July iS, 1894.] 



Garden and Forest. 



287 



The Marguerite Carnations, especially the dwarf kinds, are 

 fairly satisfactory garden-plants, though the flowers are often 

 thin in petal, and the colors often lack a little in depth and 

 solidity. However, if one buys the separate colors and selects 

 the best flowers from season to season no doubt they would 

 leave little to be desired. If we could infuse some of the re- 

 montant character of the Carnation into the Pinks, with, per- 

 haps, some of its colors, we should have a great race of 

 garden-flowers. A cross of that kind was made five or six 

 years ago, and has since been introduced twice to the novelty- 

 loving public under two different names. The plants are per- 

 fectly hardy, but they are sprawling, long-stemmed subjects, 

 with the dullest of single flowers. The hybridizer of these 

 simply spoiled some good Scotch Pinks, which in their purity 



seem that such an improvement would not be difficult. The 

 new Pink, Her Majesty, seems to be a new break in the direc- 

 tion of increased size. Growing in my border with no atten- 

 tion, this variety has produced flowers freely of the size of an 

 ordinary Carnation on short wiry stems. The narrow foliage 

 is scarcely as glaucous as that of D. plumarius, and with me 

 the calyces of the flowers have mostly split, though they are 

 said not to have that habit by the introducer. The plant is a 

 decided gain, though I doubt if a border of it would be as 

 pleasing as one of the old double white Pink, which seems to 

 have a rather more graceful habit. A break in the direction 

 of an occasional flowering during the summer would be more 

 welcomed than an increase in siz.e. 

 Elizabeth, n. J. J.N.Gerard. 



Fig. 4S. — Deutzia discolor, var. 



are not to be despised as garden-plants. I once grew a border 

 of these sweet flowers with great satisfaction, and a few still 

 linger. They are wiry, sturdy, thriftv plants, as befits their 

 name, and for large borders are to be recommended. The 

 Scotch seed and plant houses furnish numbers of these in laced 

 and fancy varieties. 



My ideal Dianthus for a border, however, would be one like 

 the old double white, with a more continuous habit of flower, 

 and, perhaps, a greater range of color ; size is a matter of less 

 importance. The old double white has been beloved of gen- 

 erations, and is one of the sweetest of flowers, and it may, per- 

 haps, seem hypercritical to wish for an improvement, especially 

 as the glaucous foliage is always ornamental, but it would 



purpurascens. — See page 2S4. 



Garden Strawberries. 



TV/TORE trouble is often taken in planting flie Strawberry- 

 ■'•'•'- bed for home consumption than is really needed. It has 

 been our experience that a bed is not profitable after it has 

 borne fruit two years, and therefore it is hoed over at this sea- 

 son, and late Cabbage and Cauliflower are put in the place 

 after the soil is well manured and dug. At the same time the 

 plot from which crops of early Beets, Beans, Turnips and Let- 

 tuce have been taken is prepared for the annual planting of a 

 new bed of Strawberries, and in this way no ground is left idle 

 at any period during the summer, and the greater portion of 

 it produces two crops. As soon as the crop of fruit is gathered, 



