5«6 



GARDENERS' MAGAZINE 



August 6, 1898. 



New Books. 



The English Flower Garden. By W. Robinson, F.L.S. (John Murray, 

 50A, Albemarle Street, London.) 15s.— The issue of the sixth edition of this 

 important work is a matter of considerable interest to horticukurists, inasmuch 

 as it indicates a continued increase in the popularity of hardy flowers, and proves 

 to demonstration that the book which has done so much to influence public taste in 

 its relation to the flower garden is held in high estimation by those who are more 

 or less interested in the ornamental aspects of gardening. So well devised was the 

 woik in the first instance that it has not undergone any material alteration in plan 

 since the publication of the first edition in 1883, and the change that has been made in 

 the several editions has consisted chiefly of an amplification of details, and a con- 

 sequent increase in the number of plants described, and in the illustrations ; and 

 a fuller treatment of the principles of design and arrangement. The present 

 edition has been increased by six new chapters in the first of the two parts of the 

 book, and as these deal with details with which those engaged in flower garden 

 management should be familiar, they add materially to its value. 



Both in the preface and the body of the work we have ample evidence that the 

 author has lost none of his love for hardy plants or his distaste for the excessive 

 use of plants which, if not sufficiently hardy to bear the rigours of our winter, can 

 be successfully cultivated in the open during the summer months. In his 

 4< Forewords " to the new edition, the author gives a brief sketch of his endeavour 

 during the past thirty years or so to create an interest in, and promote the cultiva- 

 tion of, hardy plants, and to those who did not become so wedded to the 14 bedding 

 system " as to be unable to appreciate the beauty of plants not suitable for 

 massing, this sketch can hardly fail to be interesting reading. We fully agree 

 that when the author commenced his crusade "The flower garden planting 

 was made up of a few kinds of flowers which people were proud to put out in 

 thousands and tens of thousands, and with these patterns more or less elaborate 

 were carried out in every garden, save the poorest cottage garden." But is must 

 not be forgotten, in discussing this question, that the bedding system, with its 

 many objectionable features, was the result of a re-action from the dull and weedy 

 appearance presented by borders of hardy flowers during a considerable period of 

 the summer. Much of the unattractiveness of the borders was undoubtedly due to 

 a want of appreciation of the charms of some of the plants then available, and to 

 an imperfect acquaintance with the cultural requirements of some of the best 

 kinds. This much we readily admit ; but, in doing so, we must direct attention 

 to the fact that a considerable number of our most beautiful hardy plants have 

 been introduced within a comparatively recent period, and that of the hardy plants 

 in cultivation previous to the origination of the practice of massing tender plants 

 a considerable proportion were not readily obtainable. With a distinct recollec- 

 tion of the miserable appearance presented in summer by not a few herbaceous 

 borders that existed long after the bedding system had become popular, we can 

 fully sympathize with those who desired more colour in their gardens ; but, like 

 the author, we have no sympathy with the practice of those who gave up the whole 

 of their gardens to summer bedders and produced brilliant displays of colour, 

 in which yellow, blue, and scarlet predominated. Happily, a better state of things 

 now obtains, and those who are desirous of producing a series of effects in the 

 garden over the longest possible period are careful to employ hardy and tender 

 plants in combination, and we trust this practice may long continue, particularly 

 in small gardens, in which it is difficult to maintain a continuous succession of 

 flowers throughout the summer from hardy plants alone. 



We are pleased to see that the author condemns the practice, much too general, 

 of slavish imitation in garden design, and we agree with him that 11 the aim should 

 be to make the garden a reflex of the great garden of the world itself, and to 

 prove that the true way to happiest design is not to have any stereotyped style for 

 all flower gardens, but that the best kind of garden should arise out of its site 

 and conditions as happily as a primrose out of a cool bank." We require more 

 originality in garden design, and were those entrusted with the formation of 

 gardens to more carefully consult the genius of the place and adapt their plans to 

 the situation and the configuration of the ground and its surroundings instead of 

 adapting the area to preconceived plans we should have a closer approach to true 

 art m our gardens and a greater diversity both in their design and their occupants 

