to keep the bed porous. If the soil 

 become soddened and sour, farewell to the expected beauties 

 of the sub-tropical garden bed. By preparing the beds as de- 

 scribed above, and taking especial care to have them well 

 drained, many of the magnificent tropical plants may easily 

 be grown, especially in the south and west of Englalid ; and 

 by taking extra care in preparing the plants previously to plant- 

 ing them out, selecting the warmest and most sheltered posi- 

 tions, much may be done with them even in the north. The 

 wonderful results that have already crowned Mr. Gibson's 

 labours at Battersea Park prove what can be done by energy, 

 perseverance, and skill. What he has succeeded in doing 

 during the past three years would have been thought an im- 

 possibility ten or even five years ago, and cannot be credited 

 even now by many who have not had the advantage of seeing 

 the sub-tropical garden at Battersea Park, which is worth tra- 

 velling three or four hundred miles to see. 



It is a pity on that account that the great gathering we have 

 witnessed this week was not held later in the summer, so that 

 many gardeners who have not enjoyed the privilege of seeing 

 the sub-tropical department at Battcreea Park might have done 

 so on that occasion ; for most assuredly they would there have 

 learned one of the most useful lessons, not only as regards the 

 out-door department, but would have greatly assisted them in 

 the arrangements of their conservatory, plant-houses, &e. 

 They will even now, thanks to the good judgment displayed by 

 the Committee of Management for the Great International 

 Exhibition in obtaining Mr. Gibson's valuable serWees for the 

 arrangement of the ground on which the Exhibition is held, 

 be able to form some idea of the wonders to be seen in the 

 snb-tropical garden at a later period in the summer. 



No. 3(;. Large bed. Centre, sixteen large plants of PracicnB 

 terminalis ; then a three-feet space covered with Fuchsia Pillar 

 of Gold ; then a double row of Dracana congesta, with a margin 

 1 foot wide next the grass of Dactylis glomerata variegata. If 

 the space between the stems of the plants were covered with 

 Viola cornuta this would set it off to great advantage. , 



No. 37. Large bed. Centre, Caladinm esculentum ; 2nd, 

 Canna bieolor ; 3rd row, Oanna rubra perfccta, with an edging 

 next the grass of Centaurea eandidissima. 



No. 38. Large bed. Centre, Nieotinna wigandioides ; 2nd 

 row, Solanum macranthum ; 3rd row, Gnaphalium lanatum. 



The following arrangements lor ribbon-borders would look 

 well either on grass or gravel. In jdanting a ribbon-border I 



always, if posaible, contrive to have the rows of Verbenas sup- 

 ported on each side by Cieraniums, for the Verbenas uou by 

 this arrangement be so much more easily kept in their proper 

 jiiace. 



No. 1. Back row, purple Zcliuda Dahlia. This should oc- 

 cupy a space of 3 feet, and the plants ehonld be so planted that 

 they may quickly form a good thick row. Next plant IS incheg 

 of Calceolaria .'Vurea lloribnnda, then a row of Geranium Boul« 

 de Fen ; 4lh row. Verbena Purple King ; 5th row, Geraniam 

 Flower of the Day ; Cth row, Lobelia specioso ; 7th row, Geia- 

 nium Golden Fleece. 



No. 2. Back row, Dahlia Alba nana lloribnnda ; next row, 

 Ageratum mexicanum ; 3rd row, Iresine Herbstii ; -Ith row, 

 (ieranium Flower of the Day, with the flowers left on ; Sth 

 row, Viola coruuta ; 0th row, Geranium Golden Fleece ; 7th 

 row. Verbena Velvet Cushion. 



No. 3. Back row. Calceolaria amplexicaulis — these plants 

 should be planted pretty thickly together, and sticks ))laced to 

 support them as soon as they are planted. If this is not 

 attended to they will grow almost any way but the right way. 

