August  11,  1898. 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER.  113. 
HEDYSARUM  MULTIJUG  UM* 
During  the  last  fire  years  this  pretty  Leguminous  shrub  has  gained 
a  fair  amount  of  notice  on  account  of  its  long  flowering  season.  It  is 
a  native  of  Southern  Mongolia.  When  allowed  to  grow  naturally  it 
makes  a  straggling  bush  4  feet  or  more  in  height,  but  to  be  seen  to 
advantage  it  must  be  pegged  down  to  the  ground  •  by  this  means  dense 
bushes  foot  high  are  formed.  The  pinnate  leaves  are  about  5  inches 
in  length  and  slightly  glaucous.  The  flowers  are  borne  in  loose  racemes 
10  inches  in  length  from  almost  every  node  on  the  young  wood.  The 
flowers  are  rosy  purple  with  a  light  nmrk  at  the  base  of  the  top  petal. 
The  flowering  period  is  from  May  until  early  autumn.  It  is  best  grown 
from  seeds,  though  it  can  be  rooted  both  from  cuttings  and  layers. — W.  D- 
[For  the  illustration  (fig.  21)  of  Iledysarum  multijugum  we  are 
indebted  to  the  courtesy  of  Messrs.  J.  Veitch  &  Sons,  Ltd.,  Chelsea  ] 
and  skill  displayed.  Everything  and  everywhere  is  neat,  trim,  and  tidy, 
the  beds  are  always  in  good  condition  ;  the  moment  a  bed  gets  a  little 
past  its  best,  it  is  replanted,  so  that  everything  is  kept  fresh,  bright,  and 
beautiful.  The  park  throughout  reflects  great  credit  on  the  superin¬ 
tendent,  Mr.  W.  Browne,  and  his  numerous  assistants,  for  everywhere  the 
hand  of  care  and  attention  is  clearly  visible. — J.  B.  R. 
;  HAM  HOUSE. 
Mr.  CONWAY,  who  succeeded  Mr.  G.  H.  Sage  at  Ham  House,  Rich¬ 
mond,  the  residence  of  the  Earl  of  Dysart,  has  some,  for  the  season, 
really  capital  crops  of  Apples  on  his  bush  trees  in  the  gardens,  and  he 
attributes  his  fortune  to  having  ih  many  cases  lifted,  and  in  others  root- 
pruned,  the  trees  somewhat  severely,  both  last  and  the  previous  winters. 
There  is  no  need  to  name  varieties,  as  he  has  many  of  the  best.  When 
practicable  each  tree  gets  a  good  watering,  and  every  one  has  about  the 
HYDE  PARK. 
The  London  parks  are  always  refreshing  to  those  who  cultivate  and 
grow  flowers  all  the  year  round.  One  can  stroll  about  the  walks  and 
refresh  one’s  ideas  on  modern  bedding,  for  nowhere  is  such  a  variety  of 
plants  utilised  as  in  London  parks.  In  Hyde  Park  the  bedding  changes 
with  every  year,  and  the  many  plants  that  were  considered  indispensable 
few  years  ago  are  now  in  a  minority.  The  flat  patches  of  colouring  have 
almost  gone  ;  here  and  there  a  bright  bed  of  “  Geraniums  ’  is  to  be  seen, 
but  the  majority  of  the  beds  are  filled  with  an  assortment  of  plants  which, 
while  giving  variety,  harmonise  beautifully. 
Instead  of  a  bed  of  plants  growing  about  a  foot  high,  and  presenting  a 
flat  surface,  we  have  them  hero  3  and  4  feet  in  stature,  not  crowded  or 
packed  together,  but  planted  so  that  each  may  be  seen  growing  clearly 
from  its  surrounding  compeers.  Fuchsias  in  the  form  of  pyramids  are 
largely  employed,  fine  plants  about  3  feet  high,  while  the  carpeting  of  the 
bed  or  groundwork  is  composed  of  vigorous  growing  Violas,  the  combina¬ 
tion  having  an  excellent  effect.  In  other  cases  the  Fuchsias  are  planted 
in  conjunction  with  Pentstemons  and  Salpiglossis,  while  the  edges  are 
covered  with  Lobelia,  Alternantheras,  Fuchsia  Sunray,  and  others. 
