394 
February 16, 1895. 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
richer annually by additional increments of the fallen 
leaves, fruits and twigs, which, not being removed 
rots upon the ground to the great advantage of the 
trees growing there. On the other hand the open 
ground may be covered with a mixed vegetation, 
which though it augments the fertility of the soil, 
makes it appear only that of mediocrity owing to the 
great competition amongst the plants themselves. 
The Americans at first were proud of their vast and 
fertile clearings, and removed heavy harvests of 
wheat for a considerable number of years without any 
return to the soil in the shape of manure. Then they 
began to get alarmed at the failing resources of the 
soil, the extreme fertility of which at first induced a 
spirit of recklessness that was bound to bring its own 
reward. The antidote to this is good tillage, com¬ 
pensation for crops removed in the return of manure, 
and a well planned rotation of different crops. This 
applies equally to old and apparently exhausted 
gardens that have been cropped for generations it 
may be with a return in the shape of manure, but 
accompanied with shallow digging according to the 
old principle, and perhaps a repetition of the same 
kind of crop annually in many cases according to 
convenience. Many small gardens and plots have 
been ruined by shallow digging once a year and con¬ 
stant cropping with Potatos. 
Well ordered market gardens and others in the 
Thames Valley show that the fertility of the soil 
need not be impaired in a thousand years. The 
balance is maintained by double digging or trench¬ 
ing and heavy manuring. The deep digging practic¬ 
ally gives the surface soil a rest every time it is 
turned down to a considerable depth beyond the 
influence of the roots of the crop, while the rested 
soil on being again exposed to atmospheric influences 
is in a fit condition to support and produce a heavy 
crop. Many cultivators are ever ready to state that 
their soils are too shallow, too clayey, or too poor 
generally to permit of trenching. Bad material 
need not be brought to the surface all at once, but 
gradually and in small quantity at a time. The poor 
soil may be loosened up or even trenched at once, 
but left in the bottom to be gradually incorporated 
with the surface material, which may have become 
lightened and surcharged with humus through 
generations of manuring and shallow tilth. 
Many good gardeners now understand the 
principles of rotation, and endeavour to follow it as 
far as circumstanoes will permit; but limited space, 
and the particular kinds of vegetables most in favour 
in any given establishment, interfere with any 
uniform plan that might be laid down, so that the 
planning and arrangement of various crops to 
succeed those of the previous year devolves upon the 
skill and tact of the gardener at annually recurrent 
periods. With a plan of the garden before him the 
gardener should Calculate the quantities of various 
vegetables required, and allot them to particular 
squares or compartments, taking care that no par¬ 
ticular crop should occupy the same piece of ground 
at shorter intervals than three or four years unless 
it can be heavily manured or receive an application 
of some artificial manure, of which the intended 
crop stands in need. The object of rotation, how¬ 
ever, is to minimise the expense for manures. Each 
kind of crop tends to exhaust the soil of certain 
ingredients of plant food, according to the require¬ 
ments or predilection of the same. By allowing a 
lapse of some years before the same kind of crop is 
put on that ground, the latter regains what is lost by 
the decay of vegetable matter in it and by the dis¬ 
integration of particles of soil and rock, whereby the 
indissoluble and inert is rendered soluble and fit to 
sustain plant life. 
To facilitate arrangements, the cultivator should 
endeavour to group together, as far as possible or 
convenient, all those vegetables having natural 
affinities, so that one may not clash with the other 
in different parts of the garden. For instance, Peas, 
Broad, Long-pod, and Dwarf Beans, and Scarlet 
Runners constitute a very natural group. Their 
most important feature is that they require no 
applications of nitrogen, but leave the soil richer in 
that ingredient than it was previously. Carrots, 
Parsnips, Celery, Beet, Salsafy, and Scorzonera con¬ 
stitute another group, which though united together 
by no natural bond except the first three, yet they 
all draw food from a greater depth in the soil than 
the members of the previous group. They should 
be sown in soil trenched the previous autumn. 
