July 28, 1870. ] 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



surely brighter, the air purer, the dew fresher than ever before, 

 and, as I looked around me, beauty everywhere, and peace in 

 my heart, I could not help repeating those exquisite lines of 

 Wordsworth — 



" God made tlie flowers to beautify 



The earth, and cheer man's careful mood ; 

 And he is happier who hath power 

 To gather wisdom from a flower, 

 And wake his heart in every hour 



To pleasant gratitude." 



But this is by the way. The business of the hour was to cut 

 the best twenty-four Roses. That Rose which the Rev. S. 

 Reynolds Hole says " is looking in at the window in every con- 

 dition of life," was soon at my side deciding as to the merits 

 of this bloom and that bloom, this combination of colourB and 

 that, and by 7 a m. we had placed the better twelve blooms in 

 one bos, and the worse twelve in another. I thought it better 

 to concentrate my strength in this manner rather than make 

 each box equal, and the result proved I was right. Nearly all 

 the Roses in my boxes had opened within thirty hours of my 

 plucking them ; they had, consequently, one very good quality 

 — freshness. Friend Spencer (an enthusiastic rosarian, for 

 whom, by-the-by, a name-machine should be invented, for he 

 can never remember the name of a Rose), popped over to see 

 the boxes before they were dosed, and he bade me be of good 

 cheer. Then came the hasty breakfast, the short run by train 

 to Birmingham, and for the first time I was elbowing the 

 heroes of a hundred fights. Talk about the exhilirating, glori- 

 ous vintage of Champagne ! Why, I felt more exhiliralion, 

 of a pure and enduring nature, too, than could have been pro- 

 duced by the ohoicest champagne that ever was raised in la 

 belle France. Alas, that Ehe should have sinoe let slip the dogs 

 of war ! * 



At 10.30 the Hall was cleared for the judges, and at 12 we 

 were again admitted. Need I say that a rush, decorous as 

 possible, but still an unmistakeable rush, was made for the 

 stand, and that my cup of joy was filled to overflowing when I 

 gazed upon the card which announced that my Roses had 

 gained a first prize I No wonder that for the remainder of the 

 day the burden of my song was — 



" What is fairer than a Rose ? 

 What is sweeter ? " 



— C. W. M., Wijlde Green. 



THE BALSAM. 



I am very glad to see that in several gardens the old love 

 for the Balsam is being rapidly revived. Gardeners find out 

 that in order to get up a good floral display with as little 

 trouble as possible the Balsam is one of the best plants they 

 can grow. I find it is as useful as ever, and I think there are 

 few things easier grown, or that will reward the cultivator with 

 so much bloom according to the trouble of growing them. It 

 is quite a Bummer and autumn decorative plant, and its culti- 

 vation is most conveniently commenced when bedding plants 

 are cleared out. 



The best plants I ever grew were nearly 4 feet high and some 

 of 'them 3 feet through, and fully bloomed from bottom to top. 

 The following was the treatment given : — The seed was sown 

 in thumb-pots during (he first week in May, two seeds in the 

 centre of each pot in light sandy soil, and placed in a Melon 

 frame at work. When up and the seed leaves well developed, the 

 weakest plant was taken away, and the other shifted into 

 60-sized or 3-inch pots ; they were plunged and kept near the 

 glass. Their next shilt was into 48-sized or 5-inch pots ; but 

 while they were growing to this stage, preparations were being 

 made for them to occupy a place to themselves — namely, a 

 heap of spent hotbed and green manure in equal parts thrown 

 together, well mixed, and heated almost to a blackness ; a bed 

 3 feet high at back and 2 feet in front, and long enough to take 

 six lights, or two three-light garden frames, was made up, the 

 inside of the frames filled up to within a foot of the glass with 

 decayed leaves, and when the whole became warm the plants 

 were plunged into it, and in these places they were grown until 

 they were coming into bloom, when they were taken into more 

 airy quarters for their buds to open. In the early part of the 

 time they are growing in these places an intermediate tempera- 

 ture must be maintained; gi»e the plants plenty of light, 

 at all times keep them near the glass, shift them iuto larger 

 pots as they require it, and give them a rich soil composed of 

 equal parts of turfy loam and rotten manure, with sand added, 

 UBing the soil coarse as tho plants increase in Bize. 



