46^ 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER, 
November  fS,  1896 
r  een.  Myoaotis  dipaitiflota  is  a  great  improvement  on  it,  and  it  has  given 
^ «  some  much  improved  varieties  in  Perfecuon,  Grandiflora,  and  one 
or  two  othera.  We  alao  have  a  very  good  white  variety  of  this  fine  plant. 
1  ought  to  mention  a  very  distinct  and  pretty  variety  of  Myosotie 
alpeetris,  called  Victoria,  in  which  the  little  roaettea  of  flower  are 
very  peculiar  and  striking. 
I  will  notice  briefly  a  few  other  perennials.  Alyaaum  eaxatile  and 
its  variety  compactum  ia  one  of  the  very  beat  of  our  yellow  blooming 
spring  plants  when  at  its  beat,  and  in  the  aun  few  plants  can  approach 
it  in  brightnesa  of  colour.  Arabia  albida  ia  the  earliaat  of  our  white 
flowering  plant  a  to  bloom,  and  always  keeps  healthyand  very  easy 
propagate.  Iberia  sempervirens  ia  another  very  useful  white  blooming 
plant,  as  white  aa  snow  ;  this  is  better  known  as  the  Evergreen  Candytuft. 
There  are  two  or  three  other  speciea  of  Iberia  occaaionally  used  for 
bedding.  Cheiranthus  Marahalli  is  a  dwarf  rich  yellow,  and  the  dwarf 
Phloxes  frondoaa  and  Nelsoni,  for  small  work,  are  lovely,  but  rather  late 
in  blooming.  Saxifraga  granulata  flore-pleno  makes  a  very  pretty  bed, 
and  Saxifraga  umbrosa,  the  old  London  Pride,  is  not  to  be  despised  for 
spring  eifect.  Saxifraga  Andrewsi  we  have  used  for  its  neat  little 
rosettes  of  foliage  alone,  for  edging  work,  and  very  suitable  it  is  for  the 
purpose.  Omphalodes  verna  we  have  tried,  but  it  does  not  bloom  freely 
enough,  and  is  better  left  in  the  herbaceous  border,  where  it  is  always  a 
favourite. 
I  now  come  to  the  annuals,  and  where  large  surfaces  have  to  be 
covered  these  are  of  great  value,  although  not  quite  bo  reliable  as 
perennials.  At  Cliveden,  where  the  flower  garden  was  several  acres  in 
extent,  they  were  largely  employed,  and  wheu  at  their  best  few  things 
could  exceed  them  in  beauty.  Among  the  beat  are  Silene  pendula  and 
its  variety  compacta,  Nemophilas,  Collinsias,  Lasthenias,  Limnanthes, 
and  Saponarias,  Some  judgment  is  required  as  to  the  proper  time  to  sow 
these  ;  we  used  to’sow  the  Silenes  at  the  end  of  July  and  the  rest  a  month 
later.  In  the  case  of  the  Silene  the  seedlings  make  nice  little  rosettes, 
and  can  be  put  out  singly.  The  others  we  used  to  remove  straight  from 
the  seed  beds  in  little  bunches  direct.  It  is  very  important  with  these, 
and  indeed  with  all  the  winter  and  spring  bedding  plants,  to  press  the 
soil  round  them  occasionally.  They  ate  so  apt  to  get  loose  round  the 
collar,  and  the  wind  is  very  apt  to  rock  them  about.  This  attention 
will  be  evident  to  everyone. 
With  regard  to  bulbs,  these  will  always  deserve  a  leading  place  in 
our  gardens  in  spring.  It  is  their  natural  season  of  beauty.  In  geo¬ 
metrical  gardens  they  are  somewhat  difficult  to  deal  with.  The  frequent 
removals  make  it  almost  necessary  to  treat  them  as  annuals,  for  they 
have  to  be  disturbed  before  '.hey  have  properly  ripened  their  bulbs,  and 
wo  have  never  found  them  so  satisfactory  when  used  the  second  time. 
