416 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ November 4, 1886. 
excellent display of these popular autumn flowers. Over 800 plants are 
included in these two houses, representing all the best varietes in each 
section, together with the novelties of the present year, which are now 
being carefully tested in comparison with the older varieties, a service 
that all can appreciate who know the strangely heterogenous character of 
the varieties so glowingly described by the French raisers. Besides these 
are several of the varieties raised by Mr. Alfred Salter and sent out by 
this firm, one of the best being Phoebus, a handsome bright yellow 
Japanese, with recurving fluted florets (see the illustration page 411). 
Comet is another of the same raiser’s best varieties, a medium-sized 
flowered Japanese, with straight-spreading bright orange red or bronze 
florets, very free, and useful for conservatory decoration, making a grand 
dwarf specimen. Euby has iucurving florets, crimson with a light reverse. 
It is regarded as an incurved variety, but the blooms are not sufficiently 
advanced to permit its true character to he seen, though it is a pro¬ 
mising novelty. Janira is a pretty Japanese variety, something of the 
Beaut6 des Jardins type, but more attractive, with recurving fluted bright 
crimson florets, and a silvery reverse that in the younger flowers has a 
most pleasing appearance. Buttercup, a variety certificated at the last 
meeting of the Royal Horticultural Society, has bright clear yellow 
blooms somewhat intermediate between the Japanese and reflexed types, 
and one that, from its free-flowering character and good habit, will probably 
become a favourite decorative variety. Lady Rosebery, a Japanese with 
flat broad florets, forms a bloom of excellent substance, and may be ex¬ 
pected to be seen in still better style. The last of Mr. Salter’s varieties 
that we have to note at present is Mrs. Weldon, a peculiar form of the 
Japanese type, with quilled straight-spreading rosy purple florets, very 
curious and distinct. 
In the Camellia house a row of Chrysanthemums is arranged on each 
side of the path, and a very pretty avenue they form ; many of the plants 
having been stopped are of medium height, permitting the blooms to be 
readily seen—a considerable advantage. Tne Japanese are conspicuous 
for their bright varied tints, and there is a number of handsome flowers 
expanded, such as Yal d’Andorre, Lakme, Brise du Matin, Rosa Bonheur, 
Jupiter, Maiden’s Blush, Source d’Or, M. Astorg, Boule d’Or, MM. Thibaut 
et Keteleer, Bras Rouge, Etoile du Midi, William Robinson, Le Chinois, 
Elaine, Beauts des Jardins, J. Laing, and Roseum superbum, with its 
more recently introduced counterpart, Sovenir de Haarlem, which is iden¬ 
tical in all respects with the former. Gloriosum is a Japanese variety 
from America, certificated last year. It has long drooping twisted yellow 
florets, somewhat suggestive of the Dragon style. 
Then in the general show house, still referring only to the Japanese, 
we find Mandarin in excellent condition, the blooms large, with straight 
narrow twisted or fluted florets, radiating so as to form a globular bloom, 
tiuged with blue purple fading to white ; Mdlle. Paule Dutour, large 
handsome blooms ; Ornement ; M. Weick, fils, a new Japanese with deep 
red flat florets ; Madame la Marquise de Mun, a crimson Japanese with a 
most cumbrous name ; Charlotte de Montcabrier, William Clark, Rozain 
Boucharlat, and Madame Audiguier, are all excellently represented. 
Handsome blooms of incurved are developing, such as Emily Dale, 
Lord Alcester, Hero of Stoke Newington, Golden Queen of England, and 
the Rundle family, while Anemone reflexed and Pompons contribute their 
flowers in large numbers. It is almost needless to add that in every other 
department of this extensive nurserv something of inteiest is to be found, 
but particularly showy is a house of Bouvardias, comprising a selection 
of tbe best varieties, the plants sturdy and most profusely flowered. 
THE FLOWER GARDEN IN WINTER. 
,r ~ The time has now arrived for clearing the flower beds of their summer 
occupants, and a few remarks on how best to replace them for the next 
few months by something more seasonable may not be altogether out of 
place or unacceptable at the present time. It used to be the rule, and 
still is in some places, after the first sharp frost in autumn to denude 
the flower beds forthwith of the plants which had made them gay for 
some months previously, then to be manured, dug over, and left to pre¬ 
sent an unutterably desolate and cheerless appearance till the time of year 
came round again for filling them with half-hardy plants as before. There 
is little or no excuse for this state of things, except on the score of first 
cost in the way of purchasing the young nursery stock of evergreens and 
shrubs, The majority of the shrubs suitable for the purpose we are now 
advocating possess a naturally dwarf and compact habit of growth, and 
owing to the fact of their being lifted twice a year, spring and autumn, 
retain that habit for a good many years, so that there need be no appre¬ 
hension or anxiety as to their having to be frequently replaced by fresh 
purchases. 
The chief object of winter bedding should he to relieve that dull 
monotony which always exists when beds and borders remain unoccupied, 
rather than the attempt to carry out some elaborate or special design in 
which startling and telling effect appears to have been the guiding 
principle; at the same time it ought to be stated that neither design 
nor effect should be altogether absent from the planter’s mind, but hold in 
restraint whatever temptation or inducement there may be to produce 
violent contrast of colour, and so forth. Amongst our hardy shrubs there 
are many pleasing shades of colour, and by them a variety of agreeable 
contrasts and pleasing combinations may be accomplished by a little 
forethought and a close study of local surroundings; but above all things 
strenuously guard agamst having a variety of hues and shades of colour 
within a limited space, as often happens in the case of summer-flowering 
plants, lest by so doing something savouring of the burlesque is produced. 
