33S 



JOTJRXAL OP HORTICULTUEE AND COTTAGE GAUDENEK. 



[ May 2, 1865. 



very good deep rosy crimson self, was shown by Mr. Wig- 

 gins ; and a white-flowered Hydrangea japonica by Messrs. 

 a. G. Henderson, who received a fii-st-class certificate for it, 

 also hybrid Verbena Ariel, with rosy lilac flowers, and which, 

 being of very dwarf habit, is likely to be useful for bedding. 

 Aubrietia grxca, with pretty purplish-lilac flowers, exhibited 

 by Mr. Thompson, of Ipswich, received a first-class certifi- 

 cate ; and a similar award was made to Mr. Turner for his red 

 Bougainvillaea and for Fancy Pelargonium Sunrise. Lastly, 

 some well-filled flower-vases were shown by Miss Williams,. 

 of HoUoway, and the Conifers exhibited before the last 

 Floral Committee at Kensington by Mr. Ayres, of Biggles- 

 wade. 



The conservatory, we may add, was gay "With Azaleas and 

 other flowering plants, whilst the grounds were in their 

 usual good keeping. 



SALT ATPLIED IN EXCESS. 



Having last winter a quantity of waste salt, sweepings of 

 a bacon store, I had it spread over the kitchen garden and 

 two empty beds on the lawn intended for summer bedding 

 plants, and a nice mess it has made. The first sowing of 

 Peas came up only in patches. I find where missed lots of 

 round bits of rotten pulp. The second sowing is not up 

 after four weeks, and I find them green and whole, some 

 germinated, others not, but very salt. Of other seeds there 

 are no signs as yet, but the weather has been extremely dry 

 and hot. 



The two flower-beds not being needed until May, I sowed 

 with annuals to lift into the borders to replace bulbs, &c., 

 or to be pulled up when interfering with bedding plants, 

 these seeds have not appeared. They consisted of Clark ias, 

 Nemophilas, Candytufts, &c., though some seeds sown else- 

 where have nearly all appeared. 



What should I do ? Will the salt hurt Verbenas, Gera- 

 niums, and Calceolarias, put in next month ? May I expect 

 rain, if it ever will rain as in the good old times in these 

 parts, to wash the injurious excess of salt down out of the way 

 of doing mischief? In the hope of this having been some- 

 what accomplished already, I have resown Peas in the same 

 ground, for I believe the salt was liberally spread over all the 

 unoccupied space of the kitchen garden. Peas, Parsnips, 

 Carrots, Onions, Eadishes, &c., are possibly all killed, per- 

 haps not. Do you think it likely ? In any case I am not 

 likely to try another experiment of the sort. I intended 

 the centre of a bed for a very fine large Cineraria maritima. 

 I suppose the salt will not hurt that.- — Peettt Pickle. 



[You remind us of a farmer whom we knew in Essex, who 

 tried salt as a manure for Potatoes. He put in the sets by 

 means of a dibble, and then had the holes filled with salt. 

 His Potatoes shared the fate of your Peas, ic. As a manure 

 salt should not be applied at the rate of more than twenty 

 bushels per acre ; but even that we consider an excess. Ten 

 bushels applied to that space annually is far preferable. 

 The heavy rains of the year will probably wash down the 

 excess in your soil, but we would not trust to that. Wo 

 would trench the ground fully two spits deep, bringing the 

 lower spit to the surface. We would not try even Cineraria 

 maritima in a soil so pickled until it was trenched as we 

 have advised. — Ers.] 



MY PLANTS, 



AND HOW AND WHERE I FOUKD THENf.-No. 2. 



" What ! March again I " 



** Ay, wilb all ppefd. I hrtto the crowded tonnl 

 I cannot tjrpathc hhut up wllhin (t« (ta'fs. 

 Air,— I want nlr, and snn^liinc, and blue pky. 

 The fet-ltnK of the brre/e upon my face. 

 The fcclln(f of the turf i)fticatli niy f^-ot, 

 And no Wiilln but 'lie far-ofTmonntaln.top*. 

 Then I am frca and alronc— once more myself." 



Before I ttarted upon my expedition, I armed myself 

 'with three most necessary adjuncts — a large basket, such na 

 they make in Stafibrdshire, and which are both pretty and 

 strong ; a trowel for the more obstinate roots, and, perhaps, 

 lather a novel implement to my botanical readers, but which 

 answered my porpoee admirably for extracting the more 



delicate Ferns from between the loose stones of which these 

 walls are made — a huge screw-driver ! This may provoke a 

 laugh from the theoretical, but not from the practical 

 botanist who has sought to disengage, gently and carefully, 

 the tiny fibres of the delicate Perns which cling to, and 

 insert themselves between stones, which, pUed one upon 

 another in many places in North Stafibrdshire, form an in- 

 expensive and durable protection to the fields or roadside. 

