April 17.] 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
41 
object, the interest is increased. But onr intention here is not 
to laud or condemn such objects; but to point out one very 
common error in the planting, which no after management 
can rectify, and that is in the width. Where it is intended to 
have the trees intermingle their boughs, as noticed above, the 
distance between the opposite rows need not be more than 
thirty feet, twenty-five would do—and we have seen a very 
nice walk between two noble rows of columns only twenty 
feet apart—certainly, we think, thirty feet quite sufficient. 
Now the case is widely different when we expect to find two 
rows of full grown trees standing quite clear of each other. 
Certainly they may interlace with each other in the row, 
but a considerable space ought to intervene in the centre. 
When the trees have arrived at their full growth, many 
unfortunate mistakes have taken place that way; therefore, 
to make our meaning more clear, we say, that not less than 
eighty feet ought to be allowed between the corresponding 
lines of trees, perhaps a hundred feet will be better ; but we 
unhesitatingly state that all the intermediate distances 
between thirty and eighty feet are bad, and highly objection¬ 
able. There may be cases in which an avenue between 
these two points may be found to look tolerably well, but 
there are many others spoiled by it; and we have been the 
more prolix on this point, because various mistakes have 
often been made by injudiciously planting too narrow or too 
wide, therefore, we shall take the avenue as forming two 
distinct features, the broad and the narrow, and at once 
pi’oceed to the planting. 
For the narrow avenue, and when quick growth is wanted, 
nothing is better than the lime. The Dutch elm, also, is 
very suitable, and we have seen a very good avenue of the 
sweet chesnut, while the sturdy oak is, also, very appro¬ 
priate; but beeches, walnuts, and sycamores, look better 
standing more apart, their boughs not intertwining in so 
many fanciful forms as those of the lime, which is, we think, 
the best of all for a narrow avenue ; however, whatever sort 
is selected, let there be only one; a mixture is by all parties 
condemned. 
We now come to the more spacious avenue; and here we 
must, also, insist on only one kind of tree being used. We 
have seen many fine avenues of elm, and its more quick 
growth than the oak gives it, in some cases, a decided pre¬ 
ference ; but when the latter is seen to advantage, nothing 
can be finer. Nevertheless, the beech, sweet chesnut, 
walnut, sycamore, and even horse chesnut and ash, may be 
all found in certain localities, and we have seen pollard, 
maples, and hornbeam, converted into a not despicable 
avenue. The best way to come to a just conclusion as to 
which tree to plant, is to notice the kind that thrives best in 
the neighbourhood, and unless in some very important fea¬ 
ture it be objectionable, that will be the best to plant an 
avenue -with. 
We are aware that another description of avenue has 
started into existence during the last few years, which is one 
of those fancy pinuses of which we have such ample variety. 
We have seen rows of Auracarias pi'omising at some distant 
day to itlake a good display. More quickly will the Deodar 
cedar rise into eminence in that way, but we think it is not 
so well adapted for avenue purposes as the old cedar of 
Lebanon; while the difficulty of inducing the other pinuses 
to maintain an uniformity of growth, will, we think, preclude 
their being extensively used that way, neither should we 
like to see them; varied, rich, and graceful though they be 
when seen collectively, yet we can hardly reconcile ourselves 
to the idea of an avenue being of anything but deciduous 
trees. A near approach to the house may be of more fancy 
trees, but our remarks relate to park scenery. 
Before leaving this subject, we may add that we are no 
advocates for more than one row of trees on each side, and 
they ought to be at intervals judiciously thinned ; but when 
the avenue forms part of a plantation, the rows might be 
double before commingling with the other planted ground. 
Little or no pruning is required by avenue trees, unless any 
very distorted growth have to be removed; nothing else 
need be done. (To be continued.) S. N. V. 
HESPERIS MATEONALIS, OB DOUBLE WHITE 
ROCKET. 
