April 27, 1895. 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
549 
post, with more sand added to it, but if they had 
been potted on into 32’s, they would have been finer 
still. In answer to my query Mr. Ryder informed 
me that he potted them himself, and never experi¬ 
enced any irritation of the skin follow, and that he 
was inclined to look on that theory as “ great cry for 
a little wool."— Wanderer. [It is no theory, but, as 
many have experienced, a very painful fact.—Ed.] 
- -— 
SPRING FLOWERS IN HYDE PARK. 
The flower garden portion of the park situated along 
the east side between the Stanhope Gate and the 
Marble Arch is now remarkably gay with various 
spring flowers, amongst which the Hyacinths and 
the Daffodils are at present the most conspicuous. 
Near the Stanhope Gate the beds line one side of 
the path only, and are planted in simple, inelaborate, 
but very effective designs. Very attractive is a bed 
of Queen of Hyacinths mixed with the Daffodil Sir 
Watkin playfully nodding in the breeze and con¬ 
trasting with the red hue of the Hyacinths. Equally 
pleasing is the contrast between Hyacinth Couronne 
de Celle and the Daffodil Princeps a little farther 
on. A bed of the white Hyacinth Mirandolina is 
powerfully fragrant, but without the life of the two 
above mentioned. A bed of Queen of the Hyacinths 
and Narcissus Horsfieldi seems to have been planted 
late, and is not yet at its best. Fancy Pansies, blue 
Hyacinths, and Daffodils make up another mixed 
bed. Hyacinth Gigantea is notable for the size of 
its flesh-coloured spikes, but though distinct it 
serves to show off the beds next to it chiefly ; it is 
mixed with Daffodils, but the latter seem most 
effective by contrast with blue*and red of various 
shades. Narcissus maximus is always telling on 
account of its massive, wavy mouthed trumpet and 
the golden hue of the whole flower ; here it is mixed 
with the blue Hyacinth Regulus. 
Probably the most massive bed in the whole 
garden is that planted with the Hyacinth Grand 
Maitre, which not only has massive spikes as a rule, 
but many bulbs bear three, five and eight of them, 
giving the bed the appearance of being thickly 
planted. The colour is a dark yet bright and 
effective blue. There is a double edging of the rose- 
coloured Hyacinth Lord Macaulay. Some of the 
varieties are naturally late, or have been planted to 
make them so, in order to prolong the succession. 
This is the case with the rosy Hyacinth L'lncom- 
parable, whose flowers are scarcely half-expanded. 
Hyacinth Alba maxima, which forms the edging, is 
in full bloom, so that the lateness of the other must 
be a question of variety. A pretty and effective bed 
is that filled with Hyacinth Orondates, the long 
spikes of which are deep blue and stand out in bold 
contrast with the pale H. Gigantea. In its bold and 
conspicuous character it may be compared with 
Grand Maitre. Hyacinth Fabiola is another late 
pink variety not yet at its best. Norma forms a 
striking contrast to the last-named, for it is now 
practically over, yet its edging of the beautiful and 
pale sky-blue Czar Peter is yet in perfection. 
Tulips are grown in considerable quantity, but 
they are planted mostly in contiguous beds so as to 
make a distinct display of their own when they come 
into bloom. Only the earlier varieties are yet 
expanded, including a yellow one, Proserpine, and 
La Belle Alliance, the latter having brilliant scarlet 
flowers with a yellow base. They occupy the beds 
where the ground widens and is laid out with a 
single row of beds on one side of the walk and 
parallel with it, and with a double row at right 
angles to it on the other side of the walk. Here also 
are some circular beds entirely devoted to Daffodils 
now quite gay. Red, white and pink Daisies, 
separatelyor in mixture, also serve to make a display 
of their own peculiar kind, representing an old- 
fashioned but pleasing phase of gardening. Beds of 
Alpine and other Auriculas in mixture are also in 
keeping with the Daisies. The black threads 
supported on twigs and distributed all over the beds, 
indicate that the ubiquitous sparrow is troublesome 
even here. Polyanthus in mixture of dark colours 
and Primroses and Polyanthus in shades of yellow 
also find a place. The scarlet and yellow Tulip 
Keizer Kroon finds its way into every bedding 
arrangement, and is already becoming conspicuous. 
