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JOUENAL OF HOETICCLTDBE AND COTTAGB GAEDENEE. 



[ November 5, 1871. 



rapidity of growth in the first instance, so that when they began 

 to yield foil crops they might possess stamina even to super- 

 flnity , and continue year by year to bring a full crop to its fullest 

 possible maturity in size, flavour, appearance, and quantity, 

 as well as to make a free growth, not of mere abortive spray, 

 but of those noble shoots long, stout, and strong, brown yet 

 bright and ruddy in appearance, firm in texture, and thickly 

 Bet with fall, plump, triple buds, such as cause one's heart to 

 rejoice in the reward which even they afford for past care and 

 culture, and in the brighter promise of a teeming future crown- 

 ing ova efforts with repeated success ? — Edward Luckhdbst. 



CROCUSES AND GERANIUMS. 



The following system of beautifying his flower garden in 

 spring and summer adopted by a leading Yorkshire agriculturist 

 is worthy narration. It is easy, simple, certain, and within the 

 reach of all who wish their flower beds to be in the best order 

 and bright during the greater part of the year. The owner of 

 the garden is a Journal reader, and is willing that the system, 

 which has served him so long and so well, should be noted 

 for the benefit of all whom it may concern. It is the very 

 essence of simplicity, and, with the least possible trouble, 

 results in some of the finest Crocus beds and the finest Gera- 

 nium beds ever seen. 



The plan is as follows : — The Crocuses were planted 2 or 

 3 inches apart, and 3 or 4 inches deep. The surface of the 

 ground was then covered to a depth of 3 inches with good 

 spit manure, which acts as a protection during the winter, 

 and at the same time enriches the soil by the washing of 

 the winter's rains. Early in the spring, after the manure 

 has become ameliorated by the rain, frost, and sun, the rake 

 is used, which produces a fine surface mould, and during the 

 summer becomes a very rich soil, giving all that is needed for 

 the growth of summer bedding plants. The Crocuses are 

 never removed from the beds, but when the grass is matured 

 it is cut oft just below the surface of the ground. By this 

 time the Geraniums are ready for planting. The beds are 

 not dug at all, but the plants are simply put in with the 

 trowel, causing as little interference with the soil as possible. 

 If a Crocus is dug up it is just put into the bottom of the hole 

 again with the Geraniums. In the autumn, on the removal of 

 the summer plants, the same rich surface-dressing is given the 

 beds, which are never dug. 



This system of top-dressing, raking down, and Geranium 

 planting is continued year by year, the Crocus roots, of course, 

 getting deeper from the surface, but only each spring to come 

 np finer than before. The depth of covering is thought to be 

 a preservative against mice, which never do them injury. 

 This plan has now been adopted nine years. The size of the 

 Crocus bloom is something wonderful, and the buds in spring 

 are one thick dense glowing mass of colour, extorting the 

 admiration of all who see them. The increase of bulbs by this 

 let-alone system and top-dressing has been great, even, as the 

 owner says, " more than twice quadrupled :" hence the massive 

 bloom. The Geraniums are equally fine, and during this past 

 season of drought were considered by far the best beds in the 

 district, and always surpass in effect beds dug and planted in 

 the ordinary way. 



Annual surface-dressings of good spit farmyard manure and 

 never digging are, speaking paradoxically, the root of the 

 BQCcesB of this extremely simple and effective plan of spring 

 and summer garden decoration. It is admirably adapted to 

 amateurs, involving, as it does, so little labour, skill, and atten- 

 tion. The first outlay in bulbs lasts a lifetime, as they in- 

 crease and improve year by year. They are planted some in 

 mixture, but mostly in masses of one variety, with a distinct 

 kind for edging ; but this, of course, is a matter of taste 

 which each can determine for himself. 



The varieties of Crocus used, which have in this case 

 proved so great a success, are Caroline Chisholm, white ; 

 David Eizzio, purple ; Sir J. Franklin, large purple ; Sir W. 

 Scott, lavender-striped ; Superb, yellow ; Princess Alexandra, 

 purple ; Mary Queen of Scots, white. 



