366 



Garden and Forest. 



[Number 232. 



water at all times. Apart from their exceptional botanical 

 interest, they are quite as ornamental in appearance as 

 some Pandani and Cordylines. 



There are eighteen species of Richea, all natives of the 

 mountains of Tasmania and south-eastern Australia. 

 Some of them are small and bush-like, with leaves only 

 an inch or so in length. R. dracophylla grows to a height 

 of twelve feet, and has flexuose leaves two feet long. I 

 am not aware that any other species of Richea is in culti- 

 vation in Europe except the one here figured, with the in- 

 troduction of which Kew is to be credited. 



Londun. W. WalS07l. 



Foreign Correspondence. 



London Parks. 



EVERY year more open spaces are provided in Eng- 

 land for pleasure-grounds, and those most recently 

 acquired are largely planted with hardy fiovirers in bold 

 groups or with masses of annuals which are in their re- 

 spective seasons gay with color. The shrubs in these 

 places, however, are not so satisfactory. They are mostly 

 crowded together so that they die from strangulation or 

 starvation, or at least they make no characteristic or 

 healthy growth. Horticulturists fond of brilliant effects 

 will be pleased with the bedding in Hyde Park, from Rot- 

 ten Row to the Marble Arch, the ground running along 

 the Park Lane being now a blaze of Fuchsias particularly, 

 although other flowers, such as Tuberous Begonias, are 

 used freely. 



For a few years past the Fuchsia has been a great favor- 

 ite here for bedding, and in such large masses as can be 

 seen in Hyde Park the effect is most pleasing. For the 

 most part the fine old-fashioned kinds that have been al- 

 most lost sight of since the flower has been out of fashion 

 are to be seen in the public parks. One of the most popu- 

 lar kinds is the Earl of Beaconsfield, the flowers of which 

 are tubular and scarlet. Other varieties preferred are 

 Annette, distinguished for its massive green leaves and 

 purple-crimson flowers, the Empress of German)', with 

 violet, blue and crimson flowers. Tower of London, Ma- 

 dame Cornellesin and Elizabeth Marshall. The plants are 

 about three feet high and are grouped in threes, usually of 

 distinct kinds, on the turf, so that the lower shoots touch 

 the closely trimmed grass and the little shrubs are each 

 one a pyramid of bloom. Thegreat point in dealing with 

 such tender plants as the Fuchsia is to let them make as 

 much of their growth as possible in the open air so that 

 they become thoroughly well-hardened to endure the trials 

 of summer weather and maintain a display of flowers un- 

 til frost. 



Of course, in large places, size counts for something, 

 and besides the large specimens of Fuchsias are admirable 

 groups of Erythrina Crista-galli, Pelargonium, Madame 

 Crousse, a fine ivy-leaved variet)' with salmon-pink 

 flowers, and Clematis Jackmanni. The Tuberous Begonia 

 has done much to displace the beds of Pelargoniums in the 

 English parks. As far as possible the colors are kept dis- 

 tinct so as to gain a full and strong effect. It is possible 

 now to purchase seeds in distinct shades, and they produce 

 flowers true to these tones, while in regard to size and 

 habit there has been a great advance in the outdoor Be- 

 gonias, whose flowers have great breadth, stand well up 

 above the foliage and seem to be proof against the vicissi- 

 tudes of weather. A moist season suits them best, and 

 while the Pelargoniums have run to leaf the Begonias have 

 been smothered with bloom. 



The tufted Pansy is another plant much used in the 

 parks as an edging, as a groundwork to taller things, and 

 in beds by itself. The important point with these is to se- 

 lect varieties of good color, and there is no kind more gen- 

 erally used than Archie Grant, which has bold flowers of 

 deep royal blue, which never lose their character through- 

 out the year. These Pansies are a charming group, which 

 now range through many colors, from white to the deepest 



purple. They commence to bloom in spring and continue 

 to the end of summer, disliking only severe drought. 



