74 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
October 4, 1890. 
The Amateors’ Garden. 
--i-- 
SEASONABLE WORK in the GARDEN. 
Roof Climbers. —The overhauling of the climbers 
should no longer be delayed, for all the light possible 
will be necessary for the subjects beneath them. This 
applies both to stoves, conservatories, and greenhouses, 
whose roofs become densely matted with the climbers 
usually grown there. Regard may be had for such 
Passion Flowers and Tacsonias which may yet be in 
flower, but in general their shoots may be thinned out 
and regulated so as to admit the light. Plumbago 
capensis may be pruned hard back after it has done 
flowering, and so may Clerodendrons. Hardenbergias, 
Bignonias and other things which flower from the 
shoots just formed will have to be thinned out. 
Gardenias. —Before putting the first batch into 
increased heat to start them into bloom, it will be 
advisable to go over the plants and see that they are 
thoroughly clean, for if a few bugs are left in the axils 
of the buds, they will increase rapidly when placed 
in greater warmth, while it is more difficult to apply a 
remedy when the tissues are soft and the plants coming 
into bloom. Syringe with a mixture of paraffin and 
water at the rate of a wineglassful to four gallons of 
the latter. Keep the mixture well stirred all the time 
it is being used. 
Show and Fancy Pelagoniums.— Plants in 
frames had now better be taken indoors and placed 
in a light airy position near the glass. They should 
be kept tolerably moist at all times, because they will 
continue to grow slowly all the winter. The foliage is 
very liable to become spotted through weak light and 
bad ventilation, so that above all things these matters 
should receive due attention. 
Zonal Pelargoniums. —Except in the case of 
plants intended to be kept in a flowering condition all 
the winter, the others should be induced to harden then- 
wood and go to rest by partially or gradually with¬ 
holding water. 
Calceolarias. —Pot off from the seed pans late 
batches of this class of plants, using good fibrous loam, 
leaf-soil, and a small quantity of well-rotted manure. 
Stand them on a bed of ashes either in a frame with 
the command of artificial heat when necessary, or in a 
cool house. 
Chinese Primulas. —After this date it will be 
necessary to keep the atmosphere much drier in the 
houses where Chinese Primulas are grown thau in 
the case of Cinerarias or Calceolarias. In a cool house 
with a damp stagnant atmosphere the plants are liable 
to go off at the collar unless carefully watered, and at 
the same time they must not be allowed to become dry. 
The double kinds are more liable to injury in this 
way than are the single kinds. It will be necessary, 
therefore, to keep them in a house where a night 
temperature of 45“ or 50° is maintained. 
Hollyhocks. —When the stems have finished 
flowering they may be cut down within 6 ins. or so of 
the soil, and the rootstocks lifted and potted up, putting 
them in pots proportionate to their size, so that they 
may be equally deep in the soil as when in the open 
ground. Seeds may be saved of the best varieties, if 
that has not previously been done. The pots containing 
the plants may be put in cold frames and plunged in 
ashes. 
Carnations and Picotees.— The layers will by 
this time be rooted, and should be lifted and potted off 
into small pots. Stand the latter in a frame, and, 
after watering them down, keep close for a time until 
rooted in the fresh soil. Tree Carnations should be 
shifted on as they require it, as the earliest batches 
are now throwing up their flower spikes. A green¬ 
house with a dry, airy atmosphere will prove suitable 
for them. 
Pansies. —Early struck cuttings may now be 
planted out in the places where they are to flower. 
Plants for pot work may be potted up at once. Provided 
the necessary stock has not been obtained earlier 
through lack of cuttings, or, if the latter, have rooted 
badly, a further batch may now be put into boxes and 
the latter stood in a cold frame. In large towns and 
smoky districts it would be a safe plan to keep a good 
stock of each in frames, as those left in the open air are 
very liable to go off during winter. If the plants are 
affected with mildew syringe or dip them into a solution 
of soft soap containing some flour of sulphur. 
Melons. —Young plants intended for fruiting late 
in the year, should be regularly attended to in the 
matter of thinning and tying. Those whose fruits are 
approaching maturity should be kept drier at the root, 
and the laterals closely pinched in to centre the energies 
of the plants upon the fruit. It will be necessary to 
get up the temperature early in the morning, damping 
down the fires as the sun comes out. On dull days 
more fire heat will be required, not merely to keep up 
the temperature, but to dispel moisture. A little 
ventilation must be given to allow of the escape of 
moisture, closing the house again early in the after¬ 
noon. 
