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JOURNAL OF HOSTICULTUEE ANT) COTTAGE GARDENER. [ November 15, 1864. 



I mention this because some persons have remarked to me 

 that it is a queer thing to propagate. Amongst other 

 bedding Geraniums I noticed as very good Prince of Orange, 

 an orange scarlet, and two others (under numbers), which 

 promise to be acquisitions — 20,64 and 5S,64 ; the former of 

 these is a very fine Sower. 



Azaleas form a large feature in this establishment, up- 

 wards of ten thousand small plants alone being grown, and, 

 as we know, many fine sorts have come from here. Flao of 

 Truce fully bears out the high estimation formed of it when 

 it was first exhibited. The foliage is handsome, while the 

 purity of the white exceeds that of nearly all the single 

 varieties. Thrips is a great plague here, owing in a great 

 measure to the existence of some Thorn hedges, which har- 

 bour this pest; and the experience of the Messi-3. Smith 

 differs from that of Mr. Barnes and others, inasmuch as 

 they find tobacco of very little use, but use a preparation 

 something like Gishurst, which they say, as indeed I could 

 see, effectually stops its ravages. There was also a quantity 

 of their pretty rosy pink Azalea Clapham Beauty, which 

 has, moreover, the advantage of being very early in bloom ; 

 and possessing as it does an excellent habit, it is a very 

 desirable plant for the spring decoration of the greenhouse. 

 Crispiiflora rosea, an improvement on the old and pretty 

 crispiflora, is also largely grown, and meets with a ready 

 sale. 



In the stoves I found a very excellent assortment both in 

 old and young plants, of the rarer and more valuable plants 

 that have been introduced of late years. Alocasia metallica, 

 Lowii, and zebrina were excellently done ; while Cyperus 

 alternifolius variegatus was in greater masses than I have 

 anywhere seen it. Here was also a good stock of the very 

 pretty Saxifraga Fortunei, which will ere long find its way 

 into many a cottage window, supplanting its plainer rela- 

 tive, which is now so extensively grown by cottagers. 



In the cooler houses many of the recent introductions 

 from Japan were found, such as Thujopsis dolabrata varie- 

 gata, Eetinosporas, Osmanthus, Eurya — plants which, if they 

 only prove hardy, cannot fail in a few years to make a con- 

 siderable change in the landscape gardening of our days. 

 Many of the new varieties of Zonale Geraniums, which are 

 more adapted for greenhouse culture than the open air, 

 were also to be found here. Amongst them I noticed Marie 

 L'Abbe, Mrs. Theirs, Ornement des Massifs, a curious plum- 

 shaded scarlet. 



Fuchsia Pillar of Gold, which was originated in this 

 establishment, has proved itself a very useful ornamental 

 plant, and when well grown, and mixed with others, the effect 

 is excellent. There were large quantities of it grown here ; 

 but to my mind it looked better when placed amongst other 

 plants than when used in large quantities. Cloth of Gold 

 is another somewhat similar variety, which deserves all the 

 praise that has been given to it, affording a very pretty con- 

 trast to the previous one. The other varieties of Fuchsias 

 were also to be found here in large quantities. 



In Balsams the Messrs. Smith are certainly in advance 

 of all others, and I found pit after pit filled with plants which 

 were maturing their seed. The different varieties are all 

 kept perfectly distinct, and I can only say that I did not 

 see one plant with single flowers throughout the thousands 

 that were there; so that if single flowers are obtained from 

 their seed it must be owing to some mismanagement in their 

 culture ; and as I had myself been disappointed, I asked Mr. 

 Smith how it was that I came to have so many single flowers. 

 He quietly asked me, "How do you grow them?" I told 

 him that I potted them off singly, and then as the flower- 

 buds showed rubbed these off, repotting them into larger- 

 sized pots, and then trusting to the later buds for the 

 bloom. " I thought so," was the rejoinder. " It. is the 

 earlier buds that ought to be depended on ; and the plan is 

 "to leave them on and grow the plants well, so as to develope 

 the flowers well." Some of these were very fine, quite like 

 variegated Camellias, while those of a plum-coloured shade 

 were truly magnificent. 



