294 



POPULAR GARDENING. 



September, 



luUer or richer ilevelopmeut of the essential 

 leading features, simply softening what is hard, 

 elothinj? what is bare, filling out what is meagei-, 

 and enriching what is beautiful, all in harmony 

 with the original type. He will thus avoid all ; 

 novel conceits, all conspicuous eccentricities, all 

 incongruous intrusions, and be guided by his 

 understanding of the laws of nature as enacted 

 by the ruling Divinity of the scene, and his sym- 

 pathy with them. 



I lay special stress on this fundamental prin- 

 ciple, because it seems to be so commonly over- 

 looked or ignored in ordinary landscape garden- 

 ing. In fact the very opposite rule is followed 

 in much work that is done, and the result receives 

 much popular approval. It is a common thing 

 to value the decorative work on any given site in 

 general proportion to the degi-ee in which it is 

 obviously artiflcial, new or peculiar. This un- 

 fortunate fashion seems to pervade every branch 

 of landscape work. Instead of the artificial be- 

 ing subordinated to the natural, it is made 

 specially prominent, and in some cases it even 

 becomes the ' be all and end all ' of the scene. 

 For instance drives and walks are made unneces- 

 .earily broad, or sinuous or prominent, or in- 

 trude where not needed. A sharp ten-ace is 

 formed mainly to display its bold lines, or a 

 channel is dug for an artiflcial runnel, to give 

 occasion for introducing a bridge. Summer 

 houses, arbors, rockeries, pools, fountain basins, 

 and .lets (usually dry), clumps of trees and shrubs, 

 or beds of flowers and foliage plants, are stuck 

 around promiscuously in conspicous sites, with- 

 out any fitting relation to the natural conditions 

 of the landscape. 



A common phase of the same taste is shown 

 in the popularity of the class of plants which 

 propagators call 'sports.' This includes that 

 numerous list which pads out the pages of most i 

 catalogues, the endless varieties with the leaves 

 abnormally shaped or colored, or with a droop- 

 ing or contorted or dwarfed habit of growth. 

 Nearly all the plants of this class are less hardy 

 and vigorous and healthy than the normal type. 

 It is probable that their peculiarities in color 

 or habit are due to some unhealthy condition of 

 the sap or defect in the channels of circulation. 

 But in spite of this relatively weak growth, 

 sickly color or deformed shape they are all 

 popular favorites. The paler and feebler and 

 more distorted the growth, the more they 

 are liked and petted and pampered. A few of 

 the best of this class may be sparingly planted as 

 foils or specimens or curiosities merely, but 

 never in proportions to rival those of the true 

 type of each species. For general use the natural 

 color an(l^hape are more pleasing and satifactory, 

 not onlyTJecause more vigorous and durable, but 

 also because they are in accord with the true 

 ( irder of nature, while the others are not. Nature 

 in fact disowns her ' freaks ' of this sort by the 

 general sterility of such offspring. Their repro- 

 duction depends wholly on artiflcial propaga- 

 tions. It were better to let them all die a natural 

 death than to treat them as if they were nature's 

 finest productions. Her sanction to their con- 

 tinued existence is given only when the seed if 

 produced at all is true to the parent. 



The variation of plants under domestication 

 is no doubt a part of the true economy of nature. 

 When the otEspring is equally healthy, hardy and 

 comely as the parent or type, the propagation of 

 the new forms may be desirable. But why should 

 we rescue from their natural fate of extinction 

 so many variations that have defective \itality 

 or some constitutional deformity. For example, 

 most of our so-called ' weeping ' trees are of 

 this class. In the Weeping Willow, White Birch 

 and others, where the young twigs are long 

 and slender, the pendant spray is natural and 

 pleasing to the eye. But where the downward 

 growth is apparently due to some constitutional 

 kink, as in the Weeping Ash or Mountain Ash. 



the general aspect of the tree gives a painful 

 impression that it is making a prolonged effort 

 to recover from some crushing accident. A 

 similar unpleasant feeling is aroused at seeing 

 the healthy green, so natural to all foliage in the 

 growing state, becoming blanched with white, 

 .iaundiced with yellow or livid with purple. It is 

 fortunate that plants, notwithstanding much 

 cruel treatment by cultivators never become 

 subject to a ' fit of the blues.' If by some violent 

 medication or heroic surgery our 'professors of 

 plant propagation' could produce blue leaves 

 their triumph would be complete, and the new 

 color in foliage would at once lead all the rest in 

 popular favor. 



