106 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
August  I,  1901. 
fjirdy  Flower  Notes. 
Thebe  are  some  brave  flowers,  some  that  look  dauntless  and 
happy  through  all  weathers,  and  flourish  their  blooms  bravely  through 
sunshine  and  storm,  through  soft  breezes  and  through  stiff  gales. 
They  are  worth  looking  out  for  and  worth  cherishing,  for  they  are  like 
true  friends,  who  will  stand  by  us  not  only  in  our  cheerful  but  in  our 
heartless  days.  Tney  are  none  too  plentiful  these  precious  things, 
and  we  might  do  worse  than  look  back  over  the  dry  time  we  have 
passed  through  since  last  I  wrote  these  notes,  and  pick  from  among 
the  flowers  of  the  garden  those  which  have  best  stood  the  stress  of 
the  scorch  ng  suns  and  the  drying  winds.  Tnis,  too,  in  “a  dry 
pirched  land,”  where  water  is  scarce,  and  has  to  be  pumped  by  hand, 
no  light  task,  as  my  factotum  would  tell  you  if  you  asked  him  how 
many  cansful  of  water  he  had  applied  to  the  flowers  on  any  given 
night,  and  he  is  not  so  liberal  in  his  views  on  watering  as  I  am 
myself.  But  enough  of  this,  and  to  the  flowers  themselves. 
No  plant  looks  as  if  it  enjoyed  the  warm  weather  and  the  dry  time 
better  than  that  rambling  assertive  Coronilla  varia.  It  has  spread 
apace,  and  from  its  duty  of  covering  in  summer  a  small  bed  of  the  noble 
Dorwin  Tulips,  which  are  grand  as  garden  flowers,  it  has  thought  fit 
to  spread  to  other  things,  and  now  forms  a  big  sheet  of  pink  and 
v  hite  blooms  and  pretty  leaves,  straying  among  the  bushes  and 
invading  little  alleys  among  some  flowers  on  trial.  It  is  pretty  too, 
and  but  for  its  overflowing  luxuriance  of  growth  would  be  more  highly 
prized.  Someone  should  plant  it  on  the  brow  of  a  steep  dry  bank, 
and  let  it  hang  down  and  make  a  sheet  of  soft  pink,  which  would  be 
the  effect  it  would  present  a  little  away.  It  varies  a  little  from  seeds, 
but  this  is  the  easiest  way  of  raising  a  stock,  and  the  best  way  of 
establishing  it  in  a  garden.  A  flower  which  blooms  from  June  until 
about  November  is  not  to  be  lightly  looked  upon,  even  if  not  free  from 
faults  of  its  own. 
Then  we  have  had  in  that  giant-headed  Clover,  Trifolium 
pannonicum,  another  thing  which  has  appeared  to  enjoy  the  heat 
and  drought,  although  on  a  dry  and  sunny  rockery,  where  it  looks 
fully  better  than  in  the  border.  From  2  to  feet  high,  and  covered 
with  great  heads  of  conical  creamy-yellow  flowers,  it  always  secures 
admirers,  and,  were  it  more  easily  divided,  one  would  often  be  called 
upon  to  supply  would-be  growers  with  a  piece  for  “  friendship  sake.” 
It  is,  however,  not  a  plant  from  which  a  little  piece  can  be  slipped 
readily,  and  even  a  trowel  finds  difficulty  in  dividing  its  hard  base. 
Trifolium  pannonicum  is,  all  in  all,  a  satisfactory  plant,  although  I 
could  not  answer  a  friend  whom  I  caught  studying  it  intently,  and 
who  ended  by  asking  if  “  it  would  make  a  good  forage  plant  ?  ”  This 
threatened  combination  of  the  dulce  et  utile  was  beyond  me  to  advise. 
Alstroemerias  have  revelled  everywhere  in  the  strong  sunshine 
and  in  the  dryness  of  the  atmosphere  and  soil.  There  are  few  more 
beautiful  things  in  the  hardy  flower  garden  than  these,  though  some  of 
them  are  strangely  fastidious  in  establishing  themselves  in  only  certain 
parts  of  a  garden.  None  I  know  are  so  easily  grown  as  A.  aurantiaca 
and  its  varieties,  and  their  only  fault  in  some  gardens  is  that  they  are 
hardly  suitable  for  the  mixed  border,  as  they  so  soon  grow  into  great 
clumps,  and  encroach  upon  the  space  of  other  flowers.  They  are 
worthy  of  a  bed  or  a  corner  to  themselves,  where  the  glorious  masses 
of  bloom  they  produce  can  be  well  seeD,  and  where  one  may  go  to 
“cut  and  come  again.” 