There  is  a  growing  tendency  to  plant  them  out  permanently  on  the  half- 
kept  grass.  I  was  very  much  struck  with  the  large  masses  planted  in 
this  way  at  Kew  last  spring.  They  were  the  most  conspicuous  feature 
in  the  gardens  at  that  time.  This  system  of  naturalising  them  has  also 
been  adopted  in  Begent’s  Park  and  most  of  the  other  London  parks  to  a 
more  oi  less  extent,  and  I  feel  sure,  in  the  near  future,  this  will  be  the 
plan  of  dealing  with  all  those  that  are  adapted  for  this  charming  mode 
of  culture.  All  kinds  of  bulbs  do  well,  and  look  well,  in  shrubi^ry  or 
herbaceous  borders.  Hyacinths  and  Tulips  are  admirable  in  betls  ;  the 
latter  especially  are  really  beautiful  growing  through  a  groundwork  of 
some  other  plant,  and  aad  much  to  the  brilliancy  of  the  garden.  The 
same,  may  be  said  of  Crocuses  and  Scillas.  Anemones,  again,  are  tc  o 
uncertain  for  beds.  We  have  treated  Anemone  coronaria  as  an  annual. 
The  seed  sown  in  March  will  make  flowering  plants  by  autumn ;  they 
transplant  badly  and  flower  somewhat  irregularly,  producing  a  few 
flowers  occasionally  during  mild  weather  in  winter,  but  are  not  com¬ 
fortable  looking  as  bedding  plants.  I  have  seen  better  results  from  those 
left  in  the  seed  beds  undisturbed,  beautiful  as  many  of  them  are. 
They  want  more  special  culture.  Anemone  fulgens  is,  as  we  know,  one 
of  the  brightest  and  earliest  of  our  gems  of  spring,  and  is  best,  I  think, 
in  its  permanent  quarters. 
The  IsiSt  class  I  have  to  deal  with  in  connection  with  Winter  and 
Spring  Gardening  is  the  shrubs,  and  these  frequently  play  a  very  import¬ 
ant  part.  We  have  many  of  great  distinctness  and  beauty  in  form  and 
colour.  In  some  gardens  they  are  used  almost  exclusively,  in  others 
liberally,  in  others  sparingly,  and  in  some  not  at  all.  I  am  in  favour  of 
a  moderate  use  of  them  as  specimens,  perfect  in  shape,  and  the  most 
effective  ia  habit  and  colour  that  can  be  procured.  I  would  place  them 
judiciously  in  the  centres,  and  in  the  principal  points  of  a  bed  or  design 
as  specimens,  or  dot  plants  as  they  are  sometimes  called.  I  did  this  at 
Bark  Place,  and  after  a  time  they  were  so  much  appreciated  that  they 
had  to  be  left  permanently,  and  now,  for  a  reason  over  which  I  have  no 
control,  they  have  become  too  large  for  their  positions.  This  is  a  danger 
to  be  guarded  against.  Of  course,  between  and  among  these  specimens, 
designs  are  worked  out,  and  spaces  filled  up  with  some  of  the  many 
plants  I  liave  mentioned. 
The  following  is  a  list  of  the  shrubs  we  have  found  meat  effective, 
.and  the  best  adapreci  for  the  purpose  : — Abies  Engeimanni  glaaca.  Blue 
vSpruce,  and  A.  pmsapo  glauca.  The  former  is  the  most  telling  plant  of 
its  class  we  have  used,  and  with  us  the  bluest  of  all  the  Conifers. 
Cupressus  Lawsoniana  Intea,  C.  L.  argentea,  C.  L,  erecta  viridis,  and  C.  L. 
-aurea  variegata.  All  these  are  go^  ;  the  first-named  can  hardly  be 
beaten  as  a  constant  bright  yellow  ;  erecta  viridis  is  very  distinct  in 
character,  erect,  and  bright  green  in  colour.  Biota  orientalis  aurea  and 
B.  o.  elegantissima  ;  the  latter  changes  to  a  deep  bronze  in  winter, 
Thuia  occidentalis  Vervaeneana  is  pale  yellow  in  summer,  and  bronzy 
yellow  in  winter,  Cryptomeria  elegans  and  its  variety  nana  change 
in  the  autumn  to  a  bronzy  crimson,  and  is  very  distinct.  It  is  peculiar 
how  this  plant  especially  takes  on  this  Intensity  of  colour  towards  winter, 
and  reverts  to  a  bright  green  in  its  growing  season  in  spring  and  snmmer. 
