369 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER AND COUNTRY GENTLEMAN, Mabch 15, 1859. 
flower, besides the difficulty in maintaining the exactness of 
turf-edging, when so very little is to work upon. A scroll is 
not much better ; and long pointed forms are, of course, equally 
objectionable. 
In condemning this class of gardening, I am aware I am 
opposing what is said to be the rising fashion of the day, and 
consequently must qualify my observations ; but I only ask those 
sceptical of the effects of this embroidery, to look at any garden 
so done in the month of August or September, when flowering 
plants aro expected to be about in their prime, and judge for them¬ 
selves. It is true, that where ample space is left between the 
figures, each one shows off better. Still, these curves and scroll- 
work, which the designer intended to be the most beautiful feature 
in the work, are lost and confused, however well it may have 
looked on paper, or where shown on the plain ground. But to 
those who may not have witnessed this, I will try and point out 
how an experiment may be easily made that will prove it. 
Flower gardens, in a general way, are made to be more or less 
under the eye of the spectator. But very few, indeed, can be 
seen at an angle ot elevation exceeding 30°; while half that is 
considered very favourable, and many important gardens have to 
be seen from their own level. But, taking the angle of 15°— 
which is seldom exceeded in any garden of any size—and take a 
plant two feet high, and see how much ground that hides from 
view, and you then have a fair example of the effect a flower-bed 
will have when the plants are fully grown. A plant two feet 
high will cast its shade eight feet beyond it; and it is needless to 
explain how much less than eight feet will destroy all effect which 
the outline of the flower-bed was intended to give; for, though 
plants lower than two feet when fully grown are often used, there 
are few under eight or ten inches—measuring, as is proper to do, 
to the tips of the flowers: and if we multiply their height by 
four, even their shadow is important, and damaging to a properly 
defined outline. The height of Tom Thumb Geranium, Yellow 
Calceolaria, and plants of similar grow th, is seldom less than tw o 
feet, which anyone may ascertain by stooping and casting the eye 
horizontally over the surface of flowers; and the free-growing 
kinds of A erbenas are quite eighteen inches taken in the same 
way. Few flower gardens seem complete without these useful 
adjuncts to their beauty. 
It is not my purpose hereto find fault with every flower garden 
laid out on the geometric style, for some are very pretty. What 
I want to see is, more room between the beds, so as to allow each 
one to stand out distinct from its neighbours ; and where it is 
intended for their outline to be distinctly kept when planted, by 
all means avoid acute points and angles, and all intricate curves 
or elaborate tracery. These things look very well on paper. 
Perhaps a naked bed may also look well; but the list of plauts 
capable of maintaining it so when in a planted condition, is very 
limited indeed; and a good floral display is altogether out of the 
question. 
I have been led into the above comments, in consequence of 
having seen several gardens where too much was attempted to be 
shown on a small space. Nevertheless, it is possible to accom¬ 
plish a certain amount of fancy work in a garden of moderate 
dimensions, and that with a very good effect. The means 
whereby it can be done require more explanation than I have 
room for in the present chapter ; but I will return to it the first 
opportunity.— John Robson. 
QUERIES AND ANSWERS. 
FORMING PERMANENT PASTURAGE. 
“ I contemplate laying down, to permanent pasture, a thirteen- 
acre field. It is situate in the midland counties. It lies on the 
southern slope of a hill; the surface soil is sound loam, inclined 
to be somewhat stiff aud strong ; the subsoil is marl, inclined to 
clay. The usual time for sowing seeds here is in April and May. 
Circumstances will not allow me to have the field in question 
thoroughly cleaned and limed by that time. Can I, with any 
hope of success, sow in the autumn—say August or September P 
I wish the field to accord with ornamental grounds adjacent- 
sound old turf; and, without regard to expense, desire, with 
as little delay as possible,, to bring it into conformity thereto. 
