August 2, 1861. 1 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



83 



silvery leaves, 6 to 9 inches high. Very effective for ribbons, 

 chains, and beds. Division. 



Gnaphalium leontopodium. — A very dwarf-tufted plant, 

 the dense heads of flowers appear as if quite smothered in 

 fine silky wool. As an edging plant this is distinct and effec- 

 tive. Division. 



Eeiteichum nanum. — Dwarf silky tufts, with heads of 

 rather large vivid blue Forget-me-not-like flowers. Division. 



HARDY FLOWERING BEDDING PLANTS. 



Saponaria ocymoides. — As a dwarf plant for beds nothing 

 is more beautiful than this when covered with its myriads of 

 rose-coloured blossoms, whilst for edgings it is one of the 

 most striking and interesting of plants. Division and 

 cuttings. 



Lychnis (Agbostemha) coeonaeia. — This plant has the 

 soft silvery foliage of Stachys lanata, with fine racemose 

 corymbs, 1 i to 2 feet high, of vivid magenta-crimson flowers. 

 It is valuable for ribbons and masses. Seed and cuttings. A 

 crimson variety, I am informed, was much cultivated twenty 

 or thirty years ago; also, a double crimson kind, and a 

 white one, L. coronaria alba, but I fear they are lost. 



Lychnis Haageana supeeea. — Brilliant orange scarlet 

 flowers. Plant 1 foot to 18 inches high. Cuttings and 

 divisions. 



Linaria alpina. — A prostrate silvery tuft covered with 

 terminal corymbs of purple flowers with fiery orange centres. 

 When strong plants two or three years old are employed, 

 they form dense patches of great beauty. Very effective in 

 masses. Seed. 



Lytheum eoseum supeebum. — Tall, dense, branching 

 spikes of vivid rose-coloured flowers frorn 2 to 3 feet high, 

 forming an effective back row in a ribbon. Unequalled for 

 producing a heavy mass of colour. Division and cuttings. 



Silene eeticulata. — Rose-coloured blossoms, having a 

 charming effect in a bed. Division and cuttings. 



Antieehinum. — Numerous varieties. Cuttings and seed. 



(Enotheea maceocaepa. — Lovely large yellow flowers, 

 one of the finest bright yellow bedding plants. Seed and 

 cuttings. 



(Enotheea eipaeia. — A pretty dwarf bright yellow- 

 flowered plant. Cuttings and seeds. 



Linum monogynum. — Flowers much like L. grandiflorum, 

 but white, continuing a long time in bloom. Cuttings. 



Achillea aueea. — Fine golden yellow. Division. 



Achillea .egyptiaca. — Glaucous leaves. Flowers pale 

 yellow. Division. 



There is a variety of the Common Yarrow with rosy 

 purple flowers, which grows from 1 foot 6 inches to 2 feet 

 high, and is very effective in beds. 



Pybethbum parthenium flore pleno. — A fine pure 

 white bedding plant, suitable for a ribbon nest to a scarlet. 

 Does well in dry shady places. Cuttings and division. 

 There are many new varieties of various shades of colour, 

 which I think will be acquisitions. 



Pansies. — Double Purple, or Good Gracious, Trentham 

 Blue, Purple King, White Queen, Yellow Prince. These, 

 in beds of one or more colours, produce a fine effect, and 

 there are few finer beds than a mass of fancy varieties or 

 mixed Pansies. Cuttings, seeds. 



Pentstemons. — Charming bedding plants, of dwarf habit, 

 and continuing long in bloom. Their colours vary from 

 bluish purple to rosy carmine and scarlet. Cuttings. 



Delphinium foemosum. — This forms a splendid bedding 

 plant. Every other plant should be stopped when the 

 shoots are 6 inches high, in order that the bloom may be of 

 longer continuance. Flowers bright deep blue. Seed and 

 division. 



Calceolarias. — These only require the protection of a 

 cold frame. They vary in colour, being crimson, brown, 

 pale yellow, or orange, and are amongst the handsomest of 

 bedding plants. Cuttings. 



Myosotis palusteis. — Bright blue, with pink eye. Charm- 

 ing as a blue edging plant. Division. 