The pre\alent fashion of using plants with 

 leaves of unnatural hues is most strongly shown 

 in the rapid rise and wide extension of this prac- 

 tice for decorative work in gardens and lawns. 

 'Carpet bedding' and ' ribbon gardening' have 

 become an important branch of the gardener's 

 work, and even of the florists. The trade of the 

 commercial florist in foliage plants is probably 

 greater than in plants grown for the flower 

 garden. Though this is a society of florists, it is 

 quite probable that their interest in landscape 

 gardening is due more to this class of foliage 

 plants than to old-fashioned garden flowers. The 

 proper fitting and furnishing of the flower garden 

 or rather the new foliage garden and its relation 

 to adjacent grounds are therefore to you the 

 most important parts of my subject. 



What then are the ruling principles which 

 should govern in the decorative work of a gar- 

 den? In this as in all other things there can be 

 no absolute standard of taste. Personal prefer- 

 ences will vary as the early associations and later 

 education of each individual may vary. But 

 good taste has certain recognized canons by 

 which it may in a general way be judged. There 

 are some fundamental principles accepted by 

 the common consent of the community because 

 in accordance with common sense. On strictly 

 private estates where chiefly the eye of the 

 owner is to be gratified he may ride to his heart's 

 content any hobby that may please him. But in 

 places exposed largely to the public eye as in 

 ordinary villa grounds, suburban gardens, and 

 public parks, it is well to have some respect for 

 long established usage, and conform more or 

 less to the general customs of the time and place. 

 Novel ideas will be introduced modestly and not 

 generally adopted till they have stood the test of 

 the fullest criticism. This means more than the 

 ready applause of the populace which daring 

 j novelty is sure to elicit ; more than the hotbed 

 stimulus of a fleeting fashion, howe%'er iiopular 

 j for a time. Some of these leading principles 

 which should guide the landscape gardener may 

 here be briefly stated. 



Flowers and showy foliage being professedly 

 used for ornament should of course occupy the 

 choicest site of the home grounds. The work 

 being necessarily formal and artificial, there 

 will be no incongruity in the close proximity of 

 rigid lines; and the dwelling house may be as 

 near as well best suit the general convenience in 

 the use and enjoyment of the garden. The na- 

 ture and extent of the collection will of course 

 vary with the taste and means of the owner. 

 The finer the design, and the greater the variety 

 of plants the better, so long as there is ample 

 room for all in fitting proportion to the intrinsic 

 merit of each kind, and to the general plan of 

 the whole garden. It is well not to make any 

 ambitious or pretentious display unless it can be 

 easily and willingly kept in perfect order at all 

 times. The immediate setting or surrounding 

 of the garden should be in keeping with the 

 central design. It is poor taste to make a gaudy 

 show of fine flowers or bright foliage it adjacent 

 grounds are seedy and weedy. It is equally bad 

 taste to intrude such plants in formal masses 

 into outlying portions of the gi'ounds mainly de- 



voted to other uses. Even on the ordinary lawn 

 the quiet repose of the green sward may be dis- 

 turbed by some garish mass of high colors. The 

 discord is equally great when formal beds of 

 like character are scattered along the lawn bor- 

 der amid irregular groups of shrubbery. This 

 incongruity lasts the year round, for after the 

 tender exotics die or are removed, the bald plots 

 look equally foreign to turf and copice. A 

 lawn is one thing, a flower garden another. Grass 

 has recently supplanted gravel in the garden, 

 thanks to the lawn mower. But only in city lots 

 can the plants be properly in such relative pro- 

 proportions to the turt' as to convey the idea of 

 both garden and lawn. 



In furnishing the flower garden the selection 

 of plants has radically changed with the intro- 

 duction of 'carpet bedding.' Old fashioned 

 flowers are now at a discount, and in fact all 

 kinds of flowers unless the color be intense, or 

 strongly variegated or blotched. Delicate tints 

 and shadings or fine perfume are of little account. 

 What is wanted is color only, and color that will 

 strike the eye a long way off, and even then it 

 must be set in large masses to have the much 

 desired dazzling effect. Quantity, brilliancy, od- 

 dity, novelty, are the chief attractions. The in- 

 dividual plant is nothing, the effect in mass or in 

 combination is everything. In foliage plants 

 high color, strong contrast, and fanciful figures 

 in design receive the most favor. The individuals 

 are ruthlessly snubbed and pinched to hide the 

 true character of the plant and show forth the 

 art of the planter. 



