•September  16,  1897. 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER, 
263 
selection  of  the  most  enduring  material,  as  well  as  its  treatment. 
Kespecting  cut  bloom,  with  its  complementary  supply  of  foliage,  apart 
from  the  groundwork  composed  of  hardier  things,  ordinary  pickle 
bottles  or  preserve  jars  tilled  with  water  are  very  useful ;  Dahlias, 
Gladiolus,  'I'ritomas,  and  other  show}"  things  being  retained  to  the 
limits  of  endurance.  Groups  of  one  kind  only  of  such  flowers  give  an 
admirable  effect  when  the  jars  are  effectually  hidden  in  a  cushion  of 
fresh  green  moss,  from  which  the  dowers  spring  in  a  natural  manner. 
In  this,  ahd  in  other  phases  of  bold  decoration,  a  liberal  introduc¬ 
tion  of  the  common  Water  Flag,  Iris  pseudo-acorus,  will  often  more 
than  compensate  for  shortcomings  in  other  things.  This  I  have 
frequently  and  largely  used  in  various  ways  with  the  most  satisfactory 
results.  Carefully  cut  at  the  base,  and  piled  in  Hat  bundles  to  carry 
without  breaking,  it  is  admirable  when  naturally  disposed  in  wet 
sand  or  vessels  of  water  for  use  in  various  positions  which  suggest 
themselves,  and  notably  as  a  background  in  windows  to  brighter 
things  placed  in  front.  In  water  or  a  moist  medium  the  lasting 
properties  of  the  Water  Flag  are  unequalled.  Those  who  have  to 
■cater  specially  for  harvest  festivals  are  happy  in  having  a  tew  pot 
Vines  which  grow  as  long  in  cane  as  possible,  and,  bearing  some  fair 
bunches  with  the  bloom  undisturbed,  are  the  lean  ideal  of  all  that  is 
graceful  and  appropriate  at  this  season. 
As  an  auxiliary  to  the  usual  evergreen  decoration  at  Christmastide, 
the  question  of  pot  plants  of  tender  type  is  often  one  of  anxiety,  if  not 
•of  annoyance  to  tlie  provider.  Well  berried  Aucubas  grown  in  small 
tubs  are  good  substitutes  for  more  delicate  plants,  but  lately  I  saw  a 
whole  collection  of  Yews,  Bay  Laurels,  common  Laurels,  and  Aucubas, 
with  a  few  of  the  more  elegant  Coniterse  solely  grown,  with  some 
■special  treatment  in  the  way  of  training  and  pruning,  for  this  purpose, 
and  the  head  gardener,  who  was  also  the  principal  decorator,  said  what 
a  relief  it  was  to  him  to  have  this  contingent  to  draw  upon.  Amongst 
these  particular  noticeable  were  English  Yews,  one  pair  of  which  were 
trained  and  clipped  into  a  perfect  semblance  of  the  Irish  cross,  some 
10  feet  high ;  another  pair  being  obelisi-shaped,  and  equally  perfect 
in  thdr  way.  This  matter  is,  however,  one  of  taste,  and  one  which  it 
is  neither  desirable  nor  necessary  to  criticise  here. 
Permanent  objects,  such  as  above  mentioned,  are  much  handier, 
though  the  specimens  be  but  small,  if  grown  in  tubs  instead  of  pots, 
and  with  the  tubs  covered  by  virgin  com  will  never  be  unsightly  when 
time  or  space  do  not  admit  of  further  dressing.  Board  borderings  of 
■6  or  9  inches  in  depth,  covered  on  the  face  with  the  cork,  are  well 
adapted  as  an  edging  for  window-sills,  to  which  they  may  be  securely 
fixed  with  a  small  wedge.  These  also  form  an  appropriate  margin  to 
groups  placed  on  the  fioor,  and  once  made  and  kept  for  the  purpose 
facilitate  matters  considerably,  requiring  but  some  fresh  green  moss 
packed  in  the  interstices  of  the  cork  upon  each  occasion  of  using.  A 
few  pots  of  Panicum  variegatum  gracefully  hanging  over  this  cork- 
.covered  margin  have  an  extremely  good  effect. — Decora. 
(To  be  eontinuedO 
WALKLEY  FLORAL  SOCIETY. 
The  bi-monthly  meeting  of  this  Society  was  held  on  Friday,  the 
10th  inst.  Mr.  .1.  Haigh,  Vice-President,  occupied  the  chair.  A  large 
number  of  excellent  plants  and  dowers  were  staged.  This  Society,  unlike 
many  of  its  kind,  never  competes  for  money  prizes.  On  each  meeting 
night  through  the  year  there  are  special  exhibits,  but  each  member  is  at 
liberty  to  bring  anything  in  the  way  of  garden  produce  that  he  has 
suitable  for'  exhibition.  In  lieu  of  money,  marks  are  awarded  to  each 
exhibitor,  six  being  the  maximum  number.  At  the  end  of  the  year,  on 
the  occasion  of  the  Society’s  annual  dinner,  special  prizes,  given  by 
members  and  friends,  are  awarded  to  those  who  have  obtained  the  highest 
number  of  marks.  The  judges  at  each  meeting  are  professional 
gardeners,  whose  duties  are  previously  assigned  to  them,  and  printed  on 
the  jirogramme. 