Some  of  the  Helianthuses,  or  Sunflowers,  are  rare  hot  weather 
plants,  and  those  of  the  style  of  H.  rigidus  look  as  if  they  thoroughly 
enjoyed  the  heat  and  drought.  In  this  respect  the  rigidus  forms  are 
better  than  those  of  the  style  of  H.  multiflorus  or  H.  decapetalus, 
which  often  show,  by  dropping  their  lower  leaves,  that  they  dislike  a 
long-continued  spell  of  dry  weather  on  light  soil.  But  for  that 
rampant,  running  habit,  these  rigidus  forms  of  such  beauty  as 
H.  Miss  Mellish  and  H.  Daniel  Dewar  would  be  far  more  useful  than 
they  are.  Yet,  who  could  do  without  them  ? 
Erigeron  speciosus  superbus  has  been  another  good  flower  for  the 
dry  time.  It  has  kept  fresh  and  vigorous,  and  its  pleasing — nay, 
delightful — purplish  flowers  have  been  long  untarnished  by  the 
weather.  No  one  sees  this,  the  best  of  all  the  border  Erigerons,  without 
admiration,  and  it  is  pleasant  when  it  has  the  weather  which  suits  it 
best,  when  its  flowers  get  no  rain  for  days  together,  and  thus  retain 
much  longer  the  freshness  of  their  opening  beauty.  Delightful,  too, 
have  been  the  Eryngiums,  whose  steely  blue  or  glaucous  heads  and 
stems  have  had  a  happy  time,  and  have  stood  with  undiminished 
charms  for  'many  days  together.  The  noblest  of  all  is  E.  alpinum, 
whose  feathery  bract-like  blooms  have  had  a  long  lease  and  are  yet 
Ireph  and  pleasing  with  their  delicate  tones  of  blue.  E.  Oliverianum, 
also,  has  been  most  pleasing,  and  the  few  others  in  the  garden  have 
not  iost  any  of  their  former  graces  in  one’s  eyes. 
One  his  run  on,  and  has  left  no  space  for  the  fine  Helenium 
jpumilum  magnificum,  a  good  dry  weather  flower  for  July  ;  for  the 
pretty  Isatis  glauca  ;  for  the  Pinks,  which  stand  drought  so  well  as 
a  rule ;  or  for  the  many  of  greater  or  of  lesser  worth,  which  in  the 
same  month  have  showed  their  delight  in,  or  their  endurance  of,  the 
hot  time  they  have  undergone.  As  this  is  written  we  are  looking 
forward  to  tne  revival  of  their  more  suffering  companions,  and  to 
enjoying  their  loveliuess,  which  has  been  obscured  or  hindered  lor  a 
time.  For  now  the  rain  has  come. — S.  Arnott. 
Figs  Under  Glass. 
Trees  in  Pots  for  Early  Forcing. 
Of  all  the  insect  enemies  of  the  Fig,  red  spider  and  soale  hold  front 
rank  in  malignity.  Red  spider  must  be  subdued  by  forcible  syringing 
at  least  once  a  day,  in  hot  weather  twice,  directing  the  force  of  the 
water  against  the  under  side  of  the  leaves  ;  and  if  this  is  not  sufficient 
an  inseoticide  must  be  used,  as  it  is  important  that  the  foliage  be  kept 
clean  and  perform  its  functions.  Soale  does  not  yield  to  water  unless 
at  a  temperature  of  130°  to  135°,  and  if  carefully  applied  does  not  injure 
the  foliage.  As  a  rule  scale  requires  treatment  with  an  insecticide,  and 
so  also  does  red  spider  in  some  cases.  Nicotine  compound  diluted  to  a 
safe  strength  completely  annihilates  red  spider,  but  leaves  a  taint  on 
the  fruit,  therefore  must  not  be  used  until  this  is  gathered.  For  both 
red  spider  and  scale  soluble  paraffin  oil  is  effective.  It  is  easily  made  by 
dissolving  one  part  of  softsoap  in  eight  parts  water  by  boiling,  and  then 
adding  paraffin  oil  to  any  extent  not  greater  than  the  amount  of  the 
dissolved  soap  and  water,  stirring  well.  For  syringing  use  as  much  of 
the  soluble  paraffin  as  contain  a  wineglassful  or  2  fluid  ozs.  of  paraffin 
oil  to  3  gallons  of  water,  and  for  applying  with  a  brush  to  scale  on  wood 
that  amount  to  1  gallon.  It  is  best  to  use  hot  water  for  mixing,  and 
apply  when  cooled  to  90°  to  100°,  or  to  aot  promptly  in  bad  oases  at 
130°  to  135°. 
