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JOURNAL OF BObTiClLTLEE AND COTTAGE GaBDENEB. 



[ July SO, 1874. 



numerous ag those having only a symmetrical growth or hand- 

 some foliage to recommend them. When this i3 well done, 

 especially in all groups or belts in or near the flower gar- 

 den, there is a constant succession of gay flowers through- 

 out the months of spring and early summer, so that when the 

 plants in the flower beds respond to the animating appeals of 

 the -warm showers and sunny skies of spring, and assume the 

 freshness and beauty that belong solely to spring flowers, 

 however lovely they may appear, they form but the centre — a 

 most fitting one certainly— of such a scene of floral beauty as 

 can be had at no other season of the year. There are the 

 deep, rich, golden clusters o! Berberis Darwinii, the lovely 

 pale yellow flowers of Berberis stenophylla; Mahonia Aqui- 

 folium 80 glossy, bright, and compact in growth, fohage, aud 

 flowers ; the whole of the splendid varieties of Rhododendrons, 

 from the pretty Uttle dwarf Alpine Rhododendron ferrugineum 

 upwards to the stately majestienm; Kalmia, Ledum, Daphne, 

 C.vtisns, Laurel, Crataigus, Mespilus, Arbutus, Deutzia, Spiraea, 

 Weigela, Eibes, Syringa, and Pyrus, all coutributing to the 

 charming display. Some may be arranged in bold groups in 

 or near the garden itself, others standing out singly upon the 

 lawn in all the dignity of select specimens, while the shrub- 

 bery borders stretching away in graceful curves converge from 

 the wide expanse of the lawns which they enclose till they 

 literally form avenues of flowers, conveying a lesson which I 

 think those who are content to make long walks pass between 

 low flat '■ ribbon borders" would do well to study. Yes, study 

 is the proper term, for I am convinced that very little is yet 

 known of the real value of shrubs for decorative purposes, 

 much a? they have been used. 



All large "flower gardens should have some choice shrubs 

 introduced as permanent features in the design, whether it be 

 severely geometrical or otherwise. Whole beds might be filled 

 ■with dwarf evergreen shrubs that are always ornamental, and 

 which blossom profusely in spring. Take for example the 

 earlv-flowering Andromeda floribuuda, with its dense clusters 

 of white Heath-hke flowers; followed by the bolder Andromeda 

 Catesbasi, with long narrow leaves of a deep bronze colour, 

 and large pendant spikes of white flowers ; the pretty but not 

 very common dwarf Kalmias rosea, rubra, aud nana, forming 

 neat little compact bushes that in spring are bright with deep 

 pink flowers ; the pale lilac blossom of Ledum latifoUum 

 compactum ; Daphne Cneorum, with its sweet-scented pink 

 flowers ; the white wax-hke clusters of Pernettya angustifolia ; 

 the deep purple bells of Menziesia polifolia, contrasting so 

 charmingly with its white variety M. polifolia alba ; the cheer- 

 ful and neVer-f ailing Erica carnea ; the Alpine Rhododendrons ; 

 Skimmia japonica, with its clusters of deep crimson berries; 

 Gaultheria Shallon and procumbens, the first with purple and 

 the last with scarlet berries ; the Berberises which have already 

 been named, with B. duleis, having its berries suspended from 

 the branches singly by long slender thread-like stalks, arrang- 

 ing the plants carefully in circular beds, surrounding them with 

 a ring of the neat little Erica Fosii, planted just far enough 

 apart to exhibit the exquisite symmetry of form for which it is 

 so remarkable. If the bed were upon turf I would fringe the 

 outside with a permanent colony of ScUla sibiriea; or it might 

 have an edging — aud a lovely one it would be too — of French 

 Gromwell, the deep blue-flowered Lithospermum prostratum. 

 Cotoneaster microphylla kept trimmed and pegged also makes 

 a neat edging. 



Almost all the foregoing shrubs make fine clumps or beds 

 of themselves, but where the space is limited mixed beds are 

 best ; and well arranged with a variety of such interesting 

 plants, they worthily rank amongst the most important of the 

 permanent features of any garden. — Edwaed LncKHCRST. 



SPH.EEOBOLUS STELLATUS. 

 Peehaps amongst the whole tribe of Fungi there is not one 

 more singular than Spbserobolus s tellatus. It is not uncommon 

 on sawdust, rotten stick, &c., and is sometimes vei-y abundant 

 in Orchid houses on the sphagnum in which the plants aie 

 packed. Some years since a certain degree of consternation 

 was excited in Scotland from the walls, labels, &c., being 

 studded with brown specks, the appearance of which seemed 

 incomprehensible ; and one of our correspondents has lately 

 reported a case in which the Orchid leaves were similarly 

 studded, each brown speck being the source of disease. In 

 the former ease we suggested that the sphagnum should be 

 examined, and it was, as we suspected, the birthplace of hosts 

 of this curious fungus ; in the latter case we were not left to 



mere conjecture, as we had an opportunity of seeing the little 

 brown bails which caused the spotting. 



