826 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
August 28, 1886. 
MIDSUMMER FLORAL STYLES. 
There has seldom been a summer season when so 
many charming arrangements have been made. Pale 
colours are quite the style, “freckled effects” being the 
fancy of those entertaining at the sea-shore. An 
unique decoration for a dinner was made in a club 
house at Islip when a boating party entertained twenty 
friends. The tablecloth was a satine, white dotted with 
brown. Light branches of the purple-leaved Beech 
were laid o form a Yine that traced the extent of the 
table above the covers. In the centre was an oval bed 
of Amaryllis with speckled throats of brown and gold. 
There were clusters of Mignonette tied with bronze 
satin ribbon for the ladies’ favours. 
Tuberoses, notwithstanding their powerful odour, are 
considerably used for collations where while satin table¬ 
cloths are Spread. They look very handsome. At a 
“ breakfast ” given at Newport, the centre-piece 
w T as composed of Gardenias and Asparagus Vine, 
which are extremely elegant on a cloth of white satin. 
There were candelabra at each end of the table, which 
were decorated with branches of Tuberoses and white 
satin ribbon. There were satin pocket satchels for ladies’ 
favours, which were studded on the outside with Gar¬ 
denias, and filled with spikes of Tuberoses and dainty 
bits of Asparagus Vines. 
Another table decoration was remarkably handsome. 
The cover was pearl-tinted satin. A tracery of 
Ampelopsis Yeitchii was placed irregularly through the 
centre. There were three round beds of purple Gloxinias 
and corsage bunches at the ladies’ covers of purple 
Asters. The silver and cub glass were in beautiful 
contrast to the purple and green. 
It is quite the fashion in presenting floral favours out 
of town to give some growing plant in a small design, 
as anything in this line that can be kept alive is so 
much appreciated when parties are housed in hotels at 
summer resorts, where there are not too many home 
comforts. Gilt baskets planted with Maidenhair 
Ferns, and china and glass baskets and boats which 
contain growing mosses, are much in vogue for 
favours. An exceedingly choice and simple arrange¬ 
ment for a young ladies’ luncheon party was made in a 
private dining room at the West End Hotel, Long 
Branch recently. L’pon a white damask cloth was a 
centrepiece of grasses—the common Agrostis that has 
such a head of quivering mist-like blooms just now'. 
This grass was cut long and very thickly bunched, so 
as to make an even oval field. At each of the ladies’ 
covers were slender little pitchers of irredescent glass, 
in which were growing Ivy and Tradeseantia, and the 
handle of each pitcher was tied with a pale pink satin 
sash. 
The most elaborate floral designs at present are seen 
in the evening in the watering-place hotel rotundas, 
where they are sent by our florists to be disposed of. 
A work-table of Pea blossom was raffled for $100 last 
week at Long Beach. It was a tripod, and each leg 
was made of a colour of Pea blossom—one of pink, one 
of white, and one of crimson. The top of the table was 
a nodding mass of the “Butterfly” Pea blossoms, and 
at one side lay a large cluster of long-stemmed Bon 
Silene Rosebuds tied with a lilac-tinted ribbon. — 
American Florist. 
-- 
FRUITS, FLOWERS & VEGETABLES. 
Rhododendron Jnvomicum. —Amongst green¬ 
house Rhododendrons this should have a foremost place. 
It is reputed by some to be a shy bloomer, but I am 
inclined to think that this is more due to the manner in 
which it is treated than to any fault of the plant. We 
have a plant in a 6 in. pot, which has now some seven 
trusses either open or opening, and although we have 
many of the new hybrids in bloom, I must say R. 
Javanicum is among the most lovely. Those who have 
not got it should obtain it, for I am sure they will be 
pleased with it when in bloom.— Con. 
Potato Disease.—I saw yesterday some fine 
tubers of the White Elephant very much affected with 
this fungoid pest that has from time to time, during 
the last forty-one years, done more or less injury to our 
Potato crops, and a friend tells me that he knew of a 
field of fifty acres of Patterson’s Victoria that were 
much affected, the haulm being quite black. For some 
three or four weeks past I have anticipated these results, 
Mildew having been very prevalent amongst Peas", 
&c., brought on by atmospherical changes, such as 
sudden transitions in the day and night temperatures. 
