406 



JODBNAL OF HORTIODLTDBE AND COTTAGE GARDENEB. 



[ November 5, 1874. 



the Violas, with a bed of Lobelia cardinalig St. Clair, being a 

 great success. Behind the Pampau Grass, to the right can be 

 seen the spreading head of Pinus patula. 



The views have been engraved from photographs by Messrs. 

 W. H. Donstan & Co., 9, Berkelej' Vale, Falmouth. 



BuEEBfi DiEL Peaks Gkown as Espaliers. — I have four 

 trees 5 feet high in a row extending 9 yards. They were 

 planted five years since. I have not bad a crop oft until now. 

 To-day, October 15th, I have gathered 252 Pears, weighing 

 90 lbs. 9 0Z3. ; the largest weighed 12 ozs., about four dozen 

 10 ozs. each, six dozen 9 ozs. each, the remainder ranging from 

 8oz3. to 2 ozs. each. — J. F. M., Nottingham. 



NOTES AND GLEANINGS. 



This is now the season when out doors and even in the 

 conservatory the CnETSANTHEJinii reigns supreme. In the 

 Inner Temple Gardens there is an unparalleled display of 

 bloom — one such as would have gladdened the heart of worthy 

 old Broome, and one of which his more youthful successor, 

 Mr. Newton, may well be proud. On visiting it yesterday we 

 were quite surprised to find the f.owers in full beauty, and still 

 more surprised at the immense siz" if the majority, whilst so 

 perfect were many that one would have suspected they had 

 been manipulated, but such has not been the case. -Golden 

 John Salter, Golden Nugget, Nil Desperandum, Garibaldi, and 

 Empress of India are only a few of the many notable for their 

 great size. We also noticed a promising new pale yellow 

 called George Glenny. In the Middle Temple Mr. Dale has 

 also a show, and a profusion of flowers on the Pompons in the 

 beds. The Pine Apple Nursery Company have likewise, in 

 their fine conservatory in the Edgware Boad, a large collection 

 of the best varieties grown iu a different style from the plants 

 just noticed, the aim being decorative effect rather than size of 

 the individual blooms, consequently the same severe thinning 

 which is necessary to secure the latter object has not been 

 practised, yet the result is excellent — just such as a gentleman 

 with a good gardener, with good means, and good varieties 

 might expect from these in his conservatory. Bound the 

 fountain facing the entrance there is a grand group of speci- 

 mens covered with multitudes of flowers, and good ones too, 

 whilst in other parts of this glass-covered quarter of an acre 

 plants are here and there disposed singly and in masses. 



The Duke of Leinster has been unanipaously elected 



President of the Eoyal Horticultural Society of Ireland, in 

 room of the lamented Duke, who was president for nearly 

 forty years. No worthier or more distinguished selection could 

 have been made. — {Irisli Fanners' Gazette.) 



— — Hazel in low districts is usually dark-coloured in the 

 bark, and not so highly esteemed as the light-coloured variety, 

 which grows chiefly in Wales and the Highlands of Scotland. 

 White Thorn, if peeled soon after cutting, has yellow lines 

 marking the circulation of the sap, but these can be scraped 

 ofi. Black Thorn with the bark oft makes the finest " white " 

 Thorn, but they are most valued with the bark on, the knots 

 closely set, and triple spikes, it possible, at every knot. Briar 

 is the most easily got of all the varieties, and it is remarkably 

 strong. Should it not taper enough it may be reduced so as 

 to give it the shape. Those that grow on a breezy hillside 

 often rub against their neighbours, thereby producing eccentri- 

 cities which improve the sticks by "individualising" them. 

 Eowau, or Mountain Ash, makes agood tramping stick, though 

 it has not much appearance, and, with common Ash, it has the 

 property of not firing deUcate hands. Common Ash shooting 

 from an old stem, when thoroughly smoothed and varnished, 

 shows fine silky threads streaking its white surface. Broom 

 and Berberry have the prettiest barks both as regards streaking 

 and colour, and both can be stripped should it be injured. 

 Oak, unless a shoot from an old trunk, is not worth the trouble 

 of making into walking-sticks. Gorse or Whin gives by far 

 the prettiest markings of any barked stick, and is remarkably 

 Btrong. — {CasseU's Household Guide.) 



NOTES ON VILLA and SOBUEBAN GARDENING. 



The dull month of November is now upon us, and after this 

 something like winter weather must be anticipated. I would 

 therefore advise those who have an idea of entering into winter 

 and spring gardening to set about the work at once ; and I wish 

 it to be uudorstood that, in order to do this at its proper time, 

 it sometimes happens that some beds tolerably passable iu 



appearance will have to be sacrificed for the sake of getting the 

 winter occupants well stationed before Lad weather comes on. 

 I think it is not too much to say that a villa residence or small 

 suburban garden is of all others the most suitable for an attempt 

 at a winter and spring display, because the greatest part of the 

 garden is always coming under the eye, and therefore every part 

 so exposed should have a little decoration beyond what is 

 afforded by ornamental shrubs, trees, &c. 



