February  1,  1900. 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
97 
great  ability  iu  turuing  unsightly  corners  into  features  of  much  horti¬ 
cultural  interest  and  originality.  In  the  present  instance,  he  has 
succeeded  in  producing  on  a  single  bed  what  may  justly  be  assumed 
to  be  a  complete  flower  garden. 
That  the  design,  as  well  as  the  style  of  planting,  is  original  is 
unquestionably  correct,  and  there  need  be  no  surprise  if,  on  a  future 
occasion,  further  efforts  in  this  direction  are  brought  to  light.  The 
position  the  bed  occupies  is-  an  ideal  one,  sheltered  and  set  off  as  it  is 
by  a  fine  background  of  shrubs,  which  are  margined  with  a  collection 
of  perennial  plants,  it  being  scarcely  possible  to  conceive  that  within 
25jor  30  yards  of  the  bed  and  beyond  the  shrubs  runs  the  public 
thoroughfare. 
The  bed  in  question  is  25  feet  in  length  by  19  feet  in  width.  The 
outer  edging,  as  may  be  noticed  on  reference  to  the  photograph,  is 
planted  at  a  little  distance  apart  with  Echeveria  secunda  glauca, 
followed  by  a  line  of  dwarf  Golden  Box  and  a  second  line  of  Retin- 
ospora  plumosa  aurea,  and  to  the  inner  portion  of  the  bed  a  third  line 
of  Ajuga  reptans.  The  four  corners  of  the  bed  are  set  off  with  one 
EARLY  PEAS. 
The  time  has  arrived  w'hen  a  great  number  of  gardeners  make 
an  effort  by  sowing  under  glass  to  hasten  the  production  of  the 
earliest  gathering  of  Peas.  Various  means  are  devised,  and  while  pots 
afford  greater  facilities  for  planting,  shallow  boxes  must  not  be  ignored. 
I  say  shallow,  by  which  is  meant  a  depth  of  not  more  than  2^  inches. 
Sown  thinly  in  these,  the  bottoms  of  which  are  covered  with  coarse 
leaf  mould  or  Mushroom  bed  refuse  before  they  are  filled  with  the 
soil  mixture.  This  layer  the  roots  take  hold  of,  and  if  not  sown  too 
soon  or  forced  iu  heat  they  transplant  readily,  and  it  is  surprising  how 
quickly  they  recover  from  the  disturbance  caused  by  planting. 
In  deep  boxes  filled  with  soil  the  work  is  neither  so  expeditious 
nor  so  satisfactory.  In  shallow  boxes  the  soil  becomes  almost  matted 
with  active  roots,  which  at  the  time  of  planting  can  be  divided  into 
small  bunches.  The  slight  check,  too,  that  is  thus  given  is  regarded 
by  some  growers  as  a  means  by  which  podding  is  accelerated.  This, 
however,  depends  very  much  on  the  weather  from  that  time.  Though 
pots  may  claim  some  advantages  over  boxes,  the  latter  expedite  the 
Fig.  23. -A  BED  IN  PEARSON’S  PARK,  HULL 
plant  in  each  of  Diplopappus  chrysojihylla  as  distinguishing  features. 
The  groundwork,  which  appears  to  afford  a  cheery  aspect  to  the 
whole  bed,  is  composed  entirely  of  Antennaiii  hyperborea.  The  scrolls 
are  first  lined  out  wdth  Pyrethrum  selaginoides  aurea,  and  afterwards 
filled  in  with  Armeria  maritimi.  The  rest  of  the  design  is  planted 
with  the  following  : — Alternanthera  versicolor  grandis,  Alternantheia 
aurea,  Alteroanthe  a  magnifica,  Lobelia  (a  fine  blue  seedling),  Lobelia 
Swanley  Gem,  and  Lobelia  King  of  the  Blues,  Begonia  Sutton’s 
Miniature,  and  Begonia  Sutton’s  Fairy  Queen. 
It  will  be  observed  that  throughout  the  bed  there  are  small  dark 
patches,  some  of  which  are  square  and  others  circular  in  shape. 
These  are  filled  with  plants  of  a  suitable  character  to  afford  tone  to 
the  whole  arrangement,  and  include  Golden  Thyme,  Golden-leaved 
Ligustrum  ovalifol  um,  Cuphea.  platycentra,  Fuchsias  coccinea  varie- 
gata  and  Sunray,  Euonymus  pulchella  and  E.  radicans  variegata,  with 
Vincas  major  variegata  and  major  maculata.  By  way  of  affording 
relief  to  the  other  plants  used,  a  very  good  (ffect  was  proiuced  by 
placing  in  suitable  positions  all  over  the  bed  very  small  shrubs  of  an 
ornamental  character,  as  single-dot  plants,  of  Cupressus  lutea,  Lonicera 
aurea  reticulata,  Thuia  ojcidentalis  lutea,  Berberis  dulcis  nana,  B. 
■compacta,  Retinospora  plumosa  argentea,  R.  filifera,  and  R.  squariosa 
Veitchi. — J.  P.  Leadbettek,  Trar^y  Crojt  (Jar dens,  Hull. 
work  in  sowing,  and  require  slightly  less  room,  items  that  in  the  well- 
appointed  garden  account  for  little,  but  in  that  in  which  there  is  a 
dearth  of  labour  press  into  prominence  almost  every  day,  and  in  the 
spring  months  in  particular. 
Except  in  sheltered  gardens,  and  in  warm  soils,  November-sown 
Peas  do  not  give  a  return  that  will  satisfy  in  the  extent  of  their 
produce,  and  often  after  a  spell  of  frosty  weather  they  are  so  badly 
crippled  that  there  remains  no  other  course  but  to  dig  them  in  and 
l)lant  again  elsewhere.  It  is  only  in  favourable  winters  that  outdoor 
sowings  made  in  November  can  be  said  to  be  profitable,  and  since  the 
introduction  of  the  early  marrowlat  types,  the  round  varieties,  which 
abne  are  suited  ior  this  phase  of  culture,  are  fast  becoming  ousted. 
Sown  in  boxes  or  ])ots,  and  grown  steadily  in  cold  pits,  they  are 
sturdy,  bard,  and  in  otherwise  good  condition  for  putting  out  in 
March.  Even  then  the  state  of  the  weather  must  be  taken  into 
account,  and  jirovision  made  for  protecting  them  against  frost  visits, 
for  bright  sumiuer-like  days  are  treacherous  in  the  extreme.  It  is 
always  advisable  to  stake  the  taller-growing  sorts  at  once,  and  give 
additional  protection  with  light  boughs  of  Yew  or  I  ir,  inserted  on  the 
windw’ard  side  of  the  rows.  The  soil  should  be  in  a  good  planting 
condition,  and  the  day  chosen  a  mild  one,  otherwise  there  is  loss 
rather  than  gain  in  the  ultimate  results. — W.  S. 
