812 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
October 28. 1905. 
ficial. If your soil has been used for a garden for 
many years and well manured, we have no doubt 
you could grow splendid crops with the manure 
you mention for a number of years at least. 
Worm Casts on Lawns. 
Can you suggest anything to prevent the above ? 
I have tried watering with lime, which brought a 
large number of worms to the surface, but, as 
my lawn covers a considerable area, it is almost 
impossible to treat the whole of it with lime- 
water. Last autumn I had it heavily dressed with 
sea sand, and for a time the worms kept below the 
surface. I have also tried rolling, without any 
beneficial result. During the last three weeks the 
surface of the lawn has been almost entirely 
covered with soil which the worms have cast up, 
and which makes it look most unsightly. Is there 
anything I can dress it with which will either 
destroy the worms or prevent them throwing up 
the soil ? (G.) 
The number of worms in your lawns indicates 
(hat the soil is rich, and contains very much 
decaying vegetable matter. We are surprised that 
you have had so little success, however, in driving 
out the worms with lime-water. We presume the 
area of the lawn made it necessary to apply only 
a small quantity of lime-water, which may not 
have reached the worms. If applied in wet 
weather it should sink more deeply into the soil 
than when the soil is fairly dry. We should also 
suggest brine or salt water, which would destroy 
the worms without fail, providing you applied a 
sufficient quantity to sink into the soil. Sea water 
is moderately rich in salt, but we have known the 
water of the Thames at high tide to flood some of 
the gardens on its bank, thus driving out and 
destroying the worms in the soil. We should be 
the very last to advocate the total destruction of 
worms in the soil, as very little will grow in it 
for a long time afterwards, where salt, especially, 
has been used. Worms are usually highly advan¬ 
tageous to the grass itself, and their only fault is in 
making unsightly worm casts, which are also dis¬ 
agreeable or inconvenient to those using the 
lawns. You could, however, apply a strong solu¬ 
tion of lime on one part of the lawn, and brakish 
or salt water on another, in order to test which 
is more efficacious in driving out the worms or 
reducing their numbers. 
Laying Town a New Herbaceous Border. 
Will you give me, through the medium of your 
paper, any suggestion as regards the laying out of 
a new herbaceous border, to be laid out in separ¬ 
ate colours, which are blue, white, yellow, pink, 
crimson, scarlet, and orange. The border is 
193 ft. long by 13 ft. broad. The position is east 
and west, facing the south, with the garden wall 
at the back. Any suggestion will be thankfully 
received. (Student.) 
If the colours which you mention are to be kept 
in separate blocks or patches along the border, it 
will have to be the chief duty to keep the more in¬ 
tense colours from clashing with one another. For 
instance, in the case of yellow and orange, you 
might have numerous shades of yellow leading 
gradually to the deepest orange you have, and 
then scarlet; but we should not make blue, 
yellow, crimson and orange, for instance, to clash 
with one another. The arrangement of colours in 
those lines is one which would require much 
ingenuity aiid forethought to make the arrange¬ 
ment a success. For instance, unless the flowers 
were all of one kind or species, you would be 
unable to get them all in bloom together, so that 
there would be gaps in the colour arrangement. 
This would suggest that the flowers used should be 
all of one sort, at least for each colour, and that it 
should come into bloom about the same- time as 
the other coloured flowers. If such a plan were 
followed out, the number of kinds would be so 
reduced that you could scarcely speak of it as 
a herbaceous border. If you intend making a 
feature of those colours, we think the best plan 
would be to make what is known as a mixed 
border. Such a border is "planted with large 
clumps of each particular flower, so that there will 
be a sufficient mass to produce an effective picture 
on that part of the border for the time being. 
There is no limit to the number of plants that 
may be employed, provided each is grown in a 
sufficiently large clump or mass to make its 
presence conspicuous. Then each clump can be 
planted irregularly as to position and outline. 
Indeed, the masses of colour may be of various 
shades. The tallest plants need not necessarily 
be always at the back of the border, as that would 
produce a monotonous and even regularity of sur¬ 
face. In other words, a group of the taller plants 
might be inserted here and there near the front 
of the border, so as to break the monotony of a flat 
surface. You need not confine yourself entirely to 
perennials, nor even to hardy plants, in produc¬ 
ing a splendid effect with a mixed border. For 
instance, you could plant clumps of Carnations, 
clumps of Pinks, night-scented Tobacco, and even 
Salvias and Pelargoniums. On the other hand, 
you could also make very good use of certain 
bulbs, which would have a fine effect in the 
spring time. Then over or around the bulbs you 
could sow annuals, such as Clarkias, annual Lark¬ 
spurs, Godetias, Evening Primroses, etc. These 
would be growing some time before the foliage of 
the bulbs had died down, so that when the 
latter disappears these annuals take their place 
and there are no blanks in the border. From the 
reserve garden you can also bring up Stocks, 
Asters, Celosias, and, later in the season, early 
flowering Chrysanthemums to fill up any gaps 
there may be in this mixed border. All this might 
be done simply for a display, but you could obtain 
large quantities of flowers for cutting by a judi¬ 
cious use of the knife, without spoiling the ap¬ 
pearance of the border. In conclusion, we think 
you have an excellent opportunity of making a 
new and interesting feature in the garden. 
Weed or Flower. 
Would you kindly tell me what the enclosed is? 
I came across a patch of this while spading, some 
sixty in number. Is it a weed or flower? (H. 
Hogan.) 
