iS7a. ] 
GAUDEN GOSSir. 
70 
lilacina, also the pretty Diantlms alpinus; 
while Finks and Antirrhinums of the dwarf or 
Tom-Thumb section are pleasing subjects for 
pot-culture. 
Flower Garden, —By this time the spring 
garden will have reached its best, and the many 
spring flowers mentioned last month be in 
flower. A lady, writing from the north of 
England a few days since, stated that nearly all 
her bedding-plants had been destroyed, with the 
exception of Pol>ja)ithuses Primroses. These 
two last-named ai’e now very pretty, blooming 
later than usual, and on the whole, very freely. 
Some of the common Anemones,, both double 
and single, are valuable early and pretty flower¬ 
ing plants, but in many gardens where the 
mixed border is maintained, there was but very 
little in bloom by the middle of April; the 
cold nights and dull sunless days acting to 
retard the progress of flowers. The losses sus¬ 
tained among bedding plants must make the 
villa gardener active in providing for his sum¬ 
mer beds, and he should now be potting off 
seedling plants of Lobelia,, Pprethrum Golden 
Feather,, Petunias,, Stocks, Asters, Ilelichrpsum, 
Zinnias, Dwarf Marigolds, &c., to get them 
as strong as possible. Beds of Phlox 
Drummoudii, Dwarf Nasturtiums, Petunias, 
Centaurea ragusina, Verbena venosa (raised 
from seed), with the other things before 
mentioned, will come in well to fill up beds 
that are short of their usual occupants. Seeds 
of hardy and half-hardy perennials should 
now be sown, in order to get strong plants to 
put out by the time the autumn is once more 
on us. Of these we may mention Delphinium, 
Aconitum Napellus, (Fnothera macrocarpa, 
Lgthrum roseum superbum, Pentstemon, Sweet 
William, Dwarf Scabious, Salvia patens, and 
others of which these are good representatives. 
Growing plants of Clematis and other creepers 
need to have their shoots tied out, to cover the 
material against which they are growing. The 
grass plot should be kept nicely rolled, swept, 
and mown. 
Kitchen Garden. — Those who hold the 
opinion that a spell of hard frost serves to kill 
slugs, Ac., will have had their belief somewhat 
rudely shaken, for they appear to be more 
numerous than ever. Lime and soot must be 
dusted over the growing crops, to keep the slugs 
at bay. Weeds must be destroyed, using the 
hoe freely, loosening the soil, and making it 
beneficial to the plants. The planting-out of 
Jirussels Sprouts, Broccoli of sorts, Wuder 
Greens, Ac., are often planted out too late, and 
the villa gardener should prepare ground for 
the purpose. As soon as the weather is warm 
enough, some Tomatos can be planted out 
against a south wall. Other necessary work 
will embrace the preparation of trenches for 
C'elerg ; planting beds of Herbs, solving suc¬ 
cessive crops of Lettuce, Caulijlower, Turnip, 
Itadish, and Spinach. Early Potatos need 
hoeing between and earthing-up, while many 
other details of necessary duties will present 
themselves to the cultivator. 
Fruit Ckirden. —The necessary work here 
includes the most important one of covering 
Peach and Nectarine trees on walls, to protect 
them from frost. On the whole, there is 
good promise of an abundant fruit-crop, but 
much depends on the weather, and the outlook is 
not cheering. On Apricot trees the caterpillars 
become troublesome, and in a short time they 
do much harm to the foliage. Some thinning 
of the leading shoots coming out from the 
trees in a forward direction will be necessary. 
Towards the end of the month the blister may 
appear on the Peach and Nectarine trees, and 
the curled and blistered leaves should be picked 
off, and the trees washed with a syringe or 
garden engine, selecting a warm mild morn¬ 
ing for the operation ; when more advanced, 
they may be syringed later in the afternoon—as 
soon as the sun is gone from them. The shoots 
of Paspberries should be thinned out to five 
or six of the strongest.— Subuebanus. 
GARDEN GOSSIP. 
HE Spring Meetings of the Royal 
Horticultural and Royal Botanic 
Societies have, so far, been of a very 
interesting character. They have been well sup¬ 
plied by subjects of a high order of merit, amongst 
which the collections of Orchids, Cyclamens, Chinese 
Primulas, Uyaciuths, Hoses, Aniaryllids, and Cine¬ 
rarias may be specially mentioned. Now Plants 
of merit have been also numerous, and those 
here named, with many others, received Certifi¬ 
cates. Staphylea colchica, a hardy slu’ub, with 
white Howers, from Messrs. Yeitch, proved to bo 
a very useful forcing plant; Amaryllis Dr. Masters, 
a deep blood-red flower of good form, from Mr. 
B. S. Williams; Cyclamen persicum Iteadiny Gem, 
remarkable for its broad, rounded petals, from Mr. 
B. S. Williams; Amaryllis Viryil, a very largo ex¬ 
panded flower, with crimson centre and cream- 
colourcd towards the edge, from Messi’S. Veitch ; 
DacalUa- decora (shown as D. Mariesii), a pretty 
little Japanese fern, resembling D. bullata, but ever¬ 
green and hardy, from Messrs. Veitch; Cymhidiiun 
Loicianum, a striking ephipyte, wdth long drooping 
sjjikes of large greenish-yellow flowers, set off by a 
white base and crimson tip to the recurved lip, from 
Messrs. Low; Azalea Empress of India, from M. 
Aug. Van Gecrt, a tine large semi-double flower, pink 
with white margin, the upper segment thickly spotted 
with crimson; Cyclamen persicum Ci'imst}n kiny, 
a tine lustrous dark red, from II. Little, Ks(|.; 
Camellia Mrs. C. M. Hocey, a peach-coloured variety 
of great substance and smoothness, from Mr. Hovey, 
of Boston, U.S.A. ; Amaryllis Mrs. Baler, a splendid 
crimson flower of large size and expanded form, from 
Messrs. Weitch ; Amaryllis Thomas Speed, a ver¬ 
milion scarlet, with white ray and six-flowered scape, 
from Mr. Speed, of Chatsworth ; Deadrolditm 
Bi'ijmeriun'i.iii, a large, yellow-flowered Orchid, re¬ 
markable for the deep, shaggy fringe of its lip, 
from Messrs. Veitch; Hibiscus schizopclaltts, a 
