44 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
January  18,  1900, 
One  of  the  very  old  writers  attributes  the  value  of  transplant!  g  to 
be  derived  from  the  roots  being  broken  in  the  process  with  subsequent 
access  of  new  ones  to  lay  hold  on  the  fresh  soil.  The  question  is  one 
worth  pondering.  We  never  dream  of  doubting  the  value  of  trans¬ 
planting  certain  crops — e.g.,  the  Brassicae,  and  those  who  cultivate 
Parsley  by  transplanting  from  seed  beds  know  that  it  is  in  every 
respect  superior  to  that  not  so  treated.  In  the  same  way,  transplanted 
early,  Peas  and  French  Beans  are  superior  to  those  sown  where  they 
crop.  But  to  return  to  the  subject  more  immediately  under  review. 
Not  the  least  remarkable  examples  of  the  beneficial  effects  result¬ 
ing  from  early  transplanting  are  provided  by  monocotyledonous 
plants.  In  the  case  of  Amaryllis  and  Gladiolus  it  is  possible  to  lose 
or  gain  a  twelvemonth  in  the  period  of  flowering  from  this  cause  alone. 
If  for  example  the  seeds  of  the  last  named  are  sown  in  pots  or  in 
boxes  in  early  spring  and  started  in  a  little  heat,  but  allowed  to 
remain  during  the  season  without  transplanting,  treat  them  as  care¬ 
fully  as  one  may,  the  corms  will  be  small  at  its  end.  On  the  other 
hand,  if  the  seedlings  are  transplanted,  say  in  May,  into  the  open 
garden,  in  a  few  weeks  the  little  fellows  will  exhibit  their  satisfaction, 
and  the  corms  when  lifted  show  the  value  of  the  practice  still  more 
plainly.  Or  one  might  refer  to  any  common  Dracaena,  the  seedlings  of 
which  if  transplanted  at  an  early  stage  and  duly  potted,  all  through 
retain  the  lead  of  those  left  a  little  longer  in  the  seed  pan. 
The  practice  of  transplanting  Onions  from  boxes  affords  another 
incontrovertible  proof.  Smaller  plants  placed  out  early  certainly  out- 
grow"  stronger  ones  allowed  to  remain  longer  in  the  seed  boxes.  Leeks 
provide  an  object  lesson  equally  striking,  and  those  who  allow  seedlings 
of  this  highly  estimable  vegetable  to  remain,  for  whatever  reason,  in 
the  seed  lines  after  the  plants  are  at  a  proper  stage  to  transplant,  do  so 
at  a  great  loss  of  weight  in  the  crop.  Celery  is  a  valuable  crop  that  is 
frequently  prejudiced  solely  by  leaving  the  seedlings  too  long  without 
transplanting,  and  perhaps  more  often  still  by  allowing  the  trans¬ 
planted  stock  to  get  too  large  previous  to  removing  to  the  trenches. 
Without  educing  more  examples,  note  may  be  made  of  the  value 
of  early  transplanting  for  another  reason.  The  occurrence  is  by  no 
means  infrequent  that  seedlings  raised  under  glass,  and  particularly 
when  the  subjects  are  somewhat  haidy  and  a  degree  of  aitificial  heat 
has’been  used,  that  great  loss  acciues  from  damping.  One  method  of 
checking  this  is  to  remove  to  a  cooler  temperature,  or  to  lower  it  in 
the  structure  where  the  plants  are  affected.  But  an  infallible  means 
of  staying  this  plague  is  to  transplant  without  any  delay  those  seed¬ 
lings  which  have  not  been  attacked,  and  the  better  plan  still  to  prick 
out  the  seedlings  at  so  early  a  stage  of  growth  that  this  troublesome 
visitation  is  never  made. 
In  strict  connection  with  what  has  been  already  indicated  should 
be  the  lines  of  treating  young  seedliirgs,  is  the  question  of  the  most 
suitable  times  to  sow.  In  not  a  few  cases,  and  more  particularly  so 
with  plants  that  are  prepared  for  decorating  the  summer  garden,  the 
seeds  are  sown  at  a  date  that  is  earlier  than  is  necessar}',  and  the 
result  is  delay  in  effect  through  check  to  growth  when  young.  There 
are  plants,  such  as  Pentstemens,  Lobelias,  and  Begonias,  which  must 
be  sow'n^  early  in  the  year  to  secure  a  strong  floriferous  plant,  but 
with  rapid  growing  kinds,  such  as  Asters,  Marigolds,  and  Sunfiew^ers, 
there  is  no  gain  from  sowing  early. — B, 
THE  WILD  GAEDEN. 