 The varied and numerous recesses thus formed shelter many 

 a fragile plant. 



There are two pieces of wall near the village of TJppe* 

 Team, which are fuU of the loveliest specimens of Lastrea 

 Filix-mas possible. I feel most culpable when I think of 

 the ruthless manner in which I extracted root after root 

 from this natural fernery ; but I was constantly fancying 

 some new and wonderful discovery was in store for me in 

 this hide-and-seek home of fairy plants. As with that 

 " faire " lady of the old, old time, temptation was strong, 

 and like her I thought that to possess was to be made wise, 

 like her, I, also, was doomed to disappointment, the speci- 

 mens being immature fronds of Lastrea Filix-mas in every 

 stage of development, and merely varying in size or form 

 according to the sterility or fruitl'alness of the soil from which 

 they sprung ; and here I may mention how much anxiety, 

 disappointment, and trouble these aforesaid Ferns give the 

 tyro in botany. Their innumerable freaks, theu' change 

 of shape, feature, and size, although really belonging to the 

 same family would warrant the belief that they were the 

 descendants of old Proteus. The Athyrium FUix-foemina, 

 or Lady Fern, is, perhaps, one of the most capricious ; but 

 whatever form it takes each variety has some peculiar beauty. 

 How often has my husband, ever anxious to bestow pleasure, 

 been saddened in his eagerness to present me with some 

 new specimen, by my sorrowful decision that it was only a 

 variety of " those deceitful Filix-foeminas." I have found 

 very decided specimens of the variety rhceticum and molle, 

 by the roadside between Cheadle Common and Great Yate. 

 Here, also, is the Ling, the Erica cinerea, and E.tetraax, all 

 springing from a bed composed of the most lovely Mosses 

 conceivable, one of them being that beautiful and silvery 

 kind which is such a pleasing contrast to the darker shades 

 of the green varieties. I have thought as I strolled along 

 amongst these humble children of nature, that they each 

 preach their little sermon of love and kindness, which, if we 

 will receive it, may enter into our hearts and bring forth as 

 much fruit as a longer discourse from the eloquent lips of a 

 human teacher. I have a favourite piece of poetry upon the 

 mutual help which these lower orders of God's creatures 

 aftbrd each other ; it is so prettily told that I transcribe it for 

 those who may not know it. 



"There was Fern on the mountain, and Mos' on the moor ; 

 The Ferns were the licb, and the Mouses the poor ; 

 And Ihe ylad breeze blew caily— from Heaven it came — 

 And the trugranco it slied over each \v.ts the name ; 

 And the warm sun shone bnchtly, and pilded the Fern, 

 And piniled on the lowly-born Moss In Us turn ; 

 And the cool dews of niRhton the mountain Fern foil, 

 And they glistened upon the (jreen Mohs' a as well. 

 And the Fern loved the mounuin, the Mobs loved the moor, 

 For the Ferns were the rich, und Ihe Moases the poor. 

 But the keen bla^-t blew bleakly, tt^e sun waxed high— 

 Oh ! the Ferna they were brolien, and withered, and dry. 

 And the Muss on the moorland grew faded and pale; 

 And ihn Fern and the Moss ehrunk alilio fiom the gale. 

 So the Fern on the mountain, the Mosb on the moor, 

 Were withered and black where they flourit-hcd before. 

 Then tlie Fern and the Moss they grew wl.-ier in grief. 

 And each turned to the otlier for rest and relief; 

 And tliev planned that whercrer the Fern roots should grov, 

 There siirely the Moss mu*t lie sparkling below. 

 And the keen blu»-t blew bleakly, the sun waxed fierce — 

 But no winds and no fun to their cool roots could pierce. 

 For the Fern threw her shadow the green Moss upon, 

 "Where the dew ever spart^lcd undrted by the sun ; 

 When the graceful Fern trembled before the keen blast, 

 The Moss guarded her roots till the storm wind had pass'tL 

 So no longer the wind parch'd the roots of the one 

 And Ihe olher was safe from the rays of the sun. 

 And thus, and for ever, where'er the Ferns grow, 

 There surely the Mosks lie sp;irliling below ; 

 And thus they both flourish where nouclit grew before, 

 And both deck the mountain, the woodland, and moor." 



I remember taking one walk in November in the locality 

 mentioned above, a small fine rain was falling, but my hus- 

 band assured mo I should bo amply rewarded for my un- 

 comfortable expedition, by a treat which ho had in store for 

 me. yl 5as, then, to grumbling ! Do we not know, "There 



