May 23, 1891. 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
60? 
THE FORMATION OF A GARDEN. 
The annual programme of the East Grinstead Horti¬ 
cultural Society includes a “plan competition” amongst 
its members, which has lately taken place, with the 
result that Mr. F. Dunn, gardener to Sir Francis 
Truscott, was by unanimous consent awarded the first 
prize. The competition was for the best plan for 
laying out a villa garden, an acre in extent, and a 
ground plan of the villa was given out to the com¬ 
petitors. Mr. Dunn, in describing his plan, said that it 
was very difficult to lay down any hard and fast rules for 
the formation of a garden without first being made 
acquainted with the characteristics of the situation, 
as two pieces of ground were seldom alike in features. 
One might be undulating and surrounded by high 
trees, and the other flat and open. It would thus be 
seen that the speculative character of the plan set 
before him opened with innumerable difficulties, and 
the greatest was as to the possible means of carrying 
out the work, for a small fortune might be expended 
in laying out an acre of ground. The plan he laid 
before them was one which only entailed moderate 
expenditure. It had been his aim to plant in such 
a manner as to give a visitor an idea that the 
grounds were of a greater extent than they really 
were, and this deception ought to be the aim of every¬ 
one entrusted with the laying out of small gardens. 
The majority of villa gardens were certainly not laid 
out to the best advantage, and the faults could not 
always be attributed to the humble efforts of the 
jobbing gardener. 
The principal reason why there were such pro¬ 
nounced failures was that gardens were not treated 
according to their peculiar individual requirements, 
there frequently being an ambitious and gaudy style 
adopted where simplicity should'have been the chief 
aim. The cause of this was frequently owing to the 
directions of the owner, who too often lacked know¬ 
ledge on points of culture and judgment in selecting 
flowers, shrubs and trees adapted to the soil. Small 
gardens were frequently of more consequence to owners 
than a broad expanse of lawn and shrubberies, and 
therefore the arrangement ought to be carefully studied 
to make the space at command as varied and attractive 
as possible without any perceptible trace of an en¬ 
deavour to crowd a large garden into a small one. 
Many writers claimed that the position of trees ought to 
be the first consideration, but though he had not time 
to contest the point, he should choose not to follow 
their dictum. Much of the enjoyment and beauty of 
the garden depended on the proper formation, width 
and direction of the walks surrounding the villa. Mr. 
Dunn then gave full details of the method of laying out 
walks and drives, and entered into an exhaustive 
explanation of the plan before the meeting, and con¬ 
cluded by stating that the best shrubs and trees for the 
purpose of lining certain portions of the ground were 
Portugal Laurel, Lime, Lilac, Laburnum, Golden Yew, 
Box of various sorts, Holly, Aucuba japonica, and 
Berberry of various sorts. 
--- 
MUSHROOM CULTURE. 
Considerably more attention than formerly has been 
paid recently to the cultivation of that succulent edible, 
the Mushroom, and curiosity, combined with a desire 
to obtain some information for my readers, led me 
to pay a visit to Mr. W. D. Bason’s Mushroom grounds 
at Wolverhampton, where the now famous “Hew 
Milltrack ” spawn is produced. The grounds are 
situate at Finehfield, about a mile and a half from the 
Wolverhampton station, and they are several acres in 
extent. They are exposed on all sides, but notwith¬ 
standing this fact, and the very severe weather which 
had been experienced for some time prior to my visit, 
I was able to inspect the Mushrooms growing under 
cover as well as in the open. The inside beds were 
flat, and the Mushrooms were growing on shelves one 
above the other, while the outside beds were ridge- 
shaped, 3 ft. wide at the base, and 3 ft. from base°to 
apex. These beds were composed for the most part of 
stable manure straw and droppings in equal propor¬ 
tions—carefully prepared and spawned with the “ Hew 
Milltrack.” Mushrooms appear in from six to eight 
weeks as a general rule, though dishes of the edible 
have been gathered from the beds as early as five weeks 
after spawning. 
I had the pleasure of examining the Mushrooms in all 
their varied stages ; first, the bed ready for the spawn ; 
next, another bed spawned with the mycelium just 
making its appearance above the surface ; thirdly, a 
bed with Mushrooms commencing to form ; and 
fourthly, a bed with the edible ready for picking. 
