102 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ February 11, 1392. 
are usually looked upou by sound practical men as “ produc¬ 
tions of an active mind,” and they naturally turn their attention 
to his articles merely to see what new or strange treatment he has 
found to set the “ old fogeys ” at work to ascertain how it is 
possible they could have allowed all these years of experience 
to go by without finding the secret of success, or the faddist who 
is ever ready to put into practice any method recommended 
without waiting to consider how unstable or uncertain the result 
may be. 
In turning my attention to his article on “ Open Air Peaches,” 
it has interested me the more knowing that Marston Gardens have 
not in past years been able to boast of any great success with open 
air Peaches, which cannot altogether be attributed to unfavourable 
climatic conditions, seeing that the walls upon which the Peaches 
are grown are far more elevated, and the situation at a higher 
altitude than many of Mr. Iggulden’s brothers in the craft, whose 
successes can be pointed to with pride. It is not my intention to 
criticise the whole of the article, because much of it is sound. I 
will merely take the sixth paragraph relating to the undermining 
operation of the trees in full bearing, especially as he, in the usual 
positive terms, assures us that no good reason can be advanced 
against such a practice. I am also sure that no good reason can be 
advanced by Mr. Iggulden, or any other man, why trees should be 
moved or undermined whilst in full flower or fuU bearing ; in 
fact, I cannot understand how any gardener could so far neglect 
his work, and then endeavour to retrieve the lost ground by 
manipulating his trees at the period when they require the most 
support. 
The article reads thus :—“ When the trees are in full bearing 
it is advisable to undermine and cut through deeply running roots.” 
Surely this is wrong. Pray, Mr. Printer, acknowledge your error, 
and say the word “ advisable ” should read “ unadvisable,” or what 
is to become of many faddists and young men, who are ever on the 
look out for new methods ? 
Why subject the trees in full bearing to such barbarous treat¬ 
ment, Mr. Iggulden ? Is it to prevent the fruit growing to its 
natural size ? Surely you are not advocating curtailment of 
size in Peaches, at least those exhibited by you and grown under 
glass do not lead us to think such the case. Further, we read :— 
“ Last spring we moved two young trees in full flower, and the 
operation was both successful and beneficial.” Again, Mr. Printer, 
I ask you to acknowledge yet another error, and substitute the 
words “ did not move ” for those which read “ we moved,” and 
save the reputation of a good gardener, or what is to become of the 
“ old hands,” whose life’s work is revolutionised, and the old 
Journals we have eo carefully preserved—are they to be cast aside 
as worthless, and their past teachings ridiculed?— NotjsYerrons. 
TOM THUMB DAHLIAS. 
It would be useful and interesting if those who tried this new 
section of Dahlias would give the readers of this Journal the 
benefit of their experience with them, for dwarf, free-flowering 
Dahlias with a compact habit and a good range of decided colours 
would be a great boon to bedding out gardeners, whose time and 
convenience for working up a host of tender bedding plants are 
often severely taxed. 
There is no denying the great utility of tuberous plants for 
bedding purposes, as being dormant all through the winter and 
spring until a short time before they are wanted for bedding, there 
is a great saving of labour in watering and propagation at a busy 
season of the year. Tuberous Begonias have of late years come 
much to the front, and threaten to exterminate the Zonal Pelar- 
nium for bedding purposes ; but one of the great charms of a 
well-managed garden is variety, hence it is a great mistake to 
plant too much of one thing, however good it may be for the 
purpose. 
It may be premature to give a decided opinion of the merits or 
otherwise of this new race of Dahlias for bedding purposes from 
one season’s trial, as, on account of the extreme variety of 
weather, the plant that is a success one year may be a failure the 
next. 'The height and habit of the Tom Thumb Dahlias are all 
one could desire in a bedding plant, and provided they prove free 
flowering, and able to withstand showers of rain, they will be 
extremely useful and able to take rank with the Tuberous Begonia 
as a bedding plant. 
It is an unfortunate characteristic of single Dahlias generally 
that their florets are so easily knocked off by showers of rain and 
high winds, which of course detracts from their usefulness, and 
when planted in masses for effect they are often disappointing on 
this account, especially in showery seasons. Those who plant the 
Tom Thumb Dahlias for effect this jear should examine them fre¬ 
quently and pick off all old flowers, as they have a great tendency 
to seed, which of course exhausts the plants and checks their 
flowering. 