Myosotis alpicola (M. alpestris, Hooker). — A charming 

 plant, forming dwarf dense tufts, and covered with large 

 heads of flowers, which are bright blue with a yellow eye, 

 and produced in such profusion as to hide the foliage. This 

 is not the M. alpestris of gardens. It is delightfully frag- 

 rant in the evening. Division. 



Tritonia aueea. — This forms a beautiful orange group. 

 Roots. 



Anemone japonica, Honoeine Jobert. — Flowers large, 

 white; foliage handsome. Forms a fine bed for autumn 

 flowering. Division. 



The above are all of acknowledged merit for bedding 

 purposes ; and, with a number of beautiful annuals that 

 can be raised from seed in spring without much heat, and 

 ornamental plants specially adapted for planting singly on 

 lawns, we can be more independent of tender plants than 

 we imagine. In addition to those named, it is probable 

 that many handsome plants may have escaped my notice, 

 and of such I shall be glad to hear. G. Abbey. 



OECHAED-HOUSES IN GUEENSEY AND IN 

 HEETS. 



In common, I hope, with the greater number of your 

 readers, I have derived much pleasure from reading Mr. Bre- 

 haut's articles on his orchard-house. If he will kindly make 

 them a sort of journal as to the periods his different kinds 

 of fruit ripen in his sunny climate he will add to our plea- 

 sure, as we shall then be able to compare notes. 



He mentions his having gathered ripe Early York Peaches 

 ever since the beginning of the present month — let us say 

 for the sake of a date the 7th. It is now the 19th, and my 

 only ripe Peach is the Red Nutmeg. The Early York, and 

 Early Victoria its child, are only just changing colour. I 

 must, however, state that my house is span-roofed, 100 feet 

 by 24 : Mr. Brehaut's house, if I recollect rightly, is a lean-to 

 with a brick wall at back. This will, I think, make a dif- 

 ference of a full week in ripening power. 



Apricots are now ripening, but the little Early Sardinian 

 is, however, just over. It is rather dry, but a perfect sweet- 

 meat. The Early Moorpark and Oulins Early Peach are 

 now fully ripe and of great excellence, the juice running 

 from them in a stream when they are bitten. 



I have never seen anything in fruit-culture more beautiful 

 than my Apricot trees this season — pyramids studded with 

 golden-ball-like fruit from head to foot, and large bushes, 

 now upwards of twelve years old, so loaded as to compel us 

 to support their branches with string. On two of these fine 

 old trees are 260 fruit, of a fair medium size and of most 

 excellent flavour. 



More interesting even than these fine trees are some 

 seedling Apricots some five years old, not more than 2 feet 

 in height, yet weighed down by their crops. To show the 

 improvement that may take place in raising seedling fruits, 

 I may mention that one from that old variety — the oldest 

 and earliest of our varieties of Apricots — the Red Masculine, 

 has, by being crossed with the Peach, given fruit as early 

 as its female parent, the Red Masculine, but more than 

 double the size, and equal in flavour to that finest of all 

 Apricots the Peach. Seedlings from the Large Early are so 

 much like the parent as not to be distinguished from it. 

 Seedlings from the Kaisha are most remarkably productive, 

 and one amongst them some ten days earlier than its parent. 

 The facility of raising seedlings, seeing them bear fruit after 

 only a few years of care, and closely watching all their pecu- 

 liarities, make the orchard-house a pornological paradise to 

 the experimental and reflective gardener — in short, to such 

 men as Mr. Brehaut. 



The Honey Peach, which I remember sending to Mr. 

 Brehaut a few years since, is a Chinese variety, with curious 

 pointed fruit and a most luscious sweetness. I received it 

 from Mr. Charles Downing, the American pomologist : it 

 will probably give us a new race. The Canary Peach is 

 from Georgia, U.S. It is not early here, for I observe that 

 my fruit are not yet changing colour, while those mentioned 

 by Mr. Brehaut ripened July 11. This shows most forcibly 

 the warmth of his orchard-house climate, and one almost 

 feels a little envy. Still there is in all worldly matters some 

 compensating influence. I have thousands of trees, but not 

 a spidery leaf on them — all are green and flourishing. The 

 greater portion of my trees have been closely pinched in to 

 three, four, and five leaves, all the summer. I may add a 

 useful hint to Mr. Brehaut's excellent instructions. Many 

 of my trees have compact round heads, masses of luxuriant 

 foliage, and incipient blossom-buds. I have had them looked 



