730 GARDEN MANAGEMENT. 



atmosphere. Of trees, the plane, whicli sheds its bark annually, and the 

 poplar in its different varieties, are decidedly the best where the air is most 

 charged with soot. 



2280. Besides chrysanthemums, as we learn from Mr. Broome, a very fair 

 display may be obtained throughout the year of other hardy flowers which will 

 thrive in London smoke, and may be grown with success in most of the squares 

 and small gardens in large cities and towns. And to those persons who take 

 an interest in the vegetable kingdom, and wish to grow a few plants or trees 

 for ornament in confined places, to save them unnecessary expense in pur- 

 chasing what will not grow, I here give my thirty years' practical experience 

 of what I have found to succeed, and keep up a succession of flowers through 

 the year. As a winter flower, the Christmas rose (Helleborus niger) does very 

 well. Snowdrops, too, bloom very freely. Next come the crocus and tulips 

 of difi"erent colom-s : these do remarkably well, and if planted in October, in 

 beds or good-sized patches, will, in March or April, make quite a show, and 

 form a pleasing mixture with the common primrose. 



2281. "In the middle of February sow round the crocuses a good quantity of 

 Virginian stock, pui-ple and white alternately : the leaf of the crocus shelters 

 the young stock from the frost and cold March winds ; and when the crocus 

 has done blooming, either cut the leaves off or twist them round, and give 

 them a tie to allow the Virginian stock fair play. This comes in succession 

 to the crocus, and when sown in large patches in beds, has a very pretty effect. 

 I generally plant a large quantity of the common wallflower, choosing the 

 darkest varieties. These flower a long time, and smell very sweet. They 

 should be planted rather deep, and require a good quantity of water, or they 

 soon flag. The gladiolus is a very excellent bulb for town borders, if planted 

 in ]\Iarch in a sti'ong loam, leaf-mould, and rotten dung, and plenty of water 

 when the hot weather sets in. The daffodil and narcissus do very well Next 

 come the white candytuft and the yellow alyssum, which bloom at the same 

 time. These strike from cuttings in the summer, and keep in a cold frame all 

 the winter. Next come the Iris germanica and the rocket. Daisies and 

 heartsease do well, and flower a long time. The calceolaria does exceedingly 

 well, and flowers all the summer. Cuttings of these should be put in a cold 

 frame in October, and merely require the frost to be kept from them. I peg 

 them down like verbenas, instead of stopping them. The result of this is, 

 that I obtain an earlier bloom : they throw out their laterals quite as well, and 

 the wind is prevented from breaking them off. . . . When it is very hot, throw 

 round the roots a little mulch or mould, to keep their flowers from drooping. 

 Intermediate stocks do very well, and flower all the summer : these I sow 

 in September, under a hand-glass. When old enough, prick out three or four 

 plants in No. 48 pots, in a com^Dost of loam and a little rotten dung, taking 

 care they do not get too much wet. In November put them in cold frames for 

 the wintei', never watering except they flag, and plant out in February, as 

 they will bear a little frost. Scarlet geraniums do very well. The Ageratum 

 mexicanum does very well. I put in cuttings in October, which I manage to 



