THE COTTAGE GARDENER AND COUNTRY GENTLEMAN, January 31, 1860. 
279 
THE WEATHER AT FROME DURING 1859. 
The following particulars recorded by a self-registering ther¬ 
mometer, of the average temperature in the shade of each month 
of the past year, at North Hill, Frome, have been kindly for¬ 
warded to us. The details will be of interest to the scientific 
portion of our readers, and may be relied on as accurate. 
1859. 
Highest tempe¬ 
rature during 
the month. 
1 
Lowest tempe¬ 
rature during 
the month. 
Number of days 
that rain or 
snow fell. 
* 
Amount of rain 
| in each month. 
Number offrosty 
nights in each 
month. 
January . 
49 
24 
13 
2-00 
11 
February. 
53 
28 
16 
2-48 
10 
March. 
59 
25 
15 
3-20 
17 
April . 
75 
21 
17 
337 
11 
May. . , 
75 
34 
12 
1-70 
J uue . 
79 
42 
13 
1-74 
• . • 
July. 
87 
50 
8 
2 30 
... 
August . 
80 
43 
13 
2-40 
... 
September . 
68 
42 
9 
230 
... 
October . 
69 
23 
12 
232 
6 
November . 
55 
20 
13 
3-00 
5 
December . 
55 
14 
16 
2-36 
15 
Total. 
157 
29T7 
75 
—The Doctor’s Boy. 
PUBLIC GARDENS versus PRIVATE GARDENS 
AS TEACHERS. 
Mr. Bailey, in The Cottage Gardener of January 10th, 
says truly, “ The arrangement of the shrubs at the Crystal Palace 
is charmingly done.” He should have said was charmingly done ; 
it is so very easy for after-unskilful managers to destroy those 
ultimate features which the original designer had in view when 
the first planting of the whole wa3 accomplished. The after- 
thinning and regulating of the shrubs and trees ought to be done 
by the same master-hand by whom they w'ere first planted, with 
a view to the successive thinning which would eventually be 
necessary ere the different shrubs arrived at their mature size. 
Of course, the same hand is not always to be secured; but, at 
any rate, the person in charge ought to be imbued with the same 
principles of correct taste which pervaded the mind of the original 
designer. There are certain rules and principles of judicious 
thinning and regulating of shrubs and shrubberies which cannot 
be departed from without the person who departs from those 
rules committing the most flagrant solecisms. 
I write this much lest the designer who so charmingly “did” 
the original arrangement should be saddled with the fooleries 
and utter want of taste which characterised some of the alterations 
of his successors, and threaten to nullify another part of Mr. 
Bailey’s paragraph—viz., “ That it will at some future time 
show itself as an illustrious example of the taste of Mr. Milner.” 
Mr. Milner’s original design presented innumerable bold and 
striking effects, by introducing groups of distinct and unique 
character in appropriate positions, opposed to the present patch- 
work system of filling up a vacancy with any shrub that possesses 
the desideratum of stopping a gap ; the principles of associa¬ 
tion and suitability in an artistic point of view being left wholly 
out of the question. As a late employee, I speak from experience 
of the style of management now obtaining, having entered with 
a view to improvement in what I was given to believe to be the 
first school of ornamental and flower gardening — a course I 
certainly would not. recommend to any young gardener. My 
own experience confirms me in the belief that the doings at the 
Crystal Palace and other like places are greatly over-coloured, 
and that in nine cases out of ten we shall find the flower 
gardening better done in private gardens, notwithstanding all 
that may be said about the Crystal Palace or any other place 
setting the fashion in flower gardening. There are no arbitrary 
fashions in gardening, but certain principles of correct taste in 
the arrangement of colour, &c., which cannot be departed from 
with impunity, the knowledge of which is not confined to the 
flower gardeners of the Crystal Palace or any other public place. 
Certainly, such places possess an advantage over the generality of 
private gardens in the greater extent of the beds for showing off 
the effect of colour; but, for my own part, I have been much 
more pleased, and, I may say that I have derived a great deal 
more instruction from the inspection of private gardens than 
from those I may call the crack public gardens so much lauded 
and extolled.—U n Ci-devant Premier Ouvrier. 
TO CORRESPONDENTS. 
Cofper Cord (A. A. O.). —That of which you enclosed a specimen is as 
strong as the chains you allude to; hut you can have copper cord still 
stronger and more flexible, at Messrs. Newall’s, Strand, London. It is 
quite impossible for any one to foretell how many bunches of Grapes ought 
to be left upon your Vines, the roots of which were lifted last October; so 
entirely must it depend upon the vigour exhibited by the Vines. Besides, 
we neither know what is their age nor what varieties they are. You had 
better let them be under-loaded than over-loaded. 
Millet-seed (A Novice in Wilts).— Sow early in April, very thinly, in 
drills a foot apart, and thin the plants to a similar distance, for the panicle 
branches considerably. No other culture than hoeing is required. The 
seed ripens-in August. The soil should be light, and the situation warm. 
