September  19,  1901. 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
271 
September  Nosings, 
If  there  was  no  such  thing  as  a  calendar,  the  gar  len  itself  would 
serve  the  purpose  in  marking  the  passage  of  time.  In  September  it 
has  a  look,  peculiar  to  the  month,  in  some  respects  a  little  ragged  and 
dismantled,  but  bright  nevertheless  with  the  flowers  of  the  season.  In 
the  air  itself  there  is  something  significant  of  the  season.  Not  only 
are  the  days  shorter,  but  there  is  a  misty  coolness  at  dawn,  which  is 
dispelled  as  the  sun  asserts  its  power.  In  our  part  they  call  such  a 
real  Hop-picking  morning,  because  it  gives  promise  of  a  fine  day,  and 
the  rustics  rejoice  in  it  as  they  trudge  along  on  their  way  to  the 
gardens,  where  the  bine  is  being  ruthlessly  torn  down,  and  the  golden 
brown  trusses  of  Hops  are  tugged  off  by  scores  of  willing  fingers,  and 
transferred  to  the  drying  oasts  ;  and  then  in  the  evening,  when  the 
sun  has  again  sunk  below  the  horizon,  a  misty  haze  settles  once  more 
over  the  landscape,  and  the  evening  air  is  pervaded  with  the  delicious 
aroma  from  the  smoke  of  rubbish  fires  burning  in  the  cottage  gardens 
round  about.  It  is  the  season  for  clearing  up,  the  Potatoes  are  being 
lifted  and  stored,  and  the  withered  tops,  the  Pea  haulms,  and  the  old 
Bean  stalks  are  being  reduced  to  ashes,  which  are  carefully  preserved 
for  next  season’s  Onion  bed,  and  in  the  process  of  burning  that  scent 
is  given  off  which  never  smells  as  it  does  in  the  twilight  of  a  September 
evening. 
We  ruminate  at  this  time  of  the  year — rest  on  our  oars,  so  to 
speak,  and  gather  in  little  groups  when  we  can  no  longer  s  e  to  do 
anything,  and  compare  notes  of  the  difficulties  of  the  past  season. 
With  us  they  have  been  numerous,  and  one  old  stager  of  some  sixty 
odd  years’  experience  says  it  has  been  the  queerest  season  he  could 
ev<  r  remember.  Ask  him  why,  and  he  refers  to  the  cold  bleak  days  of 
spring,  when  we  were  anxious  to  get  the  ground  turned  up  so  that  we 
could  make  a  start,  but  perpetual  rain  prevented  it.  And  then  later, 
when  we  were  running  through  the  days  when  we  should  have  had 
warm  sunshine  and  intermittent  showers,  the  top  crust  of  soil  baked 
like  bricks  under  the  influence  of  the  biting  east  wind  that  prevailed 
through  the  greater  part  of  May.  After  that  came  the  drought,  wh  ch 
dashed  all  the  hopes  of  the  farmer  for  hay  crops,  and  threatened  failure 
in  the  garden.  How  we  sickened  of  the  constant  slush,  slush  of  the 
watering  can,  and  longed  for  the  showers  which  refused  to  come.  We 
were  mutually  agreed  that  there  would  be  nothing,  and  that  all  our 
efforts  would  be  in  vain,  and  now  as  the  end  is  approaching,  and  we 
have  arrived  at  a  time  when  we  can  begin  to  count  the  results,  we  are 
mutually  surprised  that  things  have  turned  out  so  well. 
But  what  a  season  it  has  been  for  flowers,  in  spite  of  the  drought, 
and  it  is  truthfully  said  in  this  neighbourhood  (Kent)  that  we  had 
better  have  too  much  sunshine  than  too  much  wet.  As  I  write  the 
Roses  are  bright  in  their  second  bloom.  They  are  not  a  tip-top  show 
collection,  and  not  a  flower  from  them  has  ever  graced  a  show  board 
to  my  knowledge,  but  they  are  just  a  mixed  medley  of  Teas  and 
II.P.’s,  with  a  climber  here  and  there.  Another  bright  spot  is  where 
the  Sweet  Peas  grow.  Surely  this  is  a  flower  to  swear  by,  and  no 
mistake.  July  was  young  when  they  first  unfurled  their  sweet 
blossoms,  and  it  has  been  cut,  cut,  cut  ever  since.  Tnerein  lies  the 
secret  too,  for  Sweet  Peas,  above  all  things,  must  be  cut  if  they  are  to 
continue  blooming.  We  worked  the  ground  deeply  at  the  outset, 
manured  liberally,  and  sowed  thinly.  Not  a  drop  of  water  have  the 
plants  had  since  except  that  which  came  from  the  clouds  ;  not  because 
we  were  niggardly,  but  water  has  been  a  scarce  article  in  these  parts 
all  summer,  but  the  Sweet  Peas  have  stood  the  strain,  and  the  display 
of  bloom  on  Firefly,  Black  Knight,  Captain  of  the  Blues,  Blanche 
Burpee,  and  the  rest,  is  nearly  as  blight  as  it  has  been  through  the 
summer. 
