THE GARDENING WORLD 
October 29, 1904 
86 1 
the best for street planting, and is, of course, grown by thou¬ 
sands in, the nursery. A proof of the suitability of the tree 
may be seen in various parts of Edinburgh. Other varieties of 
the Elm are also kept in stock. Here also we, noted Pyrus 
intermedia,, termed the Service Tree. We may describe it, as 
coming nearest to- P. pinnatifida, but the, leaves are las® deeply 
divided. It was- interesting to us asi giving an idea, of the 
source from whence some of the trees coming under our notice 
in the north had emanated. It, is: a, Service Tree, hut, the, leave® 
are finger-like and merely lobed along the sides, while the fruit, 
is of a° dark crimson-red, reminding one of the Rowan, only 
larger. Various 1 specie® of Ash and the Mountain. Ash arei also 
growni here for street planting, and although it seems to suc¬ 
ceed be t in the north, we have also, seen very handsome trees 
of it during the past summer 1 in thei south of England. 
Burns' Flower Garden at St. Louis. 
It was “ Scotch Day ’’ when we got to the Fair, and, true to, 
Caledonia, it rained a, mist, that, would have wet an Englishman 
to the skin, but, ankle deep in mud, we waded through to, 
Burns’ cottage and were in time for the exercise®. There, 
towering “king aboon them a’,” was our old friend Wm. R. 
Smith, oif Washington. After 1 greetings and introductions 
and registering our names, we cast, about, our eyes in, iaidmira- 
tion and patriotism. In front of the cottage was a, great, big 
round bed of Geraniums, Salvia,, and such-like modern para¬ 
phernalia. Our little girl pulled u® by the coat-sleeve and 
whispered: “Papa, didn't you tell me that in, Burns’ day 
the gardens were filled with such old-fashioned flowers as 
Thyme,, Southernwood, Sweet Mary, Pot, Marigolds, Iris, Lon¬ 
don Pride, Candytuft, Rocket, Daisies, Pinks, Gillyflower, Pan¬ 
sies, HMlybocks,, Harebells!, Lilies, Monkshood, Lupines, Forget- 
me-nots, Pa.eoniee, Primrose®, Dusty Millers, Sweet Scabious, 
Sweet, Williams, Valerian, Wallflowers, Rose, bushes, and plants 
of that kind? And didn’t; you say that he didn’t, have a, big, 
circular flower bed in front of his, cottage; that in those times 
the cottars grew their flowers in long borders along the side 1 
of the garden, walk, -or by the fence', or in a border near the 
foot, of the wall of the house?” 
“True, my child,” I answered. “Well, then,” she insisted, 
“ if this cottage and about it is, supposed to be an exact 
counterpart, of the Burns’ cottage in Scotland, what business 
has that big, ooarse-looking flower-bed here?” “ Don’t, know, 
little-girl; let’s auk Mr. Smith ; he seems to rule this gather¬ 
ing-.” But her uncle from Washington got mad and declared 
he neither planned it nor was he consulted about the planting 
of it. Then we all agreed what a, beautiful tribute it would 
have been, to the poet’s memory and how interesting and in¬ 
structive to the many visitor® to his cottagei at the Fair if 
repreisienta,fives of the several flowers and plant® he sang or 
so, sweetly and so, lovingly could have been, shown, there growing- 
in thei cottage yard. What an easy task it woul d be, and how 
glad some of us would have been if a.sked to get, up a, set of 
these plants and present them to the Burns Cottage Associa¬ 
tion, to put, out in its garden at thei Fair. 
Among these would be* found the “ wee modest crimson-lipped 
flcw’r ” (Daisy), “ the Bluebell and Gowan lurk lowly unseen,” 
the “ blooming Heather,” “ the Pink, the emblem o’ my dear,” 
“ pleasures, are like Poppies spread,” “ little Harebells, o’er the' 
lea,,” “the Wa,’flower scent® the dewy air,” the “ Rue grow® 
bonnie wi’ Thyme,” “ my love’s like a, red, red Rose,” “ Snaw- 
drap and Primrose our woodlands adorn,” “ gay-gilded Lilies,” 
“stately Foxgloves fair to see,” “flourish like the morning 
flower,” “the Cowslip brae®,” “glen o’ green Brecken,” “the 
Woodbine bower,” and “ houlets fra,e yon Ivy bower,” and so 
■on, among the lowlier plaints. The “lair Lilac,” '“the frag¬ 
rant, Birch, and Hawthorn hoar,” and other tree® and bushes 
a-plenty would also find an, innings, there. 