Juniperus  chinensis  aurea,  the  best  of  all  the  Golden  Junipers  for  our 
purpose,  and  best  known  as  Young’s  Golden  Juniper.  Tbuiopsia 
dolabrata  variegata  is  always  healthy,  useful,  and  distinct.  Retinospora 
plumosa  argentea,  B.  p.  aurea,  B.  ericoides,  and  B.  pisifera  aurea.  These 
are  all  good.  B.  ericoides  changes  in  winter  to  a  purplish  tint.  Taxns 
baccata  aurea  and  T.  b.  elegantissima,  Taxus  fastigiata  aurea,  and  T.  f. 
variegata,  the.  golden  and  variegated  forms  of  the  common  aad  Irish 
Yews,  are  among  the  very  best  of  our  shrubs  lor  be  is.  Hedera  arborea 
argentea,  H,  a.  aurea,  and  H.  a.  elegantissima,  the  variega'ed  Tree  or 
Bueh  Ivies,  are  very  neat,  dwarf,  and  bright,  and  come  in  well  for  the 
fronts  of  beds,  and  fill  up  well. 
Euonymns  radicans  variegata,  E.  japonicus  latffolius  albo-variegatui, 
E.  j.  ovatuB  aureo-variegatns,  and  E  ]•  elegantissimus  are  charming 
variegated  plants.  The  last  three  are  excellent,  but  not  too  hardy. 
The  first  is  one  of  the  most  useful  dwarf  plants  for  edgings  to  beds  or 
borders,  so  good  that  it  is  worth  having  all  the  year  round.  It  is 
perfectly  hardy.  Osmanthus  ilicifolius  luteus  and  O.  i.  argenteus,  com¬ 
pact  little  variegated  Holly-like  plants,  of  close  and  slow  growth. 
Buxus  japonicus  aureus  and  B.  sempervirens  variegatus;  the  former  ia  a 
beautiful  Golden  Box,  of  horizontal  growth,  and  broad  in  the  leaf, 
Aucuba  japonica  is  a  useful  shrub  for  filling  up.  Andromeda  floribunda, 
valuable  on  acconnt  of  its  winter  blooming  qualities,  and  the  same  may 
be  said  of  Laurustinus.  Erica  herbacea  or  carnea  i*  a  most  aseful  and 
very  early  blooming  plant.  There  are  the  white,  flesh  coloured,  and 
purple  vaiieties.  It  is  a  very  striking  and  effective  p  ant,  sometimes 
even  in  February,  when  there  is  so  little  in  bloom.  Few  plants  are 
more  consp’cuons  for  margins  to  beds  or  b.rdrrs  when  in  flower.  Yucca 
gloriosa  and  Y.  recorva  are  so  distinct  in  character,  and  differ  so  ninch 
from  the  shrubs  I  have  mentioned,  that  they  may  be  introduced  more  or 
less  freely  with  good  effect.  Vinci  elegantissima,  where  baskets  or 
raised  beds  occur  this  is  a  very  ufetul  and  elegant  plant  for  winter  and 
spring  use.  Daphne  Mezereum,  I  have  only  this  one  deciduous  plant  to 
recommend,  but  it  flowers  so  early,  and  its  colours  a'e  so  telling  among 
other  shiubs.  that  it  may  be  safely  in  roduc  d,  and  will  be  sure  to  gise 
pleasure.  There  is  a  white  variety,  and  others  of  two  or  three  shades 
of  red, 
I  may  say  in  conclusion  that  we  have  been  guilty  at  Park  Place  of 
occasionally  filling  up  blanks  or  failures  with  cut  tings  of  various  shrubs, 
and  it  is  not  a  bad  way  of  getting  over  a  difficulty.  Nice  little  bushy 
pieces,  firmly  put  in,  of  Aucuba,  variegated  or  green  Holly,  Tree  Ivies, 
especially  of  several  kinds,  Golden  Box,  Betinospoias,  aud  some  other 
things  have  helped  us  out  of  our  trouble.  1  am  afraid  I  have  somewhat 
wearied  you,  but  I  have  been  anxious  to  give  you  as  complete  a  record 
as  I  could  of  my  experiences  in  this  interesting  branch  of  gardening. — 
{Read  ly  Mr.  Geo  Stanton,  Henley,  at  a  meeting  of  rhe  Reading 
Horticvlttiral  Soeiety.') 
