March 30, 1912. 



THE 



GARDENERS' MAGAZINE. 



257 



sulphate of 



of lime prove very advantageous in assist- 

 ing the decay of the vegetable matter. 

 Ground lime is exceptionally useful on soils 

 that are infested with finger-and-toe^ eel- 

 worm, etc. J and commercial growers some- 

 times use a material that has been pre- 

 pared from magnesium limestone, because 

 this retains its cleansing powers longer. 

 Such forms of lime are, however, injurious 

 to many soils, except, perhaps, where eel- 

 worm infestation is very acute. 



It should be noted that lime has a much 

 stronger attraction for carbonic acid than 

 magnesia, so that as long as any caustic 

 lime remains in the soil the caustic mag- 

 nesia cannot be converted into carbonate of 



magnesia — in which form it is so essential this soil constituent is lacking — as it always 

 to plants. As long as it remains in a is in sour a<jid soils — :there will be no 



trouble, and it is quite wrong to suppose 

 that superphosphate, sulphate of lime 

 (gypsum), sulphate of 



ammonia, and other acid manures are cap- 

 able of warding off trouble. The question 

 is, simply, what becomes of the carbonate 

 of lime in the soil ? Acid manures will not 

 conserve it, but merely convert it into sul- 

 phate of lime. Natural causes, such as 

 rain, for example, help to work it out of 

 the soil; in fact, it has been stated that 

 in a normal rainfall the land will lose natu- 

 rally from 700 to l.OOOlbs. of lime ner acre 



in a single season. 



This is what becomes of the carbonate of 



THE CLOSE, BURCOT. 



Burcot-on-Thames is a modest little vil- 

 lage nestling close to Dorcliester, on the 

 Oxfordshire side of the river, about half- 

 way between Wallingford and Abingdon. 

 I.ike many another riverside place from 

 Kingston to Oxfoixl, it contains some de- 



ngntrui gardens, gardens that are a con- 

 tinual delight to the owner, and a never- 

 ending source of pleasure to those who 

 love our chief river and know something 

 of the beautiful scenes throuo:h winch it 

 passes and helps to make, 



Lady Glyn has a residence 



lime in the soil. On the other hand, if named The Close, set amid charminir gar- 



dens tliat slope gently down to tlie water's 

 edge. The very waterside is overhung with 



BUECOT. THE EESIDEN 



[Photo: W. J. \ :i<-vy. 



Yiew from the Eiver Tliames, showing the large arches of Dorothy Perkin.? rose. 



caustic or calcined state, it is a positive 

 source of danger to plants, especially cer 

 tain vegetables, and rich soils 

 charged with humus or organic matter 

 appear to be the only suitable mediums 

 wherein this caustic magnesia cannot work 

 any ill effects. This is because the organic 

 matter supplies the necessary carbonic acid 

 to enable it to change into a carbonate. 

 On these rich soils and on peaty soils also, 

 ground lime prepared from the magnesium 

 limestones may be used with safety and 

 advantage, provided proper quantities are 

 given. The carboniferous limestones, how- 

 ever, yield the best quality ground lime 

 for horticultural purposes generally, and 

 some of the best firms advertise a grade of 

 Inn© containing no less than 95 per cent, 

 of pure lime (CaO). 



The neglect of liming inevitably leads to 



base 



such as will enable the phosphoric 

 acid and the potash present in the soil, 

 highly and in the sulphatic manures that may be 



applied to that soil, to be rendered avail- 

 able as plant food. A deficiency of lime 

 is, indeed^ one of the first defects that a 

 gardener should remedy. 



Old Basing. J. C. Newsham. 



I 



innblino: 



and 



roses, a no roses are pi a nt ed 

 frtH^lv all ovvr the garden, and grow so 

 weirthat their beauty and fragrance de- 



light uKany others bt'.si<l 



Impatiens Olivieri.— Tliis is one of 



the largest of the warm-house balsams, and, 

 what is more, one of the most continuous 

 flowering of them all. It may be grown in a 

 larg-e pot or tub, and, given space for its de- 

 velopment, will form a specimen six feet 

 high or thereal>outs, and nearly ae much 

 through. Tlxe flowers, with which the plant 

 is freely sprinkled tlurou^^hout the greater 

 part of the year, are large, and of a pleas- 

 ing shade of pale mauve. — W. 



^< h(v' ladyship. 



VTewed from the river, the gardens are 

 particularly pleasing as there h .sufficient 



U-kept lawn to form a good 

 setting to the beds, arches, and arbours of 

 roses, and the large groupin<;^ of the finer 

 varieties of herbaceous phloxtvs an<l similar 

 showy hardy flowers, in an extensive herba- 

 ceous border. 



In this view the rosery h a cMm^splcuous 

 fe^iture. It is of circular dc^ii^n, and ac- 

 ce^^s is obtained through four large arches, 

 each <'onipletely covere<l by the beautiful 

 Dorothy Perkins rose. Between the arches 

 are standard roses in gro-it variety, as well 

 as betls of dwarf hybrid tea aiul othiu- use- 

 ful sorts. Nearrr'the house and skirting 



