30 
THE qardeninq world. 
January 9. 1904. 
which give the sprays a. very light appearance. One of the 
very best for table decoration, Kate Williams, isi a large yellow 
flower, with, a slight tinge of red a® the flowers expand, and 
slightly curling at the tips. It grows about. 3 ft. or 4 ft. 
high, blooms very freely, and is also very sweet, scented. 
Mrs. Breimner is a rather large flower, having two or three 
rows of florets of a beautiful rich pink colour. The plant 
grows, about. 3 ft. high, and is very effective when well grown. 
Another good variety is Lottie Penford ; the flowers are white, 
heavily shaded with rose, and it is a. most pleasing variety 
when cut and used in vases. It is somewhat, stiffer in habit 
than any I have mentioned, but this is no detriment to it. 
The flowers, are about the size of a. penny, and produced in 
clusters at the top of the stem. Mrs. Field is a creamy-white 
flower with a yellow disc, the plant being a good grower and 
very free blooming when well done ; very effective a,S' a. 
conservatory plant, and one that everybody should grow. A 
good dark crimson variety is Rev. W. E. Remfrey, which grows 
about 4 ft. or 5 ft. high. The flowers are rather large and pro¬ 
duced in clusters., each flower having two or three rows of 
florets, and they make a telling variety, either on. the plant, or 
in a cut state. 
Jessie T. Angus is a. rosy-cerise coloured flower and doe® n.ot. 
grow quite so tall a.s most, varieties, but is. a. very pretty 
flower. Amy Fletcher is a- pure white, with long, graceful 
florets', very free, and one that should be grown plentifully for 
cutting. Mizpah is a. very dwarf-growing variety with rosy- 
purple flowers arranged in little clumps, at the top of the stems. 
The flowers are about an inch across them, and are very 
effective if arranged with a, white variety. This and the one 
named Ethel Wynne make a, charming arrangement for a. 
dinner-table if used lightly and not, overdone. Miss Annie 
Holden is a yellow sport’ from Miss, Maiy Anderson, and is a. 
very pretty and useful variety. Annie Hunt is a reddish- 
bronze flower, with a, yellow disc. A dwarf grower and rather 
large flower’, it, requires good cultivation, and is then a, very 
pretty shade. Another good white is Ewan Cameron, which 
should be in, every collection, however small. The flowers are 
large, with three or four rows of long rather broad florets 
arranged round a, yellow disc. The plant is a, good dwarf 
grower, and when, well grown is simply one mas® of bloom. I 
coadd name a good many more sorts, but those I have men¬ 
tioned are some that I have seen growing and flowering, and 
which I am able to give a, bona-fide opinion of. 
R. Ti-iatchbr. 
Wistow Gardens, Leicester. 
Utility of Hotbeds and Garden Frames. 
Undoubtedly the primitive garden frames on hotbeds are 
amongst the most useful structures! in the garden. I a,m 
aware there are those who do not think so, but I am old- 
fa, skion.ed enough to have had forty years’ experience in gardens 
of all sizes (from two t, 0 ' thirty hands,), having had to work in, 
and had charge of structures of all kinds in. that, time, and now 
have to manage a garden with many kinds of glasshouses and 
some of these simply garden frames on hotbeds, and from these 
latter we obtain the greatest value' during the year, all points 
considered. 
Our forefathers had not the modern appliances, and still they 
grew early Cucumbers, etc., in these old-fashioned structures', 
and I am not .sure that the standard of quality has, so much 
improved as some are apt to think. Added to this, these are 
within the reach of many who cannot afford frame®, etc., 
heated with hot water, but are devoted to their garden; and 
believing many of this class are readers of The Gardening 
World (in whose pages they obtain sound information), it. is for 
these that I am induced to give an outline of the use these 
may be put to, much of which we' practise in this garden every 
year. 
In our frame yard we have a high stonei wall facing south¬ 
east by south. In front, of this we make hotbeds of various 
heights, long enough to hold fifteen lights. These are : n 
various sizes', from one to three lights each. Early in the year 
(January) a beginning is made to frame beds; these are placed 
in front- of this wall, made wide enough to allow 2 ft. in front 
of the frame and 2 ft. at, back toi pass round for airing, etc. 
These beds -are formed of leaves, Ivy clippings, clippings from 
large Box bushes in the pleasure grounds, or any green material 
with a little fresh manure (of which our supply is very limited), 
or any rubbish. This is .all mixed together, forming a bed 3 ft. 
to 4 ft high. This is trodden firm, when the frame® are put on. 
Other beds are made according to the amount of material at 
command and as. they are needed. After the frames are put 
on and more warmth is wanted, the space® round them are filled 
with material that will rot and heat, and this finds an outlet 
for all our weeds (when not in seed), lawn mowings—in fact, 
Clianthus Dampieri tricolor. (See p. 29.) 
anything ’and everything is put here to rot during the summer 
and autumn. This keeps up a continued heat. 
At, the close of the year these beds provide ,a fine supply of 
good plant food to dig into the land for the next crop. By this 
method there is no waste of manure, and, being short of animal 
manure, we have to rely principally on this for our kitchen 
garden. The weeds, etc., make good food when rotted, and 
afford a place for all rubbish. When more manure was used, a 
receptacle was sunk at one end for the drainings to run in, 
giving a supply of manure water. 
Regarding ,the use the frames are put, to, I may say they are 
not idle any time of the year. Some are used first for Potatos 
or Beans, and striking cuttings, with Radishes, Lettuce®, etc., 
sown amongst Potato®. When these are off then some new 
soil is added, and they are planted with Cucumbers, Melons,, 
growing warm house plants from cuttings in spring, such a® 
Euphorbias and Crotons 1 . Others are used for bringing on 
young Gloxinias, Begonia,®, etc. As the autumn advances and 
these are over, boards are put on the soil, and they are used 
to grow our young seedling Cinerarias, Primulas, Cyclamens, 
etc. These thrive amazingly during autumn, enjoying the 
latent, heat from the beds, and now, end of December, we have 
several hundred healthy Cineraria® for spring blooming in these 
frames. Other frames' are used for growing on Bourardias, 
