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JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER.  SmnwXiM. 
easily  be  removed  by  the  sponge,  as  the  older  foliage  is  strong  and 
leathery.  Woodlice  should  have  no  quarters  amongst  the  plants,  as  they 
destroy  the  growing  points  of  the  roots. 
The  stock  of  plants  is  easily  increased  by  division  of  the  growing 
tufts  at  potting  time,  and  if  possessed  of  a  good  variety  it  is  well  to  keep 
up  the  stock  by  division.  Seeds  saved  from  the  beet  varieties— which 
appears  on  the  spadix  in  the  form  of  green  dots,  and  in  the  course  of 
twelve  months  assume  an  orange-scarlet  colour — will  germinate  quickly 
if  sown  in  a  light  compost  and  plunged  in  bottom  heat.  When  pricked 
sff  they  must  be  carefully  watered,  as  they  soon  damp  off  at  this  stage. 
It  is  always  interesting  to  watch  the  progress  of  seedlings,  and  it  often 
repays  any  additional  care  by  giving  improved  varieties.  Some  of  the 
Beedlings  are  sure  to  be  worth  keeping,  having  some  good  quality  of 
spathe  or  foliage.  The  broader  and  longer  the  leaves  the  greater  the 
probability  of  a  spathe  in  proportion,  but  Borne  of  the  narrow-leaved 
varieties  are  remarkable  for  the  length  of  the  spathe,  and  these  form  a 
pleasing  contrast  and  variety. 
The  night  temperature  during  the  winter  need  not  be  higher  than  55° 
to  60°,  but  no  hard  and  fast  line  should  be  drawn,  the  temperature  must 
be  regulated  by  the  state  of  the  atmosphere  outside.  During  the  spring 
and  summer  they  enjoy  a  high  moist  atmosphere,  65°  to  70°  at  night,  with 
a  rise  of  10°  by  day,  and  abundance  of  fresh  air.  A  slight  shade  during 
the  hottest  part  of  the  day  will  preserve  the  spathes  longer,  and  prevent 
the  tender  foliage  being  scorched.  If  the  above  hints  are  put  in 
practice  they  will  give  good  results,  and  are  not  written  for  the  benefit 
of  the  experienced,  but  simply  for  those  who  are  making  a  start. — 
Grower. 
SWANMORE  PARK. 
September  was  fast  drawing  to  a  close  when  a  long-looked-for 
opportunity  arose  to  pay  a  visit  to  this  well-known  Hampshire  estate, 
and  as  the  journey  had  to  be  done  in  one  day  an  early  9tart  was 
necessary,  thus  it  was  yet  early  when  Bishops  Waltham  was  reached. 
Before  coming  to  our  final  destination  we  had  a  drive  of  two  or 
three  miles  through  lanes  that  left  little  room  for  foot  passengers  to 
pass  the  conveyance,  so  what  is  done  when  other  vehicles  are  met  is  a 
problem  that  the  writer,  a  Londoner,  felt  himself  utterly  unable  to 
solve.  None  was  met,  however,  and  soon  we  were  shaking  hands  with 
the  genial  Mr.  Molyneux  at  the  door  of  his  cottage.  Within  the  air  was 
cool,  a  direct  contrast  both  to  our  reception  and  to  then  hot  weather. 
But  there  must  be  something  mercurial  in  the  blood  of  our  host,  for  no 
sooner  had  we  become  comfortably  ensconced  thana^walk  round  was 
proposed,  adopted,  and  undertaken  by  three  men  and  two  dogs. 
A  man  of  many  parts  is  Mr.  Molyneux.  Not  so  very  long  ago  his 
name  struck  terror  to  the  hearts  of  Chrysanthemum  growers,  for  so  good 
were  the  blooms  he  exhibited  that  no  one  had  a  chance  of  taking  a  prize 
against  them.  But  time  has  changed  all  that,  and  as  a  competitor  the 
Chrysanthemum  shows  know  him  no  more,  honourable  retirement  being 
chosen  when  the  laurels  were  at  their  greenest.  Not  that  the  love  of 
the  Autumn  Queen  has  faded  ;  on  the  contrary,  many  plants  are  still 
grown,  of  which  more  by-and-by  ;  but  now  it  is  shown  as  a  judge,  in 
which  his  success  is  as  great  as  when  he  was  a  showman.  Committees 
are  ever  eager  to  obtain  his  services,  for  they  well  know  that  in  securing 
him  they  have  as  good  a  judge  of  the  Chrysanthemum  as  could  be  found 
the  wide  world  over.  A  man  of  the  utmost  probity,  he  is  welcomed 
and  respected  by  all.  and  by  none,  perhaps,  more  than  by  his  employer, 
Mr.  W.  H.  Myers,  with  whom  he  has  been  so  many  years.  As 
evidence,  if  such  were  needed,  of  his  ability  as  a  grower,  one  has  but  to 
read  his  little  book,  “  Chrysanthemums :  From  the  Cutting  to  the  Silver 
Cup,”  which,  though  it  has  been  published  several  years,  and  has 
exhausted  eight  editions,  is  still  a  standard  work.  Nor  is  this  the  only 
volume  that  has  fallen  from  his  facile  pen ;  but  at  present  we  are 
dealing  rather  with  the  gardener  than  the  author. 
