12 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
Plum,  Rivers’  Monarch. 
,  Tlie  fiuitfulness  and  high  merits  of  this  variety  are  recog¬ 
nised  by  nearly  all  who  have,  for  any  length  of  time,  cultivated 
the  variety  of  Plum  figured  on  page  13.  Rivers’  Monarch — or 
Monarch,  as  it  is  perhaps  now  more  generally  designated — was 
raised  from  a  stone  of  Cooper’s  Large  Red,  generally  known  in 
this  country  as  “La  Delicieuse  ”  or  “Lady  Lucy  ” 'of  some  of 
the  Kentish  fruit  growers,  and  said  by  Downing  to  be  raised  by 
Mr.  Joseph  Cooper,  of  New  Jersey,  from  a  stone  of  the  Orleans. 
I  he  fruit  of  the  Monarch  is  very  large,  dark  purplish-blue  in 
colour,  and  roundish-oval  in  shape.  The  firm  flesh  is  of  verv 
excellent  quality.  Some  splendid  fruiting  trees  of  the  Monarch 
arc  proudly  shown  by  the  superintendent  of  the  Royal  Horti¬ 
cultural  Society’s  Gardens  at  Chiswick. 
The  young  shoots  are  downy,  but  the  downiness  disappears 
as  the  w'ood  grows  older.  The  growth  of  the  tree  is  very 
robust,  forming  a  vigorous  natural  pyramid,  and  producing  fruit- 
spuis  in  abundance  at  an  early  stage.  In  southern  counties  the 
fruit  ripens  about  September  25,  and  is  quite  free  from  any 
tendency  to  crack.  As  a  cordon  on  walls  it  produces  very  fine 
specimens,  and  as  a  standard  or  pyramid  it  makes  a  very  pro- 
llXlC  tir©©. 
Bulbs  in  Grass. 
SxoAVDROPs— Crocuses— Dakfodils — Feitillaki  as— Alliums — 
Ormthogalums — Eranthis — Jris — Tulips  and  Squills. 
.1  beauty  of  our  gardens,  we  have  nothing 
r  Yu  ^  with  the  loveliness  of  great  masses  of 
bulbous  plants  on  the  grass.  Most  country  dwellers  are 
^mihar  with  the  beautiful  effects  produced  by  a  sea  of  the 
Dluebell  (bcilla  nutans)  as  it  stretches  away  through  the 
meadow  and  woodland,  shading  insensibly  from  the  deep 
blue  of  the  nearer  flowers  to  the  silvery  haze  which  tells  of 
the  far  away  plants.  There  is  equal  beauty  in  the  sight  given 
by  millions  of  Snowdrops  spreading  in  great  sheets  under  the 
trees  or  in  the  open  grass  by  some  old  mansion,  where  for 
generations  these  chaste  flowers  have  been  left  to  increase 
and  multiply.  Here  they  are  thick  and  close  together  ; 
there,  a  stray  seedling  or  two  have  given  birth  to  a  small 
colony  a  httle  away.  They  are  in  no  formal  groups  :  but 
seem  as  b-  they  grew  where  they  preferred  to  show  their 
beauties  these  flowers  are  lessons  for  our  planting  others 
ot  a  similar  nature  in  the  same  kind  of  place. 
If  IV  e  look  at  Daffodils  planted  in  the  same  apparently 
undesigned,  but,  in  reality,  skilful  way,  we  shall  soon  see 
how  much  prettier  and  less  likely  to  weary  us  these  are  than 
vv  heie  they  have  been  arranged  in  rows  or  in  stiff  and  regular 
clumps  This  growing  custom  of  planting  bulbs  in  grass  is 
one  of  the  most  hopeful  signs  of  the  gardening  of  the  present 
day,  and  one,  too,  which  is  certain  to  increase  the  favour  in 
which  they  are  held.  It  is  to  be  hoped,  however,  that  people 
vvi  not  rush  to  the  opposite  extreme,  and  plant  in  grass  and 
in  wild  gardens  bulbs  which  are  quite  unsuitable  for  the 
purpose.  Because  the  bold,  sturdy  Dutch  Crocus,  or  such 
species  as  C.  speciosus,  one  of  our  best  autumn  kinds  will 
thrive  vv^ell  with  certain  precautions,  that  is  no  evidence  that 
we  shall  succeed  with  the  more  delicate,  rarer  species  of 
smaller  and  less  vigorous  growth.  There  are  however 
and  to  spare  of  bulbous  plants  which  will  look 
dehghttul  in  the  grass,  and  will  grow  with  perfect  success. 
