88 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
Oet. 11th, 1884. 
Another Amateur’s Garden.—Number two has 
been a trusted servant in the employment of a lady, 
now deceased, who left him the means to build a 
cottage and apportion a garden on one of the best 
sites of a splendid estate. It is only a small place, 
but “ snug and cosy as a chaffinch’s nest among the 
blossoming hawthorn.” The cottage faces west by 
south. To the right, in a line with his garden, is 
a wooded slope stretching away from west to south, 
and one of the prettiest roads within half a score 
miles of the metropolis trends away on the east. 
Sitting on a rustic seat close by his garden-gate, 
but screened by a fence covered with the old 
Crimson Boursault Eose, he can scan the numerous 
passengers by foot or otherwise who are continually 
passing, or, when tired of the human interest, can 
turn his gaze sou’west and west to where, in the 
evening, the heavens, are all aglow with ruddy light, 
and the crimsoned bolls of the Scotch firs cut the 
distant horizon. A silver thread winds its way through 
the valley below, and beyond of a hazy blue or purple, 
as the light changes, is the long line of the North 
Downs; such is a brief sketch of the outlook. But 
Amateur No. 2 is a Devonshire man, and therefore 
not unaccustomed to fine scenery and glowing sunsets 
over purple hills. On the left, just below his garden- 
gate, are two of the old-fashioned straw bee-hives, and 
towering behind them, tall spikes of stately Hollyhocks. 
The garden is only twenty-five yards by twenty yards, 
but it is quite big enough for a man sixty-five years 
of age to manage well. A small plot of ground, 
thoroughly well done, yields more pleasure than one 
twice the size indifferently tended. The front of the 
cottage which is painted a light stone colour, is. 
covered with green wooden lattice-work, on which 
is trained the variegated and common Honeysuckle, 
Clematis Jackmanni, Gloire de Dijon Eose, and 
Escallonia macanthra—the latter a most cheerful and 
effective covering all the year round. There are also 
two or three plants of the charming old monthly rose 
beneath the windows, and trained on each side just 
to peep in. By the way, cannot this rose lay claim of 
right to be the only real perpetual ? The east end of the 
cottage abuts on the high road, and has only a covering of 
Irish Ivy. On the west end there is a carefully-trained 
Louis Bonne Pear, which has this year produced a 
splendid crop of highly-coloured fruit of large size, 
and with the peculiar fragrant aroma fcp which this 
fine Pear is remarkable. Boom enough is found on 
the north wall for a Morello Cherry, which, year after 
year, produces a large crop of unusually fine fruit. 
Our amateur ascribes his success in fruit-growing to a 
plentiful supply of water during the fruiting season 
and occasional libations of weak liquid manure. He 
is careful also to strew a little long straw manure over 
the roots, and close round the collar of trees planted 
on the south and west aspects. 
Eoses, however, are our amateur’s forte, and with 
these he spares no pains. There is a large bed of 
them on their own roots in front of his door and 
windows. Each plant is, of course, known by name, 
and has a separate individual history; no bedding 
or herbaceous plants are allowed to intrude on this 
border ; every bush is allowed space enough to show 
its habit of growth, a matter to be taken note of 
by those who wish to grow a few things well. Most of 
the Eoses in the front bed are teas; and for four 
months in the year furnish a far better display of 
flowers than the so-called hybrid perpetuals. It may 
be useful for amateurs to mention the names of a few 
of the best: Adam, Homere, President, Eubens, Catha¬ 
rine Mermet, and Souvenir d’un Amie among the flesh- 
coloured ; Gloire de Dijon, Belle Lyonnaise, Etoile de 
Lyon, Madame Falcot, Safrano, and Isabella Sprunt 
among the yellows, orange, and buffs ; and of whites, 
the charming though scentless Niphetos, Madame 
Willennoz, Souvenir d’Elise, and the grand and 
fragrant Devoniensis. His favourite hybrid perpetuals 
are John Hopper, Marquise de Castellane, Jules Mar- 
gottin, Francois Michelon, General Jacqueminot, La 
France, Madam Lacharme, Marie Baumann, Monsieur 
Noman, Victor Verdier, and Xavier Olibo, all of them 
what may be termed old roses. Another pet flower is 
the sweet old crimson Clove, of which there is an entire 
bed. The Eoses are liberally treated With top-dress¬ 
ings of manure, turfy-loam, and leaf-mould, which 
he is allowed to accumulate from beneath the elm, 
oak, and other trees on the estate. The Eoses alto¬ 
gether number only 150, but such is the care and 
liberality bestowed on their cultivation that he can 
cut, and has repeatedly cut, a dozen blooms which 
have taken the first prize in an open competition at 
our local Show. 
