August 3. 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
337 
appropriate. The flower-garden is bounded on the 
south side by a good wall. This wall was planted with 
Peaches, Nectarines, and Apricots, and very well they 
are growing; but I could not help thinking this wall 
would have been better as a receptacle foi> ornamental 
rare shrubs and climbers, with a few of the best Roses 
intermixed. In fact, a liner and more appropriate 
situation (it adjoins the house) for a conservative-wall 
is not in existence; but as that is a matter of taste, and 
Mr. Stubbs prefers it as a fruit-wall, nobody clso has 
anything to do with it. 
The kitchen-gardens adjoin the flower-garden-, and 
being lately made, and well made too, the vegetables 
were exceedingly fine. The Peas were cultivated in the 
best fashion, that is, at wide intervals, with Potatoes and 
other low growing crops between. The consequence is, 
one row of Peas produces almost as much as two when 
sown close together in the more common way. This 
garden is happily situated in regard to a plentiful supply 
of water sufficiently elevated above it to allow the use 
' of the new gutta percha tubing. It is brought into 
various parts of the grounds by pipes, and at proper 
intervals there are stop-cocks; one end of the gutta 
percha tubing is fixed to one of these cocks, the water 
turned on, and then conveyed through the tubes to any 
crops that may require it. There is at the end a rose 
like those attached to the common garden-pot, and the 
water rushes through this rose like a rich shower of 
rain,-refreshing the crops and bringing them forwards 
surprisingly. I saw a row of Celery watered by this 
machinery: the water was turned on, the tube carried 
to the end of the row, laid down, and there left till the 
ground the whole length of the row was thoroughly 
soaked, and this accomplished without any labour or 
trampling on the land. Certainly, every garden, where 
possible, ought to be furnished with this tubing. A 
great benefit of its application was pointed out to me. 
The Rose-trees and Fruit-trees on the walls were kept 
clear of insects by being strongly syringed with this 
apparatus. The long-continued forcible stream of water 
j effectually dislodged the rod spider and the aphides 
from these trees, and the consequence was they were 
healthy and free from any disease. 
About the kitchen-garden I have a note on Raspberry 
culture. They were planted in rows at regular distances, 
not in clumps as they usually are,-and were tied to iron 
hurdles firmly set in the ground. By this method the 
canes were equally distributed, more air allowed to each 
plant, and the effects were, better ripened wood and finer 
fruit. 
There is here some houses put up for Grapes, hut as 
yet the Vines are young. The houses are neat and well 
built, but there appears to have been some mistake 
about them. The Vine-border is full two feet below the 
place where the Vines enter the houses, hence there are 
two feet of each Vine-stem exposed to the variations of 
temperature in the first month in the year. All Grape 
growers well know that this is a bad state lor the Vine, 
especially for early crops. 
This very interesting garden gave me great pleasure, 
and I was much gratified to find both master and gar¬ 
dener were readers of The Cottage Gardener, and 
declared that they were guided, in a great measure, by 
the directions given iu it. Mr. Stubbs told me they 
had, amongst them, four numbers every week. I am 
not a selfish man, yet I cannot help wishing every place 
in the kingdom would do so likewise. I think they 
would find a benefit thereby. T. Appleby. 
EARLY-FLOWERING BORDER PLANTS. 
The mind that is rightly toned is always delighted 
with these lovely harbingers of spring; these fore¬ 
runners of the perhaps more elaborate summer flowers | 
coming to gladden the eyes and cheer the heart, after 
the barren, gloomy days of winter. I had occasion to ! 
visit a garden in this neighbourhood, at the Grove, 
belonging to Mrs. Priestley, a lady passionately devoted 
to the love of flowers, and more especially those low, 
humble, early spring flowers, too seldom cared suffi¬ 
ciently for in those bedding-out days. But here there 
is a long border devoted to their culture; and so well 
were they growing and flowering, that I made up my 
mind, the first opportunity I had, to write about them 
and press their beauty and culture upon the readers of 
The Cottage Gardener. There are these facts in their 
favour—they are, if well managed, perfectly hardy and 
easy to grow, and not expensive. Many a cottage 
garden, as well as others of higher pretensions, would 
be rendered more attractive and engaging to the owner, 
if a border or two were devoted to their culture. My 
plan, or method, will be to give an alphabetical list of 
their names, a brief description of their flowers, and the 
height they grow, with some short remarks on the proper 
management for them. I shall avoid such flowers as 
are described as peculiar to the florist — such, for I 
instance, as the Auricula, Polyanthus, and such-like 
early bloomers—because 1 have already written about 
them in the foregoing pages of this work; and such 
persons as may wish for that information must look 
back in former numbers for it. 
Previously to commencing this list, it may be advisable 
to give a few ideas in regard to the soil and situation. 
As many of these spring flowers are natives of high 
regions, where low shrubs grow, the soil is generally of | 
a heathy character, or dry gravel; hence, the border j 
should partake of such or similar soils. The one at 1 » 
the Grove, above alluded to, is a light, stony loam, and 
it is largely mixed with good heath-mould. The flowers 
thrive well there, and, therefore, such a soil is the best 
for them, taking them in general. Particular cases may ; 
occur where a different and richer soil will be suitable ; j 
such cases I shall point out in the catalogue. The best j 
situation for them will be the south side of a low wall, 
or an evergreen hedge well clothed at the bottom. It it 
is wet and low it must be well drained, and elevated a 
few inches above the walk; but in high, dry places, 
those precautions will be needless. 
Adonis vcrnalis (The Spring-Adonis); named after 
Adonis, the favourite of Venus; flowers yellow; height 
one foot; season of blooming, March and April; a 
native of Europe. The leaves of this plant are in 
clusters on the'top of the stem, and the large flowers 
appear in the midst of them very beautiful and showy ; 
increased by dividing the crown, or roots, as soon as the 
stems die down ; plentiful in some gardens. 
A. apennina (Alpine A.); a hardy perennial, similar 
to the preceding in height, and colour, and period of j 
bloom; but different in foliage, and the flowers are I 
somewhat less rare, but may be increased by division. | 
A. Volgaensis (Volga A.); so called from its native j 
habitat; rather a new plant, and, I believe, lost to 
British gardens; colour deep yellow; height one foot; j 
blooming in April and May. _ ! 
Ajuga; this genus is so named from the singular fact 
that the calyx, or flower-cup, is only one-leaved. A, in 
botany, means without; and zugou, a yoke or pair. 
The English name is Bugle. A very pretty assemblage 
of plants with blue flowers. 
A alpina (Alpine); a native of British mountains, but 
well worthy of a place in gardens; flowers in May; 
height halfa-foot; colour rich blue. 
A. Qenevensis (Geneva); a native of the hill above 
that city; May; colour, the deepest blue; height six 
inches. 
A. pyramidalis (Pyramidal); the most beautiful of the 
whole genus; May; deep blue ; height nine inches. 
