4 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER, 
Januarj'  4,  1900. 
FLOWERING  TREES  AND  SHRUBS. 
While  so  much  is  being  done  towards  the  adornment  of  the  flower 
garden  it  is  surprising  how  few  of  the  many  beautiful  flowering 
trees  and  shrubs  are  requisitioned,  even  in  some  of  the  best  kept 
gardens  ;  they  are  equally  hardy,  and  no  more  expensive  than  many 
of  the  commoner  kinds  which  we  find  so  often  repeated.  Rhododen¬ 
drons,  Laurustinus,  and  Laburnums  are  still  deserving  of  cultivation, 
but  others  may  be  planted  that  will  vastly  increase  the  beauty  and 
enhance  the  charms  of  the  garden. 
We  will  begin  with  the  Rhododendrons.  Fine  hybrids  can  now 
be  procured  in  almost  endless  variety  of  colours  and  shades,  and  what 
can  excel  the  massive  beauty  of  their  flowers  ?  Can  anyone  but 
admit  that  they  are  simply  magnificent  ?  There  is  no  difficulty  in 
selecting  varieties  with  foliage  as  hardy  and  as  beautiful  as  a  Laurel. 
But  while  admiring  the  hybrid  Rhododendrons,  we  are  even  more 
charmed  by  their  near  allies,  the  hybrid  Azaleas,  which  are  quite 
hardy  in  many  parts  of  the  kingdom,  but  are  seldom  seen  except 
treated  as  pot  plants.  A  bed  of  Azaleas  has  no  parallel  amongst 
flowers  with  its  dazzling  shades  of  colour,  ranging  from  the  soft  tints 
of  primrose,  sulphur,  and  yellow  to  the  more  radiant  glories  of  apricot, 
salmon,  orange,  and  vermilion.  The  perfume,  too,  is  most  delicious — 
an  aroma  which  clings  tenaciously,  evaporating  not,  but  permeating 
all  around. 
Passing  on  again,  we  have  the  great  wealth  of  hardy  Heaths,  and 
their  near  allies  the  White  Irish  Heath  (Menziesia  polifolia  alba),  with 
its  profusion  of  waxy  blossoms,  equal  in  appearance  to  the  chaste 
bells  of  the  Lily  of  the  Valley.  The  plants  continue  to  bloom  for 
three  or  four  months  during  spring  and  summer.  Kalmias,  also 
members  of  the  Heath  tribe,  do  not  flower  freely  in  some  parts  of  the 
kingdom,  but  where  they  can  obtain  sufficient  moisture  to  prevent 
the  foliage  becoming  browned  by  the  sun,  then  they  ought  to  be 
planted  extensively.  Both  K.  latifolia  and  K.  myrtifolia  may  safely 
be  planted  in  moist  sandy  loam,  near  the  sides  of  lakes  or  similar 
situations,  and  where  they  often  receive  partial  shade.  The  wax-like 
flowers  and  foliage  are  really  beautiful.  Then,  again,  we  have  the 
beautiful  spring  flowering  Andromedas,  with  their  creamy  white  bell- 
like  blooms,  which  are  far  from  being  sufficiently  appreciated,  for 
where  compact  plants  of  dwarf  growth  are  required  these  do  duty  in  a 
twofold  form,  with  their  charming  flowers  and  fine  foliage. 
But  what  of  the  Berberis  ?  Do  we  see  these  represented  as  often 
as  they  deserve  ?  Of  all  small  flowering  shrubs  what  is  finer  than 
B.  Fortune!,  with  its  different  shades  of  leaves,  varying  from  green 
to  yellow,  and  salmon  to  vivid  red  ;  or  B.  Darwini  and  B.  stenophylla 
when  laden  with  their  rich  gold  and  bronze-coloured  flowers,  the 
latter  possibly  the  prettiest  ot  all.  And  these  are  plants  specially 
adapted  for  small  gardens,  as  they  may  be  pruned  and  kept  to  any 
size  required.  We  cannot  pass  by  the  dwarf,  compact-growing 
Daphne  cneorum,  with  its  rosy  umbels,  giving  such  a  sweet  fragrance 
that  one  is  loth  to  leave  it,  even  to  have  a  peep  at  its  near  relative 
D.  mezereum.  The  former  will  not  thrive  everywhere,  but  might 
well  be  extensively  tried.  It  likes  an  open  sunny  spot  during  the 
summer,  with  a  free  root  run  in  good  sound  loam.  D.  mezereum  is  a 
British  plant  which  early  in  spring,  sometimes  as  early  as  February, 
is  covered  with  showy  pinkUffired  blossoms,  and  is  one  of  the  most 
valuable  of  spring  flowering  shrubs  which  ought  to  find  a  place  in 
every  garden.  The  hybrid  white  variety  is  also  equally  attractive. 