In potting, let the plants down into the pots, so that the 

 cotyledons, or seed leaves, shall be level with the soil. Attend 

 well to watering, of which, when growing, the plants like an 

 abundant Bupply and often, likewise sprinkling the foliage 

 to keep the red spider in check. Turn the plants at regular 

 intervals to keep the shoots equally balanced and the plants of 

 good shape. If the plants do well they will throw out strong 

 side shoots, and these in turn will throw out laterals. The first- 

 named should be tied or pegged down as low as possible, and 

 the latter kept properly staked-ont, which will add much to the 

 beauty of the plants. They will all flower. As the plants in- 

 crease in size and height, the frames must be hoisted s>n blocks 

 of wood or on bricks, and the air that is thus admitted under 

 the plants will keep the foliage of the lower branches both 

 strong and healthy. 16 sized or 8-inch pots will grow very fine 

 plants, but 12's or even 8-sized pots may be used when extra- 

 sized plants are wanted. 



Soon after the last shift, or when the pots are filled with 

 roots, a liberal top-dressing of rich manure should be given. 

 In this the side branches will root vigorously, and if manure 

 water be regularly applied, the plants will fully develope them- 

 selves. It is my practice, and I can recommend it, to pull off 

 regularly the largest flower buds until eveiy branch is regularly 

 furnished with them ; then let them flower, and the result will 

 be such a mass of bloom as will, perhaps, surprise the culti- 

 vator himself. 



After the plants have attained their full size and the pots are 

 full of roots, water must be given most carefully, especially 

 manure water; for if the soil becomes too wet, or the water not 

 able to pass freely through the drainage, the plants are liable to 

 rot off at the neck suddenly. It ia now so easy to get seed that 

 will produce a good per-centage of double flowers that tho old 

 plan of proving the flower by first limiting the plants to small 

 pots may be dispensed with. I generally grow Smith's packet 

 of nine colours. — Thomas Record, Lillcsden. 



MYOSOTIS DISSITIFLO .A AND OTHER 

 FORGET-ME-NOTS. 



Some discussion took place last year on the respective merits 

 of Myosotis dissitiflora and others for spring decoration, the 

 admirers of M. dissitiflora extolling it in terms which may 

 fairly invite criticism, if it Bhould fail to satisfy those who 

 secured the plant for this season. I think those dissatisfied 

 with it must be rather numerous, as the past winter has not 

 been so favourable for plants of this class as the previous one; 

 but the question arises, Has not this Forget-me-not been over- 

 praised ? In the few instances in which it is said to have done 

 well, it has failed to meet the requirement it was expected tc 

 satisfy, " earliness of blooming," for it certainly has no ad- 

 vantage in this respect over another Forget-me-not that has 

 been long known in this neighbourhood. Neither is it at any 

 time, so far as I have observed, so pretty ; the pink tinge of 

 the early flower of M. dissitiflora in its early blooms i3 a dis- 

 advantage. Besides, it never forms such a neat, compaoC 

 corymb as the common species, if I may so call the other, 

 which, I may remark, seeds and grows freely enough, and its 

 bloom forms a much neater auxiliary to the bouquet-maker 

 than that of M. dissitiflora. In my own case, I must say >X 

 am disappointed with it, as I gave the plants I had the best 

 position, and yet they did not flower so early as the common 

 Forget-me-not, and at first the dirty pinkish hue was anything 

 but agreeable. Latterly the flowers haveimprovedin colour, and 

 individually the pips or blooms are a trifle larger than those of 

 the common Forget-me-not, but, as before stated, too loose and 

 disconnected to form a neat, compact head, and, taken indi- 

 vidually, the petals or limbs of the corolla have too starry an 

 appearance, with less of that neatness which forms the prin- 

 cipal charm of the Forget-me-not. 



Oiher growers may been more successful than I have been, 

 or it may have succeeded better in some places than here; but 

 as I have not heard of any, and, besides, have heard of several 

 failures, the inference would appear that it has been over- 

 praised, as many useful things have been before it. Wilness 

 the flourish of trumpets which ushered in Plumbago Larpentaa, 

 and where is it now to be found ? "Viola cornuta is better, but 

 I imagine that those who planted their edging of this in Marck 

 last have not received many compliments on its appearance, and 

 yet, if two or three years in a place, it is very showy and a 

 great acquisition. 



I yet hope to see more made of the Forget-me-nots than has 

 hitherto been done, but I can hardly believe in the number 



