308 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



[ April 28, 1863. 



Rule 40.— This Society shall not be dissolved otherwise than 

 with the consent of five-sixths in value of the then existing 

 members, and the consent of all those receiving or entitled to 

 any benefit agreeably to 10 Geo. IV., c. 56, s. 26. 



Rule 41. — That in caBe of any alteration in the place of 

 meeting or dissolution of this Society, notice shall be sent to the 

 Registrar of Friendly Societies in England, seven days before or 

 after such removal or dissolution, signed by the Secretary or 

 other principal officer, and also by three or more of the members 

 of the said Society. 



Rule 42. — No alteration of the Rules shall be made, exoept at 

 a general meeting of the Society specially called for that purpose, 

 pursuant to 18 & 19 Vict., c. 63, s. 27, notice of which, specifying 

 the nature of the intended alteration, shall be given twice at 

 least in two or more of the county papers. 



We have thus detailed our opinions relative to the need there 

 is for a Gabdenebs' Benefit Society, as well as the basis and 

 rules on which it should be established and by which it should 

 be regulated. In conclusion, we will only add that we shall be 

 glad to receive relative communications and suggestions ; and if 

 gardeners will also inform us of their willingness to become 

 members, we will take steps to have the Society organised so 

 soon as we have a sufficient number of such communications to 

 justify the inference that the Society has the approval of the 

 gardening community. 



PLANTING FLOWER GARDENS. 



How seldom we see a flower garden which really pleases the 

 eye and satisfies the mind at the same time. 



I have often trod with pleasure a beautiful lawn, and regarded 

 with admiration and delight the fine specimens of trees and 

 shrubs growing around me, the soft carpet under my feet. The 

 beautiful variety of cool and quiet-looking green foliage, has 

 produced a feeling of tranquil enjoyment and refreshing pleasure 

 I have seldom experienced in a flower garden. 



Let me ask what is a flower garden such as is generally seen ? 

 Drive or walk to the nearest nobleman's seat in your neigh- 

 bourhood, and vrhat do you find ? a number of formal beds, 

 each filled with plants of the same colour, producing, if well 

 arranged, a brilliant effect, and the gardener who shows you the 

 plaoe tells you how many thousands of Calceolarias, Geraniums, 

 &c, he plants per year. 



I cannot tell what effect this produces on others, but after the 

 first sensation of pleasure, my eye tires of the bright colours, 

 my mind wearies of the sameness, and I begin to speculate on 

 the cost and trouble incurred in propagating and growing so 

 many tender plants which will so soon be dug up and sent to 

 the rubbish-heap. I should no more think of looking long at 

 such a garden than I should continue to gaze through a kaleido- 

 scope without giving a single turn to the instrument. 



Perhaps, in the same garden you Bee a long, broad bed planted 

 in what is called " the ribbon fashion." Here, at first sight, 

 there appears more variety ; there is not the same mass of op- 

 pressively bright colour to fatigue the eye j you are astonished, 

 delighted at first, but after walking a few yards feel that there is 

 really no variety, it is a beautiful carpet, nothing more — one 

 square of the pattern is enough. 



Perhaps, in spring you pay the gardener of some rich neigh- 

 bour a visit, and you find the beds filled with expensive bulbs, 

 which have to be purchased eaoh season, and are considered 

 valueless after their beauty is passed. Does it not strike you as 

 savouring of ostentation this waste of beauty ? Would not a 

 few clumps of beautiful Hyacinths give you more pleasure than 

 this evidence of wealth and extravagance ? 



" What would you have ? " Bays my friend. " Are we to go 

 back to the old mixed borders, where you see a plant in bloom 

 in the midst of a bare space of earth well hoed and raked to 

 keep down weeds, and Burrounded at equal distances by other 

 plants, some in bloom, some just appearing above the ground, 

 and some the beauty of which has long since passed away ? Is 

 that your idea of beauty ? " 



" Well, I cannot say that is quite my heau ideal of what a 

 flower garden should be ; but I should much prefer it to one 

 filled with masses of bedding plants. There would be a chance 

 of meeting a long-lost favourite, which would recall scenes and 

 faces long since passed away j plants which grew luxuriantly in 

 the home of my childhood, or in the garden of my friend. I 



might meet a little plant once gathered on a romantic spot 

 viBited for the first time in company with thoBe from whom I 

 have long been separated by distance or death, and though the 

 little plant may give rise to recolleotions at once sad and pleasing, 

 it would be to me 'a sadness not unpleasing.' " 



But are these kinds of gardens the only ones ? Oh ! dear, 

 no.tThere are polychrome gardens, such beautiful gardens, little 

 beds of flowers divided by walks formed of broken bottles, broken 

 spar, broken bricks, broken tiles, &c. ; walks never intended to 

 be walked upon, such beauties'. Ah! well, I am not cockney 

 enough to admire them. 



