September 15 , 1900 . 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
“ONE AND ALL” PERFECTION 
TOMATO. 
The illustration seen here shows how successfully 
Tomatos can be grown uaprotectedly in the open air. 
With the simple aid of a trellis or fence, or stake, 
anyone with a small suitable piece of ground can 
secure very satisfactory results if only a little care be 
taken. The photograph does not show half the crop, 
for much of it had already been gathered. The 
plants were 3 ft. 6 in. high, and carried fruit from 
the ground to the top of the stems. The plants were 
put out In June, and after a fortnight's weathering, 
a great hailstorm came and cut off every leaf. They 
recovered,however, and to the grower’s surprise, in 
September, when the fruits were gathered, they 
filled two large piled-up bushel baskets, besides 
what had been gathered as the crop ripened during 
the season. This is not bad for plants without wall 
protection. This successful grower at Harrow 
thinks it a mistake (if you want short plants), to give 
either pot or planted-out Tomatos any stable 
manure at the time of planting. He recommends 
good heavy soil, the rougher the better, for the 
plants. They should also be kept well stopped and 
tied in. When the fruits have set apply moderate 
quantities of liquid manure round the plants once a 
week. On well treated, heavy land, the open-air 
Tomatos require very little artificial watering. We 
are indebted to Mr. Ed. Oxrea Greening, of the 
Agricultural and Horticultural Association, Ltd., for 
this pertinent illustration. 
-«#-- 
THE HERBACEOUS BORDERS AT KEW. 
Kew Gardens, or, rather, the Royal Gardens at 
Kew, have many phases, and the ornamental factor 
is not wholly subservient to the botanical. If it 
were so, the gardens would not be half so useful. 
The best taste—an educated and experienced taste— 
has been at work and is still directing all improve¬ 
ments which are planned in the outdoor parts. All 
the summer the various clumps of shrubs and her¬ 
baceous plants, &c., throughout the grounds have 
afforded delight to thousands upon thousands of 
visitors, and judging from the frequency that notes 
were taken, a large number of the folks meant to 
profit by and imitate upon what they here admired. 
The ornamental herbaceous borders are really 
represented by only one that is worth noting, which 
is on the north side of the T-range. This border is, 
roughly, about 250 ft. long and 15 ft. wide. It lies 
betwee.n a range of warm houses and a smooth, 
green lawn, which extends forward 75 ft. or so. 
Now this border is, and has been for months, a 
perfect picture of beauty, and has charmed hosts of 
flower lovers. It is not because every rare species 
of hardy plant in Kew has been fished up and 
planted here that this border is so satiffying and so 
pleasing. There is certainly a numerous collection 
of perennial and annual plants, but all are well 
known garden favourites. The secret entire’y lies 
in the artful and skilful composition of the borders. 
All manners of form and all colours of blooms are 
included, and as a rule they are grown in groups. 
These groups are large and bold. The plants com¬ 
posing them have not been allowed to grow crowdedly, 
nor to want staking, nor lack moisture if they needed 
it. The border, too, is well treated, so that nourish¬ 
ment can be obtained from it. Here and there, 
nearly toward the centre, but in the back half of the 
border, are erect stakes, supporting Rambler Roses 
and Clematis Jackmanni. This, to start with, is a 
feature not found in one garden out of a hundred. 
Then another novel feature is observed in the use 
of the Golden Elder and other bright shrubs at the 
extreme back and in the corners. This is an 
ingenious and wise method of throwing light and 
colour into the parts not so apparent to the passing 
eyes. Everything is in groups, a system promul¬ 
gated by John Loudon nearly a century ago, and 
since then reiterated by all upholders of pure 
English gardening. These groups are bold and 
massive. Some of the clumps of Hollyhocks, 
Helianthus, and Statice measure 12 yds. round. All 
along the front of the border are semi-circular groups 
of dwarfer annuals, though dwarf plants are not 
entirely used, else the edge would be too even and 
too much on a level. Here and there higher grow¬ 
ing bushy plants such as the Lavender, Gypsophila, 
Veronica spicata, and such-like, are allowed to come 
right to the edge, and this principle appears to make 
the border look double its width. Most of the tallest 
plants are placed almost in the centre. So well 
devised are the groups that, though the border 
presents beautiful aspects from any point of vantage, 
the inner beauty, as one might say, has to be viewed 
at close hand. And it is here again that one dis¬ 
covers how well chosen the various subjects have 
been. 
Nothing "rubbishy" finds a place, and when a 
certain plant has finished its course for the season 
somehow another substitute is creeping up to fill its 
place. All the ground is covered, there is hardly 
any bare soil Con'rasts of colours and forms are 
other evident points. It would be an endless 
business if I tried to describe the border in detail. 
