December 20, 1883. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
525 
trenching, with a liberal supply of decayed manure well in¬ 
corporated with the soil. It is needful to prepare the position 
assigned them after a similar fashion, in order to insure the 
best results, for no plants will better repay for liberal culture 
than these, and perhaps none will present a more miserable 
appearance when ill-fed and treated. Had I only one variety to 
plant I would prepare for that most carefully. 
Their worst enemies are slugs, the small black leathery 
•n ^Gng greatest depredator*. Working under cover of 
night they eat the young buds during the winter and early 
spring, and you wonder why they do not shoot, but upon 
examination the shoots are entirely consumed. This has been 
a great source of vexation to me, especially when planting on 
fresh ground. The best remedy I have found is a mixture 
of lime and soot laid closely about the plants, renewing it 
every week or fortnight. Such a dressing assists the plants 
and checks the enemy. I need hardly say any more respecting 
the value of Delphiniums for effect either in masses or as 
isolated specimens; but a word as to the period of flowering. 
Unless it is desirable to save seed the main stem should be cut 
away as soon as the flowers are past, and a chance will be given 
for the numerous laterals to grow and thrive, for a second crop 
of flowers will be quickly produced, and as soon as these are past 
cut the whole away, and there will be ample time for a second 
lot of stems to be developed and flower before the end of the 
season, and thus a considerable display may be had by judicious 
management. For lines or masses in the mixed border, or inter¬ 
mixing with shrubs in association with tall Spiraeas, Holly¬ 
hocks, Ac., no plants are more highly effective. One of the 
prettiest pieces of garden decoration I saw last summer was 
some broad masses of Spiraea Aruncus with their large plumose 
panicles of white flowers, and intermingling therewith pyramidal 
groups of light blue Delphiniums, the whole backed with some 
Copper Beech—a picture which is not often seen and not easily 
forgotten. Below is a selection of good varieties both double 
and single, and I have not included any of the species, although, 
of course, some of them, such as the old D. formosum, D. 
grandiflorum, &c., are very attractive and vigorous. 
Single Varieties. —Agamemnon, very large; Amabilis, Barlowi, 
versicolor, deep and bronzy; C. Glyn, Enchantress, light azure 
blue, similar to the charming old D. Belladonna, but much 
larger flower and more robust constitution; Madame Chute, 
Mammoth, Nobilissimum, the latter one of Mr. Parker’s seedlings, 
producing an immense pyramidal spike; Pantheon, Phanix,Koi 
Leopold, Voltaire, and Wheeleri, the last a dwarf and very 
showy variety. 
Double Varieties .—Amadee Hans, Arc en Ciel, an extremely 
pretty form ; Figaro, Globe, very double; grandit’orum plenum, 
one of the rarest and handsomest; Hebe, very floriferous and 
full; Hermann Stenger, dwarf, free, and showy; Louis Figuier, 
Lord Mayor, a vigorous grower and effective; Madame Henri 
Jacotot, Madame William Schwab, M. Rouillard, extremely 
pretty, pale lilac edged with sky blue; Nahamah, dwarf and 
showy; Palmerston, one of the noblest; Pompon Brilliant, very 
dwarf; President Simon, rich cobalt blue, grand spike ; Suffrage, 
Triomphe de Poissey, bright azure blue, pink shaded, one of the 
best; Victor Lemoine, double, pale blue, with a distinct white 
centre; this is also one of the best.—T. 
FIRING AND VENTILATING. 
I WAS pleased to notice Mr. Mclndoe’s experiment in growing early 
Melons without ventilation, and although the results achieved were, it 
must be admitted, highly satisfactory, I am not by any means clear about 
the non-ventilating system. First, it is obvious that under ordinary cir¬ 
cumstances very little ventilation would be needed between the 27th of 
December and April lfth. The first three months of 1883 were not 
remarkable for sun, though it was mild and open in February, with a fair 
amount of sunshine, yet the need of ventilating houses in which a high 
temperature was maintained was not appreciable ; and in March and 
April it was, I fancy, so cold and sharp that no one would care to admit 
air direct to the tender foliage of plants being forced. So far, indeed, 
from Mr. Mclndoe’s experience proving that ventilation is not necessary 
for Melons, it only goes to show the propriety of not admitting external 
air when it is likely to injure the plants. 
Experiments, indeed, made at a season when every cultivator is 
careful to keep his plants and the tender foliage of early-forced fruit 
trees as much as possible from the baneful influence of an external 
atmosphere is clearly not the point, for ventilation cannot be given 
without great risk, and the necessity for it is not apparent any more 
than the opportunities are frequent between December and April 
generally. 