It may be added that anyone deciding on this easy and 

 satisfactory mode — proved so by nine years' experience — of 

 garden embellishment, should lose no time in getting in the 

 Crocuses. They are often kept out of the ground too long — 

 that is, the bulbs are suffered to grow too much before they 

 tire planted, when a portion are sure to decay, or if they do 

 not perish entirely, make small incipient bulbs for another 

 year. By this too common procrastination in planting, thou- 



sands of Crocuses are wasted every year. There are two things 

 Crocuses cannot endure — viz., a stagnant waterlogged site and 

 poor soil. It is necessary, therefore, for this permanent plant- 

 ing to see at the outset that the beds are fairly drained and 

 the top-dressing will do the rest. If the soil is of a free sandy 

 nature the bulbs may be simply put in without any other 

 mixture ; but if strong and heavy, it wUl be very advisable to 

 surround and cover them with something lighter. A barrow- 

 ful of dried leaf mould and sand in equal parts wUl go a long 

 way, and will do much in such soil to promote success. The 

 main thing is not to plant bulbs that have grown an inch or 

 two in paper bags, thus exhausting their vital force, and directly 

 predisposing them to decay. If beds cannot be prepared at 

 once pack the Crocuses close together on a hard bottom out- 

 doors, and cover them with 2 inches of light soil. In a month, 

 in addition to top-growth, they will bristle with roots, and be 

 in fine condition for final planting. — J. Wright. 



WANTED A GEO-HTGEOMETER. 



Half the failures with indoor fruit culture arise from im- 

 proper or insufficient watering. Cannot some kind scientific 

 friend devise a simple method of ascertaining at any time the 

 comparative amount of moisture contained in the soil 18 inches 

 or 2 feet below the surface ? In the first place it is not easy 

 to find out what is the average amount of water required. A 

 study of the amount of rainfall will not give it, because com- 

 pared with rain our modes of watering are very imperfect. 

 There is much more waste attending it, because artificially 

 prepared borders are generally so much more porous than the 

 natural soil, which is only stirred a few inches below the sur- 

 face. The drainage also is more perfect than it generally is 

 in the open air. The soil is allowed to become drier in winter, 

 the growth is more luxuriant, and consequently evaporation 

 goes on faster. Fire heat is also drier and harsher than sun 

 heat, and it takes more moisture to make it genial. 



Even after having succeeded tolerably well one or two 

 seasons, and having carefully noted the quantity of water used 

 each time, and how often applied, there is no guarantee that 

 the same quantity will be the right quantity another season, 

 for there are exceptional seasons, and exceptional seasons re- 

 quire exceptional treatment. The past summer has been a 

 very exceptional one, and its influence has been quite as 

 marked on indoor vegetation as it has on that out of doors. 

 Amateurs are very anxious to have rules laid down as to how 

 often they should water their plants. Now, to show how diffi- 

 cult it is to give directions on this point, I may state that 

 during the early part of the past summer it was found that 

 fruit borders required water about once a fortnight, which in 

 the previous year only required it once in five or six weeks. 

 The plants had grown considerably, and had, perhaps, doubled 

 their evaporating surface, but the roots had also extended, and 

 the allowance of water given each time was increased in pro- 

 portion. The difference, therefore, did not arise from the in- 

 crease of evaporating surface, but from the external drought. 

 We have the atmosphere of our houses under control to a 

 certain extent, but not so much so as would appear at first 

 sight. We must ventilate, and if when we ventilate the ex- 

 ternal air only contains two-thirds of its average amount of 

 moisture, as was shown by the tables given in " our Journal" 

 to be the case for a time, there must immediately be a great 

 rush of the moist air from the interior of our houses. When 

 this is known to be the case, and the supply of water and 

 labour is unlimited, no great evU follows ; but many, alas ! 

 during the past season have found themselves deficient of 

 both water and labour. 



It is surprising how little is the cost of pipes, taps, and 

 hose, compared with that of the labour annually wasted in 

 carrying water a distance by hand. The amount of wages paid 

 to those who carry the water is not all that should be taken 

 into account. The watering has generally to be done, and is 

 seldom done efficiently when there is a great pressure of other 

 work and time is doubly valuable. I have known a case where 

 an efficient supply of water was laid on for less than it pre- 

 viously cost every year to carry what was not a tenth part of 

 a sufficiency. Where a natural flow of water cannot be con- 

 ducted to the desired spot, a hydraulic ram, a water-wheel, 

 even a steam pump is cheaper in the long run compared with 

 manual labour, its consequent wear and tear and insufficient 

 watering. 



To ascertain when the soil requires water, I dig down 

 18 inches or so with a trowel or stick, take a portion of the 



