726 
July 16 , 1892 . 
THE 
GARDENING 
WORL 
A. Victoriae represented on the right hand side of 
the illustration is of garden origin, and is said to be 
a hybrid between A. Ghiesbreghtii and A. decorum, 
but might be a dwarf form or seedling from the 
former, some authorities say from A. tenerum Farley- 
ense. At all events it is suitable for the decoration 
of the stove in small sized pots, as its height is only 
4 in. to 6 in., and has broad, somewhat triangular or 
rhomboidal pinnules of a light green. It appeared 
about 1882, and does best in stove temperature. 
-- 
PARK EMBELLISHMENT. 
In a thoughtful paper on this subject, read recently 
before the New York Florists' Club, Mr. John R. 
Johnson said:— 
In selecting a piece of land for a public park 
the idea conceived is to provide for the healthful re¬ 
creation of all classes of citizens from the poor to the 
rich, a place where the toilworn artisan or trades¬ 
man, the cramped office clerk, and the wear)' house¬ 
wife may repair to enjoy a breath of free, pure air ; 
to inhale the fragrant perfume of beautiful flowers, 
and to refresh and strengthen their toilworn senses 
with a glance at the bright colours of nature. This 
fact of what the place was originally intended for 
should be borne in mind, and should guide somewhat 
the arrangement and decorating of the grounds. It 
will then be obvious that in order to carry out this 
idea great care should be taken in the arrangement ; 
that everything which would be calculated to give the 
park a cramped, weazened appearance and character 
should be avoided, and free access should be readily 
obtained by means of good, wide, shady avenues and 
roads to all points of vantage. Probably one of the 
most important features in the construction of a park 
is good, solid, wide roads, and these, being made 
essentially for use rather than show, should be so 
constructed as to be firm, smooth, and dry at all 
seasons of the year. Carriage roads should, as far 
as it is possible, intersect with all the choicest places, 
and in every case should be made to accommodate 
themselves naturally and unobtrusively to the shape 
of the ground, avoiding all steep and precipitous 
inclines. The grade should be so arranged as to 
alternately ascend and descend, offering thereby 
every facility for rapid and easy driving. 
Many things are to be studied in order to provide 
for the various notions of enjoyment entertained by 
the people interested. Some aje of an athletic 
disposition, delighting in an ardent participation in 
all the manly sports of the day. This taste may be 
catered to by setting apart a corner of the park for 
a ball ground, cricket ground, &c. Others again 
delight in that quiet, secluded spot where nature 
enchants the creature man ; a place where they may 
enjoy in quiet contemplation the perfect forms of the 
trees and shrubs, the brilliant colours of the foliage, 
and the various characteristics and fragrance of the 
choicest flowers. It should be a feature of the 
arrangement to separate these two as widely as it 
is possible to do so in order that the noise and 
naturally wild enthusiasm excited by an interesting 
competition of rival athletes should not interfere 
with the quietude of the student for knowledge or 
the calm relaxation from business toils and cares 
sought for by those residing amidst the noisome, 
exciting whirl of daily city life. This leads to a 
consideration of the arrangements which may be 
made with a view to effectually separating the two. 
One very important thing that presents itself in 
connection with this consideration, and stands 
second only in its importance to good roads, is cool 
shade. Avenues of trees interspersed with irregular 
groups should run along the sides of all the drives 
and paths, shielding visitors from the burning rays 
of • the summer sun. Great care needs to be 
exercised in the planting of trees, whether singly or 
in groups, so as to arrange them for picturesque 
effect. Besides the shade the object and use of 
planting is of a twofold character in its improve¬ 
ment and ornamentation of grounds. There is its 
use in concealing boundaries; in this respect, by a 
judicious system of arrangement, groups may be 
planted so as to present a pleasant interruption to 
the view and, without seeming to terminate abruptly, 
convey the impression to the mind of vastness of 
extent. The various points made by the curves in 
the roads or walks will present advantages for this 
purpose. Of course much depends on the character 
and elevation of the grounds surrounding these 
respective points. Various angles may be struck 
where groups may be advantageously placed in order 
to preserve a fine piece of scenery from view until 
the visitor turning a corner, the whole beauty of the 
scenery opens up to view, creating a novel and 
pleasing impression. Then there is its use in hiding 
from sight disagreeable views ; the blocking out of 
range of vision outhouses, hideous fences, or any 
undesirable surroundings that may be found in the 
way and which it is impossible to remove. 