Should the disease be likely to spread on an extensive 
scale, no time should be lost in securing those early 
kinds that are now sufficiently matured, and that may 
be lifted with perfect safety. —George Fry, Lewisham, 
24 th August, 1886. 
Salads for "Winter.—Now is the time to be 
looking forward to the winter supplies of salading, a 
constant supply of which maybe obtained by sowing and 
transplanting everj’’ fortnight or so. We have a great 
many varieties of Lettuces, but I consider the best for 
winter use are Bath or Brown Cos, Cooling's Leviathan 
Cos; and of cabbage varieties, Turkish Butter and 
Stanstead Park. Those that were sown in July will 
now be ready for transplanting on a warm border. If 
they are planted 8 ins. or 9 ins. apart, when large 
enough every other one may be taken out and planted 
in cold pits where they can receive plenty of light and 
air when the weather is favourable (be careful that they 
do not get too much wet), and where they will remain 
firm and fresh for a considerable time. Then there is 
the Endive, which, when well blanched, makes a capital 
salading. The most useful varieties of this are Batavian 
Broad-leaved and Green Curled, and to bleach them, I 
find that by placing a slate or a flat piece of wood over 
the plants, in a few days they begin to turn colour. 
Later on we have three excellent salading subjects, viz., 
Chicory, Dandelion, and Com Salad, the former two if 
the roots are placed in one end of the Mushroom house, 
or any other dark warm place about every ten days, a 
constant supply may be obtained. The latter should 
be sown every three weeks from the middle of August; 
if sorvui too early they will run to seed. Radishes may 
be sown every nine or ten days on a warm border until 
the end of September, when a slight hot-bed may be 
raised for a later supply : the most useful varieties 1 find 
are French Breakfast and Wood’s Early Frame. Keep 
a good supply of Mustard and Cress ; this is easily done 
by constantly sowing in boxes, and placing them in a 
warm house.—IK. C., Suclbourne Hall. 
Dimorphotlieca pluvialis. —This is a very 
pretty white-flowered hardy annual, much better known 
in gardens as Calendula pluvialis, but not nearly so 
much grown as it deserves. The flowers resemble those 
of a Gazania, but are much smaller, white with a dark 
centre. Another most useful, and, indeed, very fine 
and showy annual, is Calliopsis Drummondii, with its 
large golden-yellow flowers and serrated edges. Nearly 
everyone knows the rich crimson Malope grandiflora, a 
veritable peer among hardy annuals, and one of the 
brightest that can find a place in the garden. An ex¬ 
cellent companion to this is found in Lavatera tri- 
mestris, with its charming pink flowers, in growth and 
size of blossom coming near to M. grandiflora. Here, 
then, are four hardy annuals of the highest merit. Let 
those interested in this class of flowers make a note of 
them.— 11. D. 
Carnations Indoor and Out. — If lifting 
plants in pots of Carnations and Picotees just as their 
buds are on the point of expanding from the open air 
on to a raised stage, that has a covering of tiffany or 
some such material overhead, but which is fully open 
at the sides ; or if having grown them on a raised stage 
in the open air all through the summer, and then 
stretching over them a shading of tiffany, is growing 
plants indoors, then I have nothing more to say in 
regard to the difference of opinion between Mr. W. J. 
Murphy and myself. I have used the term “houses” 
in relation to Mr. Dodwell’s plants, but they are simply 
raised stages in the open air, covered with canvas roofs 
when the plants are in flower. One would think 
Mr. Murphy imagined these plants were grown in 
ordinary greenhouses, with glass sides and ends. I am 
afraid I gave him credit for some knowledge of how the 
growers of Carnations and Picotees manage their plants 
to get good flowers for exhibition which he does not 
appear to possess. No small florist would think of 
growing his plants under cover ; he simply places them 
there when they are coming into bloom, in order to 
preserve the purity of the flowers, but the sides are all 
open to the freest circulation of air. You cannot force 
the ordinary summer-flowering Carnations and Picotees. 
