112 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ August 5, 1886. 
fruit buds to form on the laterals of Vines ? You are getting a long way 
cn to “ first causes,” therefore, I am content to leave it as it stands, as I 
have no intention to be “ drawn ” beyond my depth. 
“ Scores of fruit trees are planted annually,” writes “ A Thinker,” 
“ and their branches not shortened, that make little or no growth ” (surely 
he does not mean growth in winter, but the summer following planting) 
“ but are studded with fruit buds that would not have formed if the trees 
had not been disturbed.” This affords the key, “ Force has been lacking 
for extension into shoots, hence the metamorphosis.” It was not in the 
winter following a November planting, but in the summer, after the trees 
had failed to have more trusses of blossom in April than they had fruit 
buds in the November when planted. If a tree fails to fruit, lift it. It 
will be transformed into a fruitful tree, therefore “A Thinker's” advice 
is sound, for failing the fruit buds in the winter you are sure of them by 
the following autumn.— G. Abbey. 
SMALL ROSE GROWERS. 
I HAVE read with much interest the letters of “ Saxoring ” and “ A 
Small Rose Grower ” on exhibitions, and especially with reference to the 
question, How to deal with amateurs who have but small gardens and 
tend them personally. It would be a great pity if such men as the latter 
who, if interest in his favourite flower would bring success, would possibly 
take a high rank in the prize list, were to continue to be excluded from b, 
and his place were taken by those who beat him by sheer weight of 
metal. 
Is it impossible for the National Rose Society so to frame their prize 
list as to put him on fairly equal terms in some classes with all those who 
are allowed to compete ? In our local shows there are two special 
classes to meet such cases. Prizes for twelve, “ within so many miles ” 
(with the understanding that neither the Secretary nor Pcompete), and for 
six for “ amateurs not employing a regular gardener.” Possibly the 
latter rule or some modifica'ion of it would meet “ A Small Rote 
Grower’s ” wishes, or the number of Roses might be limited, “ open to 
amateurs not possessing more than 300 plants.” Either of these rules 
would give “ A Small R >se Grower” a chance of the distinction he covets, 
and I hope he may yet see his name in the list of prizewinners. 
But as the larger classes, “ Saxoring ” seems to forget that many, 
perhaps most, of the largely successful exhibitors are amateurs in the 
fullest sense of the word, doing all the work or nearly all with their own 
hands, and with only the amount of land which they themselves can 
manage. The “ eighth of an acre ” of Mr. Slaughter is historical, and 
I fancy Mr. Pemberton would smile at the idea of keeping an “ army of 
gardeners,” yet they hold their own, and it would be easy to multiply 
examples. Indeed, when I see a middle-aged clergyman and his 
daughters in the tent setting up a box I expect to find something difficult 
to beat. No rule of exclusion can, I think, be fairly devised for the 
larger classes ; but in the smaller, let the “ big men ” be kept away 
and the lesser fight it out.— Duckwing. 
I sympathise most heartily with “ A Small Rose Grower.” Iam not 
quite 6 feet high myself, either by Nature or Rosa-culturally, but I do 
not see how we can do more than make a class or clashes for “ those who 
do not employ a regular gardener.” The “two-day” limit would not 
work. No, we little fellows must not be too ambitious. It is no use 
running our heads against a wall, as it were, by showing at the Crystal 
Palace and the larger country shows, but the National Rose Society does 
provide classes for the smallest Rose-growers, as he will see by carefully 
looking over their schedules. I should further advise him to try his luck 
at some smaller country shows open to amateurs of all England. If I 
were not afraid of bemg c msidered to be advertising I could mention one 
in Herts and several in other counties easily accessible by rail. “ Sm .11 
Rose Grower ” need not be afraid of going even 100 miles ; he would then 
have a chance of winning enough to pay railway fare, plus a hundred¬ 
weight of honour and glory which he would bear lightly. I speak from 
experience. I am a small Rose grower, I consider, myself, cultivating 
15 poles of ground, employing a man only twice a year—once in spring 
and once in autumn—to dig, and a boy occasionally to weed, and do 
budding, pruning, planting myself with only one hand (a half), and enjoy 
THE BOG GARDEN. 
Unless it be in the garden of a bardy-plant specialist the 
bog garden is rarely seen, a fact much to be regretted, seeing 
that so many hardy plants are admirably adapted for such a 
situation, and indeed luxuriate under the treatment they thus 
receive, it is little known to what extent these bog beds improve 
the condition of many plants, otherwise we should see their more 
frequent adoption. There are few gardens which do not offer 
a suitable position for forming a bed for these moisture- 
loving plants, positions, too, which not unfrequently have becom 3 
neglected spots. I was once informed that the position now 
occupied by that noble example of rockworkin the York Nurseries 
was once a stagnant pool, but now in its stead we have one of the 
most famous rockery formations which skill has raised. So, too, 
with the bog garden; any ow-lying neglected spot may, if it can 
be ^drained, be converted into one of the most pleasurable and 
interesting spots in the whole of the garden, not at the expense 
necessary to form a gigantic rockery, such as would make it a 
byword in horticultural circles for this comes within the reach 
of but few. No, there is no need for elaborate expenditure at all, 
for the primary cost would be little m ire than that of preparing 
an ordinary border for the reception of any collection of plants. 