(To be Continued.) 



New York Market Quotations, 

 Showing Tendencies. 



Week ending Week eu<tiDg 



Aug. 21, 

 Apples— G,-avensteiu, per l3hl... 2 25@2 75 



Astrachan, per bbl 



Alexander, per bbl 2 50®3 OU 



Pippin, per bbl 1 :5®2 50 



Peaches— Qa.. per :^to-bu. box... 



M<1. and Del. per crate 75@1 25 



Jerst^y, per basket 3Ci(5jl 50 



Grapes, Del. Southern, per lb.. 



8® 12 

 4® 6 

 2® 3 



Concord, Southern. per lb.. 

 Champ & Ives, South'n. p. lb. 

 Up-river ChampioD, per lb... itff,' o 

 Up-river Delaware, per lb... l(j@ 2U 



Pears Oa., Le Conte, per bbl 2 0004 00 



Bell, per bbl 



Bartlett, per bbl I 75®3 00 



Clapp's Favorite, per bbl.... 2(O@3 00 



Cooking, perbhl 1 20(32 00 



Plums-Egg, per bbl 3 50@4 50 



Green Gage, per bbl 3 50®4 50 



Lombard, per bbl 2 50®3 00 



Common, per bbl 2 00®2 50 



Huckleberrle-s- Jersey, qt 4@ 5 



Mt. per qt 4® 5 



Watermelons, per 100 18 00®28 00 



Muskmelons, Southern, per bbl. 



New Jersey, per bbl 50®1 50 



Harkcnsack, per bbl 2 00® 2 50 



Apples— Evap'fd. pr. to fancy.. 5^-a6 OO 



Evap't'd, common 4^® 5^^ 



Evaporated N. C, sliced 3 ® 3Ji 



Evap. State, quarters, 1888. .. 3 @4 

 Evap. Ohio and Mich., qrs... S>^® AH 



Evap. Chopped, per lb 2^® 3M 



Evap. cores and skius l}^@ 2 



Peaches— Del.,evap't'd.peeled'88 u® 15 

 Del., evap't'd, uiipeeled '88. . R @ 6}^ 

 North Carolina, peeled fancy 



Southern, unpeeled 



Ga. peeled, 1889 1'2® 14 



Ga. uupeeled, 188H 7® 8 



Raspberries— evap't'd '89 @ 20 



Suudried 1889 



Cherries— Evap., per lb 10® 11>^ 



Huckleberries— Evap 



Plums— Evap , State 



South Damson, per lb,, 



Blackberries— 1888, Evap 3 ® 4 



Potatoes— L. I., bulk per bbl 1 75®2 00 



Southern 



Jersey, per bbl 1 25@1 75 



Sweet Potatoes, Va., per bbl. 3 00@3 75 



Cabbage-L. I., per 100 1 50®2 00 



Egg Plant, Jersey, per bbl 2 U0®3 00 



Corn, per 100 76®1 50 



Cucumbers, Long Island, per 100. 75@1 00 



Pickles, per 1,000 125@150 



Lima Beans, per bag I 50@1 75 



Onions— Egyptian, "J 0-lb. bag... 



State Yellows, per bbl 1 50® 



Western, per bbl 50<sl 25 



Squash— Long Island, per bbl . . 75e'.l 00 

 Tomatoes— Jersey, per crate — 35C'; 50 

 Turnips- Jersey, Russian, p. bbl. fc 75 



Aug. 7. 

 2 00®2 25 



1 75®2 -25 



2 00®3 50 

 I 5U®2 25 



75® 1 -25 

 60®15O 

 :i5@l DO 

 .5® 10 



2® i 



3 0O®4 

 2 50@3 

 2 00®3 

 2 50®.'} 

 150® 



5® * 



8@ 9 



7 00®18 0O 



50®3 5O 



100-2 00 



5H® « . 

 4M® 5Ji 

 3 ®3>t 

 3 ®3H. 

 3 ®4 

 2M®3 



11 ® 15 

 5 ® 6 



13 



10®n>4 



5®5J^ 

 3 ®4 

 150®2 0O 

 1 50®1 75. 



300 4 00 



150®3 0O 



3<l0®4 0i> 



75®1'25 



40® 50 



150®-235 

 175®2 00 

 1 75®2 0U 

 1 50(3.1 75 



> 7.V9I a» 



:20® 50 

 ® 7& 



END OF 



VOL. IV. 



