January, igii 



THE CANADIAN HORTICULTURIST 



ly refused to live. Varieties that we see 

 only in our greenhouses grew there 

 vigorously in the open air. That fernery 

 vi^as a revelation of the possibilities of 

 the English climate. 



SOME FAMILIAR FLOWERS 



A little farther on, the glade opened 

 out sufficiently to have a wide border on 

 one side of the walk — a border which 

 curved with the walk and extended up- 

 wards (for it was rising land), into the 

 trees and shrubs. Many old friends 

 greeted the eye in this border and one 

 was introduced to many new ones. 



Great clumps of the Wood Hyacinths 

 (Scillas : Hispanica, Nutans and Patula) 

 were very lovely. They have nothing of 

 the Scilla about them in appearance, be- 

 ing like large Roman Hyacinths. They 

 come in various shades of mauve-blue, 

 pale pink and pure white, and are most 

 graceful and very well worth growing. 

 These are really the "Bluebells" of the 

 Rnelish woods, improved by cultivation. 

 Trilliums, Foam Flowers (Tiarella cordi- 

 folia), Mitre-worts (Mitella diphylla and 

 even the tiny Mitella nuda), and several 

 others of our "woodsy" things made a 

 flourishing little colony in a sheltered 

 nook under the trees. 



A ROCK GARDEN 



On one side of the wide stretch of 

 grass, which was commanded by the 

 house, lay a square, formal garden 

 some of the conventional beds of which 

 contained magnificent May flowering 

 tulips, others wallflowers, and others 

 polyanthi. Still nearer the house, a 

 path, passing through shrubbery to the 

 right, led to the rock garden, which was 

 a wonderful bit of color in its spring 

 freshness. This you could easily see was 

 the owner's chief delight. He pointed 

 out his treasures with all a connoisseur's 

 pride, and he knew the botanical name 

 and habitat of every one. Many he had 

 brought home himself from the Alps and 

 the Pyrenees and various other places, 

 some so minute that you might easily 

 overlook them, others of more imposing 

 growth. 



From the rock garden we wandered 

 into the walled garden, where the daffo- 

 dils had held high carnival a few weeks 

 before in a long. border devotea to iheir 

 sole use. These must have been a glori- 

 ous sight, for the choicest new varieties 

 were here in all their expensive — and 

 therefore exclusive - - greatness, but 

 when we saw them they were at the very 

 unattractive stage of "lying down." 

 Nectarines, apricots and peaches were 

 p;rown on the walls, and strawberries 

 and other small fruits in beds. 



Passing on, we came upon a woodland 

 path which led across the carriage drive 

 to the other side of the grounds and to 

 a wild garden where primroses and vio- 

 lets had erstwhile flourished and a 



stream wandered in and out, finally 

 broadening into a good sized lily pond, 

 bordered with graceful hedges, bulrushes 

 ind iris, with bamboos nodding their 

 heads over them. Looking through the 

 trees, one could see the deer grazing 

 peacefully in Lord Biddulph's park, 

 which appeared to be part and parcel of 



these grounds, the low lying stone wall, 

 which separated the two, not being not- 

 iceable from where we stood. Crossing 

 a rustic bridge, we came to the drive 

 once more which led past the little lodge 

 to the gate, and so back to the town after 

 a most enjoyable afternoon. 

 (To be continued.) 



5 Winter Care of Evergreen Plants for Lavrns 



Wm. Hunt, Ontario Agricultural College, Guelph 



THE class of plants that are grown 

 in large pots or tubs and are usual- 

 ly made use of temporarily in sum- 

 mer for outdoor decorative purposes 

 around the house, include many varieties. 

 Some of the most popular are the Japan- 

 ese Euonymus or Spindle tree, Nerium or 

 Oleander, Aucuba Japonica, Laurisitinus 

 (Viburnum tinus), Myrtle and Bay trees. 

 Orange and Lemon trees, and the Eng- 

 lish ivy. 



Too often in winter these plants are 

 stood away in some hot dry room or in a 

 dark furnace heated cellar, where they 

 get very little attention. The soil in the 

 pot or tubs is often allowed to get dust 

 dry and remain so for a long period. This 

 treatment, if it does not kill the plant, 

 usually results in the foliage becoming so 

 withered and rusty looking before spring 

 that the plant is useless as a decorative 

 plant, until the top growth has been cut 

 back and allowed to start into fresh 

 growth. 



The best place to keep the plants in 

 winter is in a cool part of the greenhouse, 

 or a greenhouse lobby, in a temperature 

 of about 40 degrees at night and 55 de- 

 grees in the day time. A shaded position 

 where the hot sun does not strike them is 

 best, as they do not require much sun- 

 light in winter, the hot sun — especially 

 toward spring — often burning or scald- 

 ing the foliage. Next to a greenhouse, 

 the vestibule or porch of a dwelling house 

 will suit them, or' a cool room or a light 

 basement or cellar, or even a light root 

 cellar. 



IMPORTANT POINTS 

 The main point to consider in winter- 

 ing these plants is to keep them in about 

 the temperature before mentioned and as 

 far away as possible from hot, dry, arti- 

 ficial heat. Keep them where the foliage 

 can be sprayed occasionally with clear 

 water. Spraying the leaves every week 

 or two is of great benefit in keeping down 

 red spider and thrip that sometimes at- 

 tack these plants where the atmosphere 

 around them is of a dry, arid nature. The 

 cooler the temperature beyond actual 

 freezing, the less need there will be of 

 spraying. In spraying, the water should 

 be applied mainly to the under side of 

 the leaves, as this is the part of the leaf 

 they attack. The pests mentioned are 

 very destructive in a dry atmosphere and 

 will soon denude the plant of leaves if not 



checked. Spraying under pressure is 

 the best remedy and preventive for their 

 attacks. 



The soil in the pots or tubs should be 

 kept well moist but not soddened ; it 

 should never be allowed to get in a dust- 

 dry condition, or the foliage will suffer. 

 When water is given, give sufficient to 

 moisten all the soil and then withhold 

 water until the soil shows signs of dry- 

 ness again. This is better than applying 

 a small quantity of water more frequently, 

 that perhaps only moistens an inch or so 

 of the soil and quickly evaporates, the 

 lower roots getting no moisture at all. 



INSECT PESTS 



In addition to the red spider and thrip 

 before mentioned, the other pests that 

 trouble these plants are the scale insect 

 and the mealy bug. The scale is a small 

 white or whitish brown insect that at- 

 taches itself to the leaves and stems of 

 the plant. The mealy bug is of a whitish 



Two Flowers 



The smaller of these two flowers was grown by 

 Miss Helen Dargavel, Elgin, Ont., and wuighad 

 fourteen and one-quarter pounds. 