AVill you kindly advise me as to my best mode of proceeding ?”— 
A. B. 
[As your land is not in order, and will Require some preparation, 
you had much better wait fill the autumn. Nothing could be 
worse than to sow permanent pasture on land that has not 
been cleaned ; it is beginning at the wrong end, and you can 
never expect to have a clean pasture afterwards. AA T e would 
recommend you, if you can get possession of the land in time, 
to crop it with early Potatoes, which are a thorough cleansing, 
and, at the same tyne, a paying crop, and they will be off before 
you want to sow the seeds—say in the middle of September. 
Besides, the autumn is, by far, the preferable time lo lay down 
pastures; and we wonld, therefore, recommend you to wait till 
then.] 
EVERGREEN FOREST TREES FOR SAIALL 
PLANTATION. 
“ Please inform me the most suitable kind of evergreen forest 
trees for filling a small angular plantation—about 300 yards of 
superficial surface. The soil is medium depth, rather moist; 
situation level, but open to the north and east. The site is 300 
yards from the house, and conspicuous.”—I. H. 
[Plant it with Spruce Firs eight feet apart every way, and with 
another crop of Yews at regular distances between the Spruce. 
Keep the Yews to single leaders, and look on the Spruces as 
nurses for drawing up the Y'ews into forest fashion. When the 
Spruce boughs touch the Yews, shorten them; and when that 
will not do any longer, cut off the bottom boughs, and follow up 
this cutting year by year, as long as you can keep the two to¬ 
gether. AVhen the Yews meet, they must be thinned—first, to 
one-half the number, and secondly, to one-fourth. No trees arc 
so good and so durable for such a purpose as you want as Yews; 
and this is the surest way of making lliem assume the character 
of forest trees in an ordinary life ; and if they happen not to be 
in the right place for the fancy of the next generation, no trees 
are more valuable for screens, and for removing at that age, than 
Yew trees thus brought up from the beginning.] 
GLORY PEA AND OTHER AUSTRALIAN SEEDS. 
11 Last summer, a friend sent me from Australia a few seeds of 
the Qlory Tea , informing me at the same time that it was hardy, 
and would grow to the size of a Gooseberry bush! After a 
patient search in back numbers of your admirable work, I find 
Mr. Beaton (in No. 28, April 12th, 1819) speaks of the New 
Zealand Glory Peo, and recommends it for the back wall of a 
greenhouse. This sadly disappointed me, for I thought of turn¬ 
ing it into my garden on the south wall; and have no better 
accommodation than a plant-room and cold pit. It is now a 
foot and a half high, with a leaf like a Sensitive Plant. 
“ I have just had several more Australian seeds given me, of 
which I am quite ignorant. AVill will kindly tell me what 
treatment they require— Cupania Zeylanica, Ipoxnata splendent, 
Melia tenuifolia, Melia Australis, Crowea saligna, Phorminm 
tenax (New Zealand Flax) ?”—Qrjs. 
[The New Zealand Glory Pea, and what we consider to be so, 
are identical—namely, the Clianthus punicevs. If so, nothing 
would hardly beat it for beauty on the wall of a cool .greenhouse. 
And yet we should hesitate to recommend it for such a place; for 
if the syringe is not most unmercifully used, and •full exposure to 
light given, it is almost sure to have whole colonies of red spider, 
which will by no means be confined in their ravages to the Glory 
plant, though they will be glad to begin there. AVe are also in 
a little doubt whether you have got the true “ Parrot’s bill;” for, 
though the foliage of healthy young shoots is nicely pinnated, 
the leaves are strong and leathery in comparison with the tender 
foliage of a Sensitive Plant. Presuming, however, that you have 
the true Simon Pure, you may rest assured that you will secure 
healthier shrubby Gooseberry-bush-like plants, from two to three 
feet or more in height, with the protection of your cold pit in 
winter, and placing it out of doors in summer,—either plunging 
the pot, or protecting the pot from the sun,—than you would 
do in n heated room, or a warm-kept greenhouse. You had 
better nip the points of your plant, in order to make it bushy ; 
and also, if you have no more seeds, take oil' a couple, or three, 
little short pieces when you can get them—say three inches in 
length—and insert them in a pot in clean sand, and place a bell- 
glass, or a tumbler, over them, and set them in your window, 
and water when requisite, and shade with a bit of paper from 
bright sunshine. Give water, of course, as required, and edge 
