170 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



[ August 30, 1877. 



Tiie Meadow Sweet (Spirsa Ulmaria) and Dropwort (Spiraa 

 Filipendula), Veronica spieata, the Virginian Spiderwort (Tra- 

 desoantia virginioa), Statiee Gmelini, S. latifolia, the flowers 

 of the two latter-named are useful for mixing with Everlast- 

 ings for winter decoration ; (Enothera biennis, growing to 5 or 

 6 feet in height, the flowers of a bright primrose colour, and 

 beautifully scented ; some of the different kinds of Iris, Colum- 

 bines, Antirrhinums, Pyrethrams, Peeonies, Pentstemons, and 

 Gladioluses are all suitable for planting in borders. 



A few more good plants, though some of them are seldom 

 met with, areDictamnusFraxinella,2 feet in height ; Echinops 

 ruthenicus, with Thistle-like heads ; Onosma taurica, a plant 

 of the Boraginaceons family with bright golden flowers ; Cory- 

 dalis nobilis, Chrysocoma linosyris, Liatris squarrosa, Lobelia 

 cardinalis, Linum flavum, L. perenne, the latter a beautiful 

 blue-flowering plant ; Monarda didyma, the scarlet flowers and 

 leaves of which have a beautiful perfume ; Lychnis chalce- 

 donica, L. dioica rubra. Iris fcetidissima, with its bright red 

 seed3 in the capsule like Holly berries (the variegated kind 

 is also ornamental), and Centranthus ruber are all useful to 

 cut from to mix with the " handful of flowers " that is often 

 asked for. Campanula carpatica, C. carpatica alba, and C. coro- 

 nata make splendid border plants, seeds of which if sown now 

 will make flowering plants next year. Coreopsis lanceolata 

 and the Leopard's Bane (Doronicum austriaeum) are two fine 

 yellow-flowering plants ; also the Day Lily (Hemerocallis flava). 

 Funkia ovata and F. subcordata have bold-looking and hand- 

 some foliage, as may be seen by their use in the London parks ; 

 Achillea Millefolium roseum and A. Millefolium aureum are 

 pretty in June, and Anemone Honorine Jobert IB a capital 

 September-flowering plant. 



A good deep soil and well enriohed with decayed manure is 

 necessary before planting a border with herbaceous plants. It 

 may be taken as a guide that soil that will produce Potatoes 

 or Cabbages well will also suit most herbaceous plants. They 

 should be planted so as to leave ample space between them 

 for hoeing and raking in summer time ; room may also be 

 left for having good patches of annuals — Stocks, Zinnias, 

 Gaillardias, "Wallflowers, Asters, Pansies, Hollyhocks, Dahlias, 

 and Chrysanthemums, the Pompon section being very useful; 

 also a few scarlet Geraniums, Salvias, Heliotropes, &a. ; for 

 a border made exclusively of herbaceous plants has towardB 

 the end of summer a very dull appearance. None of the plants 

 I have named are of recent introduction ; all have conspicuous 

 flowers, and are well known to many. There are many more 

 good, but these are a few out of the many good old garden 

 plants, and if "Wtld Savage" cannot obtain all of them I 

 would recommend that the following should not be left out of 

 his herbaceous border : — 



Iberis saxatile FanMa subcordata 



Aubrietia purpurea Saponaria ocymoidee 



CEnothera macrocarpa Carnations 



Echinope ruthenicus Paaonies 



Dictamnus Fraxinella Dahlias 



Gentiana acaulis Heliotropes 



Hemerocallis flava Arabia alpina 



Delphinium lormoBUm Alyssum saxatile 



Lupinus polyphyllus Campanula pusilla alba 



Dielytra spectabilis C. carpatica 



Solidago altissima C. carpatica alba 



Slonarda didyma Anemone Honorine 

 Statiee Gmelini Jobert 



Spiraea Filipendula Doronicum austriaeum 



A. HabDING. 



Linnm flavum 

 L. perenne 

 Fuchsias (hardy) 

 Tritoma Uvaria 

 Coreopsis lanceolata 

 Veronica spieata 

 Polygonatum multiflo- 



rum 

 Scilla campanulata 

 Saxifraga crassiiolia 

 Pints 

 Pansies 

 Hollyhocks 

 Chrysanthemums 



STKAWBERRIES ON LIGHT SOIL. 

 As an amateur I venture to send you a few notes on Straw- 

 berry culture which may interest some of your readers. About 

 five years ago I took possession of a garden in the eastern 

 counties with a southern aspect, having full exposure to the 

 sun and partially sheltered by surrounding buildings, which, 

 however greatly aggravate the destructive force of south- 

 easterly ' winds in the spring and south-westerly gales in 

 autumn. The soil was very poor and light, with gravelat 

 2 feet from the surface ; and the existing Strawberry beds being 

 evidently exhausted I at once dug them up and trenched 

 the ground, working-in plenty of good farmyard manure and 

 spread 3 inches of clay over the surface, which after being 

 exposed to froat all the winter was forked-in the following 

 spring, when runners of all the best kinds I oould procure 

 were planted. All through the growing season the young 

 plants were watered when necessary, mulched, and duly looked 

 after, and by the autumn were well established for fruiting the 

 next year, when the orop fully repaid the trouble taken with it. 