Now let us see what can be done in this way, and I may say 

 that I do not intend te recommend anything expensive, or to 

 enumerate a list of uncommon plants. In the first place all 

 beds, borders, &e., previously occupied by summer bedding 

 plants must be cleared, the ground dug-up to a good depth, say 

 fully 1 foot, and the soil broken up with the spade ; no manure 

 need be added. Taking the borders first, and supposing they 

 are defined by a walk, or skirt the extremity of the lawn, and 

 that the usual width of 4 or .5 feet is already ornamented \vith 

 dwarf green or variegated kinds of shrubs, the spaces between 

 may be filled with patches of the common single Wallflowers in 

 their mixed colours, Collinsia bicolor. Erysimum Peroflskianum, 

 Californian Poppies, as well as Irises of various sorts, Helleborus 

 fa-tidus all for the back of the border ; while more towards the 

 front should come the Myosotis or Forget-me-not, Arabis albida, 

 Iberis sempervireus, and Cheirauthus Marshallii, with alternate 

 patches of scarlet and white Tulips, as well as the various 

 colours of Crocuses and Snowdrops iu the front row, or the two 

 may take their places together in that position. The Lily of the 

 Valley must not be loft out. The above are all common enough, 

 and if arranged judiciously among the shrubs with some of the 

 annuals mentioned a few weeks ago, the border cannot fail to be 

 as gay as one can wish all through the spring mouths. 



We next come to the beds on the lawn ; and if there are 

 several of them, and especially if arranged in a design or group, 

 I would suggest that a good portion of dwarf-growing evergreens 

 should be used to help to clothe many of the beds that would 

 otherwise appear naked. There are plenty of suitable subjects, 

 as Thuja aurea, Juiiiperus ericoides. Yucca filamentosa, Mahonia 

 Aquifolium, Euouymus, both silver-variegated and green, 

 small blooming plants of the Laurustinus, dwarf plants of the 

 common and Portugal Laurels, and there are the green and 

 variegated Box trees, as well as the gold, silver, variegated, and 

 green Hollies, all of which iu their dwarf state make up a 

 capital selection for a small garden, and if so arranged in the 

 beds as to allow of other thiuga being used with them, either as 

 edgings or as a ground covering, or perhaps planted so as to 

 ensure the bloom of the flowers associating in height with the 

 foliage of the evergreens on the mixed principle, there will be 

 much that will please. Some of the beds may be edged with a 

 broad band of mixed Polyanthuses or blue Pansies ; for instance, 

 the latter with a bed of golden-leaved Holly will look well, or 

 the green Euouymus, having a band of the Arabis albida, a 

 white flower, is an attractive bed. If the beds are in a design th 3 

 evergreens ought to be so arranged that a bed may be occupie I 

 with them here and there over the whole place, having beds at 

 proper places to be planted with other plants, such as Silene 

 pendula, Saponaria calabrica, Myosotis, Wallflowers, Poly- 

 anthuses, Pansies, Daisies of two or three colours, and even the 

 common hedge Primroses and Violets ought to have a place ; 

 these may either be arranged in designs according to their 

 height and colours, or, if the beds are small, each one may take a 

 separate sort of plant of dwarf growth, and be edged with 

 Crocuses or Snowdrops, or both. 



I think such a garden would not be complete without its 

 complement of Hyacinths, Tulips, Narcissus, Anemones, and 

 other bulbs ; and as there would be beds of evergreens, I should 

 arrange so as to have complete beds of each of the above sorts of 

 bulbs, for they would need a little preparation for their success- 

 ful growth, but they would also be so distinct from the other 

 beds as to render the whole very complete, and so varied iu 

 colour and design that they could not fail to be attractive. All 

 the bulbs of whatever kind ought to be planted by the middle 

 or not later than the third week of November to ensure their 

 doing well, but oftentimes people plant later, yet they at times 

 succeed well ; however, this is not so certain as if they are 

 planted at the proper time. 



Now let me say a word or two upon the treatment of these 

 bulbs. Hyacinths, and in fact all the large bulbs, root deeply and 

 vigorously iu the soil ; the beds should therefore be deeply dug 

 and drained if the surrounding soil is of a retentive nature, for 

 although the Hyacinth likes moisture when growing fast, yet it 

 must not become stagnant about its roots. Add manure to the 

 soil in a very rotten state, or leaf mould well decomposed, raise 

 the soil 4 or 5 inches above the surrounding level, plant im- 

 mediately if the soil is dry, or if very wet leave it a day or two 

 to become workable ; they should be planted regularly over the 

 bed, especially if arranged according to colours; use a small 

 trowel for planting, and put them in not more than 4 inches 

 deep, taking care that they are all of uniform depth, otherwise 

 they wiU come up and flower irregularly ; leave the bed in a 

 level state. I ought to state that my plan is to put a handful of 