After  the  usual  routine  business  had  been  disposed  of  a  paper  on  the 
Auricula  by  Mr.  “Ben”  Simonite  was  read.  In  his  usual  plain  and 
clear  style  he  dealt  with  the  show  varieties  (his  special  proteges)  in  a  most 
excellent  manner,  and  fully  explained  his  modus  operandi  of  cultivating 
this  old-fashioned  flower.  Although  his  gardens  are  situated  in  one  of 
the  most  smoky  districts  of  Sheffield,  his  success  as  an  exhibitor  testifies 
to  his  skill  in  Auricula  culture.  It  is  often  said  that  no  man  is  a  prophet 
in  his  own  county.  “  Ben,”  however,  is  an  exception  to  this  rule.  He 
is  an  “  oracle  ”  in  Sheffield  in  all  things  tioricultural. 
His  reception  at  the  meeting  was  a  good  one,  and  a  hearty  vote  of 
thanks  was  given  him  for  his  valuable  information,  and  for  the  ready 
manner  in  which  he  answered  the  numerous  questions  asked  after  the 
reading  of  the  essay.  With  reference  to  the  fertilising  of  the  flowers 
and  the  gathering  of  the  ripened  seed,  an  amusing  instance  of  the  differ¬ 
ence  of  opinion,  or  rather  lack  of  knowledge,  was  mentioned.  It  occurred 
some  years  ago,  when  a  firm  in  the  Emerald  Isle  wrote  to  Mr.  Simonite 
asking  the  price  “  per  pound  ”  of  his  best  Auricula  seed.  Now  when  we 
consider  that  he  has  been  cultivating  the  Auricula  for  about  forty  years, 
and  has  probably  not  in  all  that  long  experience  saved  more  than  2  ozs. 
.of  good  seed,  it  is,  to  say  the  least,  very  amusing. — J.  H.  S. 
OUTDOOR  PEACHES. 
I  HEREWITH  send  you  a  sample  of  our  outdoor  Peaches,  of  which 
we  have  a  gi’eat  quantity.  I  might  say  that  these  are  by  no  means  the 
best,  as  with  cold  storms  and  low  temperature  we  have  had  this  last 
fortnight,  they  are  not  so  good  as  we  had  previously.  We  picked  the 
first  fruit  on  the  12th  of  .July,  and  we  had  Peaches  last  year  until  12th 
of  October. — Wm.  Camm,  Battle,  Sussex. 
When  so  much  interesting  discussion  is  going  on  in  the  columns  of 
the  .lournal  respecting  the  “decadence”  of  gardening,  and  of  open  air 
Peach  culture  in  particular,  I  thought  the  time  opportune  to  send  you 
specimens,  one  taken  from  a  south  wall,  the  other  from  a  west  aspect. 
Many  scores  of  such  fruit  adorn  our  trees  at  this  moment.  I  will  write  a 
short  note  for  the  columns  of  the  Journal  in  due  course. — Wm.  West 
Chapman,  Bedfordshire. 
[The  fruits  sent  by  our  correspondents  are  e.xcellent,-  as  are  specimens 
forwarded  by  Mr.  G.  K.  Allis  from  trees  against  unprotected  walls  at  Old 
Warden,  Beds.  Outdoor  Peaches  are  grown  in  some  gardens  as  well 
as  ever  they  were,  but  not  in  half  so  many  as  was  the  case  a  generation 
ago.  In  thousands  of  gardens  now  the  Peach  supply  is  practically  grown 
under  glass.] 
LESSONS  OF  THE  SEASON— FLOWER  BEDS. 
It  is  always  interesting  to  note  those  plants  in  the  flower  garden 
which  have  done  well  during  the  past  summer,  also  those  which  have 
answered  moderately  so,  and  those  which  have  failed.  The  closing 
summer  has  been  a  fickle  one.  During  May  and  .lune,  while  bedding 
out  was  going  on  the  weather  was  most  trying.  The  heat  was  intense, 
and  for  several  weeks  the  plants  made  little  progress.  Fortunately,  rain 
came,  and  the  beds  were  soon  filled  and  gay.  Then  came  one  of  the 
most  disastrous  hailstorms  ever  experienced  in  my  district,  which  simply 
stripped  such  things  as  Gannas,  Zeas,  and  Begonias  into  shreds.  For 
the  moment  we  looked  on  with  dismay,  and  thought  that  the  case  was  a 
hopeless  one.  However,  I  knew  this  would  not  answer,  as  the  garden 
would  be  expected  to  look  gay  and  at  its  best  by  a  certain  date.  I  there¬ 
fore  set  to  work  filling  up  gaps  here  with  surplus  plants,  plunging  more 
there,  such  as  Lilies,  Gannas,  Fuchsias,  or  whatever  came  to  hand  which 
was  bright,  and  this  has  taught  me  some  valuable  lessons,  some  of  which 
I  will  relate. 