Can  we  contemplate  anything  that  will  give  more  effectiveness 
and  tone  to  a  garden,  or  that  will  piroduce  so  much  beauty  and 
pleasure,  as  is  likely  to  arise  from  the  naturalisation  of  such  plants  as 
will  take  care  of  themselves  when  planted  near  to  the  margins  of 
shrubberies,  or  on  lawns  where  the  ground  is  never  dug?  We  take 
it  for  granted  that  anyone  proposing  to  foim  a  wild  garden  will  have 
given  proper  attention  and  consideration  to  the  preparation  of  the 
soil  by  the  removal  of  noxious  weeds  as  much  as  possible,  and  to  the 
providing  the  groundwork  for  the  natural  relief  of  the  floral  colouring 
a  verdure  of  green  lawm  or  grass. 
M  e  have  seen  many  inquiries  as  to  which  are  the  best  Grasses  to 
form  a  lawn,  have  read  the  varied  answers,  and  from  actual  trials  can 
recommend  for  a  good  average  soil  a  mixture  in  about  equal  piopor- 
tions  of  Agrostis  canina,  or  Creeping  Bent  ;  Cynosuius  cristatus,  or 
Crested  Dogstail ;  Festuca  duriuscula,  or  Hardy  Fescue;  and'^Poa 
pratense,  or  Smooth-stalked  Meadow-grass.  We  do  not  add!,White 
Clover,  although  some  may  say  it  ought  to  be  employed.  Let  the 
seeds  be  sown  liberally  in  April,  hutWefore  sowing  make  the  ground 
perfectly  even  and  firm  by  rolling  and  raking.  ]  Once  the  greensward 
or  lawn  has  been  formed  care  must  be  taken  not  to  fall  into  the 
common  error  of  supposing  that  it  will  take  care  of  itself.  M^eeds  will 
assert  themselves,  and  no  doubt  hand  removal  will  have  to  be  resorted 
to  in  order  to  extract  Docks,  Dandelions  and  Daisies,  and  where 
moss  abounds  the  surface  may  require  scarifying  with  iron  rakes, 
re-covering  with  fine  soil  and  wood  ashes,  and  resowing  with  fresh 
seeds. 
The  practice  of  wild  gardening  is  yet  in  its  infancy,  for  the 
mistake  is  made  in  assuming  that  the  mixed  border  is  the  only  place 
suitable  for  hardy  flowers.  A  properly  formed  and  planted  mixed 
border  is  a  charming  sight,  but  when  the  fact  is  recognised  that 
this  is  only  one  out  of  a  dozen  different  ways  of  growing  hardy  flowers, 
we  begin  to  see  the  great  wealth  of  brilliant  material  available  for 
use  in  the  wild  garden  in  one  form  or  another.  Many  of  the  plants 
are  comparatively  cheap  to  buy,  easy  of  culture,  hardy,  therefore 
more  readily  adaptable  to  the  object  in  view  than  to  any  other  system 
of  gardening  requiring  plants  of  tender  constitutions. 
"We  cannot  lay  down  any  hard  and  fast  rules  to  form  a  perfect 
wild  garden,  for  no  two  places  are  alike ;  each  has  its  own  natural 
surrounding.  Thus  we  might  advise  a  mixed  border  of  trees  and 
shrubs  as  a  background,  where  it  is  needful  to  hide  some  objectionable 
view,  while  in  another  case  the  same  would  not  be  admissible.  From 
first  to  last  all  appearances  of  stiffness  or  formality  of  outline,  either 
in  regard  to  walks,  beds,  or  borders,  should  be  studiously  avoided  ; 
Nature  should  be  imitated  as  much  as  possible.  We  cannot  entirely 
dispense  with  hardy  trees  and  shrubs,  neither  can  we  call  our  wild 
garden  complete  without  hardy  Ferns,  or  climbing  plants  festooned, 
or  creeping  and  trailing  plants  covering  the  intervening  ground,  to 
enumerate  only  a  part  of  which  space  will  not  permit  at  present, 
but  more  anon.  ^Ve  will  for  the  moment  confine  ourselves  to  those 
plants  which  may  be  placed  upon  the  grass  portion  of  our  plot. 