It would be more to the point if Mr. Mclndoe were to give us his 
experience in growing Melons and Cucumbers from April to June and 
from July to September inclusive. Usually there is plenty of opportunity 
to admit air from March to October, but what need is there to give any 
when the sun’s power is so feeble as not to raise the temperature in a 
Melon house above an ordinary outdoor summer maximum ? True, “the 
thermometer on bright sunshiny days indicated a temperature of from 
100° to 110°,” but these are extremes, and c uld only occur on rare 
occasions, unless the climate where Mr. Mclndoe practises is different 
from my part of Britain between December and April ; but as we are 
promised some notes on the early forcing of Peaches and Nectarines 
with a minimum of ventilation, I hope to have some of this uncertainty 
removed.— G. Abbey. 
SHRUB PLANTING. 
The planting season comes round with unfailing regularity. On 
estates with large shrubberies valuable specimens will in course of time 
either overgrow the space allowed them or be crowded by their 
neighbours. Cutting the shrubs is the easiest way to mend matters 
in such cases, but this does not commend itself to everybody. 
Removal is then the only means of saving them. Another common 
reason for transplanting shrubs is found in the fact that severe 
winters kill or render unsightly prominent specimens on lawns or in 
clumps. Alterations in the grounds occasionally also cause much 
extra labour in shrub-planting. 
Though there is perhaps in the majority of cases no better time 
for undertaking this work than in late autumn and early winter, 
it nevertheless most often happens that gardeners have to take it in 
hand when they are able to do so, without taking into consideration 
whether one period is better than another. At the same time if the 
work is carefully managed the planter is qu’te independent of seasons. 
There is a very great allowance to be made as to the nature of the 
soil in which the shrubs are growing, but in no case do we find extra 
labour cr care in transplanting misapplied ; indeed it might be laid 
down as an axiom that the greater the care t iken in the removal of 
shrubs the less trouble will there be afterwards as regards watering in 
dry weather. 
First as to the planting and management of nursery-bought 
plants. In purchasing shrubs there are some points woith attention, 
and one of the most essential is to see they are of the size and 
quality wanted. Anyone who has not had experience in buying 
these could not imagine the differences to be found in nurseries. 
The lists of names, sizes, and prices may be very much alike, but on 
examination the sizes and quality of the shrubs will be found to vary 
considerably. Taking for examples such as Box, Yew, and Laurels, 
it is no uncommon occurrence to find them described as being, 
say, 3 feet in height, yet one-third of their length is represented by a 
single growing shoot, and the under portion cramped into narrow 
proportions by the other occupants of the beds. On the other hand, 
i have found shrubs catalogued in the same w .y represented by 
specimens almost as much in diameter as they measured in height, 
with abundance of healthy roots. r I hough there is a difference in 
the price in the two qualities, that does not amount to much, and in 
the one case effect is obtained at once with almost an absolute 
certainty that no losses will follow, while in the other at least a 
couple of years would be required to grow the shrubs into a proper 
form and size, besides the risk of loss in the transplanting at the time 
of purchase. 
With Conifers even more caution is neccssar} 7 . The size of the 
plants does not vary so much with these, but the roots do consider¬ 
ably. The trees which have been often transplanted and not crowded 
in row’s are the best. Another point is to select shrubs which are not 
too large. Large plants are very much more expensive in the first 
instance, and no matter how well they are treated they do not make 
the progress that smaller plants do. 
In the preparation of the ground, as much must be left to judg¬ 
ment as to local circumstances. Draining is a fiist necessity in soil 
that is wet, a3 shiubs grown on dry soil are more hardy than those in 
damp positions. Then if beds of shrubs are to be made in highly kept 
pleasure grounds, and choicer kinds employed in the furnishing, it 
must be considered which is the best way to prepare these beds. 
Trenching is generally considered of piimary importance, but I have 
an opinion that trenching very often does more harm than good. 
Providing the subsoil i6 a kindly one, trenching as commonly practised 
may be beneficial, but I prefer to merely loosen the under spit with 
a fork or a pick, and keep the upper spit on the surface. When 
making alterations it is sometimes possible to remove portions of bad 
6 ubsoil, filling the beds with good soil in the place of that removed. 
The practice of banking beds up with soil is one I do not follow and 
do not recommend, though it is one way of getting a good body of 
soil together in which to give the shrubs a start. When the turf is 
merely dug over on the surface the shrubs have a store of food, 
which is better than trying to enrich the soil with animal manures, 
but these are of great value placed on the surface after planting has 
been finished. 
Much after-labour in watering is saved when the planting has 