To  insure  plenty  of  stored  matter  for  sustaining  the  first  crop  Figs 
next  season  in  its  early  stages,  afford  liquid  manure  to  the  roots,  not  to 
the  extent  of  causing  exuberance,  but  to  insure  a  due  supply  of  nourish¬ 
ment  and  the  storing  of  assimilated  matter  in  the  wood.  Pinching, 
with  a  view  to  induce  a  neat  habit  in  young  plants  with  fruitfulness, 
must  be  attended  to,  regulating  the  stopping  by  the  vigour  of  the 
plants  and  varieties.  Strong  growing  sorts  will  need  to  be  more  closely 
pinched  than  those  of  moderate  growth,  but  in  all  cases  avoid  over¬ 
crowding  the  shoots,  for  fruitfulness  is  not  so  much  dependent  on 
ample  foliage  as  on  a  legitimate  proportion  duly  exposed  to  light. 
The  trees  must  not  be  huddled  together,  but  each  have  space  essential 
to  the  proper  development  of  the  tree  under  all  the  light  possible,  and 
free  ventilation  to  solidify  the  growth  as  it  is  made.  For  early  forcing 
the  small  varieties  Early  Violet  and  St.  John’s,  with  Brown  Turkey  to 
follow,  are  suitable,  giving  good  results  in  both  first — the  most 
important— and  second  crops. 
Planted-out  Trees. 
The  trees  started  about  the  new  year  have  the  second  crop  in  an 
advanced  state,  and  must  have  a  final  thinning,  reserving  those  fruits 
near  the  base  of  the  growths  which  finish  better  than  those  near  the 
points..  Thinning  is  of  vital  importance,  because  fruit-bearing  is  an 
exhausting  process,  and  the  first  crop  having  to  be  borne  on  the  young 
growths  of  the  preceding  year,  that  part  must  not  be  enfeebled  by 
carrying  a  heavy  load  of  fruit.  First  crops  are  the  most  valuable.  Any 
cultivator  can  grow  second  crops,  and  the  chief  cause  of  the  failure  of 
the  first  crop  is  imperfect  ripening  of  the  wood.  Nor  must  the  energies 
of  the  trees  be  taxed  too  severely  by  the  second  crop  if  they  are  to  afford 
fruit  early  next  season.  Attention  must  be  regularly  given  to  training 
and  stopping  the  shoots,  keeping  the  joints  well  exposed  to  the  light. 
Train  thinly,  tie  loosely,  and  leave  plenty  of  space  in  theligatures  for  the 
shoots  to  swell.  Stop  side  shoots  at  the  fifth  leaf,  and  rub  off  those 
not  required,  for  spur  growths  to  the  extent  of  cro/vding  are  fatal  to 
fruitfulness. 
Water  will  be  required  copiously,  applying  a  light  mulching  of 
short  lumpy  manure,  sweetened  horse  droppings  being  suitable.  If 
used  fresh  and  too  abundantly  there  is  injury  to  the  young  growths. 
Such  dressings  admit  air,  and  contain  ammoniacal  and  other  matter  of 
great  benefit  to  the  trees.  Liquid  manure  will  be  necessary  according 
to  the  vigour  of  the  trees  and  the  extent  of  the  rooting  area.  Trees  in 
narrow  borders  may  need  it  every  day,  others  at  longer  intervals. 
They  can  hardly  have  too  much  water  in  hot  weather,  and  they  store 
more  matter  in  a  week  of  fine  weather  than  in  a  month  of  dull.  The 
border,  however,  must  be  of  sound  material,  and  the  roots  active. 
Forcibly  dislodge  red  spider  by  syringing  twice  a  day,  which,  with 
proper  feeding,  will  occasion  little  need  of  insecticides.  Soale  must  be 
removed  with  a  brush  and  a  soapy  solution.  Admit  a  little  air  constantly, 
increasing  it  early  in  the  morning,  and  reducing  the  openings  early  in 
the  afternoon,  then  affording  plenty  of  moisture  in  the  atmosphere,  and 
allowing  the  heat  to  rise  to  90°  or  more,  and  the  fruit  will  swell  to  a 
good  size ;  then  a  circulation  of  air  constantly  when  the  fruit  commences 
ripening  will  enable  the  grower  to  produce  Figs  of  the  highest  quality, 
which  are  wholesome  and  nutritious,  and  much  appreciated  at  dessert. 
— Practice. 