Large  bushes  and  pyramids  of  Heliotrope  in  full  flower,  with  a  ground¬ 
work  of  Nicotiana  affinis,  make  an  arrangement  which  is  greatly  admired 
by  all  visitors.  Diplacus  glutinosus,  with  its  apricot  coloured  flowers, 
appears  quite  at  home. 
A  new  feature  to  me  were  the  beds  of  Bougainvillea  glabra,  plants 
4  or  5  feet  high,  and  laden  with  flowers.  They  appear  particularly 
happy  ;  the  flowers  are  almost  deep  enough  in  colour  for  B.  Sanderiana, 
The  beds  containing  them  were  made  complete  with  Fuchsia  fulgens, 
Ivy  Pelargoniums,  Petunias,  and  Violas.  Iceland  Poppies  in  the  three 
colours,  with  white  Abutilons  as  “dot”  plants,  were  worthy  of  note,  as 
was  also  a  bed  of  dark  red  Zonal  Pelargoniums,  from  which  issued  the 
tall  white  spikes  of  the  Bridal  Wreath  plant,  Francoa  ramosa.  Violas 
are  largely  employed  here,  as  well  as  in  the  other  parks,  not  only  as 
ground  coverers,  but  also  to  form  beds.  It  is  a  matter  of  surprise  that 
they  are  not  grown  more  largely  in  our  private  gardens,  as  they  give 
a  continuous  display  of  bloom  throughout  the  seas  jn.  Salpiglossis 
seedlings  produce  a  fine  quiet  effect,  an  1  are  to  be  seen  here  flourishing 
with  a  carpeting  of  Mignonette.  Carnations  are  used  somewhat  sparingly, 
but  the  beds  planted  with  those  robust  growers,  Alice  Ayres  and  Raby 
Castle,  were  very  effective,  the  blue  Violas  acting  in  perfect  concert  with 
them.  Seedling  Begonias  will  be  bright  and  attractive  in  a  week  or  two. 
Carpet  bedding  now  occupies  a  minor  position,  and  the  beds  are  freely 
dotted  with  plants  of  Carex  Brum  ;  ea  and  its  variegated  form,  and  small 
Palms.  The  Coral  plant,  Erytbrina  crista-galli,  was  s<  en  to  advantage 
with  a  carpeting  of  blue  Violas.  As  I  have  never  seen  this  plant  utilised 
for  this  purpose  before  it  came  as  a  most  pleasing  novelty.  It  would  be 
out  of  the  question  to  enumerate  all  the  beautiful  beds  seen,  but  I  have 
mentioned  the  most  striking. 
The  general  effect  of  the  entire  scene  must  not  be  overlooked.  Here 
one  sees  a  group  of  Norfolk  Island  Pines,  Araucaria  excelsa,  plunged  in 
the  grass  ;  there  huge  masses  ot  Bamboos  meet  the  eye,  with  Bananas  in 
sheltered  positions,  while  gigantic  Palms  wave  in  the  breeze  on  all  hands. 
The  visitor  will  see  all  this  by  entering  at  the  Cumberland  Gate  or 
Marble  Arch,  and  proceeding  down  to  the  Stanhope  Gate,  where  it  will 
be  well  to  cross  the  park  to  the  right,  which  leads  to  the  Dell,  round  which 
we  walk  with  admiration.  It  would  be  almost  impossible  to  conjure  up 
such  a  scene  in  the  great  metropolis.  No  words  of  mine  can  adequately 
describe  it.  Fancy  a  huge  enclosure,  with  undulating  lawns,  beautifully 
green  and  smooth  as  a  carpet,  rising  at  the  back  with  a  wealth  of  shrubs 
and  ornamental  foliage  till  the  eye  reaches  the  gigantic  trees  at  the  top. 
