Oocr, 1, 1908 
The Mollis and Ghent Walcs aoe at 
this time, and in this class we have some 
very beautiful colors. The hybridizers 
have been at work on this class of plants, 
and the result is a greater range of color 
with increased size of flower. The colors 
rang? from light cream tnrough the shades 
of yellow, to pink and red. The flowers 
are yery fine for cutting, and last. for 
several days in-water. A list of varieties 
should include the following fine sorts: In 
the Mollis class we have in Alphonse 
Lawalee, a bright red; Chevalier de Reali, 
light yellow; Comte de Gomer, soft red ; 
Comte de Kerchove, pale orange; Comte 
de Papadapolie, fine red; Comte de 
Quincy, yellow; Dr. Leon Vignes, yellow ; 
Mad. Arthur de Warreles, rose. In 
Mollis hybrids that are very fine, Dul- 
cinee, salmon yellow; Frere d Orban, 
creamy white; General Goffintei, violet; 
Henry Consciense, pink; Oswald de Ker- 
chove, carmine. In the Pontica section, 
Daviesi, pure white; Gloria Mundi, clear 
orange; Grandeur Triomphant, violet 
red; Pallas crimson. In the double 
flowering, Ghent section, the following are 
good: Arethusa, rose and yellow ; Byou 
de Gentbrugge, light rose; Mina Van 
Houtte, cherry red; Raphael de Smet, 
rosy red. 
en craseue 
BULBS TO GROW AMONG OTHER 
PLANTS. 
Both in beds and borders the inclusion, 
of bulbs among other plants is a system to 
be highly recommended ; indeed, I know of 
no disadvantages that it possesses. A suc- 
cession or a combination. of flowers is thus 
obtained; the perennials or annuals hide 
the yellowing foliage of the bulbous plants, 
which can remain. in the ground either alto- 
gether or long enough to perfect their 
growth ready to yield fine blooms a follow- 
ing year. 
If this subject were thoroughly studied, 
and the merits of this style of planting rear 
lised, there would be no Pansy bed without 
its show of Narcissi, Gladioli, or Montbre- 
tias; no Dahlia ground that had not shown 
Liliums earlier in the year; no Carnation 
collection that would not be also a Narcissi, 
Ixia, or Spanish Ivis collection! 
There is no need to grow the two kinds 
of plants so closely as to injure ona another, 
when both happen to be great nutriment 
devourers, for instance; in the case of 
Snowdrops, Crocuses, Scilla Sibirica, the 
small Muscaris, light growing Ixias, Spar- 
axes, and Montbretias the bulbs and the 
roots need not be more than a few inches 
apart for all to thrive. 
A. truly lovely bed can, be composed of 
Delphiniums (blue) and white Spanish Iris, 
as these are in flower at the same time; 
and there is no reason why some Narcissus 
poeticus and blue Scilla should not have 
offered the same delicious color harmony in 
the same bed during the spring. 
One of the most showy and useful plants 
in my garden is the Sweet Rocket; the 
euatiyy AUSTAATIAN GARDFNER. 
plants are from seed, and show a variety 
of shades of mauve, some of the flowers 
being streaked with white, while those on 
other plants are so deep in tint as to be 
nearly purple. These old-fashioned beau- 
tins are happily associated with yellow and 
brown and gold and white Spanish Irises, 
while, long “before they were more than 
green plants springing hopefully from the 
winter soil, the earth all round was gay 
with double Daffodils. 
Oriental Poppies are grand when in blos. 
som, but during the spring their foliage 
will look elegant rising out of Tulips, 
cither scarlet: or mixed colors. Some Mont- 
bretias or Schizostylis coccinea in addition 
will ensure vermilion blossoms later on. A 
carpet of purple Crocuses over a large 
stretch of ground gives a warm, welcome 
effect in March; among the Crocuses any 
of the late flowering perennials may be 
yanding forth young green shoots, and 
when the Crocus foliage is yellow and un- 
sightly the new herbaceous growth will 
spread out and mitigate, if not altogether 
hide, the unpleasantness. 
An Iceland Poppy bed makes an excel- 
lent Hyacinth bed in spring, if the plants 
are alternated with the bulbs; when May 
is on the wane and the Hyacinths are lifted 
Violas can be put into the empty spaces, or 
Anemone coronaria tubers, and there will 
be no more trouble needed for one summer. 
Phloxes, that flower very late should be 
alternated in the beds, or kept company in 
clumps in the border, with purple German 
Trises; both being strong growers, the 
ground must be kept well enriched. 
