72 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ July 28, 1892. 
yellow corollas. It has been in flower for some time, and its many 
unopened buds show that its time of beauty is not nearly over. 
Not one of the leist of its recommendations for garden purposes is 
that it is not one of the evening bloomers, but seeks the full light 
of the day, and glitters in the sunlight. I must, however, stop, as 
I bave a journey before me, and have only a few hours left for 
much-needed work in the garden. There, among the flowers, in 
the bright sunshine of July the time will pass pleasantly, for 
Nature’s children are around us decked in robes of her own handi¬ 
work, and dyed with inimitable colours. There the whites of 
Sidalcea Candida, of Lychnis vespertina alba fl.-pl., and of many 
others stand out among the lilacs and blues of the Campanulas, the 
Cornflowers, the Sea Hollies, and others of similar shades, which 
seem as if abstracted from the skies above. There, too, are reds 
and purples, pinks and roses, yellows and creamy shades innumer¬ 
able, all delighting our eyes, even if unaided by the charms of the 
elegance of the flowers themselves or their graceful habits, and all 
combined giving an enjoyment which surpasses any to be found in 
other pursuits, for, as Bacon tells us in his familiar words, “ It 
(a garden) is the purest of all human pleasures.”—S. Arnott. 
A WEEK’S DINNER-TABLE DECORATIONS 
WITH HARDY FLOWERS. 
CConcluded from page 23 .) 
The night following that on which pink flowers were used it 
was decided to have white only. Crimson silk was laid up the 
centre of the table ; around this were arranged well-selected pieces 
of Cryptomeria japonica, the two ends being extended beyond the 
silk and brought round with a curve to the centre, so as to form 
the arc of a circle. Three tall stands were then lightly filled with 
Marguerites and white Pinks (Mrs. Sinkins), plenty of Fern and 
Asparagus being used for the base, and wild Grasses and Cyperus 
alternifolius among the tops of the flowers. Eight plates were 
then filled with sand, covered with Maidenhair Fern, and arranged 
lightly with exactly the same kinds of flowers as those in the central 
stand. Great care was taken to have them well finished— i.e., to 
secure a light surface, and still have the stems well covered at 
the base, so as to make them appear to be really growing from the 
green setting. The same kinds of white flowers were then dotted 
about at intervals around the tracing, bunches of them being 
arranged at the corners, and the work was completed. 
An entire change of company being present on the succeeding 
night, it was decided to use pink Paeonies again in consequence of 
their having been so effective when previously employed. The 
stands and ornaments used on this occasion were gold. The table 
being larger the arrangements were worked out in a totally diffe¬ 
rent style, and although the materials used were almost identical 
with those employed when the handsome silver bowl and vases 
already mentioned were brought into use, yet the contrast in 
appearance was complete, and proved on the whole to be one of 
the most showy and beautiful tables of the series. The three 
stands placed down the centre were those filled on the previous 
night with Marguerites ; but were much more effective when 
arranged with Preonies of a telling pink colour, half-opened buds 
as well as full-blown flowers being intermixed with field Grasses, 
Ribbon Grass, Asparagus, and Fern fronds. 
Twelve groups of moss, each with a small Palm in the centre, 
were formed into groups on the table, so as to avoid anything 
approaching a straight line. These groups were varied in size to 
suit the space at command, and when finished they formed a series 
of recesses around the table of the right size to admit the principal 
dessert dishes to be placed in them. Each group was finished off 
by placing a few Pseonies and Fern fronds upon it. Long trailing 
pieces of Asparagus tenuissimus were then used to form a con¬ 
tinuous drooping chain along the centre of the table, connecting 
the candelabrum and floral stands, Fern ends being allowed to trail 
down to the cloth here and there. Maidenhair Fern and Madame 
Crousse Pelargoniums were placed around the dessert dishes, but 
no other tracing of any kind was used. An imposing outline and 
undulating surface and an unimpeded view were characteristics of 
this display. 
The following night the silver set was again brought into use. 
Yellow silk having been placed up the centre of the table and 
edged with golden Yew a capital groundwork was attained. A large 
bowl was used for the centre, a candelabrum on each side, and a good 
sized cup for each end. In the latter, as well as the bowl, Rhodo¬ 
dendrons of the ponticum type were thinly arranged. The flowers 
having the deepest colours were selected, good large trusses being 
used at the base and smaller ones towards and at the lop. A few 
flowers of the bright yellow Iris Pseud-acorus, cut with long 
stems, were then thinly arranged among the Rhododendrons, some 
of their more deep green sword-shaped leaves being placed with 
them, and the whole finished off with a light Grass here and there. 
