107 
February  20,  1902.  JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE 
Hardy  Aonflals. 
In  the  list  of  hardy  annuals  which  follow  I  have  selected 
those  which  are  adapted  for  supplying  quantities  of  cut  flowers 
suitable  for  tall  glasses  or  vases.  And  tO'  those  gardeners  who 
have  to  supply  quantities  of  cut  flowers  my  remarks  will  apply 
more  directly.  By  many  growers  annuals  arO  considered  to  be 
so  cheap  that  they  are  not  worthy  of  cultivation,  but  one  can 
surely  claim  on  behalf  of  annuals  a  good  display  of  flowers  during 
the  summer  montlis,  with  labour  and  expense  in  their  produc¬ 
tion  reduced  to  a  minimum  compared  with  such  as  bedding 
plante.  I  think  all  will  agree  with  me  that  labour  and  expense 
are  important  factors  in  gardening.  The  ground  intended  for 
annuals  should  be  deeply  dug  and  thoroughly  manured  the 
previous  autumn.  The  end  of  March  is  a  good  time  for  sowing 
the  seed,  if  the  ground  is  dry  and  in  a  workable  condition. 
Annuals  may  be  grown  in  bold  clumps  or  lines.  The  most  im¬ 
portant  matter  in  the  culture  of  annuals  is  early  thinning.  Herein 
lies  the  secret  of  success.  I  find  it  a  good  plan  to  start  thinning 
when  the  plants  are  a  few  inches  high,  and  keep  thinning  the 
plants  as  they  touch  each  other  until  you  have  them  the  necessary 
distance  apart.  By  doing  so  you  build  up  a  sturdy  growth,  and 
when  it  comes  to  the  final  thinning  it  causes  no  disturbance  to 
the  soil  and  roots  of  the  permanent  plants.  In  gardens  exposed 
to  the  westerly  winds  it  will  be  necessary  to  stake  the  Cornflowers 
and  the  last  three  in  my  list :  — Lavatera  rosea  splendens,  3ft ; 
Lavatera  alba  splendens,  3ft;  Cornflower,  blue  and  white,  3ft; 
Malope,  red,  whit&,  and  rose,  2ft;  Lupinus  hybridus  atrococ- 
cineus,  2ifc ;  C'arkia,  Sutton’s  Crimson,  2ft;  Clarkia,  Sutton’s 
*  Salmon,  2it  ;  Godetia,  Sutton’s  Double  Rose,  2ft. 
The  last  two  annuals  are  worthy  of  a  place  in  evei'y  garden 
where  long  sprays  of  delicate-coloured  flowers  are  in  demand. — 
W,  Keay,  St.  Aud^’ews,  N.B. 
Apricot  Blossom  Protectors. 
Regarding  a  recent  inquiry  anent  frigi  domo  canvas  for  the 
protection  of  Apricot  or  other  wall-trained  fruit  trees  when  in 
flower,  I  may  say  that  the  curtains  as  employed  at  Weston  House 
(see  page  o3o  last  volume)  for  walls  about  14ft  high  measured 
12ft  by  12ft,  though  a  lesser  depth  would  answer  as  well.  They 
were  supplied  by  the  manufacturers,  Messrs.  B.  Eddy  and  Son, 
Torleven  Works,  Porthleven,  Cornwall,  whose  advertisement  in 
the  Journal  of  Horticulture  would  be  of  considerable  service  to 
grownrs  of  fruit  trees,  also  to  those  requiring  other  kinds  of  pro¬ 
tective  material  in  the  way  of  canvas,  netting,  &c.  The  material 
can  be  had  in  widths  of  six,  nine,  and  twelve  feet  respectively,  at 
2s.,  3s.,  and  4s.  per  yard  run.  The  firm  named  can  supply  the 
12ft  by  12ft  curtains  joined  up  in  pieces  at  12s.  Carpet  binding 
was  sewn  along  the  top  side  of  the  curtains.  To  render  the 
wire  by  which  the  curtains  are  hung  as  taut  as  possible  screw- 
pins  were  attached  to  one  or  both  ends  of  the  wire,  and  finished 
with  a  “nut.”  This  is  the  neatest  and  best  mode,  and  by 
attaching  hooks  instead  of  rings  to  the  curtains,  the  wires  never 
need  be  detached.  But  in  the  case  of  iron  rods  for  the  curtains 
either  may  be  used,  as  one  end  of  the  eyed  rod  can  be  readily 
lifted  from  its  hooked  bracket.  Each  end  of  the  curtain  should 