The plant you sent was Campanula latiloba, 
better known in gardens, perhaps, as C. grandis. 
Judging from the number of specimens, we should 
imagine that you planted out a little bed of it by 
way of increasing the stock, or that' somebody 
else had done so. It is a good herbaceous plant, 
and well worthy of cultivation, the flowers being 
of large size, of some shade of blue, and produced 
on stems 2 ft. to 3 ft. in height. 
Garden Shaded by High Wall. 
Would you be so kind as to inform me in your 
weekly Gardening World about some bulbs 
which I have got? How deeply should I plant 
them in the open garden? Will they require 
watering, and if so, how often ? I have a piece 
of ground 12 ft. by 4 ft. There is a high wall 
three parts round it facing the north. The sun 
never gets to it. I tried cabbages, but failed. 
What do you think would grow there best? 1 
have got a cold frame and should like to grow a 
few Tomatos next summer. When shou’d I pot 
the plants, and how should I treat them? (A 
Constant Reader.) 
You do not mention what bulbs they are; but 
if Hyacinths or Daffodils, the top of the bulb 
might be planted 4 in. below the surface. Tulips 
might be planted about 3 in. below the surface, 
that is the crowns of them. No watering at all 
is necessary. We are afraid your garden is very 
much shut in to grow anything except plants 
which delight in shade. The cabbages must have 
been drawn up by reason of the want of sunshine. 
There are many plants which would be happy in 
such a situation, including London Pride, Prim¬ 
roses, Polyanthuses, Periwinkles, and any of the 
larger-growing British ferns. There are also 
several shrubs which would succeed under such 
conditions; but we presume that you prefer 
flowers. We should hesitate to recommend you 
to grow Tomatos in a cold frame on which the 
sun never shines. Tomatos like plenty of light 
and air at all times, and sunshine when they can 
get it, to induce short, sturdy stems and plenty of 
fruit. If you very much desire to try the 
Tomatos, you could for one year; but" if it 
happens to be a cold and wet season we feel 
certain that the Tomatos would be a failure, 
even in a glass frame. In such a situation as 
you have, we should develop or collect those 
plants which give most satisfaction in shady 
situations, and make that your hobby. For 
instance, the British Ferns, both the wild ones 
and some of the numerous garden varieties, would 
furnish you with a hobby of very great interest 
indeed. At the same time, it would be open for 
you to grow exotic or foreign Ferns that were 
sufficiently hardy to thrive in your frames. 
British Ferns. however, are sufficiently 
numerous to profitably occupy more than 
the ground you mention. Besides the 
Primroses we mentioned, there are many other 
species of Primula giving a succession of flowers 
till quite a late period during the summer. All 
of them have more or less showy and interesting 
flowers. You could also increase the interest 
of the hobby by raising fine strains of Primroses 
and Polyanthus of your own selection. They 
would not be long lived, probably, in such a 
situation ; but you would always be able to get 
plenty of flowers from them the second season 
from seed. We should be pleased to have your 
opinion upon the view which you take of" the 
above classes of plants as a hobby. We would 
also suggest Solomon’s! Seal, Lily of the Valley, 
Doronieum plantagineum excelsum, and any of 
the broad-leaved Saxifragas. 
Digging amongst Raspberries. 
Is it right to dig between rows of Raspberries 
at this time of year? (White Alyssum.) 
It would not be proper to dig deeply between 
rows of Raspberries, nor would it be proper to 
use the spade. Those who look well after their 
Raspberries cover the ground with a mulching 
of manure, grass, leaf-mould, or something else 
that will retain the moisture in the soil during 
summer, this being highly advantageous to the 
Raspberries. In the autumn or early winter, 
after the canes have been pruned and tied into 
position, the mulching of the previous year 
should be lightly turned into the soil by means 
of a steel fork. By the use of a fork you will 
avoid cutting the roots of the Raspberries which 
run near the surface. This light forking serves 
not only to turn in the manure, but also to keep 
the surface soil loose After this the ground 
should again be mulched with some convenient 
material that will conserve the moisture in 
summer, and also nourish the Raspberries. 
Mariposa Tulips. 
What is the best time to plant Mariposa Tulips, 
and how would you advise me to set about the 
operation? We have not tried them before. 
(George Weir.) 
You can plant them practically any time be¬ 
tween this and the beginning of November, but 
the earlier they are put in the soil the better. 
You should select a sunny situation, and, if the 
soil is at all heavy, it would be well to elevate 
the beds a few inches above the surrounding 
level. In heavy soils plenty of gritty material or 
sharp sand should be mixed with the soil, and 
leaf mould should also be freely employed. In 
the case of heavy soils it would also be advan¬ 
tageous to place some sand in the holes made for 
the corms, and then cover them likewise with 
sand. In spring, when the foliage is getting above 
ground, it would be advantageous to afford 
shelter by some means, such as twigs of close 
brushwood set alongside of the beds, or even be¬ 
tween the lines, so as to afford shelter to the 
foliage. Some people even furnish protection by 
using something as a covering to the beds, but 
this has the result of inducing an earlier growth 
that is not advantageous. 
Propagating the White Jasmine. 
We have a very old plant of the White Jasmine, 
which, is not so vigorous and free flowering as it 
once was. I would like to raise young plants to 
establish elsewhere. How should this be done? 
(Jasmine.) 
The shoots of the Jasmine are easily rooted 
either from cuttings or layers. At the present 
time you could layer some of the shoots in the 
same way as Carnations. A tongue-like cut is 
made on the under side of a shoot, and this is 