Because a root crop, some would place Turnips with 
the foregoing, but they have more affinity with the 
Cabbage tribe, and on account of their requirements 
in the way of mineral elements should be associated 
with Cabbages, Cauliflowers, Brussels Sprouts, 
Broccoli, and Borecole. Potatos are entirely 
different, and they, as well as Onions, Leeks, and 
Shallots, constitute another group that do not clash 
with the foregoing. The four groups would make a 
rotation of as many years before having recourse to 
the same ground. 
ARDEN1NG fflSCELLANY. 
IBERIS INTERMEDIA. 
In the Bulletino della R. Societa Toscana di Orticultuva 
this is described as a new species from Spain under 
the name of I. Timoreyi. According to the descrip¬ 
tion it must be an interesting and ornamental annual, 
so that the wonder is that it should not be better 
known in this country. It was described as I. 
Timoreyi in 1847, but the name above given dates 
back to 1841, and has therefore the right of priority. 
The plant is an annual, and in Italy flowers from 
P'ebruary to August, probably from autumn sown 
seeds. It is an annual of the easiest culture, and 
produces very large umbels of white flowers tinted 
with a dusky copper-hue. 
ERYSIMUM ASPERUM. 
The general appearance of most species of this 
genus is that of a Wallflower,- particularly in the 
case of the larger flowering ones. Some are annual, 
some biennial, and another group is perennial. 
That under notice comes from California, is of 
biennial duration, and differs considerably from the 
European species. It much resembles the habit of a 
Wallflower, and flowers from spring into summer, 
the blooms being of a lively orange-yellow and very 
sweetly scented. The Italians sow in August for 
flowering in the following summer ; it is described 
as a new plant for that country. Although described 
many| years ago by Decandolle, it does not seem to 
have been introduced to this country. 
CHRYSANTHEMUM NIPPONICUM.. 
This j udging from the specific name, is a new species 
from the Island of Nippon, Japan, and the Bulletino 
della R. Societa Toscano di Orticultuva, an Italian 
journal, describes it as such, and considers it a 
beautiful and valuable acquisition to the garden, and 
which is bound to become widely disseminated when 
better known. It is perennial, evergreen, with rich 
green foliage and though dwarf in stature produces 
masses of very large white flowers. The latter are 
produced towards the end of September, and in the 
climate of Italy are prolonged through the whole of 
November, and if put in a vase or large pot may be 
kept through the winter. If sown in spring the 
seedlings flower in the autumn following. The 
species may be propagated from cuttings with the 
greatest facility, and is highly suitable for culture in 
vases if grown in good soil, rendered sufficiently 
porous by means of sand. 
STOKING. 
By far the best plan I have ever seen regarding 
cleanliness in stoking was that adopted by Mr. Ellam 
during his management at Bordorgan, and which is 
also very simple with saddle boilers, namely, he had 
the ash pits made watertight and insisted on having 
the pits filled with water after the ashes were removed 
in the morning ; filled again before leaving oft, and 
a large can of water placed in each stoke-hole for 
the young man on duty to put in when banking up 
for the night. By this means the ashes were wet 
when removed from the ash pit. This may prove a 
useful hint to many with a dirty job to do. It also 
effects a great saving in fire bars and is a plan gener¬ 
ally adopted in gas works for that purpose.— One Who 
Has Proved It. 
CARDAMINE PRATENSE FLORE PLENO. 