 than is possible under the conditions governing the methods of procedure in so 

 many instances. In the chapter on " Art in Relation to Flower Gardening," the 

 author discusses this question at some length, and although we may not be pre- 

 pared to attach the same value to cottage gardens as illustrating the importance of 

 simplicity m garden design as is given them by the author, we are in full agree- 

 ment with the views he so forcibly expresses with regard to the necessity of 

 improvement and the means by which it might be effected. This chapter and the 

 two immediately following contain so much that is of importance on the question 

 ot taste that they should have the most careful consideration of those who are 

 desirous of obtaining a clear conception of art in relation to the garden. The 

 value or the work is by no means limited to the information contained in the 

 three chapters to which reference is made ; but we have directed special attention 

 to them because of the desirability of a more intimate acquaintance with the first 

 principles by all who are in any way concerned in the formation and management 

 or the riower garden. There are twenty-eight other chapters— all more or less 

 satisfactory-in the first part of the book, and the second part is devoted to an 

 enumeration of the most beautiful hardy and half hardy plants, and hardy trees 

 and shrubs suitable for British gardens, with ample cultural information. The 

 book is fully illustrated with excellent woodcuts, the illustrations comprising 



SSJsS^St^ M ***** of the ma J°» t y of the P^ts mentioned 

 St^%tr'y^ By ,T' D - Drury . F.R.H.S. (L. Upcott Gill, 170, 



Si t ! S — The *#* that in the preparation of this manua 



&htM^^«^£ aim l eUrs who are turning their attention to the 

 O^ ^S^i^^^ a , nd in his endeavour to accomplish this laudable 



Si The shk f "r fa*n r pit - iter 



cogent subjects. embellishment of walls and trellises and other 



Flcnvcr Favo, 

 Road, London. \ 



Price 3s. 6d. 



B L Llzz A IE J Peas. (George Allen, 156, Charing Cross 



book 



those who desire to know sometV;!, . * gardens. A work of greater interest to 

 beyond their cultural requirement S P ,ants on which ^ey lavish their care, 



publisher have rendered valuS 15 . dlfficu,t to conceive, and the authoress and 

 plant lovers in so readily acce^siW StJ V ct m thus placing within the reach of all 

 of information relating to th*i* * d peasant a form such an immense amount 

 garden flowers. 5 ^endary associations of the majority of our nonular 



Editorial communications should be addressed to the Editor of th» 



Magazine, 148 and 149, Aldersgate Street, E.C. Gaedinus 



The Editor will be glad to receive photographs of gardens nkntc fl^~_ ^ 

 fruits, &c, for reproduction in the GardLkrs*^^ ft 

 greatly obliged by correspondents sending early intimation of intereTtbS 

 events relating to .horticulture I n sending newspapers containing maK 

 which they wish to draw attention, correspondents are requested^ di«in J 

 mark the paragraph. ' uucu / 



Specimens of plants, flowers, and fruits for naming or opinion should be u 

 the Editor of the Gardeners' Magazine, " Endsleigh," Priory Park kIw 

 Surrey, and as early in the week as possible. All parcels must be suffitieaX 

 prepaid. ' 



Secretaries of horticultural societies are invited to send early notification of forth, 

 coming exhibitions and meetings, and are requested to advise us concerning 

 change of dates ^» 



Caterpillars.— E. C. K., Douglas: We were not able to recognise the 

 species of caterpillar sent us, but one poor specimen remained, and it had evidently 

 turned cannibal and eaten large portions of the others imprisoned. If you can 

 eventually send us a moth we will endeavour to indentify it. 



Twin Dahlia.— C. S., N ew Barnet : The specimen sent is an example of 

 fusion, almost of fasciation. It is not very often that such fusion is seen in the 

 flower stems, but it frequently occurs in the growths. The specimen is a freak, 

 for which no proper cause can be assigned ; probably the compression in the bud 

 stage overcame the tendency of the peduncles to separate, and so the two stalks 

 became permanently united. 



Spikes of Stocks.— N., Kettering : The stock has an inflorescence that may 

 be called a branched spike, and provided the plant has not branched previous to 

 the time when it shows flowers or buds, then the whole of the inflorescence would 

 form one spike for the purposes of exhibition. The ambiguity of some schedules 

 is remarkable, and yet, with a little care, the committee could make class defini- 

 tions that it would be impossible to misunderstand. The strict botanical definition 

 of a spike is i * an inflorescence in which the flowers are sessile along a simple 

 undivided axis or rachis " ; there are, however, varieties of spikes. 