The grounds set apart for the various athletic 
games and children’s playground should be 
effectually hidden from the principal points of view 
away from the main entrances and drives and away 
from the choicest pieces of scenery that the park 
may contain. Groves of trees might be planted that 
would satisfactorily accomplish this, affording at the 
same time shade, and would in no way detract from 
from the general appearance. The old adage of 
putting all the best Oranges on the top of the box 
appears to me especially applicable to the park. 
Contending as I do that the first impression 
created on the mind of the general public is gener¬ 
ally a lasting one, therefore I recommend a little extra 
care used in beautifying the entrance. Anything of 
an unattractive character should be removed, as far 
as consistent with the general surroundings. On 
each side of the drive, greeting the visitor on enter¬ 
ing, should be arranged a shrubbery border taste¬ 
fully planted with choice evergreens and intermixed 
with flowering shrubs, with here and there in the 
background a specimen deciduous or evergreen 
rearing its symmetrical and shapely head. A few 
herbaceous plants might be distributed through with 
striking and pleasing effect, and if care and judg¬ 
ment were used in the selection of the various 
kinds in their order of flowering a continual 
succession of flowers throughout the whole of the 
spring and summer months might be insured. A 
well-kept turf edging, say from four to five feet wide, 
would give a nice finish to the whole. Following on 
beyond these borders might be located at irregular 
intervals a few choice specimen evergreens, conifers, 
or deciduous trees, these ultimately merging into the 
general natural character of the park. A nice 
stretch of ground should be selected, having pleasant 
surroundings and tastefully intersected by walks, to 
display individual specimens and where effective 
groups might be displayed, containing the choicest 
of evergreens and flowering shrubs. These should 
be so grouped as to show each individual plant or 
kind. Here could be located borders for herbaceous 
plants, and no park worthy of the name should be 
without a complete collection of the most useful 
kinds of this estimable and beautiful class of plants. 
In regard to the planting of trees for effect judg¬ 
ment must be used in order to produce harmony and 
contrast. In many instances a more pleasing 
feature is procured by forming groups entirely 
composed of plants of the same species; the 
harmonizing of colour and the similarity of form 
in habit and growth oft give more pleasure 
and appear more natural than when mixed with 
other kinds. However, in everything that is done in 
the way of planting or the formation of ground, 
nature should be reproduced as much as possible. 
Every shrub and plant should be correctly named 
with its botanical as well as common name, so that 
visitors may be doubly interested in admiring their 
beauty and being able to learn what they are. Where 
it is the good fortune to have a stretch of water in 
the park an additional enchantment is imparted to 
the scene, for there is nothing that contributes more 
to the beauty of the landscape than a good body of 
water, and in its tranquil depths may be grown the 
various forms of aquatic life so interesting not only 
to the experienced professional but to the casual 
visitor. The beautiful Lotus, the fragrant Nymphaea, 
thegraceful Papyrus, the curious floating Eichornias, 
with their Hyacinth-like flowers of delicate hues—• 
these with a host of others equally pretty and 
curious impart to the whole an appearance of tropical 
grandeur. 
Another valuable contribution towards the 
embellishment of a park is the construction of a 
piece of natural rockwork where it is possible to do 
so. The banks of the lake oft present a suitable 
position to locate this, the calm water and the rugged 
sides of rockery when planted with suitable plants 
such as Kalmias. Rhododendrons, or the like pro¬ 
ducing a harmonious and pleasing contrast. 
