78 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



I August 4, 1870. 



as a rule, best suited for small gardens, but in large gardens 

 the tall kinds are best. 



In making a selection of the best sorts, to be sown in the 

 order in which they are named, I would choose Ringleader, 

 Climax, Laxton's Prolific, Champion of England, King of the 

 Marrows, British Queen, Veitch's Perfection, and Ringleader 

 again for a very late sowing. As to the time of sowing, monthly 

 sowings should be made in January, February, and March, and 

 fortnightly sowings in April, May, and June ; after which time 

 two or three successive sowings of Veitch's Perfection and 

 Ringleader are useful to prolong the season should it prove 

 favourable. 



Peas flourish best in a deep rich soil, in which the roots 

 penetrate to a great depth, and, therefore, wherever the soil is 

 poor or very light, and manure scarce, the latter should be put 

 in trenches as for Celery plants, and the Peas sown in the soil 

 covering it. A thin dressing of manure spread over the sur- 

 face of the soil and forked in, will be of very little service to 

 the Peas. As I have found it necessary to use trenches for 

 Peas in the garden here, the plan followed is, when arranging 

 the ground for cropping in spring, to leave spaces about 20 feet 

 apart across the garden squares, each space to be occupied by 

 a single row of Peas. The trenches are opened, the dung 

 wheeled in, and the whole of the spaces fully prepared before 

 spring comes on, so that nothing is left to be done when the 

 Peas are sown but to draw the drills in the usual way. I have 

 now a large breadth of Potatoes intersected in this manner 

 with rows of Peas, and as the crops are all flourishing and the 

 Pea rows at a uniform distance from each other, the whole has 

 a very neat appearance. — Edward Luckhurst, Egerton House 

 Gardens, Kent. 



A PLEA FOR DOUBLE-FLOWERED 

 PELARGONIUMS AS BEDDERS. 

 " They will never do as bedders," is the remark one con- 

 stantly hears concerning these brilliant novelties. " They are 

 so scant in their flowering, and they are so thick in the truss, 

 that they will be matted together like the Hollyhock in wet 

 weather." And so I thought too, but a little longer experience 

 has caused me to alter my opinion, and I am now inclined to 

 think that in a little time they will become very great favourites. 

 We shall have to discard the originator of the new strain Gloire 

 de Nancy, and any others that partake of its very gross habit ; 

 but we are gradually obtaining varieties of a dwarfer habit, and 

 it is to these I look. I have a long border running down my 

 small lawn, and have planted in it various kinds of Pelargo- 

 niums, dividing the sorts with a band of Perilla. We had 

 heavy rain on two days, but on looking down the border on the 

 evening of the second day, my eye rested at once on the greenest 

 and most .brilliant-looking spot in it — where some of the 

 doubles were planted ; the rain had not injured them, and their 

 large, massive trusses shone out above the green foliage. When 

 I say that I had in this border Excellent, Lord Derby, Editor, 

 Sir Fitzroy Kelly, Chieftain, and Miss Martin, I think this is 

 saying something for it ; and when we can multiply such kinds 

 as Wilhelm Pfitzer and Marie Lemoine, they will form striking 

 objects, while in a dry season, such as we had last year, they 

 are admirable. There are no seed pods, and the bed is there- 

 fore not disfigured by them, so that as the propagating season 

 has now begun I would suggest a trial being made, and I do not 

 fancy those who may make it will be disappointed. — D., Deal. 



BERBERIS DARWINII. 



Of the hardy berry-bearing shrubs that are commonly grown 

 for pleasure-ground ornamentation, there is none that I have 

 seen to equal Berberis Darwinii. It is suitable for very nearly 

 any position, it will stand wind and wet well, is perfectly 

 hardy, and is very attractive at all times. Since its orna- 

 mental qualities have become better known I see it is being 

 used in park planting; a group of from seven to twenty or 

 more plants will in a comparatively short space of time form 

 an almost impenetrable thicket of wood and foliage, the 

 branches growing close to the ground. Its orange-coloured 

 flowers are produced in great profusion, and it is then a con- 

 spicuous and ornamental object when viewed from a distance ; 

 and afterwards its slate-coloured berries, which are as nume- 

 rous as its flowers, make the plant not less attractive to the 

 passer-by. 