Dahlias Failing. — E. E. P., Ware : A grub of some kind (too shrivelled 

 for identification) has attacked the dahlia stems from below and done all the 

 damage. Pull up the plants and burn them ; also remove the soil that im mediately 

 surrounded the plants attacked, and either burn or gas-lime it. Tie out the other 

 plants so as to fill up the gaps, and supply them with fairly strong liquid manure. 

 Keep a sharp look out for further attacks and set traps, such as the hollowed halrei 

 of freshly-cut potatos, under the surface of the soil, examining these every chy or 

 so and killing any grubs caught. It may be necessary to gas-lime the plot after 

 the dahlias have been lifted, but this may be judged by the prevalence or abeeacc 

 of the pest during the rest of the season. 



Gooseberry and Currant Cutting*.— J. C. T., Billinghurst : There is 

 no great advantage to be gained from taking gooseberry and currant cuttio p^t 

 this early date ; in fact, wiih a continuation of dry weather, there will be some 

 disadvantage by reason of the difficulty in keeping the soil moist. The genera; 

 practice is to take cuttings in October, as soon as the leaves have fallen, toflg 

 straight and well-formed shoots of the current year. These should be inserted at 

 once in fairly rich soil in a shady position, placing about six inches of the cuttfflC 

 in the ground. All the buds or eyes in the inserted portion should be remeiWt 

 so as to prevent the formation of suckers at a later date. Also remove the ODper 

 part of the cutting, leaving six or eight inches out of the ground. Set the catnap 

 six inches apart in rows a foot apart. If you have the time and convcnioce, 

 there is, however, no good reason why cuttings should not be inserted this n:^~* 

 for such will root freely if shaded and kept moist. . . 



Judging Vegetables.— Anxious, Long Eaton, writes to ask "^gyj 

 a collection of vegetables, six or eight distinct varieties, it was found 

 exhibit contained two sorts of potatos, one white and one coloured, ^^"V^ 

 two be counted as one vegetable or judged as two varieties^? » \y e 



schedule, *A 



egulatioo f» 



,wed that Wmr 



" Collection of six or eight distinct varieties," then if anyone showed \w* 

 ber of distinct varieties of potatos, or of cabbages, or of onions, or ^ 

 other vegetable would be admissible, and could not leg~ n " *~ duaiuun- 



collection of six <* 



if 



kinds 



schedule 



derstanda! !e 



doubt 



for no 



tie 



WUiUUlltc lULcuucu sucn a meaning 10 uc u*i|««*" wo uld be 



potatos, cabbages, cauliflowers, peas, turnips, etc., while vane u 

 variously named seedlings or sports of these ; thus the Winds or v. ^ ^ ^ 

 or Syon House Prolific are varieties of potatos, and potatos are u 

 vegetable. . t0 »*e 



Names of Plants.-Under this heading 'we cm ^^^irf 



species and specific varieties of plants, and not florists flowers, pc*^ {q 

 be packed in stout boxes with damp moss or leaves ^P^"^ mU5t accO*P*t 

 their reaching us in a fresh state. It is essential that noy ^#0** 



specimens of flowering plants, that fern fronds be fertlle \ an ^ mi% t o 

 f — " * " • - 9 • We cannot promise 



legible and firmly attached to the specimens 

 than six specimens at one time from any one corrcb^»- 

 A. C. L. : 1, Polygonum cuspidatum ; 3» Pentstem< 

 f.f. cristata grandiceps ; 5, Hypericum Moserianum ; o, 



00" 



'Cobs* ; 4. J^t! 



Maranta dicoh* . j . 



BO 



variegatum , »> 



nonounaa ; 4, not recognised ; 5, Sedum aizoiaeu^ 

 in flower. Galeottiana! 4* 



if Selaeinella Kraussiana ; 2, b. c^wxejV^" 



J. F., 



specimen 

 incana. 



Yorks : 

 but probably 



Leycesteria 



Names of Fruits.— W. A., 



Devonshire Qaarrenieo. 