William Falconer in “ The Florists’ Exchange.” 
A Chestnut Tree in Lea-bridge Road, Leyton, lias been 
imitating the erratic proceed mgs of this tree at Paris, by 
flowering in autumn instead of spring. 
Utilising North Walls. 
The season for planting will soon be with us, and frequently 
thei question is asked how and what to plant on north walls ? 
I have often seen this question asked in the columns of The 
Gardening World dining the twenty years I have been a 
reader of it. 
Many think and act as if nothing can be grown satisfactorily 
on this aspect. This is, not so, and, if well managed, there 
should not be a yard of bare space. I have proved this in 
three gardens I have had the management of during the last 
three years. 
In dealing with this subject, the soil is not of the first con¬ 
sideration, seeing that, plant whatever you may, if this is, not 
suitable,, then measure® have to be taken to make it, so. But 
how to cover- the, walls with tree® that will be profitable is my 
object now to show. 
The height of the walls must be considered, seeing high ones- 
from 10 ft. to 16 ft. and over can have two sets of trees grow¬ 
ing on them; that is,, standards and dwarf under, -or things of 
low growth. In the garden I have the charge of we have a 
wall about 15 ft. high at the back of a cold Peach house. On 
this wall we have fine trees of Morrell© Cherries from top to 
bottom,, and from these we get fruit in abundance every year 
and of the first size. 
On another portion I planted, some twelve years ago, 
standard trees, of sweet Cherries of the following kinds : White 
Heart, Black Heart -and Bigarreau. From these we obtain a 
supply for several weeks,, and they are fine in size and of the 
best flavour, hanging a, long time in this cold position, and 
when fully ripe are delicious. 
Standard trees-.of Victoria and Cox’s Emperor Plum are also 
growing by their side, thus continuing the supply of Victorias. 
Emperor does fine here, giving large late fruit well into 
October. 
Under these standard trees we grow Red Currant®, from 
which we obtain, a supply well into, October. 
On another north wall about 10 ft. high we have doing well 
Mitchelson’s, Early Orleans and Belle de Louvain Plums, 
Beurr'e d’Amanlis Pear, also Beurre Diel for stewing, and Vicar 
of Wink field. 
In a, garden I managed for ten years in North Hants, Catillac 
and Verulam Pears did equally well, and under these—which 
were standards—wei grew late kinds of Gooseberries, and I shall 
never forget the splendid Reid Warrington -from this position : 
and thus a, long season may be had of this- delicious, fruit. It 
is almost, impossible to, over-estimate the value of Gooseberries 
and Currants, grown thus, seeing how easily they can he pro¬ 
tected and how well they hang. By growing several kinds, the, 
supply may he had over a long time from a lit,tie space, as 
they may be grown as cordon trees. When the nets are put on 
to protect the Cherries- from birds it answers for the other 
fruit®. Pond’s 1 Seedling Plum does fine in this position, coining 
late. 
Thus it will be seen that walls in this position may he made 
as useful a,s, any other aspect. I makei a, rule that every fool 
of wall space isi made to produce something profitable. 
Con. 
An Exceptionally Good Lettuce. 
Whether for exhibition, market, or home use, a, variety tha¬ 
wed merits the above description i® that named “ Par Ex 
cellence,” a, name which itself implies extra, quality. 
It, is a white Go® Lettuce of real -self-folding habit, and in ; 
number of large succ-eissional beds that- I have grown not oni 
lias been, tiled, but, all have hearted up wonderfully well ant 
even. It grows quickly to, remarkable siizei without becoming 
coarse, even the outer leaves of the largest being crisp ant 
palatable. For exhibition, it ha® never been my good for¬ 
tune to meet, with a better, nor have I ever grown a, mort 
profitable Lettuce, my beds of Par Excellence having realised 
about double the ordinary return. Last autumn I planted ( 
quantity of late sown plants on a, sheltered border, and they 
came' through the winter well, giving me* a, good early crop. 
Heather Bell. 