also  be  furnished  w'ith  tape  loops  for  attaching  it  to  the  poles 
slightly  sunk-into  the  ground,  and  the  ton  end  fastened  beneath 
the  coping  of  the  wall.  When  the  curtains  are  not  required  to 
be  kept  drawn  over  the  trees  they  can  be  easily  tied  to  the 
sloping  poles.  There  are,  of  course,  many  expedients  employed 
for  the  protection  of  wail  fruit  trees  against  frost  when  in  flower, 
but,  as  far  as  my  own  experience  goes,  nothing  surpasses,  both 
for  efficiency  and  durability;  either  frigi  domo  (a  woollen  fabric) 
on  the  somewhat  cheaper  and  equally  durable  matter,  Hessian 
canvas ;  and  both  of  which,  with  ordinary  care,  will  last  service¬ 
able  for  about  twelve  or  fourteen  years.  I  have,  however,  a 
preiudice  in  favour  of  frigi  donro,  and  it  is  so  far  permissible 
to  the  daylight  that  I  have  kept  it  stretched  over  Apricot,  Peach, 
and  Nectarine  trees  for  weeks  together  during  the  periods  of 
sharp  frosts  and  cold,  windy  weather.  By  a  judicious  manipula¬ 
tion  of  the  curtains  for  the  tempering  of  cold  east  winds  durinor 
the  early  stage  of  the  expansion  of  the  foliage  of  Peaches  and 
Nectarines,  what  is  known  as  “Peach  blister”  has  been  averted, 
more  especially,  too,  if  a  strip  of  the  canvas,  or  any  other 
suitable  material,  was  at  each  end  of  the  curtain,  or  series  of 
AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER, 
the  same,  so  as  to  exclude  the  full  force  of  the  wind,  and  also 
lessen  the  strain  of  the  current  against  the  curtains.  The  coping 
of  board,  mentioned  on  page  139,  by  Mr.  W.  J.  MuiqDhy,  is  also 
very  serviceable  against  frosts. 
At  the  risk  of  being  considered  tedious,  I  also  remark  that 
one  of  the  most  primitive  appliances  for  the  object  in  question 
prior  to  the  advent  of  the  materials  already  mentioned,  or  other 
similar  fabrics,  fish  netting,  or  branches  of  evergreens,  such  as 
the  common  Laurels,  Spruce  Fir,  Yew,  &c.,  was  safely  used. 
Moreover,  where  a  comparatively  thick  covering  of  the  evergreens 
are  used,  and  obliged  to  be  retained  during  long  periods  of 
adverse  weather,  a  comsiderable  amount  of  discretion  is  required, 
so  as  not  to  expose  the  embryo  fruit  and  foliage  too  suddenly 
afterwards  to  cold  winds  or  cold  nights.  Otherwise,  good  crops  of 
fruit  may  be  secured  from  the  foregoing  makeshift  appliance. — 
W.  Gardiner. 
Jackdaws  Nesting. 
In  “  An  Observer’s  Notes,”  reference  was  made  to  the  date 
(February  17)  of  the  jackdaw  commencing  to  build  its  nest.  It 
may  also  be  interesting  to  remark  that  a  pair  of  these  birds  were 
observed  to  mate  and  select  a  spot  for  nesting  in  the  hollow 
broken  arm  ol  an  Elm  tree  in  the  parish  churchyard  of  Harborne 
about  a  month  ago,  and,  by  certain  actions  of  the  pair,  it  is 
presumed  that  the  hen  is  sitting  at  the  present  time.  I  may 
add  that  I  have  myself  been  an  interesting  observer  of  the  pro¬ 
ceed  ngs  of  the  pa  r  in  question,  and  have  been  informed  by  the 
gravedigger  that  the  hole  in  the  broken  branch  is  so  small  and 
ueeo  that  he  wonders  how  they  managed  to  construct  the  nest, 
and  to  incubate  therein  with  ease.  The  site  has  been  located 
by  the  “  daws  ”  for  several  seasons  past,  and  it  has  been  contested 
for  as  the  “  laager”  of  house  sparrows,  but  without  avail.  Jack¬ 
daws  will  go  Gft  into  those  drainage  holes  or  openings  one  sees 
in  the  sides  of  retaining  walls  or  bridges. — W.  (1. 