Tlie fungus at first consists of a globose body, made up of 

 three layers — an external one, an inner delicate whiter mem- 

 brane, and an intermediate coloured stratum. In the centre 

 is a brown globular body, which contains the reproductive 

 spores. When the fungus is mature the outer coat, to which 

 the inner coat is attached above, splits in a stellate manner; 

 the inner coat is then suddenly inverted, sending out the 

 globose sporangium with great force, which adheres to any 

 substance on which it may chance to impinge. If the size of 

 the sporangium is taken into consideration, the force with 

 which it is ejected is quite surprising. A good figure will be 

 found in Greville's " Scottish Cryptogamic Flora," tab. 158. 

 The intimate structure, however, of the sporangium was not 

 ascertained at the time when that plate was pubhshed. — M. J. B. 



A MODEL ROSE GAEDEN. 

 During the past few weeks I have, as the columns of the 

 Journal testify, been far and wide to see the queen of flowers. 

 I have seen Roses in lordly haUs and in exhibition rooms ; 

 seen them where they were grown by the acre by those who 

 cultivate for sale, and in the garden of the amateur, whose chief 

 enjoyment they are ; have seen them where crowds of admir- 

 ing devotees were conning ovei' their beauties, or connoisseurs 

 disputing about their qualities. But as I look back on those 

 scenes of enjoyment there comes in some way back to my 

 memory one visit that I paid to a Rose garden that I saw, and 

 which seems to me to deserve the name that I have prefixed 

 to this article ; and for many who value the Rose a brief notice 

 of it may serve as an encouragement, and embolden them to 

 attempt what, perhaps, they have hitherto been deterred from 

 doing, owing, as they imagine, to want of space, or time, or 

 money. The garden I allude to was not that of an idle or a 

 wealthy man. He is not of those who have only to say, " I 

 must have a Rose garden," and forthwith the thing is done : 

 some one part of the lordly domain is appropriated to it, and 

 the order goes to Paul, or Turner, or Keynes to supply the 

 flowers; although, as a rule, in large places one sees the Rose 

 not half so well cared for as in the garden of the amateur, 

 nor does the noble owner have a tithe of the pleasure that the 

 possessor of, it may be, a few rods square. It is the garden of 

 a busy man, and its beauty and excellence are owing to the 

 care given in those times which can be snatched from the 

 demands of business. It is the garden of my friend Mr. 

 Mount, who, in the quaint old metropolitau city of Canter- 

 bury, himself conducts his business as a chemist, and whose 

 leisure hours are thus given to the puisait of a hobby which, 

 above all others, is calculated to lighten the cares of business. 



Dear old Canterbury ! how many associations of one's early 

 days hover round its quaint and quiet streets, its noble cathe- 

 dral, and shady Close ; aud how pleasant it is, now when one 

 is descending the hill of life, to again find a pleasure in one's 

 old haunts. Yet is not Canterbury a flower-loving city. It 

 holds no important exhibitions ; societies have arisen and 

 fallen, for they have met but scant encouragement ; and he 

 who follows the pursuit of floriculture there does it for the 

 love of it, and without meeting much of that true floral 

 sympathy so dear to the amateur ; and so the Rose-grower 

 who would Hke to visit the garden I speak of will, perhaps, 

 find the person he interrogates as ignorant of it as was a 

 Y'orkshire youth of whom I inquired the way to the parish 

 church at Doncaster, who informed me he didn't know, but 

 who, perhaps, could have told me who won the last St. Leger. 

 Not, then, in the aristocratic quarters of the Cathedral Close 

 or the New Road is Mr. Mount's garden to be found, but close 

 by the side of what, at any rate in Canterbury, is not the clear 

 and silver Stour, and in a quarter of the city which, albeit it 

 lies near to the King's School, is not calculated to invite a 

 closer investigation of its peculiarities. Wending one's way 

 through narrow lanes we come to some garden ground close by 

 the river, and there is what I call a model, perhaps some 

 would call it a miniature. Rose garden. The whole space occu- 

 pied by the garden is but 20 perches, but in that '20 perches 

 there are nearly eleven hundred Roses. The laying-out of 

 the garden is very simple : There is a broad walk which inter- 

 sects the ground from the entrance to the river — this and the 

 walk by the river are 5 feet ti inches wide ; and on each side 

 of this "walk are twelve beds meeting it at right angles. These 

 beds are ,; feet wide and about GO feet long, divided from one 

 another by walks about 20 inches wide ; this allows auflioient 



