222 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ March 20,1884, 
those that may be relied on for producing flowers bright in 
colour and very effective; the scent is far less strong than 
many flowers that are esteemed for their powerful odour. 
They grow to a height of 2 to 2£ feet. 
The Zinnias, Asters, Scabious, and Marigolds form good 
third-row plants, and should be planted about 18 inches 
apart, or five in a patch about a foot across, with 2 feet spaces 
between. 
Stocks.— The large-flowering German, scarlet, purple, 
and white are the best; the large-flowering German Victoria, 
scarlet, being very fine. There are many other shades of 
colour, but these are the most useful. They grow about 
18 inches high, and are useful for cutting, being much prized 
for their delightful fragrance. 
Phlox Drummondi.— There are twelve distinctly coloured 
varieties of this plant, the prevailing shades being white, 
deep scarlet or crimson, purple, white and crimson, rose, and 
striped or splashed in various shades. The large-flowered or 
grandiflora section are the best. They are about 18 inches 
high. 
Dianthus chinensis of varied shades of colour are very 
beautiful and useful for cutting. They grow about 18 inches 
high, and form with the Phlox an admirable fourth row at 
18 inches distance apart. 
All those named from Zinnia down to Dianthus are half- 
hardy, and the seed should be sown in a frame early in 
April, and if on a hotbed 18 inches to 2 feet high of sweetened 
leaves and litter, it will be an advantage, but the heat is not 
absolutely necessary. The frame should be stood in a warm 
situation on a bed of ashes, and 6 inches of rich light soil 
placed in it, and, if at all dry, it must be brought into a 
good moist condition before sowing the seed. Sow in drills 
about 3 inches apart, varying the depth to suit the 
different sizes of seed, in all cases covering them about the 
same depth as the diameter of the seeds. Keep the frame 
closed until the seedlings appear, shading from bright sun to 
prevent the soil drying, but avoid too frequent waterings, 
as all that is necessary is to keep the soil moist. When the 
plants appear admit air freely if the weather is bright or 
mild, and cover with mats at night as a safeguard against 
frost. The plants must be kept in a growing state by 
watering as necessary, avoiding a very moist soil or moist 
close atmosphere, which has a tendency to make the plants 
soft, and some will then damp off, particularly Stocks. After 
the seedlings show the second leaves they may be damped 
through a fine rose, closing the frame early, and they will 
grow quickly and strongly. After the middle of May the 
lights may be withdrawn on mild fine days, and by the close 
of that month they may be planted out, or soon after, as a 
showery time determine. This method is far better than 
sowing seed in pans, pricking off the seedlings and growing 
them on in heat; but it is necessary that the seed be sown 
rather thinly, so as to obviate the necessity for pricking off. 
Sweet Sultan.— These are more useful than showy, 
being fine for cutting, as the flowers have long stalks and are 
sweet-scented. They grow 2 to 2£ feet high, and should be 
sown early in April, where they are to remain in patches 
about 1 foot across and 2 feet between, thinning out to about 
half a dozen in a batch. They make capital second-row 
plants with the Cornflower and Chrysanthemum, next to the 
single Dahlias. For early summer blooming sow in early 
September. 
Eschscholtzia.— E. californica, E. crocea, E. crocea alba, 
E. crocea flore-pleno, E. carminea, E. rosea, and E. Man¬ 
darin are fine for cutting, being very showy if only when 
the buds are opening, flowering until frost is experienced. 
Sow seed in patches early in April. 
Verbena hybrida.— Sow seed in pans in March or early 
April, place in a hotbed, and grow the plants in gentle warmth, 
pricking off when large enough, and harden off for planting 
out about about 18 inches apart at the close of May or early 
in June. These with the Eschscholtzias make good fifth-row 
plants, or the one next the edge or path but one, and if the 
flowers do not equal the named varieties they give very fine 
trusses, and are useful for cutting. 