These beautiful plants we seldom see in the perfection 
that they may be grown ■with a little trouble, aftd few 
plants will reward the amateur better than the three kinds 
about which I purpose giving the mode I have adopted to 
grow them; and which, when so grown, have been much 
praised by all that saw them. I shall suppose the amateur 
to have some nice healthy plants; then the first thing to do 
is to get some strong loam, one barrow-load to half a barrow¬ 
load of decayed cow’s or sheep’s dung, and two shovelsful of 
river sand ; mix the whole together well, and then you are 
ready to begin to plant. If you plant them in the border 
amongst the other hardy herbaceous plants, they will 
thrive well, and if in a rather shady, damp place, all the 
better. Turn out for every plant, say one foot square of the 
old soil, and fill up the hole with the prepared compost, and 
place your plant in the middle of the compost, rather 
deep,—give a little water, and a little liquid manure water 
when they begin to grow vigorously. Thus generously 
treated, they will bear flower-spikes of eight or nine inches 
in length. The way we grow them is in a round figure, or 
clump, prepared with the same compost. We plant the 
Go-man , which is sometimes called the French White; which 
is shaded with a purplish tinge in the centre. This is a strong 
vigorous plant; indeed, the strongest of all the kinds I have; 
and twelve inches from them, another row of the same which 
grows about two feet high ; then twelve inches from that, 
I plant round the Blue , of late introduction, which grows 
eighteen inches high ; and twelve inches from that again, we | 
put the Old Queen, which grows from twelve to eighteen 
inches high. I should have said there must be twelve inches 
between plant and plant. They all come into flower within a j 
few days of one another, and when in flower they are truly i 
beautiful. Whenever the flowers begin to fade, I cut them i 
down to within two inches of the ground, and make cuttings 
of the flower-stems so far as they are leaved; generally, each 
stem makes two cuttings. After the old stools have remained 
a fortnight, they begin to start fresh growth, and I then lift 
them and divide them into pieces, and plant them in a shady 
border with decayed leaf-mould and sand in equal parts. 
The cuttings I plant in a similar place, but I put them in 
with the spade, and beat the ground very firm to them, and 
give water now and then, allowing them to remain all the j 
winter till the first or second week of April, when I plant 
them out. I have succeeded also in propagating them by 
cutting or splitting them up the middle of the flower-stems 
so far as there were leaves, and then inserting the split pieces 
into an eight-inch pot, half filled with crocks, a little moss 
spread over, and filled with fine sand. Six or eight pieces 
of the leaf-stalk are stuck in the centre of the pot just to 
the under base of the leaf, and the point of the leaves are j 
then bent gently round, and sunk half an inch all round the 
outside of the sand inside of the pot, then press gently 
round the pot; observe the leaf is not laid flat on the sand, j 
but fixed like so many curls. The organic matter which 
the leaf already contains, causes little roots to be emitted 
into the sand in about three weeks, and then a fine fresh 
bud opens, which will flower the following year. The pots I 
plunge in the front of a cucumber frame, and water with a fine 
rose watering-pot every two days. I would not have troubled : 
you with this, but that the Hesperis is what every cottager 
can grow with great ease. We want a yellow and a scarlet 
Hesperis. Are they in cultivation ? D. D. 
[It is such practical letters as this we we wish to receive. 
Gan any one of our readers answer the concluding question ? 
We know that Hesperis matronalis purpureo pleno is red; but 
we do not know of either a scarlet or a yellow variety.— Ed. 
C. G.]. _ 
TO CORRESPONDENTS. 
*** We request that no one will write to the departmental writers of 
The Cottage Gardener. It gives them unjustifiable trouble and 
expense. All communications should be addressed “ To the Editor of 
The Cottage Gardener, 2, Amen Corner, Paternoster Row, London.” 
Ivy Leaves (Ivy ).—These will decay by degrees, and form vegetable 
mould, but more slowly than leaves with less woody fibres and resin in 
them. Cutting in ivy by the aid of a knife is much better than by the 
shears, for all the mutilated leaves turn brown. In cutting ivy with a 
knife, make each cut towards the wall. 
Basket-beds (A Friend ).—All raised beds in the shape of baskets 
having handles for climbers across the top, should be planted with a mix¬ 
ture of the best greenhouse long-flowering plants, some of which would 
require to be replaced two or three times during the season, and to avoid 
such kinds as are in general use in the beds of the same garden. For 
basket-like beds without handles, use the regular flower-garden plants— 
two contrasting colours, and an edging. For baskets with handles always 
