WALLFLOWER. 



305 



WALLFLOWER. 



stones, broken brickbats, and such 

 like materials, which are to be ■well 

 beaten down with a rammer. On this 

 surface a layer, three inches in thick- 

 ness, of coarse gravel should be laid, 

 and also well rammed down, and the 

 remaining six inches should be filled 

 in with the best gravel, which should 

 not be rammed, but rolled after being 

 raked to an even surface. If the walk 

 is to be edged wth box, that should 

 be planted immediately before laying 

 on the three-inch stratum of coarse 

 gravel ; but if it is to be edged with 

 turf, the most convenient time for 

 laying it down is before putting on the 

 upper stratum of six inches. — See 

 Buxus and Edgings. 



The management of walks consists 

 in keeping them clean by the removal 

 of all extraneous matters from their 

 surface, including weeds ; and in pre- 

 venting worms from working in them, 

 and throwing up casts. Leaves and 

 other extraneous matters are removed 

 by sweeping ; but weeds must be hoed 

 or pulled up, or destroyed by water- 

 ing the walks with salt water, which 

 will also effectually destroy the worms. 

 Every time a walk is hoed, it ought 

 to be raked and rolled ; and to pre- 

 serve the surface quite smooth and 

 firm, it ought always to be rolled as 

 soon after rainy weather as the sur- 

 face has become quite dry. To re- 

 new the surface of walks, they may be 

 turned over once a year in spring ; 

 but this is only advisable in the case 

 of fine coloured gravels, such as that 

 of Kensington, in order to present a 

 fresh surface ; for, with reference to 

 the smoothness, firmness, and easy 

 keeping of the walk, turning over the 

 gravel is injurious rather than other- 

 wise. — See Gravel. 



Wall Cress. — See Arabis. 



Wallflower. — Common as this 

 flower is, it well deserves great pains 

 to be taken in its cultivation ; as its 

 principal beauty is displayed at a 



season when there are few hardy 

 plants in flower : the Crocuses, Hya- 

 cinths, and Narcissi, are just over, 

 or beginning to decay, and the an- 

 nuals have not yet begun to expand 

 their blossoms. In April and May 

 the brilliant yellow and dark orange 

 of the Wallflowers give a peculiar 

 brilliancy and liveliness to gardens, 

 which without them would present a 

 naked and dull appearance. The 

 common Wallflower (Cheiranthus 

 Cheri) is generally called a biennial, 

 and it does not flower till the second 

 year after sowing. It will, however, 

 frequently live three or four years in 

 favourable situations. There are ten 

 or twelve varieties ; some of a rich 

 dark reddish brown, called the 

 Bloody Wallflowers, and others of a 

 light yellow, with nearly all the in- 

 termediate shades. The dark and 

 double-flowered kinds should be grown 

 in very rich soil, but not freshly 

 manured. The remains of Celery 

 trenches used the previous year, or 

 part of the ground under an old hot- 

 bed, will suit these flowers exceed- 

 ingly well ; taking care to mix a little 

 sand with the soil, if it be at all 

 loamy, in order to lighten it. As 

 the varieties can never be depended 

 upon for coming true from seed, the 

 best way to preserve any that are 

 very rich in colour, or very double, 

 is to make cuttings of them in May. 

 These cuttings should be from shoots 

 of the current year, and they should 

 be about three inches long. They 

 should be cut off carefully, and the 

 end should be cut smooth at a joint 

 with a sharp knife. The leaves 

 should then be cut off close to the 

 stem, for about half the length of the 

 cuttings; and they should be put into 

 pots filled with sandy loam and vege- 

 table mould, about four inches apart, 

 and three in a pot. They should be 

 sprinkled with water three times a- 

 day till they have taken root, which 

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