THE COTTAGE GARDENER AND COUNTRY GENTLEMAN, January 12, 1858. 
little if anything, inferior to tlie sliot-silk beds formed 
in other places by the same Verbena, and the old 
scarlet variegated Geranium ; the flowers of the V er¬ 
bena being kept the same height, and equally blended 
with the flowers of the Geranium. Vine beds were 
also made by equal portions of a white and purple 
Verbena. These were, perhaps, the most striking, 
though there were numerous other combinations, hoi 
solitary beds, this mixing system, planting in rings, or 
even with broad margins, is more pleasing than using 
any one colour; but when universally adopted in a 
lar'qe group, and many clumps contiguous to each 
other, the result, as a whole, has more sameness in 
it, than a well-marked striking diversity, borne o 
the clumps, sufficiently near to contrast, w ere nl_ ec 
each by one colour: and I felt the change to be a retie 
from those that were mixed. However, there is, no 
doubt, beauty in all these modes of arrangement; and 
there is no question, whatever plan be adopted, it will 
be made to look well, when, as in the present case, the 
gardener and his employers are equally in earnest and 
enthusiastic about it. 
Laurels and other evergreens have been planted, not 
in a line, but in groups, so as to form a distant back¬ 
ground to these flower-beds: and on the open lawn 
between the beds and Laurels, a low r , green, picturesque 
—nay, romantic background, has been formed in the 
following manner :—Stones, stumps, roots, &c., have 
been laicl down in a line, in the open space between the 
beds and the Laurels ; the roots, &c., being greatly 
diversified as to height—the highest, perhaps, three 
feet, and running down again irregularly to near the 
ground level: and the whole of this is covered with 
vigorous, growing Ivy, presenting, on the whole, a very 
unique picturesque outline. As the Ivy-mantled towers 
of the old church are within a short distance, and form 
a fine feature, I could not help suggesting, that parts 
of this bounding Ivy line should be raised to three or 
four times their present height, though the same variety 
of outline should be maintained ; and that beyond 
its termination, and between it and the church, some 
old ruins should be made, and old pollards be covered 
with Ivy; and then the whole of this very satisfactory 
and unique bounding line, would receive a tone from, 
and be seen as if in connection with, the fine old ruins of 
the church. 
One circumstance more, and I must leave this in¬ 
teresting place. Against the wall outside of the kitchen 
garden are two very large, fine, fruitful Fig trees. I 
regret that I cannot now charge my memory with the 
number of lineal yards these trees extend along the 
wall; nor the myriads of dozens of fine fruit that had 
been gathered from them this season. Mr. Cat in¬ 
formed me that they were never pruned; but that, if 
they got too thick, a long branch w r as cut out alto¬ 
gether. The trees, as a w r hole, seemed as if they 
would want no pruning in a hurry. The year’s growth 
seldom ranged above three or four inches : but the 
buds w r ere firm and plump, and as thick of fruit as 
they could nestle. “How have you managed to get 
them into this state, combining health and extreme 
I fertility ? Have you cut the roots ? Have you a 
j wall below them, and a w r all beyond them ; as much 
| as saying to the roots, You must not expect to get 
any farther?” “No: nothing wfliatever of the sort. 
My whole policy has been to let well alone.” Aye ! 
but to get the “well”—that was the poser: and 
there was no little anxiety to get at the bottom of it. 
I examined the trees carefully. I found that at the 
centre the shoots grew with as much luxuriance as 
trees do generally when against walls. I thought this 
is wliere the chief thinning goes on. How is it that 
the shoots are so luxuriant here ? I examined them 
carefully ; and I found that the main branches that 
formed the sides of the tree, were warted, and roughly 
scarified in their bark ; while the bark of the luxuriant 
branches was whole and smooth as could be. “Ah ! 
you have been at work here to check the luxuriance.” 
“No, I have not: but I see you will not be satisfied j 
until you get all I know about it. It is this :—Years 
ago—before I had the management of these fine trees 
—they w T ere always unnailed from the wall every 
winter, tied in huge bundles, with straw'- wrapped 
among the shoots, and around them. Well, one severe 
winter the mice took up their lodgings in the straw ; 
and, for want of something better, they gnarled and 
devoured a considerable portion of the bark : and the 
rough w T arted appearance still remains.” Now, what¬ 
ever we may say of mice in general, there can be no I 
question that in the present case they did very good 
service to Mr. Cat, our neighbour, by rendering these j 
fine Fig trees so fertile. R. Fish. 
FLORISTS’ FLOWERS. 
THE PHLOX. 
* (Continued from p. 197.) 
Summer Management. —This season extends from 
April till the bloom is over. Should the season prove 
a dry one, the plants will require copious supplies of 
water. Unless this be abundantly given, the bloom 
will be scanty and small, and will be soon over; 
therefore, let the amateur be diligently attentive to 
this point. To prevent the water from evaporating 
too quickly, cover the beds with green moss, wliich 
will have the effect of keeping the soil moist. It 
acts as a non-conductor both w r ays : it prevents the 
heat from entering the soil, and the moisture from 
escaping. The value of moss—as a shelter from heat, 
dryness, and cold—is far from being duly appreciated 
or used. 
The next point in culture is to keep down all weeds ; 
they should never be allowed to advance beyond the / 
seed-leaf. If the beds are covered with moss, many 
weeds will be prevented from springing up at all. 
Then see that the plants are securely tied to sticks, 
so managed as not to be seen above the foliage. Strong 
winds make sad havoc with the Phloxes, breaking them 
off close to the ground, unless they are well-staked 
and tied. Hence it is not prudent even to delay the 
sticking and tying till they are in bloom. 
As soon as the flowers begin to fade, and the beauty 
is evidently past and gone, cut dowm the stems im¬ 
mediately, clear away the moss, and fork the beds 
gently over. That will complete the summer opera¬ 
tions. 
Winter Management. — This is very simple. If i 
none are w anted for increase, and the plants are not 
inconveniently large, they may be allow ed to remain a 
second year without taking-up. To enable them to 
bloom w r ell the following season, give a mulching of ; 
short hotbed dung, an inch or so thick. This will act 
as an enricher, and as a protector from severe frost. 
When the winter is over, fork in the dung that is left; 
and then the plants will spring up strongly, and bloom 
with the proper management more freely the second 
year than the first. After that season, I Avould advise 
a general taking-up, renewal of the soil, dividing the j 
plants, and replanting. 
The following list is selected from a large collection ; 
and will be found, I trust, useful to every one desirous 
of cultivating these fine plants :— 
White. 
Those marked with a * are new and good. 
# Addisonii, with distinct carmine centre ; large and 
perfect form. 