The Wallflower is very late, and what escaped the 
severe winter is not yet in bloom. 
Where the beds are in pairs, each pair is planted 
with the same varieties and arrangement of design. 
Here again the Hyacinths are very extensively 
planted with a telling effect. Two beds of William 
the First represent perhaps the darkest blue Hyacinth 
in the collection. There are two of the red General 
Pelissier and there are at least ten beds of red 
varieties, differing in the shades of colour. There 
are four pairs of beds of white or flesh coloured 
varieties, like the last within a short compass of 
space. The pale sky-blue flowers of Lord Derby are 
very beautiful and represent one of the lightest 
blues to be seen, while Charles Dickens is one of 
the finest of the dark blues, recalling some of the 
fine kinds mentioned towards the beginning of this 
article. The display as a whole is very fine indeed 
notwithstanding the severity of the winter. 
VEGETABLECROPS AND 
THE FROST. 
The winter of 1894-5, especially the latter half, will 
long be remembered as one of the most severe and 
destructive to vegetable crops on record. In many 
places it is reported that the water in pipes, three 
feet under the surface, was frozen, and in gardens 
and fields similar reports are to hand. In the Stirling 
district we had ground frozen more than two feet 
deep, and on all hands it is truthfully accepted that 
such destruction of vegetable crops never was seen in 
these parts by the oldest inhabitants whose observa¬ 
tion on such matters is most reliable. In 1860-61 the 
reports from all parts of the country on the severity 
of the frost, and the losses of vegetables, by market 
men especially, were most depressing. I have a 
distinct recollection of the severity of that season. I 
was living in East Anglia then—but visited other 
parts of England and Scotland that year—and 
witnessed sad havoc in market gardens (as well as 
private ones), and nurseries; but vegetation 
generally had not suffered so severely in the north 
as in the east, south, and west of England. 
In the Fulham market gardens the greatest amount 
of destruction was seen. But, severe as that season 
was (only for a comparatively short time), it fell far 
short in severity to the winter just ended. I have 
seen a number of gardens of late, and each seemed 
almost clear of green leaf. I noticed in a Forfarshire 
garden that the snow had been very deep, and there¬ 
fore afforded protection to many kinds of vegetables 
which succumbed to frost many miles further south, 
but the evergreen shrubs in the northern parts had 
suffered more severely than those in the south. We 
have had no snow from where I write and have there¬ 
fore suffered as severe as our neighbours, but did not 
have the thermometer down to zero. 
The destruction of shrubs is only showing what 
we may expect later on when help is more required 
from the roots. Cabbage, Borecole, and Brussels 
Sprouts were in extra fine condition when frost set 
in, but were soon black and in a state of decay ; 
Curled Kale is, however, giving nice gatherings as 
sprouts. Broccolis were very promising, but few 
were left alive; Veitch's Main Crop has stood the 
frost better than most varieties. Cattell’s Eclipse 
is one of the hardiest ; this sort I noted many years 
ago at Burghley by Stamford, where it was a great 
favourite with Mr. Gilbert, who used to pack 
bracken among the plants and saved them from 
much damage ; I wonder how our old friend has 
fared this year ? I have looked in vain for his report. 
Celery has suffered worse than I ever saw it; though 
covered thickly with litter the frost went below the 
roots ! Cauliflower plants under hand-light protec¬ 
tion were uninjured—they were covered with mats 
for weeks and frozen hard. The varieties are Veitch’s 
Extra Early, Early Erfurt, and Walcheren. Leeks, 
Lyon and Musselborough, are almost uninjured. 
They are lifted and placed behind a hedge, and will 
do good service till June. Onions kept capitally in 
a cold dry outhouse, where they were frozen hard 
for two months. Cranston's Excelsior, Ailsa Craig, 
and Brown Globe are still in first-rate condition, 
and ought to keep well till June. 
I noticed that in a Forfarshire garden vegetable 
plants under the snow covering stood much better 
than with us. But shrubs generally had suffered 
more. Roses, especially climbers, suffered severely, 
but though much cut down no deaths are yet observ¬ 
able. The prospect of fruit crops is excellent; 
Cherries, Plums, Apples, and small fruits especially. 