Palms with Lycopodium bases were then disposed about the table 
in pairs, and the tracing and dishes dotted with trusses of Rhodo¬ 
dendrons of various sizes, reserving large full ones for the corners 
and wherever cross lines occurred. 
On the final night a combination of pink and white flowers was 
used. A tall stand placed in the centre was very lightly arranged 
with pink Paeonies and Marguerites (cut with long stems). On 
each side of this, circular pieces of stiff brown paper, 2 feet in 
diameter, were placed, a tall plant of Curculigo recurvata with a 
single stem being stood in the centre ; mounds of moss were formed 
around these, and some good bold fronds of Lastrea Filix-foemina 
placed around the base, laying them flat upon the cloth with the 
points outward, the other end being pushed under the moss. The 
fine outlines of this useful Fern was then shown off to advantage. 
Pink Rhododendrons, white Marguerites, and Asparagus were then 
arranged lightly upon the moss, care being taken that although the 
flowers were thinly disposed the moss was completely hidden by 
the Asparagus. Eight very small Palms set in Lycopod were then 
arranged so as to form a curving line around the table, two others 
being placed on each side of the central stand at its base. Candelabra 
stands, dessert dishes, and Palms were then traced round with small 
sprays of Weigela rosea. This tracing was only broken at the 
points where it reached the flower banks. At those points the 
large Fern fronds laid upon the cloth protruded some distance 
behind the curving lines formed by the Weigela, and gave the 
whole a striking appearance. 
As may be gathered from the above description everything 
upon the tables was virtually wreathed in an almost unbroken 
winding curve of Weigela, the delicate flowers of which looked 
especially beautiful when seen under artificial light ; and although 
the arrangement was simplicity itself, personally I preferred it to 
any other in the series of dinner-table decorations.—D. 
OUTDOOR PEACHES. 
I never saw these more promising than at the present time. 
All the varieties have abundance of fruit, which is swelling satis¬ 
factorily. All that is needed now is bright weather to ripen it and 
give it flavour. After the experience during the last season’s 
flowering I shall not mind a degree or two of frost while the 
blossoms are open in the future. As an instance of how much 
frost Peaches will stand uninjured while in bloom on the open 
wall facing west we have three trees at Swanmore—Alexander, 
Dymond, and Early Louise, which, without any protection what¬ 
ever, were exposed to 7° of frost. The trees are now carrying a 
full crop of fruit, apparently none the worse for their experience. 
All our Peach trees outside were subjected to the same frost, 
although with these exceptions they were covered with coarse scrim. 
Royal George on an eastern wall has a full crop of fruit, and so 
has Princess of Wales ; while Hale’s Early, Alexander. Grosse 
Mignonne, Bellegarde, and Walburton’s Admirable growing against 
a south wall have had to be relieved several times of their surplus 
fruit, so freely did it set. 
For the first time in a dczen years the trees escaped their usual 
spring crop of blister, which is mainly owing to the fact that at the 
period of their growth when they have hitherto been attacked we 
experienced no cold easterly wind as is usually the case. This, 
in my opinion, is the cause of blister, and its non-appearance this 
year is the result of their absence. The trees are now making free 
but not too robust growth. The shoots are being tied to the wires, 
thus exposing the fruit to more sun than it is possible for it to get 
where the young growth stands away from the wall. The great 
error committed in outdoor Peach culture (I know it is so here) is 
retaining too many shoots at this time of the year, which have to 
be severely thinned at the spring pruning, or after the fruit is 
gathered. The latter is the best time of all to prune Peach trees, 
cutting out the weakly growths that have borne fruit to give more 
space to others, which will have a better opportunity of maturing 
before the end of the present season. The fruit of the early kinds 
already shows signs of ripening. Any overhanging leaves ought to 
be removed to expose the fruit more fully. 
We encourage surface rooting by a continual mulching of the 
border 4 feet wide from the wall, the soil of which is now pretty 
firm, not having been disturbed for ten years at least, and it is 
being constantly trodden upon. The front of the border is occupied 
with herbaceous plants, necessitating a path at the back for 
convenience in attending to the plants as well as the trees, an 