I  doubt  whether  the  annuals  have  ever  been  better,  and  how  the 
Asters  enjoy  the  heavy  dews  of  the  morning  just  now  !  A  few  went 
wrong  in  midsummer,  but  for  the  most  part  they  have  pulled  through, 
and  are  making  a  grand  display,  and  taking  the  place  of  the  Stocks 
that  have  done  so  well  under  the  tropical  sunshine.  For  brightness 
of  colour  and  size  of  flowers  the  Zinnias  surpassed  themselves,  and  in 
hot  summers  I  question  whether  we  have  a  more  useful  annual. 
There  is  nothing  novel  about  single  Petunias  for  bedding  purposes, 
but  they  have  acquitted  themselves  so  well  that  they  are  deserving  of 
eci  .1  word.  One  bed  was  planted  from  a  packet  of  mixed  seeds, 
an  .  thev  have  rambled  and  wandered,  but  flowering  all  the  time, 
a  imued  by  everybody,  and  to-day  as  bright  as  ever. 
By  way  of  conclusion  I  must  muse  a  little  in  the  orchard,  where 
the  harvest  of  the  trees  is  at  hand.  Reports  are  confusing  as  regards 
fruit.  From  some  parts  we  hear  that  Plums  and  Apples  are  scarce, 
but  in  others  the  trees  are  laden  almost  to  point  of  breaking.  This 
upsets  local  calculation,  which  says  that  we  never  get  a  good  crop  in 
two  consecutive  seasons.  Such  is  the  case,  however,  with  some  trees, 
while  others  seem  to  support  the  truth  of  the  old  saying  by  producing 
nothing.  What  are  commonly  known  as  windfalls  are  numerous, 
though  the  majority  of  them  are  not  windfalls  at  all,  but  the  hole  at 
the  eye  or  in  the  side  is  evidence  of  the  maggot  of  the  codlin  moth. 
Amongst  tbe  various  pest  of  the  Apple  none  has  done  so  much  damage 
in  recent  years  as  this,  and  the  efforts  made  to  checkmate  it  are  few. 
1  think  most  people  are  agreed  that  this  is  a  good  Pear  year,  though 
the  early  “Williams’”  have  not  been  much  of  a  success.  Still  the 
later  sorts  are  bearing  freely,  and  there  should  be  no  scarcity  of  luscious 
fruits  at  Christmas  time.  The  Cherry  season  is  just  over,  except  the 
Morellos  on  the  north  wall  that  are  hanging  for  dessert.  The  little 
wildiing  that  the  cherry  brandy  is  made  from  has  cropped  very  heavily 
this  year,  and  the  last  of  the  fruits  have  been  picked  for  preserving. 
Rarely  has  the  Cherry  crop  been  so  good,  and  at  the  time  when 
townsfolk  were  buying  a  pound  of  splendid  Bigarreaus  for  a  penny,  the 
Kentish  grower  was  bemoaning  the  low  price  that  the  salesman 
returned  him  for  his  fruit.  Big  prices  were  paid  for  orchards  at  the 
outset,  but  I  am  afraid  some  of  the  speculators  would  never  see  their 
money  back.  Though  Plums  and  Damsons  are  p'entifui  in  places  they 
are  scarce  in  other  districts,  and  I  do  not  think  we  shall  hear  the 
stories  of  tons  of  fruit  rotting  on  the  ground  that  were  so  common  last 
year. — H. 
- *.#.» - 
Bulbs  in  Grass. 
Winter  Aconites — Snowdrops — 3clllas— Croc  uses — Chionodoxas — 
Narcissi. 