Araericaii  v.  English  Chrysanlhemiim  . 
I  was  much  interested  in  the  letter  published  in  the  Journal 
of  January  2  re  Mr.  Godfrey  and  our  American  cousins  on  the 
matter  of  Chysanthemum  raising.  I  did  not  have  the  pleasure 
of  reading  Mr.  Godfrey’s  letter,  which  seems  to  have  upset  some 
of  the  American  trade  growers,  and  I  personally  have  not  had 
the  pleasure  of  seeing  one  of  their  exhibitions  in  the  States. 
No  doubt  their  methods  in  some  instances  are  better  than  ours. 
There  is  room  for  improvement  in  that,  I  wull  admit;  but  when 
it  comes  to  seedling  varieties  (not  sports)  I  think  the  British 
seedling  Chrysanthemums  raised  during  the  last  ten  years  com¬ 
pare  very  favourably  with  any  we  get  from  the  United  States 
or  America.  Taking  into  consideration  the  climate,  then,  I  think 
w'e  hold  our  own.  In  the  first  place  our  climate  is  very  bad  for 
saving  the  seed,  and  there  are  not  so  many  trade  growers  saving 
seen  in  England  as  there  are  in  the  United  States.  I  believe  Mr. 
Godfrey  is  the  only  one  in  England  that  saves  seed  to  any  extent ; 
the  other  British  raisers  are  gardeners  in  private  service.  If  we 
carefully  look  over  our  list  of  Japanese  and  incurved  varieties 
we  can  find  good  varieties  of  both,  standing  the  test  of  time,  such 
as  Mrs.  Weeks,  Florence  Molyneux,  Mrs.  White  Popham,  and 
numerous  others;  also  such  incurveds  as  C.  H.  Curtis,  Hanwell 
Glory,  Lady  Isabel,  and  Mrs.  Egan.  When  one  stops  to  think,  I, 
for  my  part,  cannot  quite  see  where  the  American  raisers  pass 
us  quite  as  they  try  to  make  out.  I  consider  our  standard  of 
excellence  quite  equal  tn  theirs,  if  not  a  little  better ;  for  it  is 
some  years  now  since  I  have  seen  a  really  good  new  Chrys¬ 
anthemum  come  from  America.  If  our  raisers  will  continue  to 
send  out  only  good  varieties  (not  too  many  in  a  season)  I  think 
we  shall  still  hold  our  own.  I  also  notice  Mr.  Totty  says  if  we 
get  one  good  one  out  of  twenty  we  ought  to  be  satisfied.  I 
must  differ  there,  for  if  I  buy  in  twenty  new  varieties  in  a  season 
I  should  certainly  expect  more  than  one  good  one.  Take,  for 
instance,  some  of  the  British-raised  seedlings  of  last  season — 
George  Carpenter,  Lily  Mountford,  Mrs.  J.  J.  Thorneycroft, 
Nellie  Southam,  Louisa  Giles,  Frank  Hammond,  Ralph  Hatton, 
May  Bell,  and  othei's  that  are  good;  and  what  of  these?  Then, 
again,  what  of  the  magnificent  varieties  sent  out  by  Messrs. 
Wells  and  Co.,  mostly  raised  by  Mr.  Pockett?  Then  ive  have 
Messrs.  Brunning  and  Kerslake ;  also  again  this  season  some 
grand  varieties  from  Messrs.  Godfrey,  Weeks,  Molyneux,  Ac. 
No,  Mr.  Editor,  I  think  it  is  America  now  that  is  being  met  and 
passed  by  the  English  raisers.  One  other  remark  I  should  like 
to  make  in  respect  to  showing  them  with  oft  or  Gft  of  stem.  I 
notice  now  the  English-raised  varieties  are  very  dwarf,  plenty 
of  them  only  about  4ft  or  5ft  in  height.  I  don’t  think  our  home 
raisers  need  hlush,  as  our  cousin,  Mr.  Totty,  thinks  we  ought  to. 
—A.  W.  T. 