When picked, the Mushrooms are classed as buttons, 
cups, and broilers, put into punnets, and subsequently 
sent to the metropolitan and provincial markets. The 
Mushrooms are of a large, thick, rich, fleshy, and heavy 
character, so much prized in the kitchen, and the beds 
continue fruitful without any deterioration of quality 
in the yield for several months. Mr. Bason’s “Hew 
Milltrack ” spawn has been tried by the gardeners of 
many leading noblemen and gentlemen, and all speak 
in the highest terms of its quality and productiveness. 
One gentleman, who has been a Mushroom grower for 
twenty-five years, states that the mycelium could be 
distinctly discerned spreading in all directions within 
forty-eight hours after the spawn had been placed in 
the beds, and that he gathered the crop within five 
weeks afterwards. “I can truly say,” he adds, “that 
I never previously had so quick a return, nor so pro¬ 
mising a prospect for an abundant crop.”— M. A. 
-->X<-- 
ARDENING fflSCELlANY. 
-- 
New Narcissi. 
Dorothy Wemys. —This is classed under Barrii albus, 
and has elliptical, pale sulphur-white segments. The 
corona is shortly campanulate, orange-coloured for 
almost half its length, and yellow towards the base. 
Leedsii Princess of Wales. —The white segments 
of this variety are lanceolate-oblong, and sub-reflexed. 
The crown is widely campanulate, of medium length, 
rather deeply crenate at the margin and creamy white. 
Both varieties may be described as pretty and useful 
for garden decoration. They were exhibited by Messrs. 
Barr & Son, Covent Garden, at the Royal Botanic 
Society’s show on the 13th inst., and received Florieul- 
tural Certificates. 
New Roses. 
Madame Carnot. —The flowers of this variety are of a 
deep apricot-yellow, and are seen to the best advantage 
when newly expanded, or just as the bud opens, for the 
petals afterwards become reflexed and spread widely 
and rather loosely. They also lose colour in that state. 
The leaves are of a rich dark green and consist of three to 
five leaflets. It belongs to the Hoisette section. 
Gustave Pigneau. —This is a hybrid perpetual 
with deep green leaves, generally consisting of 
three large ovate leaflets. The flowers are moderate 
in size, rosy red, fragrant, and the rounded petals are 
not reflexed, at least in the early stage. Both were 
shown at Regent’s Park on the 13th inst. by Messrs. 
William Paul & Son, Waltham Cross, and received 
Floricultural Certificates. 
Watercress Culture. 
I should be very much obliged if some of your readers 
would give me the benefit of their experience in the 
cultivation of Watercress. We have a good-sized pond 
chiefly supplied by surface drainings from a road, and 
leading from it there is a channel about 10 ft. wide, 
with a gravelly bottom, so that the water is not 
always on the move, though at times during heavy 
rains, and when the tributaries to the Thames are full, 
it is very deep. Last autumn we planted, or rather 
replanted, the bed of the channel with Watercress, 
but owing to the sluggish state of the water a mass of 
green Algie formed on the surface, and the severe frost 
in the winter killed off the plants. We are thinking 
of having another trial, and I hope to be able to get a 
quantity of cuttings for planting, but not having much 
experience to guide me, I should be glad of any 
practical hints.— A. J. Brown, Cliertsey, Surrey. 
New Moutan or Tree Pseonies. 
Van der Mcelen. —The stems of this variety attain a 
height of 3J ft. cr more, and bear double flowers of 
great size. The petals are somewhat cut at the end ; 
the outer ones are of a warm satiny peach colour, while 
those in the centre deepen to a rosy carmine. Bijou 
de Chusan. —The outer petals in this case are white, 
the inner ones of a delicate flesh colour, and all are 
jagged at the end and beautifully crumpled like an 
opening Poppy or crumpled satin. The stems are very 
dwarf, being only 12 ins. to 15 ins. high. Comte de 
Paris. —As in the two other kinds, the flowers here 
are also double. The petals are oblong, and of a deep 
pink or rose, while the outer ones are of a pale rose. 
All three were shown at the summer exhibition of the 
Royal Botanic Society on the 13th inst. by Mr. T. S. 