Peaches. —Keep the late houses well ventilated 
night and day, and in the case of trees in a backward 
condition, assist with a little heat to encourage the 
ripening of the wood. The sooner that root pruning is 
completed in early houses, the better, where such an 
operation is considered necessary. 
Autumn-sown Onions. —Go over the beds and 
fill up any blanks that may occur in the rows, using 
plants from places where they have come up thickly. 
A dull day when the ground is moist from recent rain 
is the best time for this operation. 
Tomatos. —Plants that have escaped the disease in 
the open air will now have some fruits that will prove 
serviceable, if gathered just as they are commencing to 
colour, and placed on the shelves of a dry greenhouse 
or vinery to ripen off. If left in the open, a frosty 
night would destroy them. 
French. Beans. —A second sowing of these in pots 
to fruit in winter, may now be made to succeed that 
made in the early part of last month. They should be 
damped overhead twice a day, and kept at a night 
temperature of from 55° to 60°. 
-- 
NEW DAHLIAS. 
At every exhibition where Dahlias are shown, a large 
number of new varieties continue to crop up in 
expectation of a coveted award. The variability of the 
Dahlia has been proverbial from the time it first made 
its appearance in 1789 up to the present time, and the 
number raised annually from seed in the expectation of 
finding something new continues to increase rather than 
decrease. Cactus or Decorative, and Pompon Dahlias 
seem most in favour at present, but single varieties 
cannot be said to lag far behind. Now and again a 
new variety of the florists’ section makes its appearance 
and gets certificated if it presents anything striking or 
novel in the way of colour, but on the whole this class 
is not held in such popular esteem as it has been. 
Beauty of Arundel. —The flower heads of this 
Cactus variety are of medium size, with long, revolute 
and pointed deep crimson florets. It is, therefore, 
of a true Cactus form as that is now understood, 
and of fine form, although rather dull in colour. 
Bl<joms of it were exhibited by Mr. Newbury, Castle 
Gardens, Arundel, at the Dahlia exhibition and 
conference held at Chiswick on the 23 rd and 24th 
ult., when an Award of Merit was accorded the variety. 
The Mikado.— The heads of this Pompon are small, 
neat, compact, and white tipped with crimson. 
Othello. —For description of this Pompon variety see 
p. 40. Eldorado. —This belongs to the show class of 
the florist’s Dahlia, and is a deep purple self of large 
size. The bloom is very broad and somewhat depressed 
or flattened on the top. All three were shown at the 
same time and place as the above by Mr. C. Turner, 
Slough, when Awards of Merit were granted them. 
Comedian.— The flower heads of this variety are of 
medium size for the florists’ type, and buff-yellow 
variously striped and marked with crimson. Occasion¬ 
ally several of the florets occur wholly of a crimson 
colour. It therefore belongs to the fancy class. 
Phcebe.— For description of this small and pretty 
Pompon see p. 40. Both were exhibited by Messrs. 
Keynes, Williams & Co., Salisbury, at Chiswick, on 
the 23rd ult., and received Awards of Merit. 
Centennial. —-The flower heads of this are large 
even for a Cactus variety, and of a deep purple, with a 
maroon edge. The florets are slightly involute at the 
sides, or nearly flat and broad. It received an Award 
of Merit at Chiswick when shown by Messrs. J. Cheal & 
Sons, Crawley. 
Daisy. —See description of this variety on p. 40. It 
was shown at the same time and place as all of the 
above by Messrs. Saltmarsh & Sons, Chelmsford, and 
was accorded an Award of Merit. 
Yellow A. W. Tait.—T his beautiful Cactus variety 
has flower heads of medium size, and long, trifid or 
three-pointed, clear bright yellow florets. It was 
exhibited by Messrs. H. Cannell & Sons, Swanley, 
Kent, and received an Award of Merit. 
Melita. —The heads of this are medium or large size 
for a Pompon, to which class it belongs. The florets 
are rather loosely arranged, and deep red, with a white 
tip and centre. It received an Award of Merit when 
shown by Mr. T. S. Ware, Hale Farm Nurseries, 
Tottenham. 
-- 
BEAUMANOR HALL. 