An impression of what features go to compass so 
charming a collection of hardy and half-hardy 
plants has been given, and may be helpful to some¬ 
one, but before concluding I may give a list of some 
of the mare remarkable plants. Without any 
attempt at classification they are:—Chrysanth¬ 
emums of the summer flowering varieties; Aster 
acris, and others; Soladigo canadensis, S. virgata, 
S. v. nana, Veronica spicata, V. incana, Oenothera 
amoena, O. Youngii, O. biennis, Zinnias, Fuchsias, 
Linaria reticulata, Irisine Lmdeni, Pinks, Begonia 
semperflorence rosea, B. s. alba, Cuphea insignea, 
Emilea flammea, Salpigloss's, Ageratum The Zoo, 
Campanula turbiData, Heliptrum album, China and 
Comet Asters, mixed; purple Stocks, unmixed; 
Sedum spectabile rosea, and Petunias, all of which 
dwarf annual plants are in groups toward the edge. 
Jacoby Pelargoniums are also used. Then among 
the tall subjects we find the beautiful Polygonium 
orientale, 5 ft. or 6 ft. high ; Pentstemon barbatum 
arching toward the front, Coreopsis in great masses, 
Salvia virgata, which lasts so well and is so showy; 
Lychnis chalcedonica, Humea elegans (now over, but 
splendid when at their best) ; Monarda didyma, 
Lathyrus latifolius trained erect to stakes at the 
back, Crimson Rambler Rose and Clematis Jack¬ 
manni, Achillea Ptarmica fl. pi. The Pearl, Sweet 
Peas, 7 ft. high, in masses; Plume Poppies (B jc- 
conia cordata), single and double Hollyhocks, 
Phloxes, Echinops sphaerocephalus. Eryngiums, 
Ricinus Gibsoni, &c , Helenium autumnale striatum, 
Helianthus multiflorus, Ipomea versicolor, a pretty 
annual climber. Then Asclepias curassavica, Garya 
Lindheimeri, Tritonia (Montbretia) crocosmiaeflora, 
Rudbeckia speciosa, Japanese Anemones, Abutilon 
Souv. de Bon, Amaranthus caudatus, and many 
other exceedingly handsome plants. Each is care¬ 
fully thinned out, staked, and in all ways given full 
justice.— J. H. D. 
ROSES: PAST AND PRESENT. 
The Royal Caledonian Horticultural Society was 
addressed lately upon this subject by Mr. Hugh 
Dickson, of Belfast. 
Some fifty years ago the Chinas, Gallicas, and 
hybrid Bourbons, were exceeding popular, but owing 
to the greater merits of new sorts these had some¬ 
what declined. The Teas were as great favourites 
then as now, and though they are slightly less hardy 
than the others their perfect loveliness of bloom has 
maintained for them their popularity, and at the 
present day they are unexcelled. Chinas for bedding 
purposes, for dwarf " hedges ” or edge lines along 
the back of herbaceous horde's, and for general 
ornamentation, still maintain their position. The 
section has been improved very considerably by the 
introduction of newer 'varieties. These hybrid 
Chinas and improved sorts are the outcome of 
hybridising work during the last half century. Fifty 
years ago the Austrian Briers had not changed ; 
Moss Roses had not yet advanced ; the old Provence 
or Cabbage Rose for sweetness was still unsurpassed ; 
the Bourbons were passing out of favour, and the 
hybrid perpetuals were only being introduced. A 
propos of propagating Roses, Mr. Dickson said that 
when he left Edinburgh in 1855 be took with him 
100 plants of the best Roses he knev and ico small 
Manetti*, and planted them at the home of his boy¬ 
hood, Newtownards, and upon that foundation had 
been reared the famous Irish Roses sent out by him. 
At the present time the most popular section of 
Roses is that of the H P’s. They meet everybody's 
wants and they succeed everywhere, given ordinary 
care. At a recent date the majority of the new 
varieties came annually from France. About 1880, 
however, an old English farmer, Mr. Bennett, from 
near Salisbury, who knew something about crossing 
shorthorn cattle but absolutely nothing about Roses, 
conceived the idea that he could cross Roses too, and 
in a very short time he came to the front. Such 
standard varieties as Her Majesty, Mrs. John Laing, 
and Captain Hayward were raised by him, and these 
are sufficient to make his name immortal among 
rosarians. From the Irish side had come such 
splendid Roses as the H.T., Mrs. W. J. Grait, Mrs. 
Sharman Crawford, Margaret Dickson, Bessie 
Brown, Hellen Keller, and many others of the first 
rank. Of all sections lately adde I none have been 
more worthy than hybrid Teas They were pro¬ 
duced by crossing the Teas with the hybrid per¬ 
petuals, and they seem to make a happy blend. 
From this lovely section Mr. Dickson predicted a 
very bright future. 
