September 5, 1878. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
193 
interesting and beautiful class of plants out of cultivation ; but 
there is now nothing to fear on that score. Herbaceous and 
alpine plants in the mixed border are more appreciated than ever. 
Such a border should include all flowers, hardy or otherwise, 
available for outdoor decoration, for, apart from the interest of 
mixed collections, a variety of flowers is afforded for cutting. 
‘The herbaceous or mixed border to the real lover of flowers is far 
more satisfying (for at almost every step something of fresh 
interest and beauty reveals itself), than masses of colour, brilliant 
and effective as they may be, which are taken in at a glance, and 
producing little more than a momentary pleasure. 
There are now several distinct styles of flower garden decoration 
—namely, parterre, in which the beds and their adjuncts com- 
bine to form a picture of beauty by the employment of flower- 
ing plants; subtropical, or that style admitting of bold-foliage 
plants disposed in groups with isolated specimens, than which 
no style in suitable situations contributes more to gardenesque 
effect. The latest style—carpet bedding, is perhaps the most 
popular, and when well done is very effective. That it is a 
step in the right direction is best inferred from the fact of its 
increasing in public favour, not the least of its attractions being 
that an otherwise meaningless bed may by internal tracery be 
transformed into an object of art in design and beauty. There 
are also Italian gardens—a combination of device in Box, grass, 
gravel, statuary, vase, fountain, formal shrubs and plants; and 
there is the Rose garden, essentially English, as is also the mixed 
garden, which two are best calculated to supply the requirements 
for flowers of a majority of the owners of private gardens. We 
introduce this subject now as the time is near when alterations 
are usually made, and often without consideration being given to 
the purpose they are intended to serve. If a garden is intended 
to afford objects of interest in variety and succession then we 
have no hesitation in pronouncing in favour of the mixed style— 
flowering, evergreen, and deciduous shrubs, borders of herbaceous, 
alpine, and bulbous plants, with masses of the choicer or statelier 
and profuse-flowering plants, such as Pansies and Violas, Carna- 
tions, Dahlias, and Roses. If a grand picture of limited duration 
is coveted, then the other styles come in for their share of con- 
sideration. 
The propagation of the various kinds of bedding plants must 
‘be pushed on as fast as possible, so as to have them well established 
before winter. If a sufficient stock of Pelargoniums be not yet 
raised lose no time in inserting cuttings—four in a 4-inch pot ; 
also secure a sufficient quantity of Heliotropes, Verbenas, Age- 
vatums, Lobelias, Iresines, Mesembryanthemum cordifolium varie- 
gatum, &c. These need not be propagated in great numbers, as 
they strike readily in spring; but a sufficient quantity of store 
pots should be secured so as to supply the requisite cuttings in 
spring. 
Annuals for Spring-Flowering.—Sow now seeds of the following 
annuals in moderately rich light soil, either where they are to 
remain for flowering or for transplanting :—Sweet Sultan, purple, 
white, and yellow, and Cornflower (Centaurea Cyanus) for an early 
bloom of those of those desirable flowers for cutting ; also Silenes, 
Sweet Alyssum, Eschscholtzias, Virginian Stocks, Saponarias, 
Nemophilas, Calandrinia umbellata, Collinsias, Candytufts, Gilias, 
Kaulfussias, Lasthenia californica, and Erysimums. 
The work of keeping gardens neat is now considerable, as the 
wet has expedited the growth of weeds, which must be kept under, 
and trees are casting more or less of their foliage, which must be 
swept up frequently so as to keep up a good appearance as long 
as possible. Pick off bad flowers and leaves from the plants in 
beds, keeping the lines distinct by stopping, &c., running the 
mowing machine over the grass frequently, keeping the edgings 
neatly cut, and rolling the walks well, which go a long way to 
make a place enjoyable. Complete the clipping of Yew and Privet 
screens ; and any Arbor-Vites, Irish Yews, Junipers, or others 
of the Coniferze that are liable to open in the middle tie up to pre- 
vent breakages and to maintain the symmetry of the specimens. 
PLANT HOUSES. 
Greenhouse-—F lowers will soon become scarce outdoors; pro- 
vision must therefore be made to meet the demand for cut flowers, 
&c., by a supply of suitable plants under glass. Heliotropes if 
grown as advised will be in good growth and advanced for flower- 
ing, but all blooms showing before the middle of the month should 
be pinched-out, and the plants well supplied with liquid manure. 