Aquilegias begin to look pleasing quite 
early in the spring, but when they are done 
blossoming, in June or July, Lilium can- 
didum should be coming into snowy loveli- 
ness, while a few autumn flowering Gladioli 
will keep the bed or border sufficiently at- 
tractive until the beginning of winter. 
Harly flowering Chrysanthemums are 
often cultivated in a prominent bed or 
border, which certainly needs to have other 
plants admitted into it if prettiness is 
to be.enjoyed from March to August. A 
good deep border of mingled Daffodils and 
Leucojum estivum (May blooming Snow- 
flake), and an inner sprinkling of alternate 
bulbs of Spanish Irises in. different shades, 
will enable the gardener to see and gather 
attractive blossoms long before the Chry- 
santhemums can become a joy to him. 
In the same way, the place where 
Michaelmas Daisies are growing should be 
spring brightened by gorgeous "Tulips, and 
summer adorned by Gladioli; in the Tulips 
even a succession may be worked for by 
raising some Duc Van Thols, some double, 
and some Parrot Tulips, or Darwins, 
Peony beds, which have of necessity to be 
well looked after in the matter of enrich- 
ment, are very suitable sites, in full sun- 
shine, for 
which we most of us grow now. The Peony 
plants afford the Lilies some shelter from 
too scorching . sunshine, as well as from 
the full blasts of cold winds, and also help 
to retain moisture in the soil. 
M, HawrHorns—Tho Gardener. 
displays’ of Lilium auratum,. 
5 
THE TULIP FANCIER'S APOLOGY. 
The English Tulip, much in ‘evidence at 
the Drill Hall on Tuesday, is, with the 
Auricula, the peculiar stronghold of the 
florist pure and simple. Of course, Roses, 
Carnations, Dahlias, and even Daffodils are 
shown and judged on severe florists’ lines, 
but they are also common objects of the 
garden, whereas the fancy Tulip and the 
Auricula belong to a few enthusiasts, who 
criticise them by certain traditional set 
rules, somewhat of a wonder and a mystery 
to those not in the secret. An infinite 
variety of Tulips is nowadays to be found 
in our gardens, from the early bedding 
sorts which make large sheets of smooth 
color in the parks to the slender Floren- 
tine Tulip, with its drooping head and. ex- 
quisite scent, so common in the southern 
vineyards, or Gregii all scarlet and gold 
above the broad leaves purple-spotted like 
the Woodland Orchis. Yellow is perhaps 
the prevailing color in the genus, but — 
browns and purples and every shade of 
rose and scarlet are there; some have long 
petals that fold together like dogs’ ears, 
some again are pointed and feflex in gra- 
cious curves so that the widely opened 
flower has almost a starry aspect. Buti 
the hardened florist will have none of 
them, for him they are “garden Tulips” 
not “Tulips;” his flowers must be shaped 
like a cup with smooth rounded petals, the 
blue or black blotch that is so general 
must be replaced by a clear circle of white 
or yellow at the base of the flower, and 
while he admits a certain number of self- 
colors his most cherished blooms are 
streaked and striped on a determined plan. 
A. narrow scheme that cuts out much 
beauty, one is at first inclined to say; and 
indeed it would be easy to criticise the 
effect of Tuesday’s show, even after mak- 
ing allowance for the unkindly weather, 
a terrible upset of the calculations of all 
gardeners. A. row of green-painted boards 
in which the blooms are stuck at regular 
intervals, no foliage, not even the stalk, 
visible; the loveliest flower in the world - 
is robbed of its grace and dignity by such 
treatment. But this criticism is really 
wide of the mark, a florist’s show is a com- 
petition not a display, and the flowers 
must be set out so that they may be 
minutely scrutinised; defects and good 
qualities are to be nakedly. displayed and 
no artistic arrangements can. be allowed to 
cover flaws in growth. Watch the judges 
at their task, they peer closely into each 
flower, take it from its stand, and turn it 
about, they match it with a rival bloom 
from another stand, in their minds they 
carry a standard, and point by point they 
decide how far the flower conforms to their 
ideal. Thus the green boards or some- 
thing equivalent to them are a necessity ; 
the flowers must be wholly accessible to 
examination, and neatness is the only 
general effect that is attainable. 
But why have. a standard at all is the 
next question raised. A flower is grown ~ 
for its beauty; why not judge it simply 
by its beauty and leave line and rule 
alone? Indeed the florist of late has 
come in for a good deal of denunciation, 
not only are his formal standards decried 