The residence of Mrs. W. Perry-Herrick, is a noble 
Elizabethan mansion, situated some 4£ miles south of 
Loughborough, and 9 miles north-west of Leicester, 
and stands in a beautiful park of several hundred acres 
at the foot of a rocky acclivity of Chamwood Forest. 
The park is well furnished with stately timber trees, 
comprising grand specimens of English Oak, Beech, 
Chestnut, &c., and, perhaps, has two of the most 
magnificent avenues of English Elms to be seen in the 
United Kingdom, leading from one of the Chamwood 
lanes to the south front of the mansion. These 
avenues are fully 400 yds. in length ; the idea of 
planting them originated with “Northumberland 
Brown,” the celebrated landscape artist. There are 
also some fine ornamental trees flourishing on the lawn, 
including a perfect specimen of Taxodium sempervirens 
(about 70 ft. high), two enormous English Yews (90 
yards in circumference), Wellingtonias, Araucarias 
Cedars, &c. 
The extensive terrace flower garden, laid out in a 
style which completely accords with the architecture of 
the building, was at the time of my visit (Sept. 22nd) 
most gorgeous with tuberous-rooted Begonias, such 
sorts of Pelargoniums as Henry Jacoby, Rev. Atkinson, 
Master Christine, Beauty of Caulderdale, William 
Sandy, tricolor ; and the white variegated May Queen, 
Calceolarias, Yerbenas, Lobelia cardinalis var. Queen 
Victoria, &e. Adjacent to the terrace garden a new one 
has recently been formed by Mr. Hamshere, which I 
cannot more appropriately describe than as a variety 
garden. It covers an area of an acre and a quarter, is 
one of the most interesting gardens I have seen, and 
must be a great source of pleasure from early spring to 
late autumn. At the present time there are in flower 
grand clumps of Lilium auratum, Galtonia candicans, 
Calliopsis (in great variety), Michaelmas Daisies, 
Gaillardias, Sedum spectabile, Chrysanthemum maxi¬ 
mum, Tropseoluni speciosum (growing as luxuriantly as 
in Scotland and the English lake district), Rosa rugosa 
and R. alba (covered with bright crimson fruits), 
Helianthus multiflorus in several varieties, Clematis, 
and a very showy Crab (John Downie), with its beau¬ 
tiful flame-coloured fruit ; Globe Artichokes (6 ft. 
high),—a splendid plant for this style of garden ; 
Sweet and Austrian Briars, Prunus Pissardi, Ailanthus 
glandulosa (the Tree of Heaven), ornamental Maples, 
Alstrcemerias, Pyrethrum uliginosum, and about twenty 
varieties of Hypericums. 
Near at hand also is a newly formed garden for 
Alpine or rock plants, in which are some choice and 
rare specimens too numerous to describe. Large beds 
of hybrid Rhododendrons flourish close to the mixed 
garden, and the seed pods being carefully removed 
every year, greatly conduces to their luxuriant condi¬ 
tion. The terrace walks around the mansion are 
unusually wide—about 30 ft.—and are kept perfectly 
free from weeds and moss, nothing else being used but 
Smith’s Weed Killer. A large quantity of flowers and 
plants are used for indoor decoration. 
The glass structures and kitchen garden are situated 
about half a mile distant from the hall. The frame 
ground, Pine pits, &c., cover nearly two acres, and are 
close to the head gardener’s residence. The first house 
we enter is span roofed, and contains a splendid 
collection of moderate-sized stove plants and Ferns. 
A healthy lot cf Adiantum Farleyense, Eucharis, Pan- 
danus Yeitchii, Dracienas ; Crotons in great variety, 
including Baroness Rothschild, Etna, Thompsoni, 
Disraeli, Weismanii, Osteryi, Queen Victoria, Mortii, 
and the good old Pictum ; small Palms, including 
Cocos Weddelliana and Arecas ; and Anthurium crystal- 
linum, &e. The second house, a span-roof, contains a 
healthy lot of Cattleyas, Dendrobium Wardiauum, D. 
nobile, Lselias, Cypripediums, Phaius, Gardenias, 
Anthuriums, &c., while another small span-roofed house 
is completely filled with plants suitable for table decor¬ 
ation, such as small Crotons, Acalyphas, Tillandsia 
hieroglyphica, Cocos, and a great variety of elegant 
Palms. A compartment adjoining this is completely 
filled with Calanthe vestita and C. Yeitchii. 
