194 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
£ September 3,1891; 
Damson, also to Cottage Farm, every tuber of which was white 
;and clean. The white tubers of Sir Charles Douglas (a heavy crop) 
were quite free from the suspicion of a taint. Mr. Fenn says this 
Potato will keep sound two years, and is the pollen parent employed 
in some of Messrs. Sutton’s “ Maglia crosses,” which are being 
rooked forward to with much interest. Sir Charles was raised by 
applying pollen of the American Snowflake, which had been sought 
■for nine years, to one of his seedlings. International was also free. 
Air. Fenn says when he raised this variety he sent it with others to 
■a. friend to try, with an injunction not to part with it, as the quality 
was not good enough ; but it was “parted with,” and Mr. McKinley 
-obtained a certificate for it at a provincial show, and it eventually 
became a favourite with many exhibitors and cottagers. That is in 
brief the history of the International. 
From one part of Mr. Fenn’s garden some rows of Early 
Border were dug in July, and Ringleader planted on their sites. 
The plants are now a foot high, and their tender growths free 
from any trace of the disease. They had been several times 
powdered, but two self-planted roots of other varieties that came 
«p close to them and not dressed were seriously stricken, as were 
all the rows of whatever variety that had not been dressed in the 
enclosure. 
This is a simple narrative of facts as they were found last 
Monday, and not one of the four inspectors can say the record is 
inaccurate. Mr. Fenn is not only confident that the powder has 
saved the crops to which it was applied, but is firm in the belief 
that it has also acted as a fertiliser in his soil ; as evidence of this 
be points to the early variety Ringleader not withering so soon as 
usual where the powder was used. 
In a little unheated lean-to house he has a Vine and Tomatoes. 
For ten years the Vine has been worthless, eaten up with mildew ; 
this year not a speck can be found on leaves or fruit, nor on the 
Tomatoes. The powder has had the same good effect on Roses, 
outdoor 'V ines, Apple trees, and indeed to whatever it was 
applied. Use it, he says, in good time and perseveringly, and 
it will keep mildew off everything, and insects too ; but he 
glories chiefly in having conquered his old enemy on his precious 
Po tat.es.__ 
FAVOURITE FLOWER BEDS. 
I do not think the idea of “ D. W. C.” at all a bad one that 
readers should note in the Journal beds which have special 
features about them for the guidance of others. The old fashioned 
beds of Pelargoniums with the usual Lobelia edgings will no doubt 
give place to other designs of a more mixed kind in private gardens. 
Where the same people see the same style of arrangement, it may 
be many times in a day, the eye wearies of the constant repetition 
of colour and form. Beside in seasons like the present “ Gera¬ 
niums ” are the reverse of cheering, giving little else but dead 
leaves and fading flowers. 
Beds of mixed plants, whether of the flowering or foliage 
fyP e > ’ n separate order or in combination are destined to play an 
important part in the summer arrangements of flower beds. I 
consider that all beds which are situated on grass ought to have 
’raised edges, no matter whether they be wholly of one kind, or 
each one raised with separate plants. There is no comparison 
between flower beds which have the edges raised about 4 inches 
above the grass and those which have not. If anyone doubts this 
let him try the effect either by planting one or two, or by observing 
those which are so raised. If the edging of the beds is to be con- 
:3ned to one colour let it be Herniaria glabra. It is surprising 
what a contrast there is between this plant and the grass, even 
■though both are green. Besides the Herniaria affords so many 
opportunities of contrasting the plants in the beds with the 
surroundings. 
But I am digressing from the heading of the article. A 
favourite bed here is one which has for its groundwork a mass 
•of Harrison s Musk ; the whiffs obtainable from this, first on one 
aside of. the bed and then on the other, according to the way in 
-which the wind is blowing, are very pleasing. The bed is about 
i - l°ng, oval in form, and 6 feet wide ; the edge is raised and 
planned with Herniaria glabra. Next to this is a thickly planted 
-row of Festuca glauca, which contrasts delightfully with the green 
edging and the yellow and green of the Musk. Four Castor Oil 
Plants, Ricinus cambodgensis, a dwarf-growing variety with dark 
green leaves, are planted at intervals of 3 feet apart from the 
centre, and dotted over the bed at spaces of 1 to 2 feet are plants 
of Eulalia japonica, Zea gracillima, and Heliotrope Swanley Giant, 
the dark purple of the latter contrasting well with the yellow 
undergrowth and silver and green of the Eulalia and Maize. For 
originality of design and perfume this bed is generally admired. 
