January 17, 18F4. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER . 
37 
this important matter must not be delayed till the crop is 
suffering by the want of water, but must be seen to as soon 
as a fair start is made. One thorough watering should suffice, 
after which a mulching should be given. If half-decayed 
manure can be spared so much the better, but failing this some¬ 
thing must be found, if it is only a few handfuls of leaves, fern, 
or straw; in fact, anything to retain the moisture. 
In addition to the varieties mentioned I have found the 
following give excellent results — Gladiator, Marvel, Criterion, 
Telegraph, Telephone, Laxton’s Supreme, Ye tch’s Perfection, 
Emperor of the Marrows, and Ne Plus Ultra. I have grown many 
others, but at pi’esent prefer the above to meet the peculiarities 
of our climate.—G. Merritt, Welwyn. 
PLANTING LILIUMS IN SHRUB AND FLOWER 
BORDERS. 
Mr. Luckhurst has given us some very suggestive notes 
on the above subject on page 556, last volume — especially 
interesting being those on his success during the past season 
with Lilium auratum, the queen of Lilies in the open borders. 
Most of us are familiar with this grand species, and also expe¬ 
rience but little difficulty in its culture grown in pots; but to 
successfully establish bulbs in the open border and maintain 
them in health for a number of years is no easy task. Many 
have tried to do so, but have failed to induce them to thrive 
satisfactorily after the first season, although every means as 
regards soil and situation had been used to that effect. 
My employer is an ardent admirer of Liliums, especially 
L. auratum, and for years previous to my taking charge he 
had tried to get bulbs of the latter established, but to no effect. 
For instance, a clump of two dozen fine bulbs of L. auratum 
were planted in well-prepared soil and good situation a couple 
of years ago. The first year every bulb towered well, but in the 
second only half a dozen threw up flowering stems, the blooms 
of which were very inferior in everyway. More than half of the 
bulbs, too, had perished. We have, however, notwithstanding 
previous failures, resolved to give the latter species another 
trial. As I have previously stated in former notes on this 
subject in the Journal, we procured a number of fine imported 
bnlbs and potted them early in the year. In May these were 
planted out in groups on the rockwork in sheltered portions of 
the garden, and after flowering allowed to remain there, hoping 
to establish them. I have to-day examined the bulbs and find 
they are in good condition, so hope to obtain better results 
next year. It certainly seems strange that in some instances 
L. auratum is found to thrive and flower for years in the open 
border, whilst in others inevitable failures occur. In a small 
garden not far from here I saw some fine clumps in flower 
during the summer, and these had been growing and flowering 
for years in a Rhododendron bed. 
Again, that skilful cultivator of hardy plants, Mr. Woiley 
Dod, seems to have discovered the secret of their successful 
cultivation, for on referring to page 215 of vol. v. of the 
Journal, I find an able article by him on the culture of 
Lilium auratum in the open border. After discussing the 
superiority of English-grown over imported bulbs, the greater 
per-centages of failures in the open borders versus pots, and 
his disapproval of the plan of potting the bulbs previous to 
planting them out later on, he having planted bulbs when the 
ground was frozen to a depth of several inches; taking care, 
however, to remove all frozen soil and use such as was not 
around the bulbs. He gives the details of his observations and 
experience as follows :—“ As regards the position in the garden 
in which to plant L. auratum, we are often to’d that they like 
shade, but the more I see of them the more inclined I am to 
think that in the English climate it is not easy for them to have 
too much sun. Shelter, no doubt, is good, and vacant places in 
Rhododendron beds, where the young growth is sheltered from 
parching winds and spring frosts, are good situations to plant 
them; but overhanging trees, which encourage damp and cause 
the air to stagnate, are favourable to a disease called ‘ spot,’ 
which destroys the flowering of these Lilies. After trying every 
part of my garden I find that they do best in some exposed beds 
with 3 feet of moderately strong soil mixed with blocks of stone, 
and below that a foot of drainage. There they grow not more 
than from 4 to 5 feet high, making from six to ten flowers on a 
stalk; but up to this time—namely, the end of August, at which 
the flowering of many is past, they are quite healthy. Still, it 
must be confessed that the English climate, with its summer 
storms of wind aud rain, is not quite suited for a flower so liable 
to be damaged by weather as that of L. auratum.” It will thus 
be seen that it was only after repeated trials in all parts of the 
garden that Mr. Woiley Dod attained success. Bulbs are 
certainly cheap enough to induce everyone to follow his advice 
and endeavour to find the most suitable situation to insure 
success. Mr. Luckhurst's idea of associating them with shrubs 
is a highly commendable one, affording as they do a most 
pleasing contrast. We have fine and well-establi-hed clumps 
of L. longifforum, L. Thunbergianum, L. lancifolium rubrum, 
L. bulbiferum, L. tigrinum, and L. candidum growing in b:ds 
and borders. I am glad to see Mr. Luckhurst grows a number 
of the most effective of autumnal-blooming plants, Scbizostylis 
coccinea, also the very handsome and charmingly flowered 
Tygridias. The latter succeed remarkably well us. A top¬ 
dressing of rich decomposed dung will assist both growth and 
flower wonderfully. — T. W. Sanders. 