Of  the  Snowballs  the  old  Gueldres  Rose  is  the  most  popular,  but 
that  beautiful  free  flowering  variety  Viburnum  plicatum  is  the  finest, 
surpassing  all  others  in  habit,  foliage,  and  flowere.  The  disposition  of 
this  plant  to  bloom  profusely  whilst  quite  small  is  not  the  least  of  its 
merits,  to  cause  it  to  be  justly  considered  one  of  the  most  valuable 
ornamental  shrubs  in  cultivation.  Much  might  also  be  written  in 
favour  of  the  hardy  Spirmas,  with  their  graceful  spikes,  plumes,  and. 
panicles,  but  many  are  not  met  with  so  often  as  they  deserve.  Of 
these  S.  Fortunei  is  worth  attention  as  a  plant  which  thrives  in  almost 
any  soil  and  aspect,  with  grand  deep  rose  coloured  flowers ;  whilst  the 
larger  leaved  S.  Lindleyana,  with  its  large  terminal  panicles  of  white 
flowers  forms  a  remarkably  handsome  shrub  in  autumn  when  few 
others  are  in  flower.  The  charming  Hydrangea  paniculata  grandiflora, 
with  its  immense  panicles,  literally  covering  the  branches  with  the 
flowers  of  changeable  shades  from  pure  white  to  pink,  ought  to  be  in 
every  garden. 
Of  flowering  shrubs  in  the  latter  part  of  summer  we  have  few  of 
any  recognised  merit.  But  what  are  more  telling  than  some  of  the 
varieties  of  Hibiscus,  yet  how  meagrely  are  they  represented  in  most 
gardens.  A  group  comprising  both  the  double  and  single  varieties  in 
their  different  colours  is  fine,  and  almost  as  bright  and  cheerful 
looking  in  August  and  September  as  anything  we  have  in  spring. 
Besides  the  foregoing  there  are  many  trees  and  shrubs,  alas  !  too 
little  used,  which  deserve  a  place  in  any  garden ;  some  on  account  of 
their  peculiar  and  telling  foliage,  others  their  coloured  fruit  or  berries, 
or  strange  habits  of  growth.  No  garden  can  be  at  all  complete,  or 
even  satisfactory,  without  its  complement  of  trees  and  shrubs.  But 
while  enumerating  only  a  few,  there  are  many  others  which  we  hope 
to  see  more  extensively  cultivated,  and  to  which  we  may  at  some 
future  time  refer. — T.  Gee. 
SILICO-FLUORIDES. 
It  will,  perhaps  save  trouble  to  such  of  the  readers  of  the  Journal 
of  Horticulture  as  are  interested  in  the  various  matters  connected 
with  the  use  of  silico-fluorides  in  the  garden,  if  you  will  allow  me  to 
point  out  that  the  silico-fluoride  of  ammonium  affords  a  ready  means 
of  preparing  any^  other  silico-fluoride  that  may  be  required.  For 
example,  if  the  silico-fluoride  of  potassium  is  wanted,  all  one  has  to 
do  is  dissolve  in  rain  water  or  distilled  water  some  salt  of  potassium, 
such  as  the  sulphate,  chloride,  or  nitrate  (saltpetre).  On  adding 
the  silico-fluoride  of  ammonium  to  such  solutions  the  silico- 
fluroide  of  potassium  is  immediately  precipitated,  while  the  sul¬ 
phate,  chloride,  or  nitrate  of  ammonium,  as  the  case  may  be, 
remains  in  solution.  Probably  most  people  would  use  the  nitrate  of 
potassium  for  this  purpose;  saltpetre  is  tolerably  cheap,  and  the 
nitrate  of  ammonium  which  results  is  a  very  powerful  and  valuable 
fertiliser. 
The  same  remarks  apply  to  the  soluble  salts  of  sodium  and 
calcium ;  all  are  precipitated  by’  the  silico-fluoride  of  ammonium. 
Sodic  silico-fluorffe  is  slightly  soluble  in  water  (five  pints  dissolve 
0'625  oz.),  but  the  other  silico-fluorides  mentioned  above  are  prac¬ 
tically  insoluble  in  cold  water,  so  that  they  can  be  easily  washed  free 
from  traces  of  other  substances.  For  the  guidance  of  your  readers, 
the  following  data  as  to  solubilities  will  be  useful  ; — 
Potassic  sulphate  dissolves  in  11  times  its  weight  of  water. 