The bloom may be hastened by potting early in autumn, 
and keeping the plants in a close but unlieated frame 
for a time to induce them to get into growth earlier 
than usual; but good flowers would scarcely result, 
unless the plants were managed with great care—the 
risk is always a large one. I have at the present time 
in bloom in the open air scarlet, crimson, and pink and 
purple bizarres, and flowers also of the various flaked 
sections, very bright and showy, but they have suffused 
grounds and run colours owing to their exposure to sun 
and storm. All this would have been corrected had I 
taken the trouble to stretch across the bed a few feet 
above the flowers a slight awing of tiffany. I like to 
see the highest refinement in these delicate flowers, but 
it can only be got by a little shading, as in the case of 
the delicately-coloured and edged Dahlias ; but the 
Carnation and Picotee is just as much grown in the open 
air as the Dahlia. There are some exhibitors who 
grow their Carnations and Picotees planted out in the 
open ground, and they simply content themselves with 
shading the individual blooms. All show Pinks are 
grown in this way, but the possibilities of a fine variety 
can only be developed by a little shading. Mr. 
Murphy may be satisfied with the coarser development 
of the Carnation in the open air ; the exhibitor, know¬ 
ing what his pets are capable of, wards off sun and rain, 
and is rewarded by blooms of larger size, higher refine- 
ment, greater purity, and nicer smoothness of petal.— 
Dianthus. 
-- 
The Gardeners’ Calendar. 
THE PLANT HOUSES. 
The batch of tree Mignonette is now quite ready for 
a shift into 32’s. If not already done, let each plant 
be neatly staked before turning out to repot, or the 
plants are liable to snap off, being so brittle. Let the 
compost consist chiefly of loam, and pot quite firm ; 
by this means much less water will be required—in fact, 
this plant will not bear over-watering at any time, much 
less through the autumn and winter months. A good 
sowing in 32’s should now be made, scattering the seed 
thinly, and thinning the plants out to about six in 
each pot. This batch will be found most serviceable 
early next spring. 
The early batch of Cinerarias, too, now claim atten¬ 
tion in the way of a shift into their flowering pots, and 
consequently greater amount of standing room. If 
through pressure the potting cannot be done now, lose 
no time in giving them more room, or the loss of the 
best foliage will follow. The latter batch can be staged 
in the front of the larger plants. Let the lights be drawn 
off at night that the plants may receive the full benefit 
of the dews, which will tend to keep them in vigorous 
health. Primulas will now be throwing up thin trusses 
of flower, which, however, had better be pinched out 
as they make their appearance. It will be advisable 
also to remove the plants to a more sunny situation, 
placing a light shading over them for a few hours at 
mid-day. The foliage of these will also be much 
stouter if they are fully exposed at night. 
In the stove little more can be done than to admit 
of more air, so as to secure a thorough ripening of 
wood and the hardening of foliage as much as is con¬ 
sistent with safety, so that the plants may stand well 
through the autumn and look bright and clean. Look 
thoroughly well after mealy bug and thrip, particularly 
upon the Dractenas, or they will make sad havoc with 
the foliage, and render them quite useless for decoration, 
for which they are so admirably suited. The foliage of 
Palms will be benefited by a good sponging now and 
again. Lose no time in finishing up the propagation 
of soft-wooded stuff. The Pelargoniums will be best 
if kept in a shaded situation for a week or so after 
being put in ; if placed at once in the full sun they are 
apt to lose nearly all their foliage, and consequently 
do not stand the winter at all satisfactorily. Give a 
thorough watering to settle the soil about the cuttings, 
which, with sprinklings through the “rose” of an 
evening, will carry them on until rooted. Give plenty 
of room between the boxes or pots, that air may freely 
circulate to prevent damping-off. 
THE FRUIT HOUSES. 
Where the lifting or re-planting of the early Peach 
house is necessary, this may be done at once. The 
trees will then have time to re-establish themselves in 
the new soil, and but little interference with next 
season’s crop ensue. After the work is completed, keep 
the trees thoroughly well syringed three or four times 
a day. Continue the pruning of succession houses so 
soon as the fruit is gathered, and do not be afraid to 
use the knife, nothing is gained by leaving too much 
wood, it tends rather to overcrowding, and consequently 
badly coloured fruit, at all times objectionable. The 
Lady Downe’s Grape should now be fast approaching 
ripeness ; by the second week in September, to keep 
well, they should be perfectly finished. If, by any means, 
they are not quite forward enough, use a little extra 
heat in the pipes by day and night, at the same time 