We noticed in July some excellent crops of Tele¬ 
graph, Telephone, and Pride of the Market Peas, 
thinly set and well staked. The sticking is done 
immediately the Peas are above ground, so as to 
provide a slight shelter and avoid the liability of 
injuring the roots. There are the usual crops of 
winter stuff which were planted early and are now 
strong and vigorous, notwithstanding the dry summer. 
Strawberries, chiefly President, have a well-tended 
bed allotted to them, and the runners are removed 
before they have had time to impoverish the plants. 
A part of the sunniest border, sloping south, is 
reserved for salading, of which he grows a supply 
much beyond his personal needs for the purpose of 
making little presents to his friends. “ You’re fond 
of it,” we remarked. “ Yes,” said he, with the 
peculiar intonation of Devonshire folk, “Ye see I can 
do a little when I feel disposed, and the smell of the 
earth does me good. It seems to have a deodorizing 
effect upon the stomach, leastwise it does on mine.” 
Amateur No. 2 goes in for raising seedlings, perhaps 
the most attractive and fascinating pursuit of all 
gardening art. We have no doubt that the veteran 
and prince of florists, Charles Turner, still thinks so. 
Gardening is, as we said in a former note, one of the 
pleasures which “ ne’er grow old.” On another 
occasion, Mr. Editor, we shall endeavour to describe 
the most picturesque, interesting and attractive 
Amateur’s Garden it has ever been our lot to see.— 
Luke Ellis. 
A garden in the occupation of one of the assistant- 
masters here has presented an unusual display of 
bloom for two months past, and at the present time is 
really at its best. The garden is situated at the foot 
of the churchyard, along the western side of which is 
a [row of ancient Limes; it stands on a steep slope 
facing east. The materials in use are of the simplest, 
and are arranged in three irregular zones. At the back, 
with thousands of cheerful white blooms, are a score 
or more strong clumps of a single Chrysanthemum, 
like the Ox-eye Daisy. Next comes a broad belt of 
Michaelmas Daisies, of a bright mauve colour, and in 
front Salvia fulgens and a dwarf pompon scarlet 
Dahlia.— T. IF., Harrow. 
Hoses for a North Wall.—Will any gardener or 
amateur who can speak from experience kindly name 
half a dozen Eoses suitable for training on a north 
wall ? The desideratum is a green covering, but I 
don’t want to limit myself entirely to the Banksias 
or other evergreen Eoses. Which of the hybrid 
perpetuals would answer the purpose ?—IF. Johnson, 
Petwm'th. 
- — 
CHOICE AND USEFUL FERNS. 
Todea Barbara. —Few, we suspect, who have 
admired the grand specimen of this fine South African 
Fern in the temperate house at Kew have any idea 
of its great usefulness for decorative work in a juvenile 
state. Plants obtained from spores, however, and 
grown on into 32-sized pots, until they become a foot 
high and as much in diameter, prove of the greatest 
value to the decorator, being very pretty and of a very 
robust habit, with a great capacity for standing 
“ knocking about.” At the Crystal Palace, than which 
no place is more trying to plants, Mr. Head has a fine 
batch of plants, which he values highly, so useful have 
the plants proved to him. We may add that two-year- 
old seedlings of Dicksonia antarctica are also found 
invaluable at the Palace for indoor decoration. 
