198 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ March 11, 1886. 
wanted, do not manure the ground further than giving it a good surface 
dressing of dry soot prior to sowing the seed and after the ground has 
been dug and soiden. Afterwards rake the soot into the ground before 
drawing the drills, which should be closed in with the feet after the seed 
is sown, trodden and raked over so as to present a firm even surface. 
Early Snowball will make a good succession to Extra Early Milan, which 
is the best early Turnip in cultivation. After this, late sowings of Early 
Snowball in proportion to the demand should be made every three weeks 
up to the end of July, and early in August a good sowing of Orange Jelly, 
or some other good late variety should be made for winter use. Protect 
each sowing from the ravages of birds by a piece of garden netting sup¬ 
ported by forked sticks, and as soon as the plants are large enough to 
handle thin them out at 3 or 4 inches apart in the rows ; then draw every 
alternate plant when they have all started well into growth, so as to insure a 
good even crop. Run a Dutch hoe between the rows, as much with a 
view to accelerate growth in the plants as to destroy weeds.—H. W. W. 
NOTES FROM MY GARDEN IN 1885.—No. 1. 
GLADIOLUS. 
The whirligig of time has brought round again the season when 
I have been accustomed to give the results of my experience in my 
small garden for the past year ; and for so doing I ought perhaps 
to draw up what used to be called an apology, for the area of my 
garden is so small that many people would wonder how I could 
possibly dare to say so much upon so small a basis. My chief 
answer to any who would find fault with me for so doing is that I 
am continually assured that these notes are of use to others who 
are similarly situated, who have not large means, and who desire to 
get as much enjoyment as they can out of their small surroundings, 
while their recurrence year after year is not so much a repetition 
as some might imagine it would be. Our seasons are so variable. 
The character of one year is so different from that of another that 
even the same things present a different aspect, and their culture 
reveals some new feature. 
The two seasons of 1884 and 1885 will long be remembered for 
their prolonged drought, and the difficulties gardeners had to master 
own to it. Few who have not looked into it know how very dry 
the soil had in many places become, for one season following on 
another had taken all moisture out of the soil. In light soils more 
especially had this been the case, while the heavy clay soils cracked 
so under its influence that it was almost as bad. Hence gardening 
presented many difficulties. Watering became so absolutely neces¬ 
sary as to absorb a good deal of time, while the hapless condition 
to which annuals were reduced was very pitiable. Moreover, the 
greatest amount of watering in no way compensates for the lack 
of rain. Fortunately here we have no lack of water, but in some 
places near us it was a very great difficulty. Springs failed, and 
there was the greatest difficulty in getting water for ordinary uses, 
so the poor gardens had to suffer. 
Among those flowers which did not seem to suffer, but rather 
rejoiced in the drought, were Gladioli, and following out the plan 
which I had adopted last year—namely, that of planting them in 
the part of the garden where the soil was stiffest, I reaped the 
advantage in the past dry summer. The evidence which I have 
from many quarters leads me more strongly to the conclusion that 
a good stiff loamy soil (not clayey), with a good subsoil, and where 
the water does not remain about the roots, is that in which they 
most delight. I did not depart from my usual plan of planting, 
simply drawing drills about 4 inches deep, placing a little sand in 
the place where the corms were to go, and pressing them down 
firmly at the time of planting. My beds were all planted by the 
middle of March, the beds being in a very friable condition. This 
is a great point with them as with all corms. Where growers are 
exhibitors the time of planting is a matter of some importance. 
Where exhibitions are held in the early part of August I do not 
think that the first week in March is a bit too early for them. The 
dependance must be most placed on the flowers which bloom early. 
There are some varieties which will never bloom so early as that, 
but there are frequently amongst some of the later-blooming varie¬ 
ties a few of which for some reason or other throw up their spikes 
much earlier than their normal time. 
I adopted rather extensively last season the plan of cutting the 
bulbs in halves before planting, and I am quite sure this may be 
safely done even with medium-sized corms with great advantage. 
Of course care is needed that when the skin is peeled off that the 
conn should not be cut unless two eyes are visible. By this means 
the number of plants is at once doubled, and my experience of this 
year goes to confirm the fact that some of the best blooms I had 
were from bulbs so treated, and that some of the largest roots that 
I lifted in the autumn were from these cut corms. With regard 
to the time of lifting there are differences of opinion. My friend 
Mr. Burrell of the How Nurseries, Cambridge, a careful and suc¬ 
cessful grower, leaves his roots in the ground to a much later period 
than I have thought advisable, not taking them up until December. 