The  culture  of  spring-flowering  bulbs  in  grass  is  a  feature  of 
gardening  which  might  be  more  extensively  carried  out.  It  is  not 
desirable  to  encourage  the  planting  of  even  small  bulbs  on  closely 
shaven  lawns,  but  there  are  many  corners  and  patches  of  grass  where 
a  good  display  of  common  hardy  bulbs  would  prove  attractive  and 
interesting,  not  only  for  one,  but  for  many  seasons,  as  the  majority 
of  bulbs  suitable  for  this  purpose  could  remain  in  the  ground 
permanently,  and  they  would  i>  crease  in  numbers  each  succeeding 
season.  The  most  effective  displays  are  made  when  the  planting  is 
done  in  comparatively  large  masses,  isolated  bulbs  or  small  patches  of 
a  few  only  not  giving  the  effect  or  bold  display  which  should  be 
associated  with  this  form  of  culture. 
Whatever  class  of  bulbs  are  planted,  it  is  essential  in  the  first 
instance  to  give  the  ground  or  position  thoroughly  good  preparation. 
To  do  this  the  grass  should  be  removed  in  a  circle,  say  not  less  than 
2  feet  in  diameter,  or  more  if  larger  masses  are  required.  Take  out 
the  top  spit  of  soil  and  break  up  that  below,  adding  some  decayed 
manure,  leaf  soil,  and  burnt  refuse  to  improve  it.  If  very  dry  and 
hard  saturate  with  water  before  adding  any  additional  materials,  which 
may  be  mixed  with  the  top  spit  in  filling  in  the  space  again.  Make 
the  whole  firm  and  level,  and  then  plant  the  bulbs. 
The  smaller  bulbs  may  consist  of  Winter  Aconites,  Soowdrops, 
Scillas,  Crocuses  in  separate  colours.  Chionodoxas,  Jonquils,  Daffodils 
of  the  commoner  type,  and  choicer  Narcissi  in  variety.  The  common 
English  double  Daffodil,  Telamonius  plenus,  is  the  best,  and  it 
will  flower  every  season.  Other  and  choicer  varieties,  showy  and 
distinct  in  character,  are  included  in  the  following  list  of  Narcissi 
suitable  for  naturalisation : — Abscissus,  a  late  flowering  trumpet 
Daffodil ;  albicans,  a  strong  growing  trumpet  variety  ;  Achilles,  a 
rich  deep  yellow  March-flowering  trumpet  variety.  A  good  early 
trumpet  Daffodil  is  Golden  Spur,  so  also  is  obvallaris  (Tenby 
Daffodil),  spurius,  scobicus,  pallidus  prsecox,  and  Princeps,  all  trumpet 
varieties. 
For  very  late  flowering,  poeticus  ornatus  and  the  double  Gardenia- 
flowered  poeticus  variety  are  among  the  best.  The  Peerless  Daffodils 
or  Chalice-cupped  Star  Narcissi,  which  include  the  incomparabilis 
and  Leedsi  varieties,  are  excellent  for  naturalising.  Tulips  may  be 
used  in  limited  quantities,  the  late-flowering  outdoor  varieties  being 
the  best  for  this  purpose.  Groups  of  Dog’s-tooth  Violets  are  pretty 
and  interesting  and  excellent  for  establishing  permanently  in  semi¬ 
wild  positions. 
A  readier  method  of  planting  than  the  one  described  may  be 
adopted  if  the  soil  is  good  and  comparatively  moist.  Make  holes  with 
a  crowbar  and  enlarge  them  with  a  dibber,  partially  filling  them  with 
a  mixture  of  sandy  loam  and  leaf  soil,  leaving  sufficient  space  to  place 
the  bulb  at  the  required  depth.  Then  cover  and  fill  up  the  hole  with 
the  same  kind  of  soil.  The  bulbs,  according  to  their  size,  may  be 
planted  a  few  inches  apart,  and  in  this  manner  breadths  of  any  size 
may  be  established.  The  grass  should  be  kept  well  down  during  the 
autumn,  but  after  the  bulos  commence  growth  it  ought  not  to  be 
touched  until  the  flowering  is  over  and  the  foliage  has  completely  died 
down. 
For  culture  under  large  trees  or  shrubs,  whether  the  ground  is 
covered  with  grass  or  not,  the  bulbs  mentioned  may  be  employed.  The 
attention  the  bulbs  appreciate  is  to  supply  them  with  several  good 
soakings  of  water  during  the  season  of  growth  should  the  ground  be 
at  all  dry.  Liquid  manure  will  act  beneficially  after  the  flowering  is 
over  to  assist  the  growth  of  the  leaves  and  indirectly  benefit  the 
flowering  the  next  season. — Southerner. 