Asparagus Forcino {Alpha).— We do not understand your objection, 
that there is not height enough in a frame thirty inches high. After the 
shoots have been cut, and the roots will yield no more, these are thrown 
away, and fresh roots put in the season following. No shoots are allowed 
to remain as you seem to suppose “ to mature the crowns.” 
Edging Tiles ( Subscriber ).—There is a firm at the foot of the Hunger- 
ford Suspension Bridge, on the Surrey side, where they make them. 
An Amateur in Difficulties ( B. C. W.). —We sympathise with you, but 
cannot help you in the way you mention. We can only publish general 
calendars of work to be done weekly, and answer, as we are always ready 
to do, any inquiry made by a correspondent who is suffering or is in doubt, 
under some exceptional circumstances. It would be a life’s labour to 
imagine difficulties, and how they should be removed. Pray send us any 
special inquiry, and it shall be specially answered. 
Evergreens (An Amateur, Loughborough Road). —We agree w'ith you 
in thinking that evergreens might often be' employed more liberally than 
deciduous trees; but in towns the soot attaches to their leaves, disfigures 
and destroys them. When you have any results of practices, or novel 
observations to communicate, we shall readily publish them. 
Circular Bed in Centre of Five Smaller Circular Beds (A Constant 
Subscriber). —Your plan of bedding is the first we have seen of an idea that 
was suggested by Mr. Loudon, as far back as 1833 or 1834, to get rid of 
Star-and-Garter beds. It is on the promenade style, in groups of five 
circles round a middle circle, each group having six beds and reading from 
the centre. The one side of a curved walk is bordered with groups of these 
circles on grass, and the other side is planted with a ribbon-border. It is 
very effective and telling on the eye, quite new in public life, and is of all 
other modes the easiest to do well; and the mode or plan of planting may 
be altered in all the beds every season. Every group stands on its own 
merits. The rule for a single circle of beds round a centre bed or centre 
object, as a dial, statue, or vase, is that the centre bed should be of a 
different style of plant, or quite different in colour from the plants in the 
beds lying round it. Your first group will tell the tale. No. 12, the centre 
bed, may be white, yellow, or scarlet; and the five circles round it must 
not have the same white, or the same yellow, or the same scarlet-flowering 
plants. But the scarlet from Verbenas being so unlike the scarlet of 
Geraniums, any good red Verbena might occupy any of the beds round a 
scarlet Geranium-bed. Again : As you have five side beds in each group, 
they cannot and ought not to be planted in pairs; so that every bed in the 
group stands on its own merits, and every group the same. If the centre 
beds, 12 and 18, are seen in a line from the windows, as we expect they 
are, do not plant them the same way. 18, being farthest off, plant with 
Tom Thumbs, and 12 with some yellow Calceolaria ; and let 6 be planted 
with Brilliant— a variegated Tom Thumb. Each of these may have an 
edging. Selecting plants you will succeed in better than ourselves. 
Dianthus Heddewigii (D. B.),— You will find full directions for sowing 
this at page 391 of our No. 574. 
Outside Blind for Greenhouse ( Tatham ).—Nothing is better than 
canvass for the purpose. In “ Greenhouses for the Many,” price 6 d., you 
will find at page 11 full directions for fitting up such a blind. 
Cannas and Lantanas (Rose).—We will endeavour to meet your wishes 
next week. Lantanas for bedding will depend a good deal on your position, 
but of that we know nothing. 
Marine Insects (Cat). —We are not aware of any Beetles, properly so 
called, being inhabitants of the sea. If we saw a specimen of the animal 
you allude to, we may possibly be able to tell you what it is. The animals 
known at Brighton under the name of Sea-spiders are species of Crabs 
belonging to the genus Main. They generally live in deep water, and 
rarely approach the shore. The Green Tree-Frog is only to be obtained in 
the months of May and June, when they are sold for about Is. each. If 
you refer to Mr. Brigden, of the Railway Arcade, London Bridge, he will 
be able to give you information about them. 
Ornamental Trees (An Old Subscriber, Richmond). —Robinias are the 
same as Acacias, or Cobbet’s Locust. Tulip trees often fail on light soils 
like much of that about Richmond; but Ailanthus glandulosus is full 
grown in perfection in the lower parts of Kew Gardens, and is safer for 
you to match with the Catalpa. The Yellow-barked Ash is a slow and 
low-growing tree requiring little room. Your trees are all very select; 
but the best school for trees, and for you to examine and consult, is next 
your own door. Kew is the grand emporium for such, and what does 
there will surely do with you. All the best trees are named there; and 
you are sadly deficient in evergreen trees, and tall shrubs, and tree-like 
shrubs, of which there is no end in Kew Gardens. September was about 
the best time for moving Portugal Laurels, but the frost came too soon for 
them. The second, week in May and the last of August are the right times 