I took mine up in October, deferring it to later in the month than 
I usually do. As that happened to be a very wet month the diffi¬ 
culty of drying them was somewhat increased, and in some instances 
roots had been emitted from the new corm. As this must weaken 
it, I think that the leaving of them so long is a somewhat doubtful 
proceeding. 
A good deal has been said in favour of Lemoine’s new hardy 
hybrids of G. purpureo-auratus, but I cannot say that I am 
enamoured with them ; in fact the more I see of them the less I 
care for them. But then I look at them with perhaps too much 
of a florist’s eye ; but certainly neither in point of colour, size of 
flower, or length of spike are they to be compared with the hybrid 
varieties of gandavensis. I again left some of these latter in the 
ground all the winter, but I shall never do so again. I do not 
think that the frost injures them so much as the wet, while worms 
of various sorts are injurious to them. There may be some soils 
and situations where they will answer, but certainly my garden is 
not one of them. I shall leave those which I have in their place, 
but shall not add to their number. The opinion that I have formed 
of them is shared in, I find, by most florists, while as subjects for 
a mixed border they may be considered suitable. 
With regard to the newer varieties, I had several from various 
sources—Messrs. Soulliard & Brunelet, Mr. Kelway, and some from 
Mr. Dobree, and the following notes on them may be useful for 
intending purchasers. 
ME3SB9. SOULLIARD & BRUNELET. 
Amitie. —Plant tall and vigorous. Spike long and close. Flower 
fleshy rose colour, shaded with straw colour and lined with purple ; 
the edges of the petals are flamed with a deeper shade of rose. 
Daphnis. —Spike long and compact. Flowers large and well 
formed : beautiful salmon rose colour, flamed with slaty-violet, 
with white centre. Very distinct variety, and likely, I think, to be 
a favourite. 
Ganymede. —This is a variety which may be pleasing to some, 
and is distinct, but is not of a colour for which I care particularly 
—a slaty amaranth ; it has, moreover, a peculiarity for which I do 
not care—viz., having the edges of the petals fringed. 
Gordon Pasha. —A long and well-formed spike ; medium early 
n flowering ; colour a rosy carmine, spotted with bright carmine, 
having also white lines on the petals. This a very distinct and 
pretty variety. 
Eugene Soucliet. —A fine spike of well-formed flowers of a beauti¬ 
ful bright rose colour, with large white spots and white lines on 
each of the petals. 
Stanley. —A long spike. Flowers well-shaped, large, and open ; 
colour a bright rosy salmon, flamed with a deeper shade of rose ; 
with a rosy yellow spot passing into the ground colour. 
There were some others, such as Ali, Medeus, and Therese de 
Vilmorin, which I did not grow. 
MESSRS. KELWAY & SON. 
Lady Carrington. —Pale lilac, streaked with carmine, and a 
white centre. Spike good. Flowers large. 
Marquis of Hartington. —Purple amaranth, flaked with lilac 
Spike good. 
Mr. Strutinger. —Flesh veined carmine. A pretty variety, with 
good spike. 
Rev. H. 27. D'Ombrain .—“Self praise is no praise,” they say, 
but I think that this is one of the best varieties Mr. Kelway has 
raised. I exhibited a spike of it at Dover, which was perfect, the 
flowers large and well open ; the colour a beautiful cerise, with 
white throat. Of great substance and perfect shape. 
Calliphon. —Rose, streaked with a brighter shade of the same 
colour. Good in shape and substance. 
Mrs. D’Ombrain. —White, when shaded quite pure ; when 
unshaded having some lilac markings. A very beautiful flower. 
Admiral Willis. —Red flaked and shaded crimson, having a large 
violet carmine spot. Very well shape!, with a good spike. 
MR. DOBREE. 
These have been put into commerce by that well-known growei 
Mr. Campbell of Gourock, whose stands of flowers at the Crystal 
Palace and South Kensington were so much admired, and who has 
a very high opinion of some of them. 
F. Bonany Hanlcey. —Long spike of bright carmine flowers, with 
white centre. A very vigorous and hardy variety, and likely to be 
very useful. 
Herby. —Long spike of handsome rosy carmine flowers ; all the 
petals lined with white ; centre very bright. 
Maggie. —A very fine and striking flower ; white, tinged at the 
edges with purplish carmine. A fine flower, 
Jane Mary Dobree. —Fine spike of large well-shaped flowers 
salmon rose in colour. Flowers of good substance. A very pretty 
flower. 