Such was our report last year, but oh the frost !— 
M. Temple, Canon, Stirlingshire, N.B. 
BEDDING PANSIES AND VIOLAS. 
(1 Concluded from page 534.) 
Insect and other Pests. 
In moist and dewy mornings, more particularly in 
spring while the plants have few leaves and fewer 
stems, slugs and snails often prove troublesome by 
destroying the leaves, cutting the stems or entirely 
devouring small plants or seedlings. These 
marauders should be collected and destroyed by 
frequently looking them up in the morning and early 
evening or even during the day in moist weather. In 
mild winters it will be necessary occasionally to 
make a raid upon them amongst boxes of cuttings 
and seedlings. Woodlice sometimes prove trouble¬ 
some to the latter in spring while still in the frames. 
Let them share the same fate as the slugs with 
which low company they associate. After they are 
planted out and begin to show their flower buds in 
spring, you congratulate yourselves upon the promise 
of an early and fine display of bloom; but the 
next time you visit them, perhaps, you ascertain to 
your disgust that'the thieving sparrows have been 
there before you and removed every flower bud. 
You may or may not lose your Heartsease, but most 
probably you will lose your temper, wasting it 
uselessly in curt epithets. Time would be better 
employed putting some pegs in the ground and 
stringing them together wirh black cotton thread 
about 3 in. from the ground. I have always found 
that sufficient to alarm the feathered rascals for the 
safety of their precious necks and heads. 
Sometimes Aphides prove troublesome. During 
May and June, when seedlings should be growing 
rapidly and old plants or cuttings flowering freely, 
they may seem to be dwindling, and later on the 
leaves become curled and sp itted, especially in dry 
weather. Certain varieties are much more liable to 
thisthan others. Upon close examination you will 
probably discover that the plants are being destroyed 
by swarms of green fly, which in this particular case 
generally happens to be red. Give the plants a good 
watering overhead by means of a rosed watering pot 
and then dust them with tobacco powder, taking care 
to scatter it well into the crown buds and about the 
axils of the leaves. I have on two different occasions 
found one application to be sufficient for a season. In 
suburban gardens there are still some other enemies 
to contend with such as your neighbour’s chickens 
and musical parties of the cats, the latter particularly 
during the night time when the lawful owners of the 
gardens are in bed. The chief remedy is to have a 
close fence of some sort or wire netting, but even then 
the household cat and her myrmidons find their 
way in. 
Pansies and Violas are also subject to fungoid 
diseases, of which the commonest and most destruc¬ 
tive is mildew. A remedy against this is sulphur if 
applied early and efficiently as a dusting over the 
moistened foliage. Good cultivation acts as a 
preventive to a great extent. Moist and warm 
weather cause it to spread very rapidly, and thus 
the plants get weakened, ceasiDg to flower or die 
outright. Never plant under the drip of trees if you 
can avoid it. Although shelter on all sides may 
seem advantageous to the flowers, yet the plants get 
drawn and weakly, and the garden becomes a hot¬ 
bed of mildew. A moderately free play of air about 
the plants is conducive to health, therefore do not 
plant the Violas too closely nor allow them to be too 
closely confined or overhung by taller subjects. What 
is termed the Violet disease (Aecidium depauperans) 
attacks the stems and leaves of Viola cornuta, covering 
them all over with orange coloured pustules to their 
great injury. There is no remedy so that the 
affeoted plants should be pulled up and burned. I 
stopped the ravages of the fungus in that way. If 
you cannot afford to lose the plants take healthy 
cuttings and root them before burning the old 
stools. 
Cross-breeding and Hvbridisation. 
The highly specialised form of the flowers and the 
bright colours of Pansies and Violas are pretty 
certain indications that they are and have been 
visited by special insects for untold generations. 
This could hardly escape the notice of our great 
teacher Darwin, and I here take the liberty to 
insert his notes of observations which he com¬ 
municated to Sir John Lubbock on the subject :— 
" When I formerly covered up a fine, large, cultivated 
