Voii. XL. No. 13. 
Whole No. 1626. 
NEW YORK. MARCH 26 , 1881 . 
Price Five Cents, 
82.00 Pee Teas, 
[Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1881, by the Bnral New-Yorker, In the office of the Librarian of Consrreee at Washington.] 
Jflmntltural, 
A 8TUDY IN ORNAMENTAL GARDEN¬ 
ING. 
PETEK B. MEAD. 
We are running 60 much to “bedding" and 
“ ribboning ” in these days that there is a real 
danger in the near future of many forgetting 
that there is any other method of adorning the 
lawn or the garden, aud there would, therefore, 
seem to be a necessity for occasionally pre¬ 
senting examples of other styles, better fitted 
to the means and surroundings of most Ameri¬ 
can homes. I do not propose jnst now, how¬ 
ever, to discuss the merits or demerits of any 
particular style of gardening. 
The accompanying illustration is presented 
not only as an example of excellent taste, but 
also as a study, it is one of those things that will 
adapt itself to a great many places. I donbt 
whether any man, woman, or even child, can 
look at it without being impressed with its 
quiet, yet expressive beauty. It is simple, 
but very suggestive- LLow much more charm¬ 
ing to see the plants so disposed as to 
develop their individuality, rather than that 
want of arrangement in which all individuality 
is lost in a crowded mass of color, lu the for¬ 
mer case we have beauty of form as well as 
color ; iu the latter, color alone. To this may 
be added that the illustration is susceptible of 
many variations from year to year at a very 
small cost, which is a point of much impor¬ 
tance to those of moderate rneaos. 
But let us examine the picture, and see what 
it is. On the left we have a corner of the 
dwelling, showing a window prettily flanked 
on one side by a clematis, aud on the other by 
a climbing rose. A modest little greenhouse 
is a fit companion, and In good taste. The 
walks are spacious, as 
companionship of the birds and those other 
charming but voiceless children of Nature. 
Just at the moment we are looking at the pic¬ 
ture the lady of the house has come out to 
gather a few flowers for the dinner table, and 
her little boy is eagerly pulling her by the hand 
to show her where to find the prettiest and the 
sweetest flowers. Who, that has ever been a 
boy, cannot remember something just like 
this ? 
I have said that this picture is presented 
partly as a study; by which I mean that many 
of the plants in the oval bed and in the border 
may be changed every year, if deemed neces¬ 
sary, without impairing the effect, and secur¬ 
ing more variety than by massing, and at much 
less expense, as the principal plants are hardy 
and permanent ones. I will suggest a few 
changes by way of example, and leave the 
reader to make others, holding inyself ready 
at any time to make any suggestions that may 
be needed. For example, remove the middle 
standard rose, and put in its place a Hydran¬ 
gea paniculata grandiflora with a single stem 
five or six feet high. The top or head will 
need to be annually pruned to keep it in good 
shape and prevent it from getting too large. 
The lilies should not be often disturbed. 
Clumps of tigridias may take the place of the 
gladioli. Between the lilies aud Inc tigridias 
put a plant of scarlet pelargonium one year, 
coleus the next, and so on. The border may 
one year be variegated alyssnm, the next blue 
Lobelia, etc. The vase may one year have a 
Lomaria, the next a Sago Palm or a pritchar- 
dia. There are rngny annuals that may also 
be used with good effect. 
In this way a pleasing variety of changes 
may be made every year, In the places not 
occupied by the plants above named may be 
dotted, all over the bed, clumps of snowdrops, 
scillas, triteleias, tulipB, hyacinths, etc , for 
early Spring flowers, and these may be sue- 
few pots of Chinese Primroses (Primula Sinen¬ 
sis fimbriata) in our sunny window, that I felt 
like telling all who have never tried it how 
easy it is to grow them in the house success¬ 
fully. Only four small three or four-inch pots 
have filled our window with a blaze of beauty 
ever since Thanksgiving Day, and more florl- 
ferous little creatures of the vegetable king¬ 
dom I never beheld. A hundred separate 
flowers could be counted upon the little plants 
at almost any time, and there is very little sign 
of abatement even yet ; new buds continue to 
expand daily. The flowers are single, some 
pink, others white. The fragrance is delicate 
and delightfully fresh, reminding one of the 
leafy woods in June. The foliage is in itself 
almost as pretty as the flowers. The ferny 
green leaves in the colored varieties are shaded 
with maroon on the under side, and borne on 
stems of a similar color. 