STORED-UP SAP. 
If any other persons who have taken part in this discussion will say 
that they endorse the statements in “Non-Believer’s ” letter on page 27, 
I shall have more to say on the points therein noticed ; but I refuse to 
take up valuable space with merely personal matters, or in re-arguing 
points which are already decided in my favour. I have evidence from 
several quarters that the discussion, so far as it has gone, has been 
valuable and instructive to many readers ; and, inasmuch as it has 
caused me to look up some authorities with greater zest than usual, it 
has in an ind ; rect manner been useful to myself, and I have had the 
satisfaction of finding support in quarters where I did not expect it. 
For this, readers of the Journal, including myself, are indebted to 
“ Non-Believer.” I am still willing to argue any points for a similar 
purpose, but when we cease to be instructive either to ourselves or others 
let us stop and give up the space to more important matters. 
In the last two lines of “Non-Believer’s” letter already referred to 
there is a sentence which contains matter for legitimate argument, and 
I will willingly wield my pen in defence of my views. But first let me 
ask, Why does your correspondent want to go back to “experienced 
gardeners ” for support on any theoretical matter ? In one of his 
previous letters he expressed a wish to have the points raised decided 
by the “ authorities at Kew or elsewhere.” Did not the revelations of 
the microscope satisfy him as far as they went, or was he disappointed? 
If he is a gardener they ought to have taught him a valuable lesson, as 
they did myself. It is generally acknowledged that “experienced 
gardeners ” as a class do not go very deeply into these matters, and 
although I have plodded away in a rough sort of manner and found out 
some little wrinkles for myself, there is very much remaining of even 
vital importance which I should like to see cleared up by a series of 
investigations by competent authorities, and this brings me to the 
point I have to notice. 
“Non-Believer” says that my idea that “the Vine has an economy 
peculiar to itself ” is groundless. It may be ; but if so, will he kindly 
answer the following questions ? First, Is it common for plants and 
cuttings from such plants to root as freely from the upper as from the 
lower end, and thus reverse the order of their growth ? Will the Goose¬ 
berry, Bose, or Geranium inserted in the ground bottom upwards com¬ 
mence freely making a head where in the natural order of things its 
roots ought to be produced ? Isolated instances of plants existing after 
being blown over and having their tops partly buried are not to the 
point. Can they be made to grow freely the reverse way with any 
degree of certainty ? The Vine can, and it appears to be almost im¬ 
material to it which end it grows from, whether as a layer, a cutting, or 
a graft. 
Second, What plant besides the Vine will subsist almost equally on 
the hare rock or without soil (see page 27, in the notice of Wilton House), 
and in the richest nitrogenous material— e.g ., the dead body of a horse ? 
It may be new to some of the younger readers of this Journal to be told 
that not very long ago carrion used to be considered essential to the 
production of first-class Grapes, and that borders are probably still in 
existence where horses and cows were buried. Even Dr. Lindley held 
that a soil could not be too rich for either Roses or Vines. We now 
know that the worthy doctor, as well as many of his contemporaries, 
were slightly in error in this respect, and that over-manuring has led to 
many failures. 
Third, What plant besides the Vine makes leaf-growth before it 
makes root-growth ? There may be some, but I have not yet found any 
to do so habitually. With most of the cultivated fruits root-growth 
commences first. The Plum stock, whether it is used for bearing a Plum 
or a Peach, commences root-action under natural or good artificial 
conditions some time before there is any sign of the leaf unfolding. 
Fourth, What plant besides the Vine may be found in fairly good 
condition both in soil which is as hard as a turnpike road and that which 
is as loose as a cinder heap ? Not long ago it was considered the correct 
thing to make Vine borders up loosely and forbid any trampling on them, 
and who can deny that very excellent Grapes were produced ? Now we 
go to the opposite extreme and make them very firm, and yet equally 
good fruit is grown. 
Fifth, What plant is so able as the Vine to take care of itself under 
very trying conditions ? If the soil it is planted in does not suit it, 
although prepared in a very elaborate manner and tended with the 
greatest possible care, it will ramble till it finds something suitable, 
although it has to pass through what we should consider very unsuitable 
