378 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



[ May 26, 1863. 



will also, I hope, enlighten us more on the matter ; and if the 

 general verdict of public opinion decide in favour of this mode 

 of growing fruit in preference to that already in existence, I for 

 one will publicly acknowledge myself in error for having opposed 

 the system. In the meantime, as a sort of truce is entered into 

 on my part and that of Mr. Rivers, I shall not feel the less in- 

 terested in what is said and done by others, and hope those who 

 have been successful will not be backward in recording their 



practice ; and if at any of the grand shows, or even at provincial 

 ones, it should happen that orchard-house-grown fruit be suc- 

 cessful over that grown in the old way, let some one report it. 

 Facts are the best of all arguments. It is not, however, my 

 intention during the period of truce to again enter into the 

 contest, but beg to thank Mr. Rivers for his courtesy, and it is 

 far from unlikely that I may do myself the honour of visiting 

 his place at some suitable time. — J. RoBSOlf. 



ELOWEE-GAEDEN PLAN. 



3, Edging Cineraria maritima; band of Tom Thumb Geraniam; centre 



Flower of the Day Geranium ; or, centre Tom Thumb ; band of Perilla 

 nankinensis, and outer band Calceolaria Aurea floribunda. 

 2 and 8, Centre Perilla; band Calceolaria Aurea floribunda ; edging L obe lia 

 speciosa. 



4, Defiance Verbena. 



f_ We like the first proposal for a centre best — Cineraria mari- 

 tima, Tom Thumb, and Flower of the Day. 2, 8, will be beauti- 

 ful, and so will 5, 11. Oar correspondent (" E.. W.") has partly 

 crossed the other colours, such as 4 and 10 Defiance Verbena, 



5 and 11, Centre Perilla; band Mangles' Variegated Geranium; edging 



Baron Hugel Geranium. 

 6, Mrs. Holford Verbena. 

 3, 7, and 12, Purple King- Verbena. 

 9 and 13, Mrs. Holford Verbena. 

 10, Defiance Verbeni. 



and we would carry the principle out with 6, 12, white Verbena ; 

 7, 13, purple Verbena ; and 3, 9, might also be a purple or 

 puce, as Christine or Wonderful, or such dark things as Stella 

 Geranium, or even two beds of Heliotrope.] 



DAISY-KNIFE. 



In reply to an inquiry from Chester, Mr. Fish states that the 

 first daisy-knife he saw was at Hexton House, Hertfordshire, a 

 notice of which place appeared in a previous volume. The knife 

 was made according to the instructions of Mr. Watson, who 

 was gardener at Hexton then. Those I use were made by a 

 blacksmith in the neighbourhood. I consider it to be too good 

 and simple ajtool to be spoiled by a high-sounding name, or 



restricted in use by patent. A is the doubled-edged knif^ 

 19 inches in length and 2J inches wide, made of good-tempered 

 steel, especially at the Bides. The lower side, which is to rest on 

 or skim over the grass is quite flat ; the upper side is convex in 

 the centre, about one-eighth of an inch thick there, and tapering 

 down to the edges. These edges are ground or sharpened with a 

 stone in the same manner as a scythe. To the middle of the 



