416  JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER ,  November  7,  i90i.” 
There  are  still  several  of  the  Helianthuses  in  flower  to 
give  us  this  cheering  thought,  and  we  may  stay  for  a  moment 
or  two  to  talk  of  them  as  they  seem  to  those  of  us  who  love 
our  gardens  and  our  flowers,  and  think  of  them  alike  from 
the  practical  and  the  poetic  standpoints.  First  among  them 
we  must,  I  suppose,  place  the  two  newer  species  which  stand 
most  in  need  of  admission  to  our  gardens.  These  are  likely 
to  make  their  way  into  many  gardens,  and  it  must  be  said 
that  they  seem  worthy  of  this,  and  that  they  will  be  a  gain 
indeed  to  those  who  have  not  grown  them  before.  Perhaps 
the  leading  place  may  be  given  to  Helianthus  mollis,  as  it 
is  now  known,  though  it  comes  near  to  the  other  I  desire  to 
speak  of — H.  tomentosus — in  several  ways.  It  has  been 
frequently  exhibited  by  one  or  two  nurserymen  this  year, 
and  its  merits  in  a  cut  state  make  it  very  suitable  for  cutting 
for  the  house,  as  well  as  for  exhibition  ;  while  its  bold  habit 
and  handsome  flowers  will  make  it  appreciated  in  the  garden. 
Personally  I  am  not  disposed  to  think  more  highly  of  it 
than  H.  tomentosus,  which  is  a  really  fine  garden  flower,  but 
I  think  H.  mollis  is  more  likely  to  be  the  greater  general 
favourite.  The  flowers  of  H.  mollis  are  deeper  in  colour 
than  those  of  H.  tomentosus.  They  are  of  a  bright  orange, 
and  their  whole  appearance  and  their  flatter  formation 
distinguish  them  from  the  latter.  The  habit  is  much  the 
same,  and  the  leaves,  which  are  on  branching  stems,  are 
long  and  rather  lanceolate.  The  plant  is  scabrous  or 
pubescent.  From  its  native  habitats  in  North  America,  we 
would  suppose  that  it  would  like  a  dry  and  poor  soil.  It  has 
certainly  been  very  good  this  season,  and  few  of  us  have 
had  any  cause  to  complain  of  a  superabundance  of  moisture 
in  our  gardens  ;  rather  the  reverse.  It  grows  naturally  on 
dry,  barren  soil.  It  should  grow  from  2ft  to  5ft  high. 
For  boldness  of  appearance  in  the  garden,  it  must,  one 
thinks,  give  place  to  H.  tomentosus,  which  in  its  native  land 
—the  United  States — grows  from  4ft  to  10ft  high.  Few  of  us 
would  care  to  grow  it  to  the  latter  height,  but  a  plant  5ft  or 
6ft  high,  such  as  the  one  here,  is  a  fine  object  with  its  branch¬ 
ing  stems,  rather  hoary-green  leaves,  and  rich  golden  flowers, 
deepening  towards  orange.  It,  too,  seems  to  like  a  dry  soil, 
and  one  has  been  surprised  with  the  vigour  shown  by  this 
plant,  only  put  in  position  in  spring  and  not  favoured  with 
the  best  weather  conditions  for  a  newly  planted  flower.  It, 
too,  should  have  a  future  before  it.  One  must  also  briefly 
say  a  word  for  the  other  Helianthi  which  are  obtainable  now. 
Earlier  in  the  autumn  we  may  think  we  have  a  surfeit  of 
these  yellow  composites,  but  when  October  is  running  on  we 
are  glad  of  all,  even  of  the  small-flowered  H.  giganteus,  as 
well  as  of  multiflorus  and  its  double  forms. 
