352 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
{ November 7, 1878. 
small, close, imbricated flower, is very rich—just the colour 
of the crimson velvet of good French Marigolds. with bright 
yellow tips. It is useful for decoration but not for exhibition. 
The same may be said of Comte de Ranzeau, very dark, and 
Mount Etna. Gloire de Toulouse (Japanese), is a fine dark 
purplish rose flower; Cri Kung, pure rose, is also good ; and 
La Nymph, a small satiny rose, is very chaste. 
By the kindness of the benchers of the Honourable Society 
of the Inner Temple the gardens are open to all, and Mr. 
Newton is to be congratulated on the excellence of the display. 
BOTTLING FRESH FRUIT. 
Ir “A PuzZLED HOUSEWIFE” will try the following plan 
for fruit such as Gooseberries, Cherries, Raspberries, Currants, 
Damsons, &c., she will not fail to succeed, as I have used it for 
some years, and the fruit keeps well and is as good as when 
gathered. 
Fill clean wide-mouthed bottles with the fruit. Pour nearly 
boiling water into the bottles slowly up to the neck, or as 
much as will cover the fruit. The water must have alum dis- 
solved in it to the proportion of one drachm to four gallons, 
or fifteen grains per gallon. Let them become cold; fill the 
bottles up with some more of the alum water warm; then 
bung them up, place them up to their necks in a copper of 
water or iron pot, with hay to keep them in position, and bring 
them up to the heat of 176°; then take them out and bladder 
them, and seal the bladder if greater security is wished.— 
H.S.8., Dudbridge. 
THE WARS OF THE ROSES. 
I Am glad to see that the little wars of the Roses have come, 
apparently, to a termination. “ WYLD SAVAGE” undertook a 
rather invidious task in attempting to assign relative positions 
to the leading amateurs, and it would be much better if any 
remarks which might become a casus belli amongst rosarians 
were avoided. I look upon the extreme—I may almost say 
the utter abandon of good fellowship that exists among the 
‘devotees of the Rose, as by no means the least of the many 
pleasures incidental to Rose-growing and Rose-showing ; and 
I venture to express a hope through your columns that the 
little volcano which has lately sprung up in our ranks has now 
become, not dormant but, extinct.—A. G. 8., Zinham. 
DRESSING FLOWERS. 
Mr. DouGLAS’s statement about dressing a stand of Hya- 
cinths having been more than once referred to as if it were a 
fact, allow me to say that it is utterly incorrect. I saw the 
stand before he touched it. 
‘sisted simply in lifting up the bells. I saw the flowers staged 
‘on the occasion, and I have no hesitation in saying that had 
the never touched them they must haye won, as being by far 
the best shown ; and I very much question whether the for- 
mality introduced into them by the dressing did not rather 
spoil than benefit them, but at any rate it had nothing to do 
to their obtaining a prize.—C. 
NOTES ON VILLA AND SUBURBAN GARDENING. 
Lawns, walks, and pleasure grounds now require more than 
ordinary attention. Leaves are fast falling, and must be cleared 
away. If possible, choose dry weather for sweeping, for both 
lawns and walks will present a cleaner and better appearance 
“than when swept during wet weather. Leaves are very useful 
for mixing with long stable manure for making hotbeds, or the 
forcing of Seakale and Rhubarb. Oak and Beech leaves are 
decidedly the best, giving more heat and lasting longer than those 
‘of the Horse Chestnut, Elm, or Lime, although these will be 
found useful, and must not be rejected. After the leaves have 
been collected, both lawns and walks will be greatly improved by 
a thorough rolling. The borders should be edged and the beds 
dug over, carefully burying the leaves, or they will prove trouble- 
some and be wafted about by every wind that blows. Much of 
the beauty that is attached to pleasure grounds during the summer 
months is wanting now. Order and neatness must take its place ; 
and it is only by turning the beds, having neat edges and well- 
kept walks, that this can be done. A few flowers yet linger in 
the herbaceous or mixed borders. The various-tinted Asters or 
Michaelmas Daisies, the white and pink varieties of the Irish 
Heath (Menziesia polifolia), the tiny but bright blue-flowered 
I saw him doing it, which - : 
i acu a Cory | Pinsapo, and nobilis may be planted singly where there is plenty 
Lithospermum prostratum, the Daisy-like Vittadenia triloba, and 
Chrysanthemums are all attractive ; while amongst the evergreen 
shrubs the Arbutus tree is now conspicuous with its hanging 
clusters of pure white and ruby-tinted flowers contrasting with 
bunches of ripe golden fruit. We never remember seeing the 
Arbutus so profusely bloomed and berried as it is at the present 
time. In most places the grass has grown freely during the mild 
weather, therefore it may be found necessary to use the mowing 
machine on a dry day, after which the machine should have a 
thorough cleaning and be laid up for the winter; or if through 
constant use it has become out of repair, the present is a good 
opportunity of sending it to the makers to be re-adjusted. 