Most collectors of hardy herbaceous plants are 
familiar with the pale purple flowers of the double 
variety in question. The profusion of bloom which 
well-grown plants produce make it a worthy 
associate for others in the front line of the 
herbaceous border, or even for the rockery when a 
suitably moist situation is chosen for it. Being a 
native plant it is perfectly hardy, but must be 
humoured in its peculiarities, otherwises it refuses 
to thrive satisfactorily. It must have an open situa¬ 
tion not overhung by trees nor bushes and must not 
be overhung nor crowded with more rampant vegeta¬ 
tion so as to shut out the light. A fair amount of 
moisture in the soil at all seasons is also essential 
to its well-being. In a state of nature it seems liable 
to many freaks, and is given to the production of 
several forms of double flowers, which are 
occasionally met with in widely remote districts of 
Britain. Thirty years years ago or more, a double 
white variety existed, but what has become of it is 
not very clear since the double, pale purple sort 
seems the only one in cultivation. A white flowered 
variety of similar form to the well-known and 
appreciated sort would be an acquisition and form a 
good companion to Saxifraga granulata Sore pleno, 
which is about the same height and thrives in 
similarly open situations. 
ERIOSTEMON CUSPIDATUS. 
A large and fine specimen in full flower of the above 
plant is just now a very noticeable occupant of the 
greenhouse at Kew. It is planted out in a prepared 
border, a position which evidently suits it to per¬ 
fection, if we may judge from its healthy appearance 
and profusion of rosy-pink flowers. Like the greater 
part of the rest of its congeners, it hails from 
Australia, and is no small acquisition to the list of 
hard-wooded winter flowering plants requiring a 
greenhouse temperature. It is an easily contented 
subject and young plants of symmetrical habit 
may soon be obtained, as it readily takes a close 
growing and compact bush form, either from cuttings 
or by grafting it upon other stocks. In the former 
case the cuttings should be taken in spring, inserted 
in a compost of peat and sand, placed in a gentle 
heat, and kept covered with a bell glass until rooted. 
Propagation by grafting is however usually practised 
by nurserymen, the closely allied plant Correa being 
used for the purpose. If grown on during the summer 
and autumn in cold frames it may be had in bloom 
at anytime during the winter months if the plants 
are introduced at suitable intervals into a warm 
greenhouse temperature, otherwise they stand the 
winter well enough if frost is merely excluded from 
them. Plenty of water at the root is at all times an 
absolute necessity to their welfare. 
NEPHROLEPIS RUFESCENS TRIPINNATIFIDA. 
Beautiful as many of the members of the genus 
Nephrolepis undoubtedly are, few, if any of them, 
are more worthy of cultivation than the above hand¬ 
some plant. Although as it increases in age its 
fronds will grow to considerable lengths (we have 
noticed them exceeding 4 ft ), it is when the fronds 
range from 18 in. to 2 ft. in length that the plant is 
most useful as a decorative subject. The fronds are 
of a beautiful rich green colour, and.the pinnae are 
borne in such numbers as to be quite crowded 
together, overlapping each other, and imparting a 
pretty double appearance to the frond, which is not 
as might have been expected, accompanied by any 
corresponding amount of stiffness, but only serves to 
impart a wealth of greenery that constitutes a great 
part of the charm attaching to the plant. With 
regard to propagation a method which is adopted at 
Chiswick with great success may prove helpful to 
some of our readers. The plants are stood on or 
plunged in a bed of Cocoanut fibre refuse in a warm 
propagating pit. The wiry-like runners thrown out 
by the plant root very readily in this, and produce 
nice little plants, which as soon as they attain 
sufficient size are severed from the parent and potted 
up. Very little check is experienced as the little 
plants can be easily lifted from the fibre without the 
least injury to the roots. 
THE OLD MONTHLY ROSE. 
The old monthly or common China Rose is well 
worthy of more attention than it receives. We have 
frequently gathered buds of this from a north wall 
during January, and it flowers almost without a 
break from June to November, and frequently into 
December and January, when a Rose of any kind is 
most welcome. Growing freely, as it will do when 
once planted in any out-of-the-way corner, in any 
soil it is worth planting extensively in shrubby 
borders, behind buildings, or wherever room can be 
found for it, as it gives no trouble beyond the 
gathering of the flowers when required.—IF. B.G, 
