832 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ October 9, 1884. 
tion and growing of hundreds of thousands of these plants in 
early spring ready for the bedding season is a task involving great 
labour and a heavy expenditure. In many establishments, where 
such a vast amount of carpet and other geometrical bedding is carried out, 
the labour power necessary to accomplish all this is absorbed in the 
annual preparation of the plants, to the detriment of other work in the 
garden at such a period. Then comes the bedding-out of large borders in 
lines or masses of yellow, scarlet, white, blue, &c, and flower beds in some 
fanciful design. When the long and wide borders are thus filled you at 
once grasp whatever beauty there may chance to exist at the first glance, 
and ever afterwards this design becomes monotonous. It is, in fact, a mere 
repetition of the same colours which have been employed ever since orna¬ 
mental bedding became fashionable,the only change year after year being the 
adoption of a different design, hence ofttimes the design itself becomes the 
real source of attraction for the time being. The same may be said of 
“carpet” bedding, though it is true some really tasteful designs are to be 
met with. Far better would it be if gardeners attempted less of this so- 
called artistic bedding, and employed more of hardy plants. The immense 
amount of labour as well as space employed for six months out of the 
twelve in preparing thousands of tender bedding plants for a few months’ 
display could then be more profitably utilised. It is not our purpose to 
utter a sweeping condemnation of the modern so-called artistic bedding. 
We should indeed be sorry to see the many beautiful tender bedding plants 
dispensed with. What we justly complain of is, that they are employed 
to a greater extent than their merits justify, and to the improper exclu¬ 
sion of hardy plants. Ornamental bedding can only be enjoyed for a 
few months in summer. What becomes of the beds and borders after 
these tender plants are cleared away ? They are left empty and bare, 
until the season for bedding comes round again. True, in a few instances 
a little spring bedding is practised. Let us sum up the advantages and dis¬ 
advantages of this system before entering more fully upon the value of 
hardy plants. What are the advantages ? Intricate designs of lines 
and masses of colour displayed for a little over three months in the year, 
beautiful to look upon at first, as all new designs in carpets and tapestry 
are for a time. The disadvantages, large amount of labour required in 
propagating and growing the plants, as well as space for housing them 
for nearly nine months, all involving a very heavy expenditure of money 
and labour. It can be plainly seen, then, that the advantages gained by 
this system are not commensurate with the heavy expenditure incurred for 
SO short a time. 
So much for tender bedding plants. Now a few words on behalf of the 
“few rubbishy plants’’ which your correspondent has written so disparag¬ 
ingly about. He scornfully alludes to the beds of Carnations and other 
old-fashion bedding plants which our forefathers used to justly admire, as 
well as lumpy Dahlias, Hollyhocks, and other first-class hardy plants. 
No one possessing an intimate acquaintance with the value of hardy 
flowers would write so indiscriminately. Notwithstanding this, however, 
hardy plants will find their way into popular favour, and will hold their 
own against their tender opponents. We maintain if a border or bed is 
judiciously planted with a good selection of hardy plants it will continue 
full of interest all the year round, and more especially at a time of year 
when the borders occupied with tender plants in summer are bare. In the 
course of a few weeks tender bedding plants will be over, indeed the beds 
are already beginning to look unsightly. The hardy plant beds and 
borders, on the other hand, are in full beauty, and will continue so more or 
less all the year. The formal lines of tender bedding plants are not for a 
moment to be compared in beauty with a border containing groups of 
lovely single Dahlias, such as White Queen, Lutea grandiflora, and others, 
Rudbeckias, Gaillardias, Delphiniums, Polemoniums, Campanulas, Lobelia 
cardinalis, Pentstemons, Senecios, Helianthus, Echinaceas, Leucanthe- 
mums. Tiger Lilies, and a vast quantity of hardy annuals too numerous 
to mention here. 
Again, in early spring what is of such interest to the real lover of gar¬ 
dening as a walk round his old-fashioned treasures daily, where some 
lovely plant or bulb is bursting into life with leaf and blossoms ? What a 
contrast are beds and borders of hardy flowers, rockeries of alpine plants 
and noble trees, to the formal bedding-out, naturally tame and devoid of 
beauty. Compare the labour and expenditure necessary to maintain the 
two styles, and it will be found that hardy flowers will afford the greatest 
amount of enjoyment and pleasure in return for a considerably less 
outlay. 
A great revolution is needed in flower garden decoration before this 
department becomes satisfactory. Both in formation and general arrange¬ 
ments many beds have the appearance of being turned out of one mould. 
We want more originality, more taste shown in our ideas of flower garden 
embellishmentg. We want no garish parterres, mighty terraces, and 
squirting fountains formed where Nature can dispense with these artifici¬ 
alities. We want an ideal garden—a real pleasaunce—where Nature and 
Art work harmoniously together ; in fact a series of floral pictures, skilfully 
conceived and wrought, devoid of repetition. The smallest as well as the 
largest garden can thus be made beautiful. Every step should lead us to 
something original—be it a sequestered spot, with a background of noble 
trees and a foreground of choice hardy shrubs and flowers, or a tastefully 
and naturally arranged rockery of Ferns, alpine plants, and so on. Trees, 
shrubs, and hardy flowers should always be associated with each other. 
Margins of shrubberies or groups of shrubs are not complete unless ter¬ 
minating in a border of hardy flowers. We might go on citing instances 
of this kind, but it is not necessary to do so. 
