February 5, 1885. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
121 
flora, G-eum coccineum plenum, Gillenia trifoliata, Q-ypsophila paniculata, 
Helianthus ansustifolius, Leucantliemum maximum, Lychnis chalcedonica 
fl. ph, (Enothera Youngi, Pentstemon barbatum Torreyi, Rudbeckia 
Newmani, Scabiosa cancasica, Senecio pulcher, Spiraea arvensis, Aster 
dumosus, A. Amellus bessarabicus. You will need to have Phloxes and 
Delphiniums, the plants being 2£ feet apart, and half that distance from 
the outside of the border. In the next row, which will be all you will 
have room for, you may have Carnations, Pyrethrums, Agrostemma 
coronaria fl. pi., Anemone alpina, Aquilegia glandulosa, Anthericum 
liliastrum major, Campanula glomerata dahuriea, C. Hendersoni, Dielytra 
eximea, Erodium Manescavi, Geranium ibericum, Hypericum Uralum, 
Hesperis matronalis alba plena, Iberis cordifolia, Lychnis viscaria splen- 
dens plena, Papaver nudicaule, Potentilla formosa, Spiraea Filipendula 
plena, Thalictrum adiantifolium, Tradescantia virginica, and var. alba, 
Yeronica longifolia var. subsessilis, and Zauschneria califomica. In the 
spaces between the plants in the second row, but G inches nearer the walk, 
you may have Pinks and low-growing perennials, such as Achillea tomen- 
tosa, Adonis vernalis, Anemone apennina and var. alba, Anemone stellata 
fulgens, Armeria plantaginea rubra, Aubrietia grseca, Campanula pulla, 
Cheiranthus alpinus, Dodecatheon media, Funkia speciosa, Gentiana verna, 
Helleborus niger, H. niger maximus, H. olympicus, Megasia cordifolia 
purpurea, GEnothera macrocarpa, Phlox Nelsoni, P. setacea grandiflora, 
Onogma taurica, Oxalis floribunda rosea, Primula denticulata, P. rosea, 
P. acaulis double and single varieties, Saxifraga Camposi, Sedumspectabile, 
Silene alpestris, Auriculas, and Pansies. The ground should be well dug, 
and have a liberal dressing of manure. Plant in late March or early April, 
and if the weather be dry water until established. You can if you desire 
to do so raise various plants from seed, such as Wallflowers, Sweet 
Williams, Canterbury Bells, Evening Primroses, Foxgloves; also single 
Dahlias, with Stocks, Asters, Helichrysums, and other half-hardy annuals 
in your frame. Roses do not grow well in town gardens, and if you try 
any order only the strongest-growing varieties. 
Table Decorations—Butlers versus Gardeners (H. C. M .).—You say 
you are fond of artistic work and decorating the dinner-table, but the butler 
thinks he should arrange the flowers, hence he puts obstacles in your way; 
and you ask, “What is the butler’s right as to the removal of plants and 
flowers a gardener places on the table ?” This is precisely a matter requiring 
forbearance, tact, much patience, and a little diplomacy. We hope this 
appeal to us for advice is an evidence that you are in some degree sensible 
of this, and also that it is the duty of upper servants filling such responsible 
positions as the head gardener and butler do to take especial care that their 
employers suffer no annoyance from trivial disputes. No doubt it is trying 
for a man who has done his best to make the table attractive to see his 
arrangements interfered with and in bis opinion spoilt. But it must not be 
forgotten that due space must be afforded for the table appointments of 
silver, glass, and china, and if the butler finds flowers placed in the way of 
such things it is certainly hrs duty to remove them, or to request the 
gardener to do so. That is the point to keep in view—duty, not right. A 
man who is always standing upon his rights is quite certain to suffer much 
annoyance, of which the man of duty knows or cares nothing. The question 
of rights is altogether beside the mark. What are your employers’ wishes ? 