Not  that  gardening  in  any  of  its  many  phases  occupies  the  whole  of 
the  time  of  our  energetic  friend.  By  no  means,  for  he  is  a  cricketer 
who  has  frequently  rendered  excellent  accounts  of  himself,  and  thrown 
dismay  through  the  ranks  of  his  opponents  ;  a  cyclist  who  has  done  his 
fifty  miles  a  day,  and  finished  fresh,  and  who  deems  twelve  miles  an 
hour,  when  he  has  the  post  to  catch  with  matter  for  the  Journal,  a  mere 
nothing  ;  and,  moreover,  a  sportsman  of  local  renown,  playing  havoc 
among  the  befurred  and  bewinged  creatures  he  attacks.  The  writer  had 
an  opportunity  of  witnessing  his  skill  behind  a  gun,  a  squirrel  paying 
the  penalty  of  rendering  himself  visible  to  the  eyes  of  a  Nimrod  and  a 
gardener  who  has  suffered  much  at  various  times  from  the  propensities 
of  these  animals  from  eating  away  the  young  leaders  of  trees.  This 
paragraph  is  somewhat  of  a  digression,  so  let  us  now  return  to  our  proper 
department — horticulture. 
Amongst  the  Flowers. 
As  floral  beautieB  were  at  their  zenith  on  the  occasion  of  this  visit 
our  first  pilgrimage  was  to  the  flower  garden,  or  rather  gardens,  for  there 
is  a  series  of  them.  Each  bed,  border,  and  path,  green  or  gravel,  was 
clean.  Weeds  were  at  a  minimum,  while  tidiness  is  here  an  art  instead 
of,  as  in  some  gardens,  a  wearying  formality.  All  the  beds  were  cut  out 
of  the  grass  and  raised  well  above  the  general  surface  of  the  ground. 
No  stiff  lines  of  plants  were  perceptible,  but  the  design  so  made  and 
followed  as  to  allow  each  plant  to  show  any  individual  grace  either  of 
inflorescence  or  foliage  of  which  it  might  be  possessed. 
Such  a  system  is  worthy  of  more  extended  notice  by  owners  and 
gardeners,  as  the  effect  produced  commands  admiration  at  all  times, 
whereas  when  the  elaborate  designs  often  seen  are  adopted,  with  the  plants 
placed  in  rows  of  so  many  inches  apart,  and  every  shoot  removed  that 
may  be  rash  enough  to  deviate  a  hair’s  breadth  from  the  line,  the  same¬ 
ness  that  must  result  quickly  tires  the  eyes,  and  the  effect  is  destroyed. 
We  were  even  refreshed  by  a  carpet  bed  ;  but  there  was  only  one,  and  that, 
of  the  simplest  design.  Had  there  been  a  larger  number  the  eye  would 
quickly  have  been  stalled,  as  is  the  palate  when  it  tastes  only  the  same 
food  day  after  day  and  week  after  week.  The  hideous  monstrosities  of 
the  so-called  topiary  art  are  now  rarely  seen  and  probably  never  prac¬ 
tised,  the  training  of  bushes  amenable  to  such  methods  being  now 
practically  confined  to  keeping  the  plants  within  due  and  proper 
bounds.  Is  there  any  reason  why  formal  bedding,  akin  as  it  is  to 
“  topiarism,”  should  not  also  be  consigned  to  oblivion  1  Gardeners  will 
soon  be  turning  over  in  their  minds  the  system  of  future  bedding,  and 
opinions  on  this  subject  in  the  Journal  pages  would  prove  of  interest  to 
all,  and  be  of  great  value  to  the  rising  generation  by  the  practical  hints 
that  would  be  conveyed. 
To  note  all  the  combinations  made  at  Swanmore  would  take  several 
pages,  and  though  no  more  than  justice  could  then  be  done,  it  cannot 
reasonably  be  expected  that  so  much  space  will  be  placed  at  my  disposal. 
One  bed  worthy  of  note,  though  extremely  simple,  was  composed  of 
double  Zinnias  ;  another  had  a  groundwork  of  Royal  Blue  Ageratum, 
with  “  dot  ”  plants  of  Grevillea  robusta,  while  a  third  had  as  a  centre¬ 
piece  of  Gymnothrix  latifolia,  or,  as  it  is  perhaps  more  frequently  called, 
Pennisetum  latifolium,  with  Veronica  incana  beneath  and  Lobelia 
cardinalis  sending  up  its  brilliantly  hued  spikes  here  and  there.  These 
are  only  three  of  the  many,  but  they  must  suffice  for  the  present,  as 
there  are  still  many  other  phases  of  gardening  that  are  equally  worthy 
of  attention  on  this  charming  Hampshire  estate.  A  noteworthy  fact  in 
connection  with  these  and  all  the  other  plants  seen  was  the  high  state  of 
cultivation  that  had  been  brought  about  under  the  excellent  systems 
followed.  Each  plant  was  showing  its  best  points  and  adding  its  share 
in  the.  production  of  harmony  and  effect.  An  edging  plant  that  is  very 
largely  used  here  and  which  might  well  be  seen  more  frequently  in  all 
gardens,  more  particularly  small  ones  perhaps,  is  Leucophyton  Browni, 
of  which  Mr.  Molyneux  has  formed  a  very  high  opinion  after  extended 
trials. 
