August 9, 1877. ] 



JOURNAL OP HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



121 



short time the trees get so crowded that both crops are 

 seriously injured. 



Early in June the buds are ready to gather. The plants are 

 gone over each alternate morning, and every bud sufficiently 

 open is cut off ; and now the superiority of the red kind above 

 referred to is more than ever apparent. Its buds nearly all 

 open at the same time — that is, all the buds on eaoh truss. 

 This allows of the whole truss being cut at once, which is a 

 great saving of labour, and the produce is of greater value in 

 the market. As they are cut the blooms are laid in large 

 baskets or hampers, which, when full, are placed on waggons 

 and sent to market, where they are rapidly bought up by 

 hawkers and women with baskets, who wire the blooms with a 

 little foliage attached, and Bell them for the coat at a penny 

 a-piece. After the plants have done blooming some growers 

 layer the branches on each Side of the rows ; they are firmly 

 pegged down and covered with soil. In the autumn these will 

 have taken root, when they are lifted and separated from the 

 parent plant, and after being trimmed are used to form new 

 plantations. This is a capital plan, inasmuch as young 

 vigorous plants are easily obtained without severely injuring 

 the existing plantations. Moss Roses and the Poet's Narcissus 

 (N. poeticus) are sometimes planted alternately, and the flowers 

 of the latter being all gathered before the Roses come inito leaf 

 neither crop is in anyway impaired. — W. (in The Gardener). 



OUE BOEDEB FLOWEES— BASTABD BALM. 



One of the least of the families of hardy herbaceous plants, 

 and in all probability it is one of the least known and least 

 cultivated. This cannot arise from their having no attractions. 

 In a botanical point of view they are an interesting family, for 

 it only falls to the lot of a few to have the pleasure of securing 

 specimens of these rare Labiates in their native habitats, but 

 when so seen and secured they are a prize indeed. 



They are of dwarf and pleasing habit, and are well adapted 

 for either rockwork, border, or pot. They will bear full ex- 

 posure, but they are the better for having partial shade afforded 

 them. They require thorough drainage and a good, sound, 

 free loam to develope themselves in. They are increased by 

 division in spring when growth has commenced. Until well 

 established they require care, time, and patienoe to work up a 

 stock. I have not to the present time been able to increase 

 them from seed. 



I only know of three kinds— Melittis alpina from Switzer- 

 land, of very dwarf habit, adapted for rockwork ; very seldom 

 met with. M. grandiftora is a charming plant, deserving ex- 

 tensive cultivation. M. melissophyllum makes up a trio of no 

 mean order. They are telling plants for exhibition in a col- 

 lection of herbaceous plants, and cannot fail to repay by their 

 beauty any labour bestowed upon them. — Veritas. 



ABEANGING CUT FLOWEES. 



An article in " St. Nicholas " on the arrangement of flowers 

 contains the following directions which may be read by all 

 who love flowers, and yet have not the knack of arranging 

 them to the best advantage in bouquets or in vases for the 

 table: — 



The colour of the vase to be used is of importance. Gaudy 

 reds and blues should never be chosen, for they conflict with 

 the delicate hues of the flowers. Bronze or black vases, dark 

 green, pure white, or silver always produce a good effect, and 

 bo does a straw basket; while clear glass, which shows the 

 graceful clasping of the stems, is perhaps prettiest of all. 



The shape of the vase is also to be thought of. For the 

 middle of a dinner-table a round bowl is always appropriate, 

 or a tall vase with a saucer-shaped base. Or, if the centre of 

 the table is otherwise occupied, a large conch shell, or shell- 

 shaped dish, may be swung from the chandelier above, and 

 with plenty of Vines and feathering green, made to look very 

 pretty. Delicate flowers, such as Lilies of the Valley and 

 Sweet Peas, should be placed by themselves in slender taper- 

 ing glasses; Violets should nestle their fragrant purple in 

 some tiny cup, and Pansies be set in groups with no gayer 

 flowers to oontradict their soft velvet hues; and— this is a 

 hint for summer — few things are prettier than Balsam blos- 

 soms or double variegated Hollyhocks massed on a flat plate, 

 with a fringe of green to hide the edge. No leaves should be 

 interspersed with these; the plate should look like a solid 

 mosaic of splendid colour. 