Do not plant three or four different kinds of shrubs in the same bed ; for 
very large beds two kinds ought to be considered ample, and will prove 
far more effective than would a greater number in the same space. 
Supposing a geometrical design of, say, thirty or fifty flower beds was 
intended to be plmtsd with evergreen shrubs, a beginning might be made 
by grouping or massing some special subject at stated intervals through¬ 
out the design. Given four large corner beds to commence with, each 
might be planted with, what shall we say ? Well, Mahonia aquifolia 
(common B°rberris), this in its turn to be surrounded by a broad band or 
edging of Euonymus argentea variegata. At other intervals we might have 
a group of Aucuba japonica with an edging of Kalmia latif dia or Skimmia 
japonica, and again Cryptomeria elegans accompanied by Thuiopsis dola- 
brata would prove a pleasing and agreeable contrast. Many other 
similar instances might be given, but words would altogether fail us in 
attempting to describe their effect, the better plan being to give a list of 
shrubs suitable for the purpose, leaving it to individuals to select and 
choose for themselves at the nurseries such subjects a9 may appear best 
adapted to their requirements. 
The undermentioned will be found worthy of special notice—viz., An¬ 
dromeda floribun la, Buxus japonica f aurea, B. sempervirens aurea, B. 
suffruticosa argenteo-marginata nova, Cotoneaster microphylla, Cupressus 
erecta viridis, C. lutea, C. nana glauca, Erica herbacea carnea, E. rubra, 
E. vulgaris aurea, Euonymus japonicus, E. argenteus variegatus, E. aureus 
variegatus, E. radicans variegatus, Juniperus tamariscifolia, Hypericum 
calycinum, Ligustrum japonicum, Osmanthus aurea, O. myrtifolium, 
Pernettya mucronata, Retinospora ericoides, R. obtusa aurea nana, R. 
plumosa, R. plumosa argentea, Rhododendron daphnoides, R. myrtifolium, 
R. ovatum, Taxus baccata elegantissima, Veronica decussata, and V. 
Traversi. 
The foregoing list ought to satisfy even the most fastid’ous- i.e., as 
regards selections. Certain it is there are many names of shrubs included 
in the list which possess many good points, and cannot fail to hold their 
own in the front rank of plants suitable for the embellishment of flower 
beds during the cold winter months. In some instances purchasing 
large quantities of the above may be inconvenient, or least undesirable. 
Admitting such to be the case, there is one alternative, which is far better 
than empty flower beds for the next six months, and cannot be regarded 
as one necessitating any great outlay of money—viz., plant them with 
Wallflowers, which of themselves will remain green through the winter, 
and afford a charming display in the spring. To render them mo e 
attractive, each bed might be edged with a broad band of tbe white¬ 
leaved Stachys lanata or Variegated Vinca. Where parterre and carpet 
bedding are in vogue, the beds may be made attractive, and the number 
of plants suitable for the purpose is even greater than the one given above. 
Without wishing in any way to give a too lengthy list, the following may 
be named — Antennaria tomentosa, Arabis lucida variegata, Arenaria 
balearica, Herniaria glabra, Hutchinsia alpina, Saxifraga affinis, S. Bur- 
seriana, S. Wallacei, S. cassia, S. ceratophylla, S. muscoides, Sedum acre 
aureum, S. Lydium, Veronica repens. Many others might be named, but 
the above will suffice for our present purpose. In the planting of carpet 
their beauty and attractiveness will be greatly enhanced by making a 
liberal use of some of the Conifers as “ dot ” plants, few being better for 
the purpose than the Retinosporas.—J. Hoksefield, Heytesbury. 
CHRYSANTHEMUM SHOWS. 
The following shows have been advertised in our columns, and schedules 
have been sent to us, from which we have taken the dates :— 
November. 
5th and 6th, Crystal Palace 
8th and 0th, Surrey (Peckham Rye) 
8eh, 9th, and 10th, Lambeth 
9th, Royal Horticultural Society 
„ St. Neots 
9th and 10th, Kingston-on-Thames 
„ „ Southampton 
10th and 11th, National Chrysmthe 
mum Society 
10th and 11th, Bath 
„ „ Croydon 
11th Hammersmith 
11th and 12tb, Richmond 
„ „ Tunbridge Wells 
»j » ,, 
„ „ Portsmouth 
12th and 13th, Huddersfield 
„ „ Lewisham 
,, „ Cheshunt 
„ „ Canterbury 
12th, Reading 
6th and 17th, Winchester 
„ „ Brighton 
„ Fatney 
„ „ Southend 
„ „ Watford 
„ „ Teddington 
„ „ Twickenham 
7th and 18th, Bristol 
., „ Ascot 
7th, 18th, and 19th, Newport 
„ „ „ York 
8th, Hitcnin 
8th and 19ch, Hull 
8th, Chiswick ; Taunton 
9th and 20th, Sheffield 
10th, Kettering 
!2nd and 23rd, Leeds 
!3rd and 24th, Liverpool 
„ „ Manchester 
!4th and 25th, Birmingham 
’rit-Vi ninnrtiol 
GARDENS ABOUT PRESTON. 
RIBBLETON HALL. 
The residence of Mrs. Birchall is about two miles from Fern Bank, and 
is approached by a drive with good Thorn hedges on each side, and behind 
them a row of Sycamores, which in a few years will form a splendid 
avenue. The pleasure grounds, which are the principal attraction of 
this place, were designed and laid out by Mr. Miller eighteen or twenty 
years ago. A very choice assortment of trees and shrubs were planted, 
but many of the better Conifers are failing. They evidently have their 
roots in the cold wet clay which is very near the surface in these grounds ; 
in fact, the surface soil is wet and heavy, perhaps the worst soil in this 