On  the  grass  are  huge  Tree  Ferns,  Bananas,  Palms,  Cordylines,  Aloes, 
Yuccas,  and  a  host  of  other  equally  ornamental  plants,  while  the  long 
cool  pool  of  water  is  edged  with  Irises,  Bamboos,  Rheums  and  Grasses, 
Water  Lilies  float  on  the  surface,  and  everything  tends  to  produce  a 
wonderful  effect.  Regardless  of  the  hundreds  of  eyes  watching,  rabbits 
skip  about  the  lawn  as  though  they  were  in  some  quiet  country  park, 
and  the  shy  wood  pigeon  struts  about  as  though  it  were  far  away  in  the 
country.  It  is  a  grand  scene  to  look  up  to,  hut  the  view  obtained  from 
the  top  walk,  looking  down  on  the  heads  of  the  Tree  Ferns  in  the  gorge, 
interspersed  with  the  dark  green  foliage  of  the  ornamental  trees,  I  think 
more  beautiful  still. 
Throughout  the  entire  park  there  is  great  evidence  of  the  forethought 
Fig.  21. — Hedysarum  multijugum. 
roots  a  mulch  of  manure  to  better  feed  the  trees  and  help  to  retain  moisture^ 
The  soil  at  Ham  is  of  a  very  loose,  fine,  sandy  nature,  quite  devoid  of 
clay,  and  naturally  soon  becomes  dry.  That  forces  the  roots  down  into 
the  lower  strata  in  search  of  moisture,  which  they  find,  and  it  induces 
rather  coarse  wood  growth,  but  does  not  produce  buds  or  fruit.  A 
drastic  course  of  treatment  is  the  best  in  such  case,  as  feeding  from  the 
surface  when  roots  are  so  remote  from  the  food  is  of  little  use.  The  fine 
crop  of  Apples  seen  now  shows  how  well  firm  dealing  with  erratic  roots 
is  justified. 
A  rather  unusual  spectacle  in  a  fruit  garden  is  a  row  of  semi-bush 
Peach  trees,  planted  in  a  warm  aspect.  They  were  planted  a  year  ago 
last  autumn,  and  somewhat  oa  mounds  ;  now  the  soil  is  thrown  up  round 
them  in  each  case  to  form  water  bays,  so  that  the  moisture  given  may  be 
fully  utilised  by  the  roots.  The  varieties  are  Alexander,  Hides’  Early, 
and  Condor.  Alexander  is  ciopping  best,  the  fruits  being  of  good  size  and 
colouring  well.  Some  few  years  must  elapse,  however,  ere  the  experi¬ 
ment  of  growing  Peaches  in  the  open  here  can  be  fully  tested.  So  far  it 
has  been  found  practicable  to  draw  the  branches  together  and  wrap  mats 
round  them  at  night  when  in  bloom.  That,  however,  would  hardly  be 
practicable  when  the  trees  were  large.  Of  course  they  would  bloom 
rather  later  than  trees  on  walls,  but  not  late  enough  to  escape  white 
trusts.  In  one  of  the  houses  there  are  several  trees  on  the  back  wall  of 
Humboldt  Nectarine  fruiting  superbly  and  carrying  a  very  brilliant 
colour.  It  makes  one’s  mouth  water  to  learn  that  such  fruits  obtain  IDs. 
per  dozen  in  the  market.  That  will  show  they  are  good. 
In  a  vinery  where  mixed  Viues  have  all  been  inarched  with  Muscat 
of  Alexandria,  there  is  a  remarkable  .difference  between  the  crops 
produced  by  Alicante  and  Lady  Downe  s  stocks  greatly  in  favour  of  the 
former.  Judged  by  the  appearauco  of  the  capital  bunches  produced 
the  Alicante  must  make  a  first-rate  stock  for  the  Muscat.  A  Cherry  house 
planted  with  cordou-trained  trees  only,  back  and  front,  is  not  a  common 
'eature  in  gardens.  The  one  at  Ham  House  is  50  feet  long,  and  about 
12  'feet  wide,  and  is  a  lean-to.  There  are  twenty-six  trees  {back  and 
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