We hope to give them a good trial this season in a large well 
prepared bed. We shall plant them 24 inches apart, and carpet 
with blue Violas. With us none of them exceeded 18 inches in 
height last year, so that they do not require stakes, or only slight 
ones. And the habit of the plant is bushy and short jointed.— 
J. H. W., Leicester. 
CARNATIONS AND PICOTEES FOR INDOOR 
DECORATION. 
There seems to be some hope now that our societies especially 
devoted to these two very popular flowers, may do something 
in order to afford the public an opportunity of seeing how 
admirab'y these flowers, both in a cut as well as the plant stage, 
are adapted to indoor decoration. In a cut state no flower in 
cultivation lends itself more readily to artistic arrangements, for 
its natural habit is altogether in its favour—just sufficiently grace¬ 
ful and not too stiff, almost rivalling Orchids in the great v.ariety 
of exquisite colours from pale yellow to the richest rosy crimson 
in seifs, embracing a very large number of most delicate shades of 
colour, and opening out an endless variety of richly coloured 
flowers in the distinct yellow ground and fancy varieties, and in 
such beautiful blooms as Campinini, Edith D’Ombrain, Clara 
Penson, and so many others with which florists are familiar. Then 
they are so durable in a cut state, lasting many days, and several 
possessa fragrance whichgivesthemastillfurtherrecommendation. I 
very much admire them in vases of various sizes to suit the posi¬ 
tion in which they are to be placed ; and for a breakfast table or 
boudoir, as well as for dinner table work, what is more beautiful 
than a few small vases of a light graceful character in which 
some flowers of Carnations and Picotees have been tastefully 
arranged, the colours in harmony ? In America they are a long 
way ahead of us in their recognition of these flowers for decorative 
work, and in no way whatever are their beauties so admirably 
brought out as when displayed in elegant vases. Calling upon a 
floricultural friend the other day, who is a partner in one of the 
large midland firms of brass lamp and chandelier manufacturers, 
I was very much struck with the extreme artistic beauty of some 
wrought iron stands of hammered iron work, in which an Arum 
Lily-shaped glass in soft colours is placed for the reception of 
flowers. Here is the very thing we want, a most beautiful light 
elegant table or room ornament in itself, and a truly fitting 
receptacle for a few lovely Narcissi, Tea Roses, Orchids, or any 
other flowers, especially Carnations and Picotees. 
I do not care about baskets of Carnation and Picotee flowers, 
and unless very artistically arranged there is a stiff formal arrange¬ 
ment generally, and their uses are circumscribed. With charming 
vases such as I have indicated, or any other suitable shape and 
material, they can be used in so many places. Bouquets of Carna¬ 
tions and Picotees are not attractive unless the work of an artist 
in floral arrangements. I saw a group of bouquets of these flowers 
at a great show last August, and with one exception I was greatly 
disappointed, for there was a great want of artistic arrangement 
in all the others, a crowding of the blooms, too many colours were 
used, and a formal style in the making up. 
Bouquets of Carnations are all very good for presentation or for 
wedding or festive purposes, but for table decoration or for brackets 
in rooms nothing can touch light graceful vases, and this is the idea 
we ought to encourage and exhibit. With a charming harmony of 
colours, such as the lovely pale yellow Germania and a deep blush 
colour or soft pink or salmon tinted pink, or the new apricot or the 
terra cotta colour, a most pleasing combination of colour is readily 
produced, and so on ad libitum. Of the fitness of the Carnation 
and Picotee for conservatory and room decoration when in pots no 
one can write too much in their praise, but the public have yet to 
be educated to a full value of them by seeing them. Large pots 
are very objectionable, for decorative work the less we see of the 
pot the better, and the more of growth and flowerj the greater the 
gain. There are so many free growing kinds now which are most 
suitable for pot work in 5 to 6 inch diameter pots, and from one 
to two plants of a sort in a pot. The conditions of culture are 
simple enough—good soil, potting up in March or early in April, 
growing on out of doors until the buds are well developed, 
looking well after insects, and tying up and keeping the plants 
freely syringed in dry weather, and with occasional waterings of 
clear soot water. Staking should be done with one neat plain deal 
stick, not clumsy or too large ; and wire supports are easily obtain¬ 
able, these being from 2 to 3 inches long with a curved end to 
support the flowers, and the sharp point to press into the stick. 
These are inexpensive, neat, and answer the purpose better of 
keeping the blooms in position than ordinary matting. A plant of 