But the florists and amateur window gar¬ 
deners will say, “ Fudge ! he's got the old na¬ 
tural single species of this well known plant, 
such as may be found growing wild in many 
parts of Europe; and what's the use of going off 
into ecstacies about that, when so many choice 
strains of double sorts are to be had at almost 
any greenhouse." Precisely, and this is a re¬ 
marl I may as well answer In advance. The 
new aud choice varieties are certainly very 
beautiful, but they are also very uncertain, 
sportive, unreliable and tender and often in¬ 
different bloomers at best. The late magnifi¬ 
cent strains offered t y many English growers 
at almost fabulous prices are indeed most 
tempting to any lover of flowers, both in col¬ 
ored representation and the glowing descrip- 
lions sent ont. An exquisite colored plate in 
the London Garden last year almost tempted 
me to a small Importation of the little beauties 
even at those high prices. But the risk of loss 
seemed too great; aud I have since learned 
that the plants sent ont proved sportive and 
teen collected from Ihe finest strains of double 
sorts in England. Bnt I obtained no double 
flowers ; nor need any expect to do so in sim¬ 
ilar cases except by the merest chance. The 
only sure way of obtaining such is to buy 
plants of a reliable grower. The seeds are very 
small aud require careful treatment to germin¬ 
ate; but once started the plants progress 
steadily, and soon become strong enough to 
bloom. The cultural directions found in first- 
class catalogues will lead to success if carefully 
followed. When old enough the plants will 
bloom in spite of yonr teeth, and in almost any 
location ; and I really know of no other flow¬ 
ering plant on the whole list that will bloom 
so profusely in a sunny window in Winter, or 
give so much pleasure for so little care and 
pains Remember its leaves are averse to di¬ 
rect contact with water; apply it to the soil 
carefully. Give the plants rest in a shaded 
border ia Summer if you can prevail upon 
them to take it. Do not overpot them, bnt 
change into larger pots when the roots ask for 
more room. H. Hendricks. 
Crocuses are now (21st) blooming in shel¬ 
tered places of the Rural Grounds. The yel¬ 
lows are always the first to bloom—the white 
next. The leaves of hyacinths and tulips are 
just beginning to show themselves. 
lortintltnral, 
RURALISMS, 
The best method of keeping fruit is just 
now receiving a good deal of attention, both at 
home and abroad. The subject is one of great 
importance, and deserves all the attention it is 
likely to get. There are two quite opposite 
views advanced, both 
A GARDEN SCENE.—Fig. 176. 
ceeded by Sweet Alyssum, mignonette, and 
other low-growing annuals. 
I now turn the picture over to the readers of 
the Rcral, confident that they will find much 
pleasure iu Its study, eveu thuugh they may 
have no plot of ground to which to transfer it. 
-» «• ♦- 
THE PRETTY PRIMROSES, 
We have had so much pleasure and enjoy¬ 
ment during the past severe Winter from a 
unreliable in many cases, and experience with 
the double white which has long been common 
here has proven that its constitution has suf¬ 
fered tiy the florists' efforts to produce double 
flowers. And yet I would not ask any. 
one to entirely discard the double varieties 
from his colleciion. I only plead for a place 
on every shelf for a few plants of the single 
sorts, and promise an abundance of pretty 
bloom in every case. 
My plants were raised from seed said to have 
they always should be 
where the giounds will 
admit of it, as they are 
convenient and condu¬ 
cive to comfort and en¬ 
joyment, as well as ex¬ 
pressive of theiargeness 
ol the owner’s heart, 
(sometimes of his 
purse) The vase at the 
sharp angle of the lawn 
is in the right place, 
and produces a good 
effect; and, what is 
better still, it has only 
a single plant in it. 
The oval bed is in a 
good position, and may 
be seen equally well 
from either walk. 
Through the center of 
this bed are three stan¬ 
dard roses. Outside of 
these a row of Japan 
Lilies aud gladioli, al¬ 
ternated, produce a 
good effect, which is 
enhanced by herbaceous 
plauts between each. 
A border of variegated 
alyssum makes a neat 
finish to the whole. 
Iu the border in the 
middle ground on the 
right, we have a row of hollyhocks alternated 
with Japan Lilies, and between each a Scarlet 
Pelargonium. For a background to these 
there is a mass of shrubbery with an irregular 
or broken outline, and some large trees in the 
distance. On the left, in the foreground, is a 
fine specimen of the Castor Oil Bean with 
its Imposing ornamental foliage. Beneath 
the window, and commanding u view of the 
whole, is a rustic seat, where the family and 
friends may sit on a quiet eve, and enjoy the 
here and iu Europe, and 
it would seem, quite 
independently of each 
other. One might be 
called the "wet" meth¬ 
od and the other the 
“dry" method. Iwou'd 
suggest to those inter¬ 
ested in the controversy 
(as all of us are, of 
course.) that it will 
greatlv help to a solu¬ 
tion of the question if 
it be borne in mind 
that all kinds of fruit 
will not keep equally 
well under the same 
conditions. At a fu¬ 
ture time 1 will contrib¬ 
ute something to the 
•’dry" side; just now, 
however, 1 will add a 
couple of items to the 
“ wet" side. 
Many years ago I 
had a box of Beefsteak 
Geranium (Saxifraga 
samentosa), which I 
directed to be left out, 
and it was placed under 
one of the grape-vines. 
In November I hap¬ 
pened to see it, brush¬ 
ed aside the leaves, and 
found a bunch of grapes almost com¬ 
pletely buried in the soil which had been 
thoroughly riddled with earth-worms. The box 
was then taken to the cellar and the earth kept 
moist, iu the following March 1 attended a 
stated meeting of the trustees and faculty of the 
University of New York. It was usual at that 
time to have a little supper or lunch after 
the meeting, aud that bunch of grapes was 
placed on the tabie in sound condition, and 
pronounced to be good by such men as Pro- 