I will endeavour briefly to describe my idea of the formation 
of one of these spots, and at the same time to cite a series of 
useful free-flowering and interesting plants for its future embel¬ 
lishment. The exact position it sh ill occupy will depend entirely 
upon circumstances, but for an example we will imagine a cir¬ 
cuitous walk encompassing a lawn and flower garden, and at its 
furthest extremity from the house a corner of irregular shape 
and which hitherto has been anything but pleasing. Such a 
place will afford an excellent opportunity for m iking an artificial 
bog. Presuming this spot is on the level, the fir-t step w 11 be to 
remove the soil; in doing so. avoid all pretensions to a formal 
margin, let this be as irregular as po-sible. Remove sufficient 
soil so that the surface of ihe bog be several inches, or a foot 
even, below the ordinary level, th; sides sloping inwards and 
thereby insuring the rain dra ning into it Upon the character 
of the soil will depend the next step if this be of a stiff reten¬ 
tive nature, and facilities for obtaining cheap peat suitable for 
the purpose be not great, it will be advisable to grow only those 
plants which delight in stiff soils; but if cheap peat can be had 
in plenty, the best plan will be to remove the original soil to a 
depth of about 9 inches and replace it by peat. This miy constitute 
the one half, and allow the other half to be of the original soil, to 
which manure and leaf soil with plenty of road grit sweepings 
may be added. If fears are entertained respecting stagnation, 
place a drainpipe through the bed and convey it to some neigh¬ 
bouring drain, or, if ihis is not convenient, a good drainage may 
be made of brickbats, broken pots, or the like; this should be 
covered with rough material, as, for example heather or bracken, 
and so guarantee a perfect drainage, for, be it understood, that 
though a plant may be decidedly moisture-loving it is not many 
that can endure stagnation, and none a e benefited by it. One 
of the chief points to aim at is a plentiful supply of water, 
sufficient to keep the soil in a state of semi saturation, and this 
with a comparatively free drainage, in such a place will bog 
plants thrive. As I have pointed out, the bog may consist of 
two parts, the one for peat-loving and the other for such as prefer 
stiffer or loamy soils. This, of course, will have to be settled at 
the outset, and a'so whether it is intended to grow the smaller 
types of vegetation, as, for example, the Androsaces, the smaller 
Gentians, Rhexias, Dentarias, and so on or whether such pic¬ 
turesque plants as Bamboos, Spirasas, Gunneras, Osmundas, and 
the like. By the adoption of the former we may embrace many 
of the loveliest of alpine gems so full of pleasure and interest, 
and by the latter it is possible to produce in some hitherto 
neglected spot a picture of tropical beauty. For the dwarfer 
plants a position fully exposed to the sun will be preferable, and 
if a rockery already exists the bog should be hard by For Cypri- 
pediums, Trilliums, Orchises generally, and others to which I 
shall presently refer, a shady spot will be found beneficial, it 
sometimes happens that naturally wet borgy spots exist in 
gardens, and wherever this be so they should be turned to good 
account. Besides plants which are strictly bog loving subjects, 
there are many more which are suited for the margins of lakes, 
streams, and the like, and which water only reaches in very wet 
weather, notwithstanding which, however, their roots are kept 
well supplied with moisture from the surrounding soil These 
plants maybe used for the margin of the artificial bog, so placed 
that their roots may penetrate into the moisture below. In the 
great majority of gardens there will be no great difficulty in 
obtaining a plentiful supply of water, either from the overflow of 
some ornamental fountain or the lake, and failing these, it will 
be no great task to convey it to any given spot by means of pipes. 
A perforated pipe round the margin may easily be concealed, or 
a central jet throwing the water in various direc’ions would 
suffice; in either case, the water supply should be under con'rol, 
so that soil may at any time be saturated if occasion required. 
There is little else in the construction of the artifi dal bog 
which needs special comment, save a word or two respecting the 
surface. This need not be level, indeed it will be better if 
slightly undulated, and will thereby accommodate a greater 
variety of plants. On ihe slightly raised mounds and their sides 
may be placed pi mts which give preference to the drier portions 
of the bog. In such a position several species of Primula delight, 
among which are P. f irinosa, P. Floerkiana, P. cashmiriana, 
P. rosea, and also P. Munroi; Ma us pumilio, Epiga j a repens and 
others are also suitable occupants for the sides of these mounds, 
and many small Ferns, liere and there in the little valleys 
stepping stones may be placed permanently for convenience sake 
