440 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTUKE AND COTTAGE GAEDENEK. 



[ June 4, 1874. 



be a viitue, but empty iu autumn a blunder and calamity ; 

 yet the best of all is that neither circumstance is a necessity. 

 It is written also for the amateur having a garden but no 

 glass, and who is not in a position to purchase expensive 

 plants to effect what he desires — a garden gay and enjoyable, 

 and yet whose taste tends towards massing rather than mix- 

 ing. For this latter mode nothing is better than these fine 

 old Stocks. 



They are worthy also, to those having pits, of being wintered 

 in pots, three in a pot, and shifted-on for in-door decoration, 

 or planting-out, when they flower early, which is sometimes 

 of importance. When the winter is passed they cannot well 

 have soil too rich, and as summer approaches they will know 

 what to do with liquid manure. To sum-up, these Stocks are 

 about as hardy as Broccolis, and as easily raised. 



And now a word as to the Lothians ; but I had better leave 

 them for my next letter, except in saying that those who 

 wish them to bloom in winter and very early in spring under 

 glass must sow at once in good soil under a hand-light. If in 

 the open ground and heavy rains fall, they are apt to damp-off 

 when quite young. They are fine subjects for the purpose 

 named, but to have them fine as well as early not a day's un- 

 necessary delay should be permitted in sowing, and if the seed- 

 bed can have a base of gently-heating manure all the better. 

 For ordinary purposes of summer flowering in the garden, and 

 especially if there is no glass for wintering, sowing may be 

 deferred until .June. My Lothians for early work are nearly 

 ready for pricking-out, and to-day I have been throwing some 

 year-old plants away, which have given a fine display, and 

 fine for cutting for the last three months. They were sown 

 in May on a gentle hotbed. — J. Weight. 



THE KITCHEN GAEDEN.— No. 8. 



Most of the preliminary work having been described, there 

 yet remains one thing to be considered before going on with 

 the formation of the walls, with which it might interfere, and 

 that is the means of conveying water. Without a good supply 

 of water no garden can be considered complete, for it is 

 essential in every department, and is a principal agent in the 

 nourishment and growth of everything cultivated in the gar- 

 den ; it is a purifier as well. 



On this, however, I will not dwell, but will proceed to the 

 consideration of the best and easiest means of obtaining a 

 supply, and conveniently carrying it to every part of the place 

 so that it may be easily and quickly distributed where wanted. 

 I hold that there is no work that will pay better for being well 

 done than this, as convenience iu this one matter is better 

 than extra labour at any time ; for carting water, whether by 

 manual labour or by horse power, is both tedious and expen- 

 sive, as well as unsatisfactory, because it is seldom that time 

 can be spared to give the crojjs a plentiful supply. I have 

 experienced this difficulty in a large establishment, where the 

 means of obtaining water appeared to have been the last con- 

 sideration instead of one of the first, and the labour of water- 

 ing was one of the largest items of expenditure for the summer 

 months. 



In the first place, wherever a garden may be situated, one of 

 the first considerations should be to provide accommodation 

 for storing all the rain water that can possibly be obtained 

 from the glass houses and other buUdings. This is believed 

 to be the best sort of water for use among plants and vege- 

 tables, and if the situation will allow of it, even the water 

 that is carried off by the drains should be allowed to accumu- 

 late in some convenient place, so as to be useful when wanted. 

 This done, it wHl be necessaiy to learn whence the regular 

 supply is to come. 