It is surprising what may be accomplished in outdoor 

 gardening even in London, one of the smokiest cities of 

 the world. One of the most successful plants used here is 

 the Carnation, which is planted very freely. The old Clove 

 succeeds remarkably well, and forms large clumps. Ameri- 

 cans when visiting England should not forget the parks 

 and city gardens, which are worth seeing all the year. In 

 the spring months the bulbous flowers are used freely. 

 Last spring the beds now occupied by the Fuchsias in 

 Hyde Park were filled with the best kind of Datfodils — that 

 is, those with the earliest flowers, like the Maximus, Hors- 

 fieldi or Empress type, while the Poet's Narcissus followed 

 later in the season. „ _ 



Cliiswick, Enj^land. '^- ^« 



Cultural Department. 



August in the Vegetable-garden. 



'T^HOSE who enjoy a sweet, quickly grown turnip should 

 -'■ sow now a few of the Extra Early Milan. I say a few, be- 

 cause those sown now will be overgrown and pithy before 

 cold weather, and successive crops should be sown to follow 

 the first. Here, in the south, we can sow this variety as late 

 as October and grow a fine crop, the last sown usually being 

 best of all. The Extra Early Milan grows almost as quickly as 

 a Radish, and when the size of an ordinary biscuit is a deli- 

 cious table-turnip ; but sowings should be continued to have 

 it in the best condition, and in the latitude of New York seed 

 can be sown in rich ground as late as early September. For a 

 turnip to keep in winter, we like the variety known here as 

 Southern Prize. It is not catalogued by northern seedsmen, 

 but can be had of seedsmen from Richmond southward. 

 Robertson's GoldenBuU is another good variety for winter use. 

 Both of these require a longer season than the strap-leaf sorts 

 like the Milan, and should be sowed at once. 



In the latitude of New York the winter crop of Celery is now 

 in its final quarters, and the only thing to do is to keep it free 

 from weeds. Do not handle or cultivate Celery when wet with 

 dew or rain. 



Plants of Brussels Sprouts can be set now in the latitude of 

 New York in moist and rich land. This vegetable is too rarely 

 grown in this country, partly, I suppose, because it will not 

 stand out in the north, and it is not in good condition until 

 touched by frost. But Brussels Sprouts may be stored like 

 Cabbage, and in the south they ought to supplant the coarser 

 CoUard, for here they can be left to stand during the winter. 

 If our northern friends, for any reason, have failed to set their 

 winter Cabbage-plants at the proper time for them — in early 

 July — let them get now, if possible, plants of the Winningstadt 

 Cabbage, and they will still make good heads. 



In most localities seed of the Barletta, or the Queen Onion, 

 sown early in August, will make a fine crop of beautiful little 

 pickling onions. In the south, the main garden crop of August 

 is the late Potato-crop from seed of the early crop. We bed our 

 early potatoes in the open ground and cover lightly as soon as 

 dug, and in August take up and plant those that are sprouted, 

 and no others. This crop is becoming of great impor- 

 tance in the south, as we find that these late potatoes are 

 vastly superior for spring planting to any we can buy at the 

 north, and, from the fact that they can be kept unshriveled until 

 July, they will be of great value as a food-crop in late spring. 

 Northern gardeners are now finding it to their advantage to 

 get these late-grown potatoes for planting them in spring, and 

 quite a trade is springing up in seed-potatoes from the south. 



Broccoli, for fall use, should now be set in northern locali- 

 ties, where it does well. This is Cauliflower under another 

 name, and usually takes the place of Cauliflower in autumn. 

 About Baltimore the gardeners call the green-curled Scotch 

 Kale Broccoli, and they set it out at this season just as they do 

 late Cabbage. It makes a fine vegetable after frost, and is so 

 hardy that it can be left out almost anywhere. When grown 

 in this way it is much better than that sown later and cut small 

 for ■' greens." 



Try a crop of Peas early in August. Sow them in a trench 

 and cover lightly, and work the soil into them as they 

 grow. If they escape the mildew, they will give a very accept- 

 able autumn dish. The best sorts to sow now are Premium 

 Gem and Chelsea. A dusting with flowers of sulphur is good 

 as a preventive of mildew. 



If Carrots are relished in winter, sow now some seed of 



