BASKETS. 



40 



BEANS. 



the midst of town smoke and dust glass 

 cases become absolutely necessary, 



Baskets, Planting. 



In planting a basket, if it is to be filled 

 with ordinary soft-wooded flowering plants, 

 that is, geraniums, verbenas, petunias, &c. , 

 the soil ought to be two-thirds loam to one 

 of very rotten dung or leaf-mould, and a 

 little sand. If planted with ferns or hard- 

 wooded plan-ts, as Myoporum parvifolium, 

 Monochatun a/pestre t pultenceas, and the 

 like, the soil should be one half turfy loam 

 and one half-peat, using rather more sand 

 than for the freer-growing plants. To 

 those who are not acquainted with soils, it 

 may be worth while to observe that good 

 loam is of a yellowish hue, and feels soft 

 and silky to the touch ; it is usually the top 

 spit of meadow land, while peat is obtained 

 in places where heath grows wild. 



Baskets, Plants of Trailing 

 Habit for. 



The best plants for suspending in baskets 

 are fuchsias of a pendulous habit, ivy- 

 Itaved geraniums, petunias, and verbenas, 

 which are of rich and varied colours. 

 Saxifraga sarmcntosa, of variegated foliage 

 aii-1 pretty trailing hal>it ; Disandra pros- 

 trata, with pretty yellow musk-like flowers. 

 The common musk is also a very suitable 

 plant ; if a bit is planted in the centre, or 

 some small pieces pricked about the surface, 

 it will soon spread out and hang down the 

 sides. The common Creeping Jenny, or 

 Moneywort (Lysimackia numinularia}, 

 does well and is effective ; also the trailing 

 snapdragon (Linaria cymbalaria), which 

 vill soon cover a basket and look very 

 pwlty. 



Basket-Beds in Flower Gar- 

 dens. 



Basket -beds, especially upon lawns, form 

 a very effective garden ornament. They 



are constructed with a raised base of wood, 

 iron, brick, stone, or wicker-work, covered 

 with ivy or other creeping plant, and 

 generally having one or two rims bent over 

 at a certain elevation above the bed, to 

 convey the idea of a basket. Of course, 

 the rims or handles are also enwreathed 

 with climbing plants, and the whole have 

 often a most fascinating and graceful 

 appearance. Where they have two 

 handles, the basket might be furnished 

 with four distinct colours, thus : orange, 

 blue, scarlet, white, dividing the basket 

 transversely ; or the colours may be dis- 

 posed in rings, if the beds be large enough, 

 in the order named. 



Beans. 



Beans, like peas, can be sown in 

 November, where the soil is light, well 

 drained, and well sheltered ; where the 

 ground is heavy, they may be raised in a 

 pit or name oy sowing three in a 4-inch 



SEVILLB LONG-POD BEAN. 



pot, and planted out in March ; but if the 

 soil is cold, and no conveniences are at 

 hand for starting in pots, they may be sown 

 in the following manner : Let the ground 

 be laid in ridges 3 feet wide, and 15 or id 