Passing  to  the  borders,  of  which  there  were  several,  we  came  to  a 
perfect  plethora  of  beauty.  Not  alone  was  this  found  in  flowering 
plants,  as  mi^ny  were  utilised  solely  for  their  exquisite  leafage,  and  the 
two  attractions  combined  in  such  a  tasteful  manner  formed  a  lesson  at 
once  attractive  and  instructive.  All  kinds  of  plants  are  seen — annual, 
biennial,  and  perennial,  the  d'splay,  of  course,  lasting  over  a  very 
extended  period  of  time.  Some  of  the  clumps  of  the  perennials  are 
small  while  others  are  veiy  large,  but  all  produce  strong  growths  that 
carry  an  abundance  of  flowers,  so  much  so  that  in  the  season  bushels 
could  be  cut  and  still  leave  a  beautiful  exhibition.  The  colouration, 
too,  of  the  majority  of  the  flowers  was  exceptional  in  its  intensity  arid 
brilliancy,  and  may  perhaps  be  ascribed  partially  to  the  purity  of  the 
atmosphere,  and  in  a  greater  degree  to  the  soil  and  finished  manner  in 
which  it  must  be  worked,  for  it  would  be  obviously  impossible  to  attain 
to  such  results  unless  everything  that  could  be  done  to  insure  health 
was  done  by  those  in  charge.  There  were  fine  Dahlias,  grand  clumps 
of  Physalis  Alkekengi,  Marigolds,  Zinnias,  but  I  will  mention  no  more 
or  the  allotted  space  will  be  entirely  occupied  before  the  end  has 
been  nearly  approached. 
Beautiful  as  were  the  general  flowers  they  suffered  decidedly  by  com¬ 
parison  with  the  collection  of  Michaelmas  Daisies,  which  was  honoured 
by  a  garden  to  itself.  Here  were  to  be  found,  enclosed  by  four  hedges, 
upwards  of  sixty  kinds  and  varieties  of  this  useful  flower,  planted  on  wide 
borders,  the  whole  of  the  central  squaie  being  laid  down  to  grass.  The 
turf  was  green  and  springy,  and  served  as  an  admirable  foil  for  the 
thousands  of  flowers  that  surrounded  it.  The  endeavour  has  been  made 
to  make  the  collection  thoroughly  representative,  and  success  may  be 
said  to  have  been  reached.  The  planting  was  evidently  done  with  great 
care  and  forethought,  for  all  the  taller  growing  varieties  had  been 
relegated  to  positions  at  the  back  of  the  borders,  while  the  dwarfer  ones 
found  homes  towards  the  front.  Thus  a  perfect  bank  had  been  formed, 
and  standing  at  either  corner  of  the  enclosure  it  appeared  to  be  encircled 
by  a  mass  of  flowers,  with  a  break  at  intervals  where  some  later 
expanding  variety  had  not  yet  opened  its  starry  blossoms  to  the  sun¬ 
shine.  There  were  to  be  seen  such  diversity  of  form,  variations  of  colour 
and  gradations  of  height  as  would  have  surprised  anyone  who  had  not 
previously  seen  such  an  excellent  collection.  That  these  plants  are 
exceedingly  useful  everyone  is  willing  to  admit,  but  it  is  not  in  all 
places  that  they  are  grown  so  well  as  they  must  be  if  the  best  possible 
results  are  aimed  at.  One  generally  sees  a  plant  here  and  there,  perhaps 
huddled  between  others  of  a  different  nature,  and  having  scarcely  room 
to  grow — under  which  circumstances  Michaelmas  Daisies  cannot  be 
expected  to  appear  at  their  best.  Procure  good  varieties,  make  up  a 
proper  rooting  medium  for  the  plants,  give  each  one  an  abundance  of 
room,  and  they  will,  by  their  beauty  aDd  utility,  amply  repay  the  not 
necessarily  very  large  outlay.  Names  I  will  not  give  here,  as  to  do  justice 
to  them  a  separate  article  would  be  essential. 
Of  the  rock  garden  little  can  now  be  said.  It  contains  large 
numbers  of  plants,  comprising  many  gems  in  the  floral  world  ;  but  all 
have  from  time  to  time  received  the  notice  and  attention  of  the  master 
mind  and  pen  of  Mr.  S.  Arnott,  so  we  pass  on  to  other  points  of  equal 
interest.  Almost  everyone  in  the  gardening  world  of  Great  Britain  has 
heard  or  read  of  Mr.  Molyneux’s  grand  collections  of  Sweet  Peas,  and 
those  who  have  not  ought  to  have  done,  for  nothing  finer  could  be  found 
in  any  private  garden.  Scores  of  varieties  receive  attention,  and 