In my opinion one of the most suitable positions that can 

 be assigned to such a desirable shrub is by the side of a car- 



riage drive, whether planted singly or in groups of three plants 

 here and there, and associated with taller-growing plants. 

 Where circumstances are favourable to such an arrangement, 

 I think it will not fail to please. Of course in such positions 

 a good-sized bushy plant rather than a very tall one will be the 

 best to grow, but as its habit is favourable, and its growth 

 vigorous, these proportions will soon be reached. A little 

 guiding, however, will be necessary, by giving an annual pruning 

 of all gross shoots, which the plant is apt to throw up after 

 it has become established. This pruning will favour the pro- 

 duction of flowers and, consequently, fruit, because it is on the 

 medium-sized wood that these are most abundantly formed. 



This beautiful Berberis is often to be seen growing at the 

 front of shrubbery borders, or round the margin of shrubbery 

 beds. These I consider are very suitable and proper places for 

 such a uBeful plant. The plants are here growing in such 

 positions in great numbers, and nothing could better suit the 

 purpose for which they were planted. I do not advise planting 

 them as some do in the background of a shrubbery bed or 

 border, among coarser-growing subjects ; they are there seldom 

 St to be seen, and are in time quite overgrown by their more 

 vigorous associates. 



To keep the plants in good health, the surface soil around 

 them should never be dug, but only stirred, as the roots are 

 very near the surface. There are few places where this Berberis 

 thrives better than it does here, in a very heavy loamy soil ap- 

 proaching a clay. Although it will thrive tolerably well in a 

 light soil, I consider a heavy one the most suitable ; the foliage 

 is then darker, and the colour of the flowers a beautiful orange 

 yellow. — Thomas Record, Lillesden. 



NEW AMERICAN POTATOES. 

 In April last I planted 1 lb. each of Bresee's King of the 

 Earlies (tour Potatoes, sixteen sets), and Climax (three Po- 

 tatoes, twenty-three sets), and have taken up the produce 

 to-day (July 25tb), with the following results — King of the 

 Earlies, 18} lbs., largest Potato, 5J ozs., many about that size; 

 Climax, 39} lbs., largest 14 ozs., no other near that size. — 

 W. J. S., Devon. 



PRUNING ORNAMENTAL TREES AND SHRUBS. 



No. 5. 

 Portugal Laurel. — Under most conditions this is a handsome 

 shrub, but is never so fine as when subjected to judicious, 

 timely pruning. It requires plenty of room, light, and air, 

 though, with pruning at an early stage of growth, and con- 

 tinued annually or biennially, it may be kept in comparatively 

 small space. In shrubberies, however, the plants ought not to 

 be very closely pruned, but I consider it necessary to go over 

 them every spring and well cut back any irregularities ; indeed, 

 whenever there is very free growth the shoots, from being long, 

 are apt to start from the points only, and the tree becomes 

 open and bare of foliage unless the long annual shoots are 

 pruned in well every spring. If height be wanted, the prun- 

 ing may be confined to the sides of the tree, but I would, 

 nevertheless, shorten the shoots near the top, as stronger, 

 more regular growths are produced from the ripe than the 

 sappy points of the shoots. Should the trees have become too 

 large, they may be cut back to the size required, and in a year 

 or two they will exhibit a close leafy growth. When of the 

 desired size the pruning should be performed every year in 

 April, cutting off most of the preceding year's growth, which 

 will be replaced by that of the current year. Of course, where 

 there is room, all the pruning required is confined to cutting 

 off any growths likely to interfere with the symmetry of the 

 tree. 



Standard Portugal Laurels have so close a resemblance to 

 the Orange and Sweet Bay, that unless closely examined by a 

 practised eye they are hardly distinguishable ; but it is seldom 

 we see Orange trees so leafy and healthy as to be presentable 

 as summer ornaments in English gardens. Portugal Laurels, 

 on the contrary, are quite hardy, and succeed both in summer 

 and winter in all but very bleak situations, being, in point 

 of hardiness, vastly superior to the Sweet Bay, which only 

 succeeds in warm situations : hence the necessity of growing 

 the latter in tubs for removal in winter to a place of shelter. 



Portugal Laurels grown as standards may have stems of any 

 height, but I consider 3 or 4 feet sufficient. The plants in- 

 tended for standards should be trained with one straight clear 

 stem, and those raised from seed are to be preferred. To give 