„  chloride  „  4  „  „  „ 
,,  nitrate  ,,  4  ,,  „  ,, 
The  sulphate,  chloride,  and  nitrate  of  ammonium  are  much  more 
soluble  than  the  corresponding  potassium  salts,  so  that  the  silico- 
fluoride  ot  ammonium  may  be  used  dry,  and  stirred  directly  into  the 
various  solutions.  The  quantity  of  it  which  must  be  used  is  as 
follows: — 
1  oz.  potassic  sulphate  requires  1'02  oz. 
1  „  ,,  chloride  „  1T9  „ 
1  ,,  nitrate  „  1‘76  „ 
Advantage  may  be  taken  of  the  foregoing  facts  by  anyone  who 
is  troubled  with  hard  water  and  prefers  solt.  Stir  into  a  tub  of  hard 
water  silico-fluoride  of  ammonium  until  a  piece  of  blue  litmus  paper 
is  turned  red  when  dipped  in.  Then  add  a  little  more  water,  and 
continue  to  do  so  until  the  red  litmus  paper,  w’hen  dipped  in,  regains 
its  blue  colour.  As  soon  as  the  water  has  had  time  to  settle,  the 
tub  whll  contain  pure  water  with  a  little  carbonate  of  ammonia  in  it, 
while  the  lime  and  other  impurities  will  be  in  a  solid  state  at  the 
bottom.  Carbonate  of  ammonia  soon  evaporates  from  any  leaves  upon 
which  it  may  be  sprayed,  and  meanwhile  does  them  no  harm. 
— W.  Mills. 
-  The  Cultivation  of  Muscat  Gbapes. — A  report  from  the 
“  Isle  of  Wight  Express,”  of  a  voluminous  paper  by  Mr.  W.  Tribbick, 
Brook  Gardens,  has  been  sent  to  us,  and  from  which  we  take  a  short 
extract : — “  I  have  grown  Muscats  for  twenty  years,  during  which 
period  many  gardeners  competent  to  judge  have  affirmed  that  as  a 
house  of  those  Grapes  mine  would  compare  favourably  with  any  in 
this  country.  They  were  also  once  considered  so  meritorious  as  to 
secure  me  a  substantial  rise  of  wages,  not  the  least  acceptable  I  can 
assure  you  of  honours  won.  My  vinery  is  50  feet  long,  with  inside 
border  12  feet  wide,  composed  of  rather  calcareous  fibrous  loam,  cut 
from  down,  where  sheep  are  constantly  grazing.  This  was  taken 
3  inches  in  thickness  only,  six  months  before  required  for  use,  first 
stacked  for  the  decay  of  grass,  afterwards  broken  not  too  fine.  To 
each  waggonload  of  this  was  added  ten  barrowloads  of  old  plaster 
and  lime  rubble,  five  of  wood  ashes,  five  of  gritty  washings  from 
high  road  water  tables,  and  half  a  cwt.  of  very  small  bone.  This  com¬ 
post  was  turned  many  times,  the  whole  of  the  ingredients  being  thus 
well  incorporated  with  each  other.  Very  strong  canes  were  planted 
in  May,  and  permitted  to  grow  quite  naturally,  without  stopping  or 
pinching,  covering  all  of  the  roof  before  growth  was  completed.  They 
were  pruned  back  to  3  feet  from  the  bottom  of  the  rafters,  and  the 
following  year  allowed  to  carry  three  or  four  branches  each.  Some 
cultivators  consider  it  unwise  to  commence  cropping  permanent  Vines 
thus  early,  but  I  contend  this  had  the  desired  effect  of  checking  the 
almost  too  luxuriant  growth  made,  and  aided  the  production  of  full 
crops  in  shortest  possible  time.  An  initial  mistake  often  made  is  in 
cutting  back  one  or  two  buds,  young  Vines  that  have  grown  with 
exceptional  freedom.  This  results  in  such  excessive  vigour  as  to  make 
them  unproductive  the  following  season.  Our  Vines  at  the  next 
pruning  were  shortened  back  to  9  feet,  and  carried  nine  or  ten  bunches 
to  each  rod  of  well-finished  fruit,  and  the  n»xt  year  a  full  crop  of 
fourteen  bunches  equally  good.  I  prune  on  the  spur  system,  but  I 
have  three  times  in  twenty  years  run  up  new  rods,  four  of  the  Vines 
having  now  two  rods  each,  or  fourteen  in  all,  on  which  I  annually 
secure  about  200  bunches.” 