I After gathering the fruit the plants were watered and kept free 



i from runners, &c, and in the winter a second dressing of clay 



was given. The second season the fruit was more abundant 



than the first ; but though the total weight was greater the 



individual berries were not so fine, and consequently only half 



the beds were left for the third season and a fresh plantation 



I of runners made. The three- year-old plants received the same 



; attention as the new plantation, but the fruit of the latter 



proved so superior in every way that I shall not again allow 



| any plants to stand over the second season, and should be 



inclined to renew all annually, except for the fact that the fruit 



from the two-year-old plants com9S about a week later than 



that from the runners, and thus helps to prolong the season — 



a most desirable object in Strawberry culture, especially with 



the British Queen variety, which has no later kind to follow it 



at all approaching it in flavour. 



As to varieties, Black Prince is the earliest, with nothing 

 else to recommend it. Keens' Seedling is the best early sort, 

 though complaints are sometimes made of its being a bad 

 bearer, which I believe is owing to carelessly taking the 

 runners from the strongest instead of the most fruitful plants. 

 Alice Maud is good and a free bearer ; Oscar and Roden's 

 Early Prolific are worth trying, the latter in some seasons 

 being a few days earlier than Keens'. 



For mid-season, Lucas has proved the best, being large and 

 when quite ripe very richly flavoured. President is very large, 

 and, though hardly equal to Lucas, excellent for preserving. 

 Sir J. Paxton and Sir Harry are also good. Vicomtesse Herioart 

 de Thury is an abundant bearer of medium-sized fruit. Rivers' 

 Eliza seems to require some special treatment, as it does not 

 prove equal to what I have tasted from other gardens. Can 

 any of your readers say how it ought to be grown ? 



The best late sort is British Queen, surpassing all other3 

 in flavour, and when fully ripened perhaps the finest fruit 

 grown in English gardens. Its leaves are very liable to injury 

 from red spider, and after the fruit is gathered, if intended to 

 stand a second season, it should receive special attention as to 

 watering and mulching. Dr. Hogg and Mr. Radclyffe seem to 

 be mere varieties of British Queen, and no improvement on it. 

 Carolina Superba is another variety of the same strain but 

 distinct, being much sweeter and richer than the Queen. 

 Frogmore Late Pine proved no later than British Queen, and 

 decidedly inferior to it. Elton and Eleanor are later but acid, 

 and the latter, though large and handsoms, is too coarse to 

 eat after tasting the Qaeen. A variety that would come in 

 after the Queens are over, and anything like equal them in 

 flavour, would be a decided boon. 



Ae to recent novelties I only know of one worth recommend- 

 ing, named Loxford Hall Seedling, which Messrs. Veitch are 

 now Bending out. It combines the richne3s of one of its 

 parents (British Queen) with the constitution of the other 

 (La Constante), and will doubtless succeed in many places 

 where the Queen fails. I intend growing it myself, and advise 

 my friends to try it. 



On good heavy soil anyone can grow abundant crops of 

 Strawberries, even on the lazy-bed system ; but on light soils 

 I am persuaded that success can only be secured by carefully 

 preparing the ground, and if very light adding some heavy 

 loam or clay. Plant early and far apart, water when necessary, 

 and mulch, which saves much watering ; and last, but not least, 

 allow no plants to remain over the second season. — Essex. 



AUTUMN ROSES. 



" Wtld Savage " has recently referred to autumn Roses. 

 I can fully confirm all he says on our queen of flowers. On 

 the 14th and loth of August I cut magnificent blooms of 

 Marechal Niel, Gloire de Dijon (as usual always first and last 

 to flower), President Grevy, a most beautiful dark Rose, of 

 unusual excellence as an autumn Rose ; indeed, it seems 

 specially adapted for that purpose, it not having given me any 

 good blooms till now. Old John Hopper again is giving fine 

 blooms, and last year fine blooms of it were produced from a 

 south border in my rosery, for, as " Wtld Savage " says, I 

 do not grow my Roses all in one place, those doing best now 

 being on a north border. 



Paul Neron, though he is a coarse Rose in Bummer, is now 

 throwing me some really magnificent blooms of beautiful 

 form ; Capitaine Christy, too, has just been doing good 

 service. I cut some really beautiful blooms of this lovely Rose 

 on August loth. Madame Victor Verdier, Madame Charles 

 Wood, Senateur Vaisse, and Souvenir de la Malmaison have 