Have you been requested to do the tabic decorations ? If so, it is a matter 
of duty to do them ; if not, it is equally a matter of duty to refrain. We 
know a gardener who has both taste and skill in the arrangement of flowers, 
and who had long been accustomed to arrange flowers for the dinner table 
and for all other requirements of a large establishment. Now, this man 
upon entering upon the duties of a new situation, found it was the custom 
of the lady to arrange all cut flowers both for dinner table and sitting 
rooms ; he was sorry, for he was fond of the work, but any word of remon¬ 
strance from him was clearly out of place, and he quietly supplied the 
flowers for special occasions, and waited. Nor did his patience and good 
sense go unrewarded, for the lady was an artist, and he gained many a hint 
through quiet observation, and when upon an emergency he was requested 
to arrange some cut flowers for which the lady could not spare time, he 
knew that his opportunity had come, and did his work so well as to call 
forth expressions of surprise and approval. Gradually the whole of the cut 
flower arrangements passed into his hands, and he not only gained his point, 
but what was of infinitely greater importance, the respect and goodwill of 
his employers ; for they, by this tangible evidence of latent talent and 
forbearance, saw that he possessed superior ability, and that modesty and 
self-restraint which are usually found with it. The wishes of the master or 
mistress of the house must be your guide. Do not by any means attempt 
to force the customs of other families upon them, or insist upon doing the 
table decorations as your right. Neither you nor the butler have any right 
in the matter, and if you contrive to turn that which is intended to afford 
pleasure to your employers and their friends into a source of annoyance, 
your services will probably be dispensed with altogether. Assuming in 
your case that you are expected to arrange the flowers, then do so, and if 
you find that the flowers are wilfully disarranged and the effect spoilt before 
the dinner, quietly take an opportunity of mentioning the matter to your 
employers, and you will have very little further trouble. But we have 
known families where the groom of the chambers has arranged the whole of 
the flowers, and others where the butler has done so, and in every case it 
was taken very much as a matter of course, for with the family in town for 
the season, and at the seaside in autumn, the gayest and most frequent 
parties would be given there, and as a matter of convenience the flowers are 
arranged by some member of the household—generally the butler. We aie 
all more or less the sport of circumstances, and it is by adapting themselves 
to circumstances that most men are successful in their callings. 
Names of Fruits (George Sivailes). —Baxter’s Pearmain (S. Taylor). —1, 
Not known ; 2, Dumelow’s Seedling ; 3, Tower of Glammis ; 4, Not known ; 
5, Hanwell Souring ; 6, Loan’s Pearmain. (East of Berwickshire ).—Manks 
Codlin. ( H. 8.). —Golden Winter Pearmain. ( Kenrick ).—Edinburgh 
Cluster. 
COYENT GARDEN MARKET.— February 4th. 
Good samples of Grapes have well maintained the rise of last week, and will soon 
warrant higher quotations still. Prices remain the same all round, with business un¬ 
altered. 
FRUIT. 
8. 
d. 
S. 
d. 
3. 
d. 
R. 
d. 
Apples .. .. 
£ sieve 
o 
6 
to 4 
6 
Oranges. 
4 
0 to 
0 
0 
Chestnuts .. 
• • 
bushel 
16 
0 
0 
0 
Peaches. 
perdoz. 
0 
0 
0 
0 
Cobs, Kent .. 
per 100 lbs. 
55 
0 
0 
0 
Pears, kitchen .. 
dozen 
1 
0 
3 
0 
Currants, Red 
, . 
A sieve 
0 
0 
0 
0 
,, dessert 
dozen 
2 
0 
6 
0 
„ Black 
• • 
| sieve 
0 
0 
0 
0 
Pine Apples English., lb. 
1 
6 
2 
0 
Figs .. .. 
dozen 
0 
0 
0 
0 
Plums . 
£ sieve 
0 
0 
0 
0 
Grapes .. .. 
2 
0 
5 
0 
Strawberries.. 
..It). 
0 
0 
0 
0 
Lemons .. .. 
• 
•. case 
10 
0 
15 
0 
St. Michael Pine3 
. .each 
3 
0 
r 
0 
VEGETABLES. 
8 . 
d. 
s. 
d. 
3 . 
d. 
3 . 
d. 
Artichokes .. 
, , 
dozen 
2 
0 
to 4 
0 
Mushrooms .. . 
punnet 
0 
0 to 
i 
6 
Beans, Kidney 
• # 
lb. 
0 
3 
0 
0 
Mustard and Cress 
punnet 
0 
2 
0 
0 
Beet, Red 
, , 
dozen 
1 
0 
2 
0 
Onions . 
bunch 
0 
3 
0 
4 
Broccoli .. .. 
bundle 
0 
9 
1 
0 
Parsley .. dozen bunches 
2 
0 
3 
0 
Brussels Sprouts 
• . 