 2nd row, Amaranthus melancholicus ruber ; 3rd row, Geranium 

 Christine ; 4th row. Verbena Purple King ; oth row, Geranium 

 Cybister ; 6th row, Verbena Cicely (pink) ; 7th row. Lobelia 

 speciosa. 



No. 4. Back row. Calceolaria Sparkler ; 2di1 row, Geranium 

 Flower of the Day ; 3rd row. Verbena Claret Queen ; 4th row, 

 Geranium Bijou ; 5th row. Verbena Pmplo lung ; Gth row. 

 Geranium Little David ; 7th row, Cerastium tomcntosum. 



No. 5. Back row. Geranium Stella; 2nd row. Calceolaria 

 Gaines's Yellow; 3rd row, Heliotrope Florence Nightingale; 

 5th row, Geranium Bijou ; Gth row, Iresine Herbstii, kept well 

 pinched in ; 7th row, Arabis lucida variegata. 



No. I). Back row, largo plants of Iresine Herbstii ; 2nd row, 

 Geranium Christine ; 3rd row. Verbena General Lee ; 4th row. 

 Geranium Flower of the Day ; 5th row, Verbena Velvet Cushion ; 

 0th row, Mangles's Variegated Geranium ; 7th row. Lobelia 

 speciosa. 



No. 7. Back row. Geranium Boule de Feu ; 2nd row. Verbena 

 Le Grand Boule de Neige ; 3rd row, Amaranthus melancholicus 

 ruber, kept pinched in pretty clo-sely ; 4th row, Geraniam 

 Alma ; 5th row. Verbena Princess Victoria ; 6th row. Lobelia 

 speciosa ; 7th row^, Geranium Queen's Favourite. 



No. 8. Back row, Amaranthus melancholicus ruber, large 

 plants ; 2nd row. Calceolaria canariensis ; 3rd row. Verbena 

 Velvet Cushion ; 4th row, A'iola cornuta ; Sth row. Geranium 

 Golden Fleece ; Gth row, Mimulus cupreus ; 7th row, Cerastium 

 Eiebersteiui. — J. Wills. 



CULTURE OF ^^NES IN POTS. 

 {Continued from par/e 344.) 



Stoppiso AMD Regtilating TnE Shoots. — After the eyesbav* 

 broken those at the lower part of the cane should be rubbed off 

 closely, and all those along the cane from the Ixittom upwards 

 for the required length to reach the rafter. I think it best to 

 leave them until the eyes have broken, for if removed with a 

 knife prior to breaking the wounds bleed, but if left until 

 bro'.:en there is no danger of tliis taking place, and their being 

 allowed to remain for a time calls into activity roots for their 

 support. The removal of shoots or bnds not wanted leaves 

 more sap for those retained. 



When the shoots are so far advanced that the fruit is risible 

 at their points, a partial disbudding may take place, lea^•ing, 

 however, more than will be required for a crop, and if they 

 show well every other bud or shoot may be rubbed off, and this 

 will leave many shoots that onglit not to be allowed to cany 

 any fruit, but they will be useful for kecp'ng up a good root- 

 action, which is of primary importance. Take out the points 

 of the shoots at the first leaf above the bunch, tying the shoots 

 loosely to the wires, and being careful not to break the shoots. 

 Laterals will issue from most of tlie joints, stop these at the 

 first joint or leaf, as also the laterals proceeding from the joint 

 at which the principal shoots have been stopped ; as often as 

 these laterals make a leaf pinch out their point. If fruit is 

 shown at the joint to which the shoot is stopped in the first 

 instance, as well as at the joint next below it, make choice of 

 the best bnnch as to size and form, cutting the other away. 



Brxcnr.s. — Leave bnt one bunch to a shoot, one shoot from 

 a bud, all others to be removed so as to leave the shoots 

 inches apart. From six to eight bunches are a good and 

 almost too heavy crop ; the bunches shoTild therefore be re- 