As regards the employment of colours in masses in the flower gardens, 
we agree with “ Sylvanus” that if used at all it is best employed in simple 
instead of compound combinations. It is the improper association of 
colour which has weakened the tender plant cause in the eyes of persons 
of taste. We advocate the employment of such plants as Zonal Pelar¬ 
goniums, Calceolarias, Lobelias, &c., not for decorating a block of beds in 
the middle of a lawn, but for a better and more useful purpose—namely, 
planting in masses at the foot of some dull margin of the shrubberies or 
other object needing a bright mass to enliven it. Groups of Ageratums, 
Calceolarias, Lobelias, and others too, we employ similarly for enlivening 
dull portions of the rockwork. It would be interesting to know how far 
gardeners have entered into the subject of hardy plant culture, as it is a 
matter which, sooner or later, must engross their attention. But few, we 
hope, entertain similar ideas to those of your correspondent “ Sylvanus.” 
We trust he w'ill condescend to give them a more impartial trial than he 
appears to have hitherto done, and instead of referring to them as 
“ rubbish,” admire their good qualities like— Adam. 
[Our correspondent has sent us flowers of thirty-six species and varieties 
of herbaceous plants which we believe are only a few of the many forms of 
flowers that render the garden in his charge so delightful. We think 
“ Sjlvanus once sent us at the least an equal number of similar flowers, 
and we are under the impression that he has grown a very fine collection of 
hardy border flowers for several years.] 
SINGLE DAHLIAS. 
As to the usefulness of single Dahlias, whether as decorative plants or 
grown to supply cut flowers, there can only be one opinion, though, as Mr. 
Murphy remark?, the flowers do not last long. Some of our finest flowers 
are only of short duration, but that is no reason why we should discard 
them. As decorative plants few double varieties equal and none surpass 
these single Dahlias. They are in nearly all shades and colours, from 
nearly black to white, and the free-flowering of most of them may be seen 
if we strip the plant of all flowers to-day, for in forty-eight hours it will 
be as gay as ever. It is not so with the doubles, for they take as many 
days as the singles take hours to perfect their flowers. 
For room-decoration, the flowers placed in glasses with their own 
foliage or with fern are very beautiful ; indeed, scarcely any other 
flowers at the present time can equal them. Nineteen ladies out of twenty 
would prefer them to vases of double flowers, and we must allow ladies 
in this matter to be the best judges. 
How long single Dahlias will continue to maintain their popularity it 
would be difficult to guess, but judging from the splendid recruits that are 
being added to their ranks we may safely venture to think they will be 
favourite flowers for a very long time.—C. Wabing. 
A LANCASHIRE ONION SHOW. 
A COBKESPONDENT of the Manchester City Meivs contributed the fol¬ 
lowing notes on an Onion Show in the north :— 
“ I wandered on the road to Oldham a few days ago in a district sur¬ 
rounded by factories and railway and machine works, with their almost 
innumerable tall chimneys transmitting dense volumes of smoke, where 
the trees were leafless and vegetation at a standstill, exct-pting a few Sun¬ 
flowers and Ten-week Stocks, which apparently had had a severe struggle 
to throw forth their bloom. While regretting such an unpicturesque land¬ 
scape, my eyes were diverted to a pole susi^ended from a window belonging 
to a well-known hostelry, on which were hanging copper kettles and 
Onions of enormous size. My curiosity being awakened, I was led to 
inquire of a passer-by the meaning of this quaint and curious display, 
quaint and curious because neither could be associated with Bacchus. My 
listener informed me it was “ Th’ Onion Show.” I must confess I doubted 
the man’s answer, and inquired if I had understood him correctly. He 
assured me it was so, and I was puzzled to understand how such things 
could possibly be—where houses are almost back to back, and the existing 
open space monopolised by brickworks, and where the air was filled with 
poisonous gases. 
“After a little hesitation I made up my mind to pay a visit to the 
Onion Show. Entering the public-house, and making my desire known to 
one of the inmates, evidently a member of this Onion Growers’ Society, I 
was ushered upstairs to a large room where the Onions were staged on a 
table. A strange scene presented itself to my sight, and one not easily 
forgotten. Seated at a table were three men, officers of the Society, 
making an entry of the members bringing produce for exhibition. Thera 
were scales and weights, the latter consisting of some of scarcely feather¬ 
weight. The sides of the room were covered with blankets, quilts, and 
sheets, which, with the copper kettles before mentioned and sundry money 
prizes, were intended for the winners. All the available seats were occu¬ 
pied by the exhibitors, who were in turn called upon to produce his Onions. 
A record was made of them, and they were then sent down to the Judges, 
of which there were five, whose duty it was to see that each Onion was 
sound—those unsound were stripped until they were found to be good—to 
cut them to their regulation size—namely, G inches in height, and to wash 
them free from all soil. The green-eyed monster reigns supreme, and the 
duty of the Judges is no sinecure. After passing the Judges, the Onions 
are brought to the staging room, numbers given to them, and not until the 
last lot is disposed of by the Judges do the weighers begin their labours. 
Excitement is then the order of the day, and “ Jumbo,” the largest Onion 
in the Show, is placed in the scale and draws over 2 lbs. It was a mon¬ 
ster, but in all points—skin, colour, and symmetry—a perfect specimen of 
this invaluable culinary vegetable. The weighing still goes on and the 
climax at last is reached ; the result is given out, “ Jumbo ” of course 
being awarded the premier prize, while others still of mammoth size 
secured minor prizes. 
