September 30, U75. ) 



JOUKNAL OF UORTICULTUaE AND COTTAGE GARDENEB. 



201 



distinct white centres surrounded with bands of violet and 

 crimson. Those are excellent examples of an admirable strain. 



A USEFDL GARDEN BROOM. 



The best broom that has come under my notice for sweep- 

 ing lawns and gravel drives is one that is very much used 

 in this locality. One man can do more with one of these 

 brooms than two can with the old garden besom, and it can 

 be made by any garden labourer. I will describe, for the 

 benefit of those who may not have seen them, the way they 

 are made. 



In the first place procure a strong handle about 5 feet long, 

 and saw it down the middle the same way that the haymaking 

 rakes are made. The forks should be about 18 inches long, 

 and be pressed open about (i inches wide at the points. Now 

 take two pieces of light wood about an inch square, and place 

 one on each side at the points of the tines. Next put two 

 nails sufficiently long to reach through both cross pieces and 

 the tines, then put a nail through each end of the cross 

 pieces, and that will keep all in its place. This frame will 

 last for many years, and all that will be required wUl be 

 to replace the old twigs of birch with new twigs as they are 

 wanted. 



It will be easily understood that the twigs are to be placed 

 between the two cross pieces, and be tied firmly, as the work 

 proceeds, to the framework. The brooms can be made light 

 or heavy, according to the work they have to do. It would 

 want making a httle heavier for sweepiug-up grass mowings. 

 It is an excellent tool for that purpose, and cannot be beaten. 

 When completed the broom is the shape of a fan. — H. 



BOURNEMOUTH, ITS SCENERY AND 

 VEGETATION.— No. 2. 



In my last communication I noted some of the characteris- 

 tics of this district. I will now take a survey of the Rhodo- 

 dendrons, which in some of the older enclosures have been 

 planted rather extensively and are doing well. The public 

 garden in the valley is well furnished with them. Several 

 beds of the choicest kinds had been planted, and as care was 

 taken to furnish them with more of the peaty substance than 

 the site they were planted on afforded, I expect when flower- 

 ing time comes round they will be found gay, and at the same 

 time robust as well. I may add that in the planting of the 

 park or garden alluded to care had also been taken to in- 

 troduce trees and shrubs with variegated foliage, and those 

 who know how well the Acer negnndo variegata comes out 

 under such circumstanc»s can judge how well it was doing here. 

 Mixed with or standing partly in front of other shrubs, its 

 light airy appearance casts a charm about it which the other 

 surroundings did much to set off. A variegated Dogwood was 

 also used now and then to the same effect. Less sparingly, 

 because more slow in growth, was the Golden and Silver- 

 edged Hollies, both of which, however, as well as the other 

 kinds, were planted in various places, and now and then a very 

 nice ilolly hedge was met with, of the value and beauty of 

 which it is needless to descant. 



Trees are not numerous. On a fully exposed bluff next to 

 the sea I noticed Pinus Picea doing pretty well, much better 

 than Cupressus Lawsoniaua, which does not seem suited for 

 the very edge of the coast, although it was thriving remark- 

 ably well a short way inland. Other trees at half a mile from 

 the water, and sheltered by the friendly Scotch Fir, were also 

 doing well ; notably so was Cedrus deodara and a very promis- 

 ing Cupressus macrocarpa or Lambertiana, while I was told 

 the Wellingtonia only did well for a short time and then 

 seemed to go oft. More promising seemed the somewhat 

 capricious Cryptomeria japonica, which in places looked all 

 that could be wished for, while in others it was yellow and 

 sickly and evidently not at home. Deciduous trees were but 

 poorly represented ; in fact, their absence would seem to 

 deprive the district of that appearance of autumn which they 

 so forcibly call to mind elsewhere. I think such tress ought to 

 predominate, but in the case before us this cannot well be for 

 some years at least. Scotch Firs are there, and may either 

 be made use of or destroyed, and the man would be very 

 reckless who destroyed a tree of fifty years' growth to plant 

 one that is uncertain to grow; and as we all know that Nature 

 favours the growth of deciduous trees in districts where they 

 are likely to grow, we may rest assured that if Elm, Ash, 



Beech, Oak and the like had a liking for a soil and situation 

 that hag not evidently benefited much by cultivation until 

 the commencement of the present century they would have 

 been there, but as it is they are only conspicuous by their 

 absence. 



