THE COTTAGE GARDENER AND COUNTRY GENTLEMAN’S COMPANION.— July 8, 1850. 
201 
ting with the Moss, mixing a little sand and a few small 
lumps of charcoal as I proceeded, working it all in closo 
with a stick till the pots were full. I then followed the 
instructions you so frequently give in growing, then ripening 
the wood. I then just kept them from the frost last winter, 
and for six weeks past they have been a mass of bloom, at 
least, one of them ; the other is only the ghost of what 
it ought to be, but all the shoots bloomed. I have just 
turned them out on the north side of the house to grow on 
again for another year.— The Doctor’s Boy. 
[Mr. Beaton will bo much obliged by your seeds of the 
Columbine. He fears tho Double Crowfoot is not the true 
one.] 
FORCING ASPARAGUS WITH HOT WATER. 
Mr. Ingram, Her Majesty’s gardener at Frogmore, is very 
successful in forcing Asparagus, and early in February has 
exhibited 100 heads weighing, collectively, lolbs. 
The following is a ground-plan and section of the pits he 
employed for the purpose. 
HI fret. 
Fig. 1. A ground-plan of five pits, 75 feet in length and 7 feet in 
width, sunk to the depth of 4 feet. B, boiler (technically called a saddle- 
boiler) ; C, space for two main-pipes which spring directly from the 
boiler, and from which is conducted a flow and return pipe between 
every divisional space marked D ; the lower part of each division is 
filled with rich soil to the depth of 2 feet; the sides of the pits have 
holes (termed pigeon-holes); the upper space of 2 feet is left vacant 
for the radiation of heat from the pipes. The divisions are 20 
inches across. 
Fig. 2. A section of two pits, showing the beds, pipes, and roof; 
which last is composed of wood. 
THE SUBURBAN VILLA AND COUNTRY 
RESIDENCE. 
NO IX. 
THE SHRUBBERIES—LAWNS, Ac. 
(Contiiiiictl from page 212.) 
The outlines of the shrubberies should lie bold, and not 
made up of an infinite series of intricate curves, under the 
idea that such is indispensable to an agreeable arrange¬ 
ment. For some years after the shrubs are planted, the 
outline showing the bare earth must, for the sake of neat¬ 
ness, be kept well defined; but as the shrubs increase in 
size, they should, at least in many situations, be allowed to 
grow over and obliterate the formal boundary with their 
branches. Where, however, the space between a shrubbery 
and a walk is very limited, such over-growths cannot be 
allowed, but must be confined to those portions immediately 
fronting the greater breadths of lawn ; and, in such situa¬ 
tions, the obliteration of the liarsh-cut margin of the turf, 
and its substitution by the graceful outline of the masses of 
foliage, will he found a very pleasing feature. Where this 
is adopted, the possibility of introducing flowers in the 
fronts of such shrubberies is, of course, out of the question. 
Nor is that to be regretted on the whole. In those parts 
of the shrubberies immediately contiguous to the walks 
flowers may form an interesting addition ; but I would not 
mix them up in every shrubbery in a garden. It is, I 
conceive, preferable to allow the shrubs an opportunity of 
developing their own peculiar characters, and, in the main, 
to confine flowers to situations where they would be less 
obstructed in their growth, or to place them as addenda to 
shrubberies in particular situations, where they would be 
especially desirable and effective. In thus deprecating, as 
a principle, the indiscriminate mixing up of flowers with 
shrubs, I allude more particularly to dwarf-growing herba¬ 
ceous plants and annuals—such kinds, in fact, which, while 
they destroy the peculiar features of a shrubbery, are 
prevented by their ruder neighbours from developing their 
own proper characters. 
The practice of dividing the shrubberies from the walks 
by a mere ribbon of grass, of an uniform width, extending, 
perhaps, to a considerable distance, is by no means worthy 
of imitation. If, however, the walk is a straight one, and 
the shrubberies continuous, the marginal turf should be of 
equal breadth throughout, and proportionate to the width 
of the walk. A bold, straight walk bounded by a very 
narrow strip of turf has a mean appearance. If the walk 
is not a straight one, the outline of the shrubberies should 
be irregular, here advancing, there receding, to give ample 
space for detached plants on the grass in front, to break the 
uniform appearance of the masses, or for groups of richly- 
coloured flowers, which, when seen against a deep green 
back-ground, are highly effective. 
It has often occurred to me, that the mixed and hetero¬ 
geneous arrangement of our shrubberies is a defect, and 
that they are susceptible of great improvement in that 
respect. Instead of mixing indiscriminately a number of 
plants of entirely different and often antagonistic habitats, 
I would have groups and masses of similar kinds, allowing 
one kind to predominate in this part of a shrubbery, 
another in that, blending rather than mixing the several 
characters. I think such an arrangement would be at¬ 
tractive as well as novel, and be the means of imparting 
character to many gardens which cannot now be said to 
possess any. Instead, then, of finding almost every avail¬ 
able species of shrub employed alike in every place, those 
most suitable for any given situation would alone be selected. 
Most gardens would then present some distinguishing 
character in their masses of shrubs not to be found in 
another. Judging from a few examples which I have seen, 
the effect of such an arrangement would be pleasing. I 
recollect, particularly, a mass of shrubbery composed entirely 
of Hollies, which invariably fixes the attention of visitors, 
and always furnishes a theme for admiration. When seen 
in contrast with the surrounding shrubberies planted in 
the mixed style, the Hollies most assuredly bear away the 
palm. These observations are, of course, only intended 
to apply to the principal masses of shrubs, and in no way 