Beginning  with  the  Snowdrop,  we  follow  with  the  Crocus 
of  the  larger  and  bolder  forms,  practically  all  the  Scillas,  the 
Daflodils,  many  of  these  thriving  better  on  the  turf  than  in 
the  border  ,  the  Fritillaria/,  most  at  home  in  a  somewhat 
damp  meadow  ;  the  spring  and  summer  Snowflakes ;  the 
more  sturdy  Tulips  ;  some  of  the  Alliums  ;  such  pendent 
species  as  triquetrum  being  very  beautiful  on  grass.  Then 
we  have  the  Ornithogalums,  Agapanthus  Mooreaniis,  quite 
hardy  ;  the  Apennine  and  nemorosa  groups  of  Anemone, 
in  their  season  ;  the  more  robust  Liliums  ;  the 
DaftodilS’  as  a  rule  healthier  on  grass  than  in  the  border ; 
the  Antholyza,  which  one  hardly  ever  sees  in  such  con- 
ditions  ;  the  stronger  Brodiieas  ;  the  Colchicurns  or  Meadow 
^bfti’ons,  vyhich  almost  require  the  support  of  the  grass  ; 
hritillaria  irnperialis,  the  Crown  Imperial,  a  noble  plant  in 
bold  groups  in  grass  ;  the  stronger  Erythroniums,  none  being 
better  or  prettier  on  grass  than  E.  dens-canis,  the  common 
Dog  s-tooth  Violet ;  the  Eranthis,  and  the  Iris  in  its  more 
.Tanuary  2,  1902. 
vigorous  forms.  We  have  also  the  Asphodeluses,  the 
Eucomises,  the  Tulips,  though  these,  unfortunately,  are  not 
so  permanent  as  we  should  like  everyvvdiere  ;  Galtonia  can- 
dicans,  noble  in  a  large  group  ;  the  Montbretia ;  the  Mus¬ 
cat  i ;  the  stronger  Pseonias,  such  as  officinalis  and  its 
varieties.  These,  and  a  few  more,  give  us  ample  choice, 
and  wall  give  much  satisfaction  if  treated  aright 
Many  of  the  failures  in  growing  bulbous  plants  in  grass 
arise  entirely  from  want  of  due  care  in  first  planting,  and  in 
failing  to  give  the  bulbs  the  treatment  they  severally  need. 
The  main  cause  of  failure  is  that  of  planting  them  on  the 
lawn,  or  on  grass  which  must  be  cut  before  the  leaves  of  the 
plants  have  fulfilled  their  purpose.  They  should  never  be 
cut  before  they  have  become  yellow,  as  not  until  then  have 
they  stored  in  the  bulb  the  nourishment  required  for  the 
following  year.  However  untidy  the  grass  may  look  from 
the  presence  of  these  leaves,  it  is  necessary  that  they  should 
not  be  taken  off.  Some  tie  these  leaves  into  a  sheaf-like 
bunch,  but  they  look  even  worse  than  when  in  their  natural 
state,  and  the  leaves  do  not  receive  the  light  and  air  they 
ought  to  have.  It  is  not  difficult  to  contrive  so  that  the  bulbs 
may  be  planted  where  they  will  not  interfere  with  the  cutting 
Qf  grass  in  the  most  conspicuous  places. 