Those  plants  which  have  stood  the  ordeal  best  are  as  follows  :  — 
Fuchsias,  of  course,  lost  some  of  their  flowers  for  the  time  being,  but 
this  was  the  only  harm  they  received.  Two  beds  of  standard  Fuchsias 
with  clear  stems  3  feet  high,  and  heads  as  much  through,  in  a  carpet  of 
Antirrhinum  lutea,  were  much  admired,  and  stood  the  storm  well.  The 
Fuchsia  was  the  variety  called  “  Gharming,”  which  is  one  of  the  best  for 
bedding.  The  Antirrhinum  is  of  the  brightest  yellow,  and  very  compact 
in  growth. 
Another  very  attractive  bed  was  planted  with  Sunray  Fuchsia  in  a 
carpet  of  Blue  Bell  Viola,  edged  with  Antennaria  tomentosa.  This  also 
withstood  the  hailstorm  well. 
Two  other  large  beds  were  filled  with  Lilium  lancifolium  roseum  in 
a  ground  of  Marigold  Legion  of  Honour,  edged  with  Lobelia  compacta. 
This  was  much  admired.  Another  large  hed  was  planted  with  Lilium 
auratum,  in  a  ground  of  Begonia  Duchess  of  Edinburgh,  edged  with 
Dactylis  glomerata  variegata  and  Iresine  Lindeni.  The  Liliums  have  done 
well,  as  have  also  the  Begonias. 
Other  beds  were  filled  with  shapely  [dants  of  Fuchsia  Gharming  in  a 
carpet  of  Harrison’s  Musk  with  a  band  of  dark  blue  Lobelia  and  margin 
of  Antennaria.  The  Fuchsias  are  at  present,  and  have  been  for  some  time 
past,  one  mass  of  flower. 
Mixed  Begonias  are  splendid.  The  flowers  are  large,  bright,  and 
plentiful.  These,  in  a  carpet  of  Harrison’s  Musk,  are  amongst  the  best 
of  summer  bedding  plants.  It  is  astonishing  how  rapidly  these  plants 
recovered  from  the  battering  they  received  from  the  hailstorm. 
Reverting  to  the  miscellaneous  plants  I  was  compelled  to  try  in  the 
garden,  there  are  a  few  which  have  exceeded  my  expectations  for  their 
durability.  Impatiens  Sultani  was  placed  out  to  fill  up  vacant  places  where 
the  great  storm  broke  down  such  plants  as  Ricinus,  and  at  the  present 
time  is  one  mass  of  flower,  very  much  better  than  is  generally  seen  in 
warm  houses. 
Goleuses,  such  as  the  fine  broad-leaved  and  highly  coloured  kinds, 
which  are  only  as  a  rule  grown  under  glass,  were  placed  out,  and  these 
have  done  remarkably  well,  continuing  to  grow  and  colour  superbly. 
Trachelium  ccEruleum  was  also  planted,  and  kept  gay  for  a  long  time, 
and  in  a  ground  of  Gazania  splendens  produced  a  fine  display.  I  shall, 
all  being  well,  plant  a  bed  of  this  next  year,  and  I  have  no  doubt  it  will 
answer  well. 
Amongst  plants  which  have  not  recovered  so  rapidly  are  Gannas ;  where 
these  were  in  exposed  places  they  still  look  shabby,  and  “  Geraniums  ” 
were  a  long  time  before  they  recovered  and  became  attractive. 
The  semperflorens  type  of  Begonias  are  very  useful  bedding  plants.  I 
have  planted  those  sent  out  two  years  since  by  Messrs.  Sutton  &  Sons, 
and  am  well  pleased  with  them.  They  are  so  easily  grown  from  seed 
sown  earlv  in  the  year  that  they  save  an  enormous  amount  of  trouble  in 
raising  cuttings. — T.  A.,  Cirencester. 
[We  are  obliged  to  our  correspondent,  to  whom  the  storm  seems  to 
have  been  something  like  a  blessing  in  disguise.  “  Lessons  of  the  Season  ” 
from  other  districts  on  flower  gardening  and  other  subjects,  could  scarcely 
fail  in  b'eing  interesting,  suggestive,  and  useful.] 