It will thus be seen from this necessarily brief and hurried 

 sketch, that in point of interest this nursery is not behind 

 any of its metropolitan neighbours, and that enterprise, 

 skill, and energy are at work to give it a foremost place. 

 This Messrs Smith have effected at a very large outlay; but 

 the great sale that their productions have will, I doubt not, 



amply remunerate them. I need hardly add that I feel sure 

 that any one visiting this nursery, which lies conveniently 

 between the Crystal Palace and Victoria line, and the London, 

 Chatham, and Dover, will meet with the greatest civility, 

 and be politely shown everything of interest pertaining to 

 it.— C, Deal. 



WIXTEE DECOEATIOX OF 

 GARDEN. 



THE FLOWEE 



I have read with considerable interest the remarks of 

 Mr. G. Abbey on the winter decoration of the flower garden. 

 The subject deserves the attention both of the writers and 

 readers of your journal. The present system of flower gar- 

 dening renders it necessary that something should be done 

 to remove the nakedness of the beds throughout the winter 

 season. Geraniums, Calceolarias, &c, are gorgeous enough 

 through the summer months ; but by the middle or end of 

 October, if not absolutely killed their beauty is entirely 

 gone, and then the sooner they are taken away the better. 

 But it would cause a very serious blank if the beds had to 

 remain empty and bare from that time till the third or 

 fourth week in May, the time when bedding plants would be 

 again brought forth to occupy the place of their predecessors. 

 It becomes, therefore, a matter for serious consideration 

 which way the deficiency would be best supplied. Of course 

 the plants must be hardy to stand the rigours of the winter, 

 but they should also be of an ornamental character. I know 

 of nothing so suitable as evergreen shrubs, with their various 

 shades of green and different habits of growth. I am not 

 much in love with deciduous shrubs for the purpose, whether 

 they be flowering or otherwise, as they look so bare when 

 the leaves are fallen, nakedness being the object sought to 

 be removed. 



Tour correspondent has given a list of those evergreens 

 which are most suitable for decorating the beds when di- 

 vested of their summer occupants, and any one taking that 

 list or selecting from it will not go astray in the matter. 



In reference to planting them, however, there may be a 

 di^erence of opinion. I have been in the habit of following 

 a plan different from the one recommended by Mr. Abbey, 

 and one which some might feel disposed to adopt. H so, I 

 think they will be satisfied with the result. 



Tour correspondent recommends that two-thirds of the 

 beds be filled with shrub3, evergreen and deciduous, and 

 one-third with bulbs and spring-flowering plants, and that 

 each bed be devoted to one separate kind — grouping them, 

 in fact. This is not my method. I prefer planting shrubs 

 in every bed, but not to fill any of them, and to mix the 

 different kinds together, carefully distributing each so as 

 to secure variety and at the same time uniformity. The 

 more conspicuous and distinct sorts are particularly at- 

 tended to in this respect, Aucubas and Irish Tews, for 

 instance; for wherever one of these is planted a similar one 

 to match is placed, so as to balance, as it were, one side 

 with the other. Tews should not be too numerous ; one 

 here and there to take off the flatness is quite sufficient. 



The beds are 4 feet in width, the walks 2 feet. In small 

 circular beds I place one plant in the centre. In the middle 

 beds, which are nearly square, I place five — a centre, and 

 one near each corner. The largest contain seven or eight, 

 and the others about three each. When thus planted the 

 garden presents a very striking appearance, exhibiting a 

 great variety both of form and colour. Probably where 

 there are large beds on grass, and these disconnected and 

 far apart, the plan of your correspondent may be the best ; 

 but in geometric designs containing a number of compara- 

 tively small beds close together, I think it preferable to 

 adopt the open plan above described. 



Every bed is planted with clusters of the Crocus ; and 

 here again I follow the mixing system — not, however, with 

 each cluster, which is of one distinct kind, but each bed 

 contains clusters of each colour, yellow, blue, and white re- 

 peated all the way round near the edge at about a foot 

 apart. Being planted near the edge they are out of the 

 way of the bedding plants, and consequently are not dis- 

 turbed when their flowering season is over. I find it neces- 

 sary, however, to take them up every three or four years, 

 for the double purpose of dividing them and planting them 