METHODS  OF  DESTROYING  BED  SPIDER, 
If  “  W.  D.”  and  Mr,  Wm,  Taylor  will  try  the  following  they  will 
probably  find  it  effectual  in  destioying  red  spider— the  mite  (Tetranychns 
telarius).  Bisulphide  of  calcium  made  as  follows  : — Slake  1  lb.  of 
freshly  burned  lime,  add  I  lb.  flowers  of  sulphur  and  enough  water  to 
form  a  paste,  then  add  1  gallon  of  water,  and  boil  fifteen  minutes.  It 
should  be  kept  constantly  stirred  while  it  is  boiling,  then  Allowed  to 
settle,  and  when  coot  have  the  clear  liquid  poured  into  a  eione  bottle,  and 
kept  well  corked  in  a  dark  place.  When  required  for  use  place  a  half  pint 
of  the  liquor  in  each  XL*  Al)  vapouriter  impioyed — one  to  each 
2000  cubic  feet — bnd  fill  up  with  waier.  Close  the  Louse,  and  place  the 
lamps  under  the  vapearisers.  Repeat  in  the  course  of  three  or  four 
days,  and  again  at  a  similar  interval.  The  worst  of  the  sulphides  is 
that  of  their  discolour’ng  paint,  and  of  so  acting  on  the  skins  of 
Grapes  as  to  harden  them  and  p  ev.mt  further  swelling.  For  those 
reasons  sulphur  in  any  form  is  injurious  to  Grapes  when  vapourised 
at  over  170°, 
One  of  the  best  ways  of  killing  red  epider  by  means  of  sulphur  fumes 
Is  vapourising  Mr.  J.  Simpson’s  mixture  of  sulphor-r-that  is,  flowers  of 
sulphur  formed  into  a  cream  with  skim  milk,  placing  a  teaspoonful  in  a 
half  pint  of  water  at  boiling,  then  in  a  small  vapouring  cup,  and  this  in 
a  larger  filled  vs-ith  boiling  water,  after  the  manner  of  a  glue  pot.  The 
lamp  keeps  the  water  in  the  kettle  hot,  and  the  sulphur  mixture  at  170°, 
80  as  to  give  off  mild  fumes  or  vapour — call  it  sulphurous  aci  l  if  you 
like.  -The  quantity  suffices  for  about  2000  cubic  feet  of  air.  The  great 
evil  is  the  moisture  settling  on  tne  berries  and  “  bluing”  them,  especi¬ 
ally  Muscat  of  Alexandria  and  White  Fnntignan.  In  every  form  in 
which  I  have  ssed  sulphur  fumes  there  has  always  been  this  objection  in 
the  matter  of  Grapes,  but  I  have  found  moderate  sulphuring  the  pipes 
fairly  successful,  and  without  material  injury  to  the  foliage  or  fruit. 
I  am  pleased  that  Mr.  W.  Taylor  has  recorded  his  experience  with 
carbolic  acid.  Would  he  mind  trying  “  Cresol,”  “  Izal,”  and  “Lysol,” 
also  “soluble  pheuyle”  and  “  Jeyes’  fluid,”  in  the  same  way  as  he  has 
done  catholic  acid?  They  have  the  advantage  of  not  being  poisonous 
unless  taken  in  excessive  quantities.  I  find  their  vapour  very  effective 
against  “mites.” 
Bat  of  all  things  specially  noxious  to  either  root  or  aerial-living  mites 
I  have  found  nothing  beat  (passing  such  things  as  bisulphide  of  carbon 
and  chloroform,  extremely  aangerous  articles)  ammonia,  especially  that 
of  gas  liquor,  using  it  similarly  to  nicotine  in  vapourising.  There  is 
danger  of  giving  an  overdose,  when  it  scorches  the  foliage.  About 