A new Fern, raised by Mr. W. B. Latham, 
Botanic Gardens, Birmingham, has been submitted 
to Mr. Thomas Moore, of the Chelsea Botanic Gardens, 
and by him has been named Gymnogramma Lathamte, 
in compliment to Mrs. Latham. It is really a grand 
fern, and Mr. Latham recently pointed out to me the 
parent plants, G. decomposita and G. Schizophylla. 
It grows fully 2 ft. in height, with handsome fronds of 
an oblong-lanceolate form, which in a cut state will be 
valuable for decorative work. Mr. Moore in writing 
of this Fern in a recent number of The Gardeners’ 
Chronicle justly describes it as “ a very handsome 
plant, and will occupy quite one of the foremost 
positions in this most ornamental genus.”—IF. D. IF. 
Pteris serrulata cristata. —Of the many crested 
forms of Pteris serrulata we should select P. 
serrulata cristata major and P. serrulata cristata 
compacta, as two of the best and most distinct 
varieties. That which is known as the Chiswick 
variety of the former is the best we have seen. This 
can only be increased by division, as unfortunately it 
does not come true from spores. It is, however, of 
free growth, and makes a very handsome plant. 
P. serrulata'cristata compacta, may be propagated from 
spores which germinate very readily, and the plants 
will be found to vary but little in form. It is one of 
the most useful varieties for small pots.— H. 
Lastrea aristaxa variegata. — This is one of 
the best of the variegated Ferns, and it can be increased 
either by division or from spores. The spores, how¬ 
ever, are very slow in germination, and it often 
happens that some other Fem will make its appearance 
in the pots some time before the right sort has had 
sufficient time to germinate; and these should be 
picked out as carefully as possible.— H. 
Pteris argyrea is another very useful variegated 
Fern, especially in a young state. We Shave seen it 
used in combination with P. serrulata, one plant of 
each potted together in a 48-sized pot. In this state 
the effect is very pleasing, and it makes a beautiful 
object for table decoration.— H. 
Adiantum munduluji. —This is a beautiful Maiden¬ 
hair, very elegant, and worthy of being largely 
grown, standing well when cut, and admirably 
adapted for backing button-holes. Lovers of exotic 
Ferns should make a note of this kind, and add it to 
their collection.— E. IF. 
A CABMEN’S SHELTER. 
Doubtless some will exclaim when they read the 
heading above—What next ? and be inquisitive to 
know what possible connection there can be between 
a Cabmen’s Shelter and the matter usually found in 
the columns of a gardening paper. Well, we are 
bound to confess that as a rule there is none what¬ 
ever, but there are exceptions to every rule, and to 
this one in particular, as the sequel will show. During 
the last eight or nine years we have watched with 
pleasure the gradual extension of a movement which 
has for its object the erection of suitable shelters in 
the streets of London for the use and convenience of 
a body of men whose long and weary hours of toil, 
and precarious means of obtaining a livelihood, 
entitle them to more consideration than they usually 
get from their casual employers. 
The erection of these Shelters in various parts of 
the metropolis has been a boon to thousands of men 
who can now obtain rest and refreshment away from 
the public-house, free from police or other hindrance, 
and at a cost that comes within the means of their, 
too often, very slender resources. Each Shelter is 
in charge of an attendant, who is responsible to a 
general superintendent and an inspector, for keeping 
them clean, and for providing or cooking food for 
the men using them, and for the due observance of 
other rules framed with a view to rendering the 
Shelters useful and popular. 
In our perambulations through the streets, we have 
come across several of these Shelters which exhibited 
external evidence of the cook within being a man who 
was fond of flowers. We have stopped and admired 
the efforts of these men to make their Shelters 
attractive by means of plants in pots ; we have taken 
stock of the subjects most favoured by the chefs, and 
made notes of the plants which seemed to do best 
under the particular conditions prevailing. We had 
hoped to have discovered that chefs had a “ fancy,” 
peculiar to their class, as the Lancashire weavers and 
other operatives have theirs in Auriculas or other 
Florists’ Flowers. We regret to say, however, that we 
have made no such discovery at present. On the 
contrary, we have observed that our chefs fioricultural 
