TROPyEOLUM. 



520 



TROWEL. 



for bedding purposes they are excellent, 

 especially when of dwarf habit. When 

 used for bedding, the trailing varieties 

 should be regularly and carefully pegged 

 down, interlacing the shoots, and occa- 



TROP^EOLUM LOBBIANUM. 



sionally removing the large leaves. In 

 pleasure grounds, where the beds are some- 

 times protected with fancy wire-work 

 against the depredations of rabbits and 

 hares, the tropaeolums are invaluable for 

 covering it, as they grow rapidly, are easily 

 trained, and continue flowering the whole 

 summer and autumn. 



Nothing further need be said about the 

 ordinary outdoor varieties, the seed of 

 which may be procured from any seeds- 

 man, producing flowers of all shades from 

 the palest straw colour, through orange and 

 red of different depths of tint to a dark, 

 rich reddish brown. For outdoor use, for 

 covering trellises, summer-houses, &c. , 

 Tropaolum Lobbiamim, T. ma/us, and T. 

 peregrinum are especially desirable ; and it 

 may be added that T. Lobbianum blooms 

 beautifully through the winter months in 

 the greenhouse or' conservatory, so that 

 where cut flowers are in demand they will 



be found an invaluable acquisition. It will 

 grow freely in light rich soil. 



There are tuberous-rooted varieties of 

 the Tropseolum, such as T. azurium, with 

 azure-blue flowers, and T. tricolorum, with 

 orange-scarlet flowers, tipped with black, 

 which are only suited for greenhouse cul- 

 ture. 



Trowel. 



This is a tool that no one can possibly do 

 without, as it is frequently required both in 

 planting and transplanting and in potting. 

 It consists of a shovel-shaped blade, with 

 the sides turned up, so as to better hold 

 and retain anything that may be taken up 

 in it. A bent neck, with a tang to it, is 

 riveted to the top of the blade in the centre, 

 the tang being inserted in a neatly turned 

 handle, with a ring round the part at the 

 entrance of the tang to prevent splitting. 

 Garden trowels, as shown in Fig. I, are 

 classified as " light," "strong," and "best," 

 and are made in sizes of 5, 6, 7, and 8 

 inches in length. The fern trowel is 

 longer than the ordinary garden trowel, and 



TROP-dSOLUM PEREGRINUM. 



the blade is also curved from top to point, 

 is shown in Fig. 2. They are made in one 