Here  you  may  produce  one  of  the  prettiest  and  most  effective 
plans  of  gardening  by  naturalising  patches  of  such  plants  as  prac¬ 
tically  take  care  of  themselves.  M^hat  has  so  glorious  an  effect  on 
the  green  carpet  as  the  golden  Crocus  flaunting  its  vernal  gold  to 
herald  the  advent  of  spring,  meeting  the  eye  in  all  odd  nooks  and 
corners  ?  while  the  white  Crocus  are  far  more  telling  than  Snowdrops. 
Few  spring-flowering  plants  can  compare  with  the  Hepaticas,  varying 
in  colour  from  a  lovely  pale  blue  to  a  pure  white,  and  shading  to 
mauve  at  d  soft  pink  tints.  Of  Narcissus  the  varieties  are  innumer¬ 
able,  and  man}'  are  worthy  of  inclusion  in  the  wild  garden ;  hut  of 
them  all  the  most  deliciously  fragrant  and  most  chastely  beautiful 
is  the  old  common  white  Narcissus  poeticus.  Its  beauty  and  sweet¬ 
ness  need  no  recommendations  here  ;  we  can  only  add  that  it  is 
deserving  of  more  extensive  patronage.  The  common  Daffodil  is 
equally  well  known. 
M^here  spring  flowers  are  in  request  for  furnishing  cut  flowers 
the  charming  Scillas  provide  much  tl  at  may  very  thankfully  be 
accepted.  Scilla  sibirica  is  perhaps  the  best  as  regards  colour,  a 
beautiful  azure  blue ;  while  the  common  Bluebell  (S.  nutans),  so 
abundant  in  groves  in  many  parts  o*  England,  is  worth  naturalising, 
as  is  also  the  white  variety,  S.  n.  alba.  Many  beautiful  and  inter¬ 
esting  Primulas  are  so  fragrant,  so  excellent  in  their  colouring,  and 
flowering  as  they  do  in  spring  and  early  summer,  that  all  lovers  of 
flowers  cannot  forego  them.  Even  the  common  Primrose  is  a  fine 
object  on  a  good  lawm  or  grass  plot.  Years  ago  we  remember  seeing- 
a  large  quantity  planted  out  in  this  way  literally  covered  with  bloom. 
We  feel  the  want  of  good  coloured  varieties  of  this  family  with  the 
same  vigour  as  the  common  Primrose. 
Grape  Hyacinths  are  very  desirable  in  the  wild  garden.  Muscari 
botryoides  is  well  known,  and  deservedly  a  favourite  with  its  lively 
blue  globose  clusters.  We  may  still  find  M.  racemosum  in  some  old 
cottage  gardens  growing  apparently  nearly  wild,  for  it  will  hold  its 
own  anywhere  if  only  permitted  to  wander  over  the  greensward 
growing  like  a  weed.  The  highly  interesting  and  ornamental  Irises 
are  easily  grown,  but  we  rarely  see  enough  of  them,  and  to  enumerate 
or  recommend  any  particular  species  or  varieties  would  be  superfluous, 
for  they  are  so  numerous  and  all  so  beautiful.  Little  need  be  said  in 
praise  of  the  Snowdrop,  but  still  it  must  be  added. 
None  of  the  above  requires  any  special  attention  where  the  grass  is 
permitted  to  grow  until  all  the  foliage  of  the  bulbs  and  other  spring- 
plants  is  ripe,  when  it  may  be  cut  over  and  swept.  By  spring,  when 
the  flow  ers  come  up,  they  should  stand  out  in  bold  relief  amongst  the 
short,  fresh,  green  grass.  By  no  means  should  the  planting  be  done 
in  driblets.  "Whatever  quantity  of  bulbs  it  is  decided  to  put  in,  plant 
them  in  recognisable  patches  from  1  yard  to  2  yards  across,  and  it  will 
be  found  that  none  of  our  spring  flowering  plants  in  the  border  can 
compare  with  those  grown  with  grass  as  a  groundwork. — T.  Gee. 