Another mixture which deserves notice is in an oblong bed 
15 feet long by 5 feet wide. In the centre line are Fuchsias 
Charming and Elegans, both purple in colour, of excellent habit, 
and free flowering. Space is allowed between them to avoid 
crowding. The surface of the bed is carpeted with blue 
Marguerites (Agathasa), which are pegged down. Rising from 
these are Tuberous Begonias, seedlings of the current year, mainly 
pink and white varieties, with here and there a taller plant of 
Begonia Vesuvius, an occasional yellow Marguerite, and Grevillea 
robusta, the latter giving character to the bed. The edging is 
raised and planted with Herniaria glabra. Between the Fuchsias a 
slender plant of variegated Ageratum is growing, the silvery leaves 
of which contrast pleasingly with the dark purple of the 
flowers. 
Alongside of the latter bed is another like it in size and shape, 
containing a mass of Lobelia cardinalis in rows just wide enough 
to prevent the leaves of one plant touching those of its neighbour. 
As the flower spikes exceed 3 feet in height the effect of 
such a mass of colour can easily be imagined, especially when in 
contrast with such a pleasing green cushion-like base as Sedum 
Lydium provides. The edge of the bed is raised with Antennaria 
tomentosa. 
In another bed 14 feet long and 8 feet wide Tuberous 
Begonias are planted at such a distance that they do not quite 
touch each other. The colours are mixed judiciously, which gives 
more variety than w T ould a mass of any one colour. At intervals 
of about 2 feet single stemmed plants of Abutilon Thompsoni are 
growing, the large golden mottled leaves contrasting well with 
the bright colours below, and relieving also the evenness of the bed 
generally. As the soil is carpeted with Sedum glaucum the effect 
of the rich crimson and deep scarlet of some of the Begonias is 
enhanced. The edge is raised and planted with Echeveria secunda 
glauca intermixed with Veronica repens. A narrow band of the 
latter also divides the glaucous Sedum from the Echeveria of the 
same tint. Either at a reasonable distance or on close inspection 
this bed has many admirers. 
A circle 4 feet in diameter has growing in the centre a good 
plant of Dracaena indivisa, under which is a thick carpet of Coleus 
Verschaffelti, banded with a raised edging of Mesembryanthemum 
cordifolium variegatum. The effect of the three colours is charm¬ 
ing, I never saw Coleus w’ith a better shade on them than at 
present. 
An oval-shaped bed 12 feet long has in the middle three strong 
roots of the double Helianthus Soleil d’Or, nearly 3 feet apart and 
5 feet high. The centre of the bed is planted thinly with Begonia 
Vesuvius, and the ground underneath carpeted with the blush 
white Begonia Princess Beatrice, dwarf and floriferous. The 
edging is a raised one of Sedum azoideum ; hanging over this 
and planted just within is a full row of Linaria reticulata aurea, 
which imparts colour, freedom, and variety to the bed. 
Perhaps the most showy bed in the garden is one wholly planted 
with double Zinnias, except a narrow edging of Viola Ardwell 
Gem, which serves the twofold purpose of giving a colour which is 
not obtainable among the Zinnias, a soft yellow, and of hiding the 
stems. The plants were laid in a sloping direction, which made 
the pegging down much easier and produces a more uniform height. 
The edge of the bed, which is 24 feet long and 12 feet wide, in 
places, is raised and planted with Echeveria secunda glauca, 
Veronica repens being planted amongst the Echeveria as a setting 
to the glaucous-tinted succulent.—E. M. 
WATERY VEGETABLES. 
Vegetables are always largely composed of water, but with so 
much rainfall and no sunshine worthy of the name they must be 
far more watery than usual. Apparently this does not materially 
affect their quality ; in fact, as far as this is concerned, vegetables 
are better when grown with the aid of abundance of water than 
they are when too little of it falls to their share. What we are 
most concerned about, then, is the effect of so much water in their 
composition on their keeping properties. That coarse over-grown 
samples of various roots, notably Onions, Carrots, Parsnips, Turnips, 
and Beet, rarely, if ever, keep so well as do medium sized to small 
samples, cannot be denied, nor are they desired from a cook’s 
point of view ; but to all appearances they are in the ascendant 