How, I will tell you what does come up to my idea of what a 

 garden should be. I would have a garden like that at Belvoir 

 Castle, in the spring, or, indeed, at any time of the year, but 

 particularly in early spring. There all the ground is covered by 

 plants which touch without growing into each other ; there the 

 plants are all in bloom, or coming into bloom ; there are masses 

 without sameness as in nature, where as your path winds 

 amongst the trees you come upon a mass of Wood Anemone, or 

 blue Hyacinth. You have variety and effect combined, yet 

 without extravagance— lovely little plants, rarely met^ with, 

 peeping here and there amongBt their showy sisters. I shall 

 never forget the effect produced by Hyacinths of different colours 

 growing through a mass of Arabis caucasica. 



But, pray, ye Editors, send some one capable of describing a 

 garden to Belvoir in the spring, and let your readers know how 

 to manage a garden so as to be always in full beauty, so that a 

 place can be found for every favourite, old and new ; a garden 

 which does not require an acre of glass to furnish bedding plants 

 by the thousand, or the purse of a duke to keep it up, but is 

 equally adapted for a prinoely place like Belvoir, or the modest 

 garden of the curate. 



I have not the gift of description, and despair of conveying 

 any adequate idea of the effects produced by Mr. Ingram, with 

 materials within the reach of any person of moderate means. If 

 Mr. Ingram would find time to tell others how to manage a 

 garden as he manages the one under his care, he would be con- 

 sidered a public benefactor.— J. R. Peabson, Chilwell. 



ORCHARD-HOUSE ERUIT. 



A bbave and faithful knight is " R., of S.,"— not more chi- 

 valrous was he of La Mancha when prepared to do battle Jot 

 the charming Dulcinea ; for will he suffer one word of detraction 

 to be uttered against the peerless Orchardina ? Do not her eyes 

 shoot out such coruscations, that one is repaid all the outlay to 

 sit and smoke one's cigar beneath her boughs as the house sends 

 out its brilliancy of colour ? Is there a bloom on any cheek 

 so lovely as hers ? And then when once— coy maiden that she 

 is— B he rewards you with a taste of her sweetness, oh ! who 

 dare say that there are any lips as sweet as herB ? And will 

 he not— nay, does he not— with vizor down (for I remember 

 how he unseated some poor wight who would not allow him his 

 incognito), and sledge-hammer uplifted (for he disdains a lighter 

 weapon), advance to the charge againBt all who cannot see with 

 hiB eyes or taste with his palate ? 



Here am I, a poor halting serving-man, for I dare not even 

 call myself a knight, suffering from grievous bodily hurt inflicted 

 by this trusty champion, because 1 ventured to fire off a little 

 popgun, and to hint a slight expression of doubt as to the su- 

 perexcellent character of the fair damsel whom he delights to 

 honour. Alas ! I have oftentimes been compelled to bite the 

 dust; and every one who is not contented to go on in a quiet 

 jog-trot way, and who will occasionally utter his own opinions 

 without tacitly submitting to be guided by others, muBt lay this 

 to his account. But I generally try to shake off the duBt, and, 

 if I have a little breath left, to try and say a word to show that 

 I am not " kilt outright." . . 



I think perhaps I ought to have used one word of limitation 

 —namely, most practical men "whom I have met," and with 

 that limitation I still hold to my former statement ; and how- 

 ever glad to find that there are some whose acquaintance I have 

 not the honour of having think otherwise and have experienced 

 success, although I quite agree with Mr. Keane that " Dr/CK- 

 wino's " Buccess is a very qualified one, I must still hold that 

 they are exceptions, unless, indeed, there be some ciroumstances 

 not known which would alter the case. 



I happened to meet the other day at Kensington a " practical 

 man," (and I think my acquaintance with such is not of a 