In conclusion I would say that I know of no place 
D. 
that offers more facility for the education of the 
masses in the knowledge of horticulture, more 
calculated to elevate the moral element in mankind, 
or is more likely to inspire the people with a 
desire to study the beauties of nature when 
combined with a r t, and to reproduce around 
their homes what they have seen there. No city 
park is replete without a complete collection of 
all the choicest and useful trees, shrubs and plants 
that are hardy or that may be preserved with a little 
protection during winter. The question of cost is of 
no importance as compared with the pleasure and 
instruction they impart, and it is moreover a credit 
to the city and its residents, and will be handed down 
to generation after generation as a monument of 
their ancestors’ forethought and wisdom. 
-—j-- 
COMMERCIAL FLORICUL¬ 
TURE. 
Every intelligent grower or dealer can trace a 
remarkable growth in floriculture, even within the 
last decade. Looking backward, it seems but yester¬ 
day when all the roses were " Boston buds ; ” when 
the funeral designs all looked as if they were made 
by a mason, in good serviceable mortar ; and when a 
hand bouquet, wooden stemmed and tightly bound, 
looked for all the world as if modelled after a Devon¬ 
shire birch besom. The Camellia—familiarly called 
a Japonica—w'as then the queen of flowers. Had 
anyone then predicted the present fancy for Orchids 
or Chrysanthemums he would have been regarded as 
but two removes from active lunacy. Looking at 
the remarkable development in horticulture within a 
few years it may be especially noted that it is all in 
the direction of better taste—no doubt the result of 
popular education in the art idea. Men who depend 
on their work for a livelihood cannot afford to be in 
advance of popular demand ; they must simply keep 
up with it. As one clever designer recently remarked 
to the writer, men who strike out on an entirely new 
idea rarely realise as much from it as those who take 
it up afterward. 
A remarkable change in commercial horticulture 
is the increase in the use of plants for decorative 
purposes. The extent of the palm trade alone is 
now really enormous, and the increase in the use of 
Ferns is almost as large. Many trade growers who 
formerly devoted themselves entirely to cut flowers, 
such as Roses and Carnations, now find the sale of 
such palms as Arecas, Kentias, Seaforthias and 
Latanias to be the most profitable part of their busi¬ 
ness. This is not because the flower trade has 
decreased of late, but because of the great and recent 
increase in the plant trade. 
Again, Ferns were formerly regarded as among the 
least profitable things, commercially speaking ; the 
use of fronds was comparatively limited, and few of 
the plants were called for in trade. Now we find 
Adiantum and Pteris perpetually in demand ; in fact, 
last winter, though the supply was large, the demand 
was still larger, and at one time there was a positive 
famine in small pot Ferns. We find these pot Ferns 
continually used in conjunction with cut flowers for 
decorative purposes, having advantages both in 
appearance and economy. 
Naturally these changes in the trade have pro¬ 
duced changes in the growers, and we find this 
essentially an age of specialities. Among wholesale 
growers we often find a man devoting himself 
entirely to one flower, sometimes only to one variety. 
The American Beauty Rose is essentially a 
specialist’s flower. Again, we find another grower 
giving his undivided attention to Easter plants, con¬ 
tent to reap his harvest at that one season. 
A notable change made in recent years was the 
rise of the Chrysanthemum. This flower was com¬ 
paratively unknown in America ten years ago, 
outside of the trade. The general public knew little 
of the flower, excepting as the old-fashioned Artemisa, 
until the large exhibitions in New York, Boston, and 
Philadelphia laid the foundation of the Chrysanthe¬ 
mum craze. Since then the number of Chrysanthe¬ 
mum shows has increased annually, many being held 
in the smaller towns, where one would hardly look 
for the luxury of flower shows. The Chrysanthemum 
is now the most popular of all autumn flowers, and 
though for a time it seemed as if the efforts of 
growers were directed rather towards eccentricity 
than beauty, they have now returned to a better 
standard of excellence. 