In places of large scope water is many times to be found at 

 an elevation above the gardens. This is, of course, an ad- 

 vantage, because at comparatively httle expense a plentiful 

 supply can be secured ; in others there is a lake or river within 

 a reasonable distance, and water can be sent up by hydraulic 

 rams into a large reservoir situated high enough to allow water 

 to run to anj' part of the garden. This is a more expensive 

 mode, but in many cases there is no alternative but to adopt 

 it ; it has the merit of being perfect and durable. For the 

 most part amateurs' residences are situated near towns, and 

 the above means of obtaining water will not often come within 

 their compass, consequently water is suppUed from wells dug 

 about the grounds, and the general supply provided by a water 

 company. Now, whichever of the latter two sources are 

 depended upon, it wiU be wise to have a etore of water always 



on hand, not only to become softened by the air, but in case 

 of any extra quantity being required. I know of one place in 

 Middlesex where the water for the garden is supplied from a 

 well situated in the middle. At each corner of the garden 

 there is a broad open slate tank sunk into the ground, and 

 these tanks are filled every morning, the water being con- 

 veyed to them by square wooden troughs iu convenient lengths, 

 and about 3 inches deep by 6 wide. I should think triangular 

 troughs would have done as well, and they would have been 

 cheaper, because more easily constructed and requiring less 

 material. At the well there is another large tank, which is 

 always kept filled. The garden is watered from these tanks 

 with but httle trouble ; and I should think that, from the size 

 of an amateur's garden generally, the above would be a good 

 plan to adopt, unless there is an opportunity of getting water 

 by either of the other ways named above. 



By whatever mode water is obtained, by all means let it be 

 conveniently laid on, so that at every quarter it maybe applied 

 without walking for it. If it is conveyed round the gardens iu 

 pipes underground, let there be taps fixed iu them at inter- 

 vals, so that a hose may be screwed on of sufficient length to 

 convey the water to where it is required. This plan is only 

 useful when there is a pressure of water to give it force suffi- 

 cient to carry it through the pipes. If the pressure is great 

 enough, and the pipe is fitted with a rose, the trees on the 

 walls may be conveniently syringed and the borders watered, 

 which will be an advantage in point of time and a benefit to 

 the trees. — Thomas Eecokd. 



WHAT IS EEPOSE?— No. 2. 



A WEAK point in very many gardens is a want of finish, a 

 disjointed meaningless appearance often being perceptible in 

 conspicuous parts of the dressed grounds ; and the frequent 

 attempts to remedy this evil, while tending to prove its general 

 recognition, are not often so successful as could be wished. 

 Repose is evidently wished for, but the difficulty is how to 

 impart it successfully. Take, for example, a group of shrubs 

 which, from mismanagement when the shrubs were young, pre- 

 sents 2 or 3 feet of bare stems otl'ensively to the eye. Attempts 

 to conceal this with flowers are made in summer, but with 

 indifferent results, for the flowers, starved by the greedy shrub- 

 roots, serve rather to attract attention to the deformity than to 

 conceal it. There can be no doubt that the use of flowers at 

 all in such a case is a mistake, there being as little beauty iu 

 a ragged border of flowers as in a straggling group of shrubs. 

 Far better would it be to turn our attention to the improve- 

 ment of the shrubs by judicious pruning, layering, or replant- 

 ing ; and so by bringing the group as near to perfection as 

 might be, it becomes complete in itself, and regains its legiti- 

 mate importance as an ornamental feature. 



Bare spaces under the shade and drip of trees are blemishes 

 of frequent occurrence which can be easily remedied. Plants 

 which thrive in shade are sufficiently numerous to afford ample 

 materials, not only for the concealment of defects, but for 

 imparting as much finish and beauty to retired spots as are 

 usually visible in the more prominent lawn or flower garden. 

 Ferns love the shade of trees, as everyone knows, and a secluded 

 corner or " bosky dell " suits them admirably. But it is not 

 with Ferns that we should seek to clothe bare spaces under 

 trees where turf has failed. Ivy, from its evergreen character, 

 hardy and accommodating nature, and, above all, from its 

 elegant appearance, is the best of all plants for this purpose. 

 A little extra care and culture are requisite tUl the plant is 

 established ; afterwards, when it has grown into a compact 

 mass, a trifling amount of labour will suffice to keep all neat 

 and trim. Nothing can look better than broad edgings of it 

 along shady walks ; it also clothes bare heaps or mounds with 

 perennial greenery, imparting a life and brightness, a soft and 

 quiet beauty, to many a barren spot. It is sm-prising that a 

 plant with which all are familiar should be so much neglected, 

 for it is easily propagated ; and although it thrives best in a 

 rich soU, it is perfectly healthy in a poor one. 



Frequent attempts are made to form ribbon borders along 

 the front of shrubs ; and here again the failures that occur are 

 usually caused by the poverty of the soil, or by the drip and 

 shade of overhanging trees. Wherever there is sufficient space 

 the best remedy is to continue the turf close up to the shrubs, 

 and to make a bed for the flowers a few yards in advance upon 

 the turf; by which means an agreeable contrast is produced, 

 crowding and confusion are altogether avoided, each feature 

 has full play, bearing the stamp of individuality, while a soft 