Mignonette must have every encouragement in keeping it duly 
watered, and shifting the plants into larger pots as they require 
it. They should be placed under glass before heavy rains occur, 
keeping them near the glass, affording neat supports, to which the 
shoots must be secured as they are lable to snap. Keep a sharp 
look-out for green aphis, and at once destroy it with tobacco 
water, or fumigate, but it must be done moderately or the foliage 
will be scorched. Mignonette sown in August must be thinned 
to three or five plants in a pot, and be kept near the glass and not 
overwatered. For affording a succession of bloom seed may yet 
be sown in 3-inch pots, duly thinning the plants when large 
enough to handle, and when the roots are matting around the 
sides of the pot shift into 6-inch pots. They are very useful in 
spring and early summer; but to have Mignonette in quantity 
a pit should be planted with healthy plants from the August 
sowing, turning them out with the balls entire in a compost of 
turfy loam with a fourth part of well-decayed manure or leaf soil, 
and an eighth part in equal proportions of old mortar rubbish and 
pieces of charcoal not larger than a hazel nut, the surface being 
18 to 24 inches from the glass, planting about 15 inches apart 
every way. There must be pipes for heating so as to maintain a 
temperature of 50° to 45°. An immense quantity of spikes may 
be cut through the winter until summer, keeping the spikes 
closely cut,as seeding soon ruins the plants. Air should be 
afforded abundantly in all favourable weather. 
Tree Carnations should have all flowers removed and duly 
supplied with water, affording them weak liquid manure occa- 
sionally, and place them in a position where they will receive all 
the light possible, as upon a sturdy solidified growth depends their 
suitability for winter flowering. Pinks, too, intended for forcing 
must be encouraged to complete the growth and to firm it by full 
exposure. Epiphyllums are very useful and should have all the 
light possible, so as to ripen the growth, affording water only to 
keep the parts plump. They will flower satisfactorily in a green- 
house, but are the better of an intermediate house or a little 
warmth when making fresh growth. 
Clematises—These are fine when grown in pots for decoration, 
coming into flower with little forcing. Some of the best are Miss 
Bateman, The Queen, Vesta, Lucie Lemoine, Henryi, Willisoni, 
Lord Londesborough, Lady Londesborough, Stella, Fair Rosamond, 
Countess of Lovelace, and Albert Victor. They should have a 
warm situation with a view to the thorough ripening of the wood, 
and though they must not be neglected for water too much is 
pernicious ; therefore in very wet weather lay the pots on their 
sides. 
Daphne indica will have completed the growth and must not 
be over-watered, which is one of the chief reasons why this plant 
is seldom seen in good condition. The freest-flowering plants are 
grafted, but cuttings of 4 to 6 inches in length may now be in- 
serted singly in small pots in sandy loamand peat, placing them in 
a house with a temperature of 50° to 55° until they have formed a 
good callus, and then in a bottom heat of 75°, where they will root 
freely. 
Hefowecded plants placed outdoors must not be allowed to 
remain exposed to heavy rains for any length of time, or the soil 
will be so saturated as to jeopardise the well-being of the plants. 
In cold localities it is not safe to trust them to the tender mercy 
of the weather after the middle of the month; indeed if the 
weather be wet it is best to place them under cover without 
further delay, as the tender-rooted kinds often perish from ex- 
cessive wet. 
TRADE CATALOGUES RECEIVED. 
Charles Turner, Royal Nurseries, Slough.—Catalogue of Bulbs, 
Seeds, and Strawberries. 
Thomas 8. Ware, Hale Farm Nurseries, Tottenham.—d.B.C. 
Bulb Guide and Select List of Perennials. 
Sir James W. Mackey, 23, Upper Sackville Street, Dublin.— 
Descriptive Catalogue of Dutch Flower Roots. 
Osborn & Sons, Fulham.—Catalogue of Hyacinths, Tulips, and 
other Choice Fiqwers. 
James Cocker & Sons, 82, Union Street, Aberdeen.—Descriptive 
Catalogue of Dutch Flower Roots. 
Louis Van Houtte, Royal Nursery, Ghent, Belgium.— Catalogue 
of Azaleas, Camellias, Rhododendrons, §c. 
J. Linden, Ghent, Belgium.—Catalogue of Azaleas, Camellias, 
Rhododendrons, Palms, §c. 
James Vick, Rochester, N.Y.—Illustrated Floral Guide, and 
Lists of Bulbs and Plants. 
TO CORRESPONDENTS. 
*,* All correspondence should be directed either to “ The Hditors ” 
or to “The Publisher.” Letters addressed to Mr. Johnson or 
Dr. Hogg often remain unopened unavoidably. We request 
that no one will write privately to any of our correspondents, 
as doing so subjects them to unjustifiable trouble and expense. 
Correspondents should not mix up on the same sheet questions 
relating to Gardening and those on Poultry and Bee subjects, 
and should never send more than two or three questions at 
once. All articles intended for insertion should be written on 
one side of the paper only. We cannot reply to questions 
through the post. 
Books (J. J. 7.).—The “Journal of Botany,” published by Hardwicke 
and Bogue. 
DOUBLE CARNATIONS (P. C.).—We can only sympathise with you. Two 
double plants out of a hundred is a small per-centage for 2s. 6d., and after 
the trouble of raising them you have good reason to be disappointed. 
DISCOLOURED LEAVES (Flo7a).—They are injured by thrips. Our corre- 
spondent wishes to know how green frogs are to be kept in winter. 
PEACH TREES DISEASED (A Subscriber).—The trees are attacked with 
red spider. You must syringe the foliage frequently. We have known it 
effectually cured by standing saucers of ammoniacal liquor from the gas- 
works in various parts of the house. 