Stiffness and crowding are the two things to be specially 



avoided in arranging flowers. What can be uglier than the 

 great tasteless bunches into which the ordinary florist ties his 

 wares, or what more extravagant ? A skilful person will untie 

 one of these, and adding green leaves, make the same flowers 

 into half a dozen bouquets, each more attractive than the 

 original. Flowers should be grouped as they grow, with a 

 cloud of light foliage in and about them to set off their forms 

 and colours. Do not forget this. 



It is better as a general rule not to put more than one or 

 two Borts of flowers into the same vase. A great bush with 

 Roses, and Camellias, and Carnations, and Feverfew, and 

 Geraniums growing on it all at once would be a frightful thing 

 to behold ; just bo a monstrous bouquet made up of all these 

 flowers is meaningless and ugly. Certain flowers, such as 

 Heliotrope, Mignonette, and Myrtle mix well with everything; 

 but usually it is better to group flowers with their kind — Robbs 

 in one glass, Geraniums in another, and not try to make them 

 agree in companies. 



When you do mix flowers be careful not to put colours which 

 clash side by side. Scarlets and pinks spoil each other, so do 

 blues and purples and yellows and mauves. If your vase or 

 dish is a very large one, to hold a great number of flowers, it 

 is a good plan to divide it into thirds or quarters, making each 

 division perfectly harmonious within itself, and then blend the 

 whole with lines of green and white and soft neutral tint. 

 Every group of mixed flowers requires one little touch of 

 yellow to make it vivid ; but this must be skilfully applied. It 

 is good practice to experiment with this effect. For instance, 

 arrange a group of maroon, soarlet, and white Geraniums with 

 green leaves, and add a single blossom of gold-coloured Calceo- 

 laria ; you will see at once that the whole bouquet seems to 

 flash out and become more brilliant. 



NOTES on VILLA and SUBUEBAN GABDENING. 



If there is one period of the year more than another when 

 there is some cessation from labour in the garden it is during 

 the month of August. The flowers are then at their brightest, 

 the fruits at their sweetest. It is the harvest of enjoyment, the 

 reward of toil — pleasant health-giving toil in the caBe of the 

 amateur gardener — the period of repose, brief indeed, but plea- 

 sant, and such as all who labour have a right to enjoy. It is a 

 period also for instruction — the time when not only successes 

 can be appreciated, but failures detected and improvements 

 suggested. It is during late summer that the planB for another 

 year should be formed, when the quantities required of different 

 plants— of flowers and vegetables — should be determined on. 

 This cannot be so well effected at any other time. It is those 

 who decide on their plans early who succeed the best ; labour 

 and space then become utilised, and waste of either, which is 

 inevitable in the absence of a definite plan of action, is in a 

 great measure avoided. 



But in order that a garden may be thoroughly enjoyed neat- 

 ness must prevail everywhere : there muBt be no weeds on the 

 walks or the borders. The margins of the beds must be trim, 

 and the lawns must be smooth. The flowers must also be 

 orderly by the removal of decayed parts, and the due use of 

 stakes or pegs to Bupport those which need such assistance. 

 Carnations are now fading — those aweet and beautiful flowers 

 which should be seen in every villa garden in town or country. 

 Some of the best varieties have recently been alluded to in the 

 Journal — the high-class florists' varieties ; but there are others 

 equally worthy of notice, such as the crimson and white Cloves. 

 Let these be inoreased. Layering may Btill be done if it is 

 done promptly : the manner of doing it was lately described 

 in another column. Let any choice Geraniums be increased. 

 There can be no better time for inserting cuttings of these than 

 the present, and no better place than light soil in the open 

 garden. If care is exercised several cuttings may be taken 

 without injuring the plants or beds. When rooted the cuttings 

 can be taken up and potted for preserving through the winter. 

 When the greatest possible numbers of plants require to be 

 wintered in the least possible space cuttings of ordinary decora- 

 tive kinds should be inserted closely — that is, an inch or two 

 apart, in pots or boxes, there to remain until the spring. The 

 pots must be well drained, and the soil rather sandy and rather 

 firm. The cutting pots or boxes should be placed in a sunny 

 position in the open air. Show Pelargoniums may still be cut 

 down and the cuttings be inserted. Plants which were out 

 down a fortnight ago will have commenced making fresh growth. 

 When they have grown about half an inch the soil, every par- 

 ticle of it, should be shaken from the roots, and the plants 

 should be firmly potted in small pots. 



Plants that are flowering freely, such as Fuchsias, Balsams, 

 Geraniums, &c, will be much benefited by liquid manure. 

 Nothing is better than a little cow, sheep, or horse dung dis- 

 solved in water, or failing this, half an ounce of guano, not 