Besides the above-mentioned smaller items connected with the 
outdoor duties of a garden, the present time is suitable for the 
more important work of removing, transplanting, and renovating 
clumps and borders of mixed hardy shrubs. Often in forming 
new villa gardens shrubs are at first planted too thickly, with the 
view of immediate effect ; consequently, after uhey have made a 
few years’ growth the shrubs spoil each other. In such cases it 
is best to lift all that are not too large for removal, and to trans- 
plant them in some more important position. In the case of very 
large shrubs we have found it advisable to cut around the roots 
during the summer, that they may now be the more successfully- 
transplanted in suitable quarters. In transplanting shrubs of all 
kinds experience has taught that they make the most rapid 
progress in ground that has been well trenched and kept clean, 
and free from weeds afterwards, until the shrubs are well esta- 
blished. A very frequent mistake often made in small places is 
that of planting choice Conifer close to buildings or very near 
the edges of walks, and after a few years it becomes necessary 
either to divert the paths or subject the specimens to the very bar- 
barous system of lopping the lowermost branches. The character 
of the plant should be known before planting, hence the necessity 
of employing experienced persons. In planting single specimens, 
always make the holes considerably larger than the space required 
to receive the roots, well breaking up the bottom and sides with a 
long-pronged fork. In poor gravelly soil we have often been 
obliged to remove the gravel and replace it with better soil, but 
it is remarkable how most shrubs will thrive, even in a poor gra- 
velly soil, if it is thoroughly broken up beforehand. Masses or 
clumps of mixed shrubs are highly attractive the whole year 
round, especially when there is plenty of flowering plants intro- 
duced, such as Lilacs, Deutzias, Philadelphuses (Mock Orange), 
Spirzas, Ribes, Laburnums, Rhododendrons, Kalmias, Azaleas, Cra- 
teeguses, Berberis, &c., interspersed with them. Portugal Laurels, 
the common Laurel, Yews, variegated and other Hollies, Box, &c., 
are suitable for the background, and the dwarfer and closer-growing 
plants in front. Many of the Euonymuses are attractive from 
their glossy green or variegated leaves ; especiaily well do these 
thrive by the seaside. Negundo fraxinifolium variegatum may be 
freely introduced with good effect ; while some of the Magnolias, 
especially conspicua, are highly attractive while in bloom. Among 
tie smaller-growing Coniterze are some dainty plants of Retino- 
spora plumosa and R. plumosa aurea, R. filicoides, R. obtusa 
aurea, Thujas aurea and elegantissima, Thujopsis borealis variegata, 
Cupressus Lawsoniana erecta and gracilis, Abies polita, and many 
others. Wellingtonias, Cedrus Deodara, Piceas Nordmanniana, 
of room for them to develope their rapid growths. Stake every 
specimen securely that is likely to be blown about by the rough 
winds which may prevail as soon as the newly-shifted plants begin 
to emit fresh rootlets, when much injury is done. The above 
remarks apply with equal force to newly-planted fruit trees ; but 
care must be taken in staking these and all deciduous trees that 
the stake is not put so close to the stem as to chafe the bark, 
which should be protected with a piece of leather or other soft 
material. < 
Briars for next year’s budding should be planted at once. Many 
of the rough gnarly old roots require cutting off clean and smooth. 
Plant them about a foot apart in rows and 2 feet 6 inches between 
the rows, where they should remain to be budded next summer. 
Orders should also be given at once for Rose trees required from 
the nurseries, for there is often a great run on many of the varie- 
ties, and when orders are given late the best plants have all been 
chosen and sent away. Plant those worked on the Briar a similar 
depth to what they have been already growing in, but dwarfs 
worked on the Manetti should be planted below the union, A 
selection of the best varieties may be easily obtained by referring 
back to the election so recently given by the kindness of Mr. 
Hinton ; as a general rule the Roses that take the foremost rank 
there are the best garden Roses. Order quickly, plant quickly, 
and plant in rich, deeply dug, and well-manured soil. : 
Where Chrysanthemums are grown well conservatories will be 
very gay; in fact, we have recently seen several structures, and 
we consider them gayer now than at any time during the whole 
year. Damp is the greatest enemy now to the Chrysanthemum, 
and must be guarded against. In unheated houses the moisture 
condenses on the roof and afterwards drops on the flowers, there- 
fore air must be given as early as possible to dry the house and 
preserve the flowers. Many of the Japanese varieties are 