£ sieve 
2 
6 
3 
0 
Parsnips . 
dozen 
1 
0 
2 
0 
Cabbage .. .. 
dozen 
0 
0 
1 
0 
Potatoes . 
cwt. 
4 
0 
5 
0 
Capsicums 
100 
1 
6 
2 
0 
,, Kidney . 
cwt. 
4 
0 
5 
0 
Carrots .. 
bunch 
0 
S 
0 
4 
Rhubarb. 
bundle 
0 
4 
0 
0 
Cauliflowers .. 
.. 
dozen 
2 
0 
3 
0 
Salsafy. 
bundle 
1 
0 
0 
6 
Celery .. .. 
bundle 
1 
6 
2 
0 
Scorzonera .. .. 
bundle 
1 
6 
0 
0 
Coleworts dcz. bunches 
2 
0 
4 
0 
Seakale .. .. per basket 
1 
0 
1 
6 
Cucumbers 
. , 
each 
0 
4 
1 
0 
Shallots. 
0 
3 
0 
0 
Endive .. 
dozen 
1 
0 
2 
0 
Spinach. 
bushel 
2 
0 
4 
0 
Herbs .. .. 
bunch 
0 
2 
0 
0 
Tomatoes 
0 
6 
1 
0 
Leeks 
bunch 
0 
3 
0 
4 
Turnips .. 
bunc 
0 
4 
0 
0 
Lettuce .. .. 
.. 
dozen 
1 
0 
1 
6 
THE LAMBING SEASON. 
The importance of frequent daily and nightly surpervision 
by the farmer of the shepherd and his flock goes without saying, 
but we may inquire to good purpose as to the kind of knowledge 
requisite to enable him both to see when anything is wrong, to 
recognise clearly the cause, and at once to apply the best remedy. 
Experience, it might be supposed, would enable him to do all 
this, and to do it well; but we have known men having charge of 
large farms, with the reputation of being good farmers, who 
were sadly wanting in thorough knowledge of the cause and 
remedy of ailments in the breeding flock. The importance of 
shelter and the best method of feeding is generally very well 
known and due attention given to it. Nature fortunately requires 
very little assistance in her operations, and given plenty of 
wholesome food and shelter from exposure to extremes of cold 
or moisture, such hardy animals as sheep on the whole do well. 
There is, however, a certain per-centage of losses from disease, 
against which we wish to be on our guard, and experience enables 
us to assert such losses may be reduced to a minimum by the 
exercise of due care and skill. Ignorance and brutality are not 
unfrequently to be found among shepherds, and we submit that 
before a shepherd is entrusted with the charge of a valuable 
breeding flock, he should be obliged to give satisfactory answers 
to plain questions as to every detail of management. We have 
found that where ignorance exists there is generally an obstinate 
clinging to old customs and practices, however faulty and inju¬ 
rious. In such cases, by the exercise of firmness, and by showing 
how simple and effective the right method of treatment is, and 
above all in letting the shepherd take part in what is done, so 
that he may assume a very big share indeed of the honour and 
glory of effecting “ that wonderful cure,” all will go well. We 
were once much amused, after saving the life of a valuable ewe, 
by our shepherd slyly assuming possession of our syringe and 
bottle of carbolic acid and Gallipoli oil. It was a tacit acknow¬ 
ledgment of the soundness of our treatment, and a promise 
to follow it when necessary, which was eminently satisfactory. 
“ Breeding ewes are most healthy when wintered on sound 
old pastures ; if roots are plentiful a few may be scattered over 
the pastures. They can be kept in a healthy state by, say, half 
a pound per day of Oats or Maize, mixed with a small quantity 
of hay or straw chaff. They also require free access to pure 
water, and some rock salt.” So wrote a clever manager of sheep, 
and we agree, only we would add some cattle Cabbage, and we 
make a point of holding in reserve plenty of Mangolds for the 
ewes to have after the lambing is over, and the fast-growing 
lambs make heavy demands upon the ewes for milk. The Oats 
should always be crushed, and some bran mixed with them and 
the hay chaff. 
The lambs begin feeding in about ten days or a fortnight 
from the birth, and they should then be upon short grass, and 
be kept to it for about a month, the change to richer pasturage 