Another  frequent  cause  of  loss  is  the  hard,  poor  character 
of  the  soil  beneath  the  grass  on  some  lawns.  These  are 
frequently  heavily  rolled,  and  the  earth  thus  becomes  quite 
hard  and  solid,  so  that  the  bulbs  have  not  a  free  root-run,  nor 
have  they  sufficient  nourishment  on  account  of  the  im¬ 
poverished  character  of  the  soil.  Frequently,  also,  they  are 
merely  dibbled  into  the  exhausted  ground  and  left  to  take 
their  chances.  A  piece  of  the  turf  should  be  removed,  and 
the  soil  below  properly  loosened  and  manured,  if  poor,  before 
the  bulbs  are  planted,  when  the  displaced  turf  may  be 
returned  to  its  former  position.  M^ith  these  precautions,  it 
is  possible  to  have  a  small  grass  patch  or  a  broad  expanse  of 
well-kept  grass  made  gay.  Of  course,  it  is  desirable  that 
the  bulbs  should  be  planted  in  bold  groups,  so  that  they  may 
be  out  of  the  way.  as  far  as  possible,  of  the  mowing  machine 
or  the  scythe. 
The  difficulties  of  growing  bulbs  in  the  less  carefully  kept 
places  in  the  grounds  are  much  smaller  than  on  the  lawn  or 
dresied  parts.  Thus  it  is  in  these  semi-wild  places  that  the 
bulb  in  the  grass  will  give  the  greatest  satisfaction.  There 
each  species  can  better  receive  the  treatment  it  requires  or 
prefers.  There  it  is  easy  to  prepare  a  station  of  special  soil, 
so  as  to  minister  to  the  needs  of  the  plant  without  requiring 
to  study  the  effect  of  the  soil  on  the  grass,  as  would  be  the 
case  on  the  lawn  ;  there  more  picturesque  effects  can  be 
studied,  and  lovely  features  introduced.  In  making  these 
plantings  we  should  do  them  with  no  grudging  hand  ;  but 
plant  with  generous  hand,  and  taking  advantage  where  we 
can  of  the  lessons  to  be  drawn  from  the  haunts  of  the  wild 
flowers.  An  ingenious  way  of  arranging  the  bulbs  has  been 
by  means  of  throwing  the  bulbs  down  in  the  place  where  they 
were  to  grow,  and  then  planting  them  in  much  the  same 
grouping  as  they  assumed  on  the  ground.  Here  would  be  a 
dense  group  ;  there  a  scattered  one  ;  and  here  and  there 
would  be  stray  plants.  It  is  impossible,  however,  to  lay 
down  any  definite  rules  for  planting  in  grass.  The  arrange¬ 
ments  must,  however,  be  based  on  broad  lines  of  general 
effect,  not  on  finnicking  or  formal  plans.  Nature  must  be  the 
guide.  Now,  too,  growers  can  buy  “  clearing  off”  batches  of 
bulbs  at  a  reduction  of  50  per  cent,  in  price.  The  advertise¬ 
ment  pages  may  be  observed  for  these  offers. — S.  Arnott. 
—  - 
The  Common  Bracken. 
Writing  to  an  agricultural  contemporary,  a  correspondent, 
in  answer  to  an  inquiry  for  Bracken  seed,  intimates  that  the 
seed  or  spores  are  found  on  the  back  of  some  of  the  fronds, 
and  are  mature  in  the  months  of  August  and  September,  or  earlier. 
The  method  he  has  found  ansvv'er  is  to  examine  the  indusium 
with  a  magnifying  glass,  when,  if  the  spores  are  ripe,  this  cover¬ 
ing  is  rolled  back  to  peimit  their  escape.  A  portion  of  the  fertile 
frond  should  be  shaken  into  an  envelope,  and  the  fine  brown 
powder,  the  spores,  sown  on  a  still  day.  As,  however,  it  is  now 
too  late  for  Pteris  aijuilina  to  be  found  in  fruit,  the  fronds  having 
withered  away,  he  advdses  portions  of  the  rhizomes  to  be  cut 
at  once,  and  pegged  out  in  good  leaf  mould,  when  the  roots  will 
soon  take  hold.  A  luxuriant  growth  of  this  handsome  Fern  will 
thus  be  obtained  in  much  less  time  tham  by  raising  plants  from 
spores. 