One tree I was, however, glad to see had been introduced 

 with good effect, and that was the Birch, and that, too, in a 

 place where it is but seldom mot with — viz., the graveyard, and 

 one yielding to none that I am acquainted with for beauty of 

 site and copious adornment, not in architectural design, but 

 in trees and shrubs, the sculptural embellishment being less 

 imposing but always good ; in fact I believe I am speaking 

 within bounds when I say that nine-tenths of them were white 

 marble, and that there were at least halt a dozen fairly grown 

 trees for one tombstone. Most of the graves are neatly orna- 

 mented with flowers, some growing, others in a cut state and 

 frequently replaced, suitable paths winding amongst them; 

 and with the white marble crosses and low kerbstones of the 

 same material surrounding the sacred spot, the whole exempt 

 from the soot and other polluting influences common in large 

 towns, presented to view a charm not easily forgotten. The 

 church, which occupied a platform at the bottom, had a good 

 breadth of close-shaven lawn unoccupied all around it, the 

 whole having that air of repose becoming a place of the kind. 

 I noticed the Birch tree had been judiciously planted and was 

 doing well, also the sombre hues of the Scotch Fir were not 

 wanting to give appropriate effect to the enclosure. Other 

 trees had also been planted and were doing well. 



It will hardly be expected that other shrubs and trees not 

 mentioned above were not to be met with in a place where 

 wealth abounds and so much is done for outward display, for 

 common and Portugal Laurels met one at every corner, yet 

 not in so vigorous a condition as to indicate they were quite 

 at home. Laurustinuses were better, yet not so good as I have 

 met with them elsewhere, and I do not remember seeing a 

 good specimen of Sweet Bay, but Cotoneasters were quite at 

 home, and ran over banks in the manner peculiar to them- 

 selves. Eseallonia macrantha seemed also to do remarkably 

 well, flowering with all the vigour of a Fuchsia; and I may add, 

 when there seemed depth of soil, the Fuchsia did well also. 

 The pretty fruiting Pernettya mucronata seemed to thrive like 

 a weed, as also did one or two Euonymuses, but'they were more 

 sparingly planted than I expected. The same may be said of 

 Euscns aculeatus and E. racemosus ; the latter, by-the-by, I 

 have never seen in robust growth anywhere, and looked for it 

 in the mild climate of the south coast. The different species 

 of cultivated Heaths could not do otherwise than look well 

 where the wild one is so coiumon, and double Furzs I was 

 told invariably did well, which might be expfcted when the 

 common one is met with wild in so many places. Berberig 

 Fortunii and aquifolium cropped-up frequently, but neither so 

 good as is often met with ; but Box, including the Balearica 

 species, was in good force, and the ever-recurring Broom, than 

 which, perhaps, nothing presents a brighter tint when in flower, 

 was to be met with on the banks and steep slopes running down 

 to salt water, vieing in that respect with the Tamarisk and wild 

 Heath in its capability of withstanding the spray; while one 

 plant that seemed the most prominent on the nortlx-westeni 

 coast was scarcely to be met with hero--that was the Willow. 

 In fact, at Bournemouth deciduous trees seemed less patronised 

 than they merit. The same may be said, in a great measure, 

 of deciduous-flowering shrubs ; for although occasional speci- 

 mens might now and then be seen, their numbers as compared 

 with their evergreen brethren were few indeed. 



I have said that most of the buildings were of two or more 

 coloured kinds of brick enriched in every manner the material 

 is capable of, and great diversity can be made with these 

 materials ; and as each house was usually seated amongst trees 

 and shrubs, creepers against the building had in most cases 

 been dispensed with, and properly too ; but now and then we 

 could see that trelliswork as screens wore more or less covered 

 with Clematis, Ivy, Roses, and the like, the first-named of 

 which seemed to do remarkably well, and on more than one 

 occasion it might be seen rambling over the ground in rich 

 profusion of flower. Flower beds of thefashiouablo class were 

 frequently met with, but these were more under the form of a 

 border margining the approach to the residence, as the anxiety 

 for a plot of plain turf seemed so great that small beds were not 

 much met with. Geraniums, Verbenas, and especially Lobelias, 

 were duly represented ; and with the ever-present (there as 

 well as elsewhere) Golden Pyrethrum a good display was kept 

 up. In the nursery of Mr. Enoch White on the Holdenhurst 