Ware, Hale Farm Nurseries, Tottenham, and re¬ 
ceived Floricultural Certificates. 
Pteris tremula Smithiana. 
The remarkably divided and crested character of this 
variety is evidently established. The fronds appear 
divided almost to the base of the petiole, as if two had 
grown together. Then the apex of these divisions is 
heavily crested or tasselled, and each of the pinnae 
lower down has a smaller crest. Young plants are 
very compact, and old ones when they attain a height 
of 2 ft. have a very massive appearance. For deco¬ 
rative purposes it must soon become valuable, and 
its comparative hardiness will make it useful for indoor 
decoration and window culture. A basket of small 
plants was shown by Messrs. B. S. Williams & Son, 
Upper Holloway, at the exhibition of the Royal Botanic 
Society on the 13th inst., when a Botanical Certificate 
was awarded. 
Dracaena australis variegata. 
The leaves of this variety differ from those of the type 
by having a creamy white margin In the young 
state of the plant they are very narrow, and the 
variegation is then least conspicuous, but as strength 
is gained the leaves become broader and more con¬ 
spicuously variegated. A plant was shown by Messrs. 
J. Laing & Sons, Forest Hill, at Regent’s Park, on the 
13th inst., when a Botanical Certificate wa3 awarded 
it. 
Petunia, Mrs. James Carter. 
The flowers of this variety are large and fully double, 
with regularly reflexed or recurved petals of a uniform 
rose colour. The petals are also shallowly toothed at 
the margin like a leaf. There are varieties with larger 
flowers, but their compactness and uniformity of colour 
render them very attractive ; and the plant appears of 
robust constitution. A Floricultural Certificate was 
awarded it when shown at Regent’s Park, on the 13 th 
inst., by Messrs. J. Carter & Co., High Holborn. 
Pelargonium, Duchess of Fife. 
The flowers of this variety are large, with much undu¬ 
lated and overlapping petals, giving them the appear¬ 
ance of being semi-double at a short distance. The 
variety belongs, therefore, to the regal or decorative 
type, and appears to flower with great freedom. The 
petals are of a warm carmine, with a white margin and 
a large white blotch at the base. A plant was shown 
at the Royal Botanic Society’s show on the 13th inst. 
by Messrs. J. & J. Hayes, Edmonton, when a Flori¬ 
cultural Certificate was awarded it. 
Alocasia Luciani. 
The leaves of this hybrid are of large size, heart-shaped 
and drooping from the apex of the footstalk. The 
midrib and principal nerves are of a bright green, and 
on either side of them is a broad band of a silvery hue 
the rest of the ground colour is of a rich velvety green, 
and surrounding the whole is a distinct silvery margin 
which adds much to the beauty and novelty of the 
whole. The plant first appeared in 1887, and is a 
hybrid between A. Thibautiana and A. Putzeysi. A 
Botanical Certificate was awarded it when shown at 
Regent’s Park on the 13th inst. by Messrs. B. S. 
Williams & Son, Upper Holloway. A3 a stove or 
exhibition plant it must become popular when once 
established and disseminated. 
Caladium, B. S. Williams. 
The leaves of this variety are large enough for exhi¬ 
bition purposes, and are very variable in colour. The 
midrib and the principal nerves radiating from it are 
deep crimson, but the ground eolour may be of a soft 
salmon-red or variously suffused with green or white, 
and the whole is surrounded by a narrow green margin. 
A plant was shown at the Royal Botanic Society’s 
show on the 13th inst. by Messrs. J. Laing & Sons, 
Forest Hill, and received a Botanical Certificate. 
Arabia blepharophylla. 
This Californian Arabis unfortunately is not so hardy 
as our European species, otherwise it would certainly 
soon become a favourite with hardy plant lovers every¬ 
where. The stems vary from 3 ins. to 5 ins. high, and 
bear a raceme of flowers rvhicli open of a pale pink, but 
soon become of a deep rosy purple, and are then very 
showy. The radical leaves are spathulate, the cauline 
ones oblong, and all are fringed with coarse hairs, as 
implied by the specific name. A plant was shown by 
Messrs. Paul & Son, Cheshunt, at Regent’s Park on 
the 13th inst., and received a Botanical Certificate. 