Mignonette.— Of this we have many varieties. Dwarf 
Erect, with stout spikes and red flowers; Golden Queen, 
Crimson King, Garaway’s White, Miles’ Spiral, and Queen 
Victoria. Sow in the same line as the Eschscholtzias and 
Verbenas in early April, and thin well out, as the finest spikes 
are only borne by the sturdiest plants. 
Pansy.— The large-flowered English, large-flowered Fancy 
or Belgian, and large-flowered German Pansies, should be 
sown similarly to half-hardy annuals, and planted out when fit 
as a front row or edging, mixing them, and about a foot from 
the edge. These will please everybody, and the German 
variety is sweet-scented. 
In these notes I have had in view a border which from 
July to late autumn produced an unrivalled display, and at 
the same time afforded cartloads of flowers. They are 
popular, even fashionable, and cheap, within the reach of 
all. To make the border complete have Tropoeolum Lobbianum 
var. behind the Dahlias, trained to stakes 6 feet high and 
about 4 feet apart. These should be sown early in April in 
pots in a frame, potted off singly or in threes, and put out at 
the close of May or early in June. In the intermediate 
space, and that between the Dahlias and Sweet Peas, 
Mignonette should be sown about the middle of April, and 
we then have a carpet of the sweetest floral essence, and one 
that will be charming all day long with the merry hum of 
bees. There should be a back row or hedge of Sweet Peas 
sown about the middle of April or not later than early May. 
Secure them to sticks that are high enough, as nothing looks 
so bad as a leaning background or with the top half over. 
To make the most of the flowers that such a border will 
give it will be advisable to grow some of the ornamental 
Grasses to intersperse with the flowers in setting up, for they 
impart a gracefulness that is most pleasing.—G. Abbey. 
NOTES ON ORCHIDS. 
Shading Orchids. —The idea that many of our coolest 
Odontoglossums required to be kept from the reach of sunshine 
has now about passed away, and we are having abundance of 
proofs that this idea was a wrong one. In this country the sun’s 
rays, even after passing through glass, are not nearly so power¬ 
ful as they ai'e in the tropical zone where cool Odontoglossums 
are found, albeit at such an elevation as keeps them cool. In 
the middle of our summer season shade is an advantage to many 
Orchids, but during winter all the light possible is required to 
keep the plants strong. High up on the mountains of Centi’al 
America the air is brisk and raritied, and the light is clear even 
under the shade of forests. A dark, damp, stuffy house, built 
in such a way as to exclude all sunshine except during summer 
when thick blinds are used, is hardly the place in which plants 
hailing fiorn the districts mentioned would be at home. The 
sun will not hurt any Orchid in winter, and in summer all that 
cool Odontoglossums require is protection from powerful mid¬ 
day sun. With a free circulation of air no sun heat can do harm 
to Orchids; on the contrary, it is essential to their welfare, and 
therefore the coolest Odontoglossum will be happy in a house 
where the most powerful sunlight only is excluded, but where 
the sun’s heat and a free circulation of air without draught are 
allowed to enter.— Eria. 
Thunias. —If carefully wintered in a cool temperature these 
plants should now be showing signs of new growth. We have 
3 ust repotted ours, and find them in a promising condition, the 
old pseudo-bulbs being firm and plump, and the new buds thick 
and strong as Bamboo buds. For compost we prefer fibry loam 
and peat, equal parts, with a sprinkling of dried cowdung. If 
manure is not used in a solid state it will be necessary to supply 
the plants with it in solution as growth proceeds, Thunias being 
gross feeders. Unless this food is supplied the new pseudo-bulbs 
will be attenuated and probably fail to flower. If placed in a 
warm moist stove near the glass, and liberally supplied with 
water both at the root and overhead, these plants grow very 
rapidly and will flower in midsummer. T. alba, T. Bensoni, and 
T. Marshalli may be rested in a cool frame or house during the 
winter; but T. formosa, or rather a plant which we have under 
that name, will rot if kept in a low temperature. We have lost 
the bases of our plants this year through treating them as we 