If  the  Sunflower  is  typical  to  us  of  the  golden  days  of 
early  autumn,  then  the  perennial  Asters  may  well  represent 
to  us  those  of  the  later  times.  Natives,  most  of  those  at 
least  in  our  gardens,  of  woods  or  thickets,  and  thus  shade- 
lovers  at  home,  they  are  emblematic  of  the  waning  sun  and 
the  darkening  hours.  Yet,  how  they  seem  in  unison  with  the 
times,  and  how  they  brighten  up  the  garden  with  their 
blooms,  some  soft-coloured  and  pallid ;  some  of  almost 
brilliant  colouring ;  and  almost  all  of  beauty  sufficiently 
marked  to  please  us.  Then,  how  varied  they  are  in  their 
way!  We  rejoice  over  the  big  flowers  and  upright  habit  of 
the  varieties  of  A.  amellus  ;  we  admire  those  of  the  Novso- 
Angliae  and  the  Novi-Belgii  types  and  varieties  ;  yet  none  the 
less  do  we  appreciate  the  grace  of  the  flowers  and  plants 
of  the  habit  of  such  Starworfcs  as  A.  cordifolius  and 
A.  diffusus.  Those  of  us  who  were  familiar  with  the  few  poor 
Starworts  which  were  grown  in  the  greater  number  of 
gardens  of  our  earlier  years  must  confess  that  our  later 
gardening  lot  is  cast  in  pleasant  times,  when  we  can  have 
such  flowers  as  the  many  lovely  Michaelmas  Daisies  now  at 
our  command.  They  have  been  tossed  about  by  the  storms  ; 
they  have  been  drenched  by  heavy  rains  ;  they  have  been 
beaten  by  hail-showers — yet  they  are  charming  still.  Then 
our  hearts  are  alternately  cheered  and  saddened  by  the 
autumn  Croci.  At  times  we  would  hang  over  them,  delight¬ 
ing  in  their  marvellously  delicate  loveliness,  so  full  of  grace 
and  sweetness  ;  and  another  day  we  look  upon  them  with 
compassion  as  we  see  them  beaten  down  by  the  season’s 
rains  or  thrown  down  by  the  winds  of  the  time.  But  the 
bitterness  of  the  gall  is  in  the  end  driven  away  by  the  sweet¬ 
ness  of  the  nectar  of  pleasure,  and  we  cannot  part  with  these 
fragile  flowers  from  our  garden  treasures.  Such  Crocuses  as 
speciosus,  asturicus,  pulchellus,  and  iridiflorus  major  are 
annual  sources  of  springs  overflowing  with  lasting  enjoy¬ 
ment.  Then  we  may  see  other  flowers  about,  even  if  we 
exclude  from  view  the  half-hardy  and  annual  plants  which 
often  come  in  so  well  at  this  time.  Have  we  not  Meadow 
Saffrons,  with  their  cups  or  rosettes,  such  as  the  double! 
forms  will  give  ?  Have  we  not  Roses  still  which,  in  the 
borders,  on  the  walls,  or  on  trellises  and  pillars,  give  blooms 
of  grace  indeed?  Yes,  and  there  are  Campanulas, 
Phygelius  capensis  with  scarlet  flowers,  gay  Kniphofias, 
some  Heaths,  tiny  Cyclamens,  golden  CEnotheras,  bright 
Poppies,  not  so  gay  as  in  their  true  season  of  June  ; 
Clematises,  in  bloom  or  showing  their  “  gossamer  weight  ”  ; 
Hydrangeas,  hardy  Fuchsias,  golden  Rudbeckias,  black¬ 
hearted  it  may  be,  but  of  welcome  beauty ; 
Chrysanthemums,  and  many  a  stray  bloom,  some  of  which 
remind  us  of  the  coming  days  of  spring  ;  for  among  them  has 
come  a  golden  flower  on  Trollius  Gibsoni.  Truly,  if  we  are 
about  to  enter  the  garden  Malebolge,  we  pass  to  it  along  the 
Primrose  path. — S.  Arnott. 
- - - 
Gardeners  and  Estate  Agents. 
Among  the  many  difficulties  which  head  gardeners  of  to¬ 
day  have  to  fight  against  to  an  increasing  extent,  is  the  un¬ 
warranted  interference  of  estate  agents,  and  I  often  wonder 
why  the  matter  is  not  more  often  ventilated  in  the  horticul¬ 
tural  press.  Perhaps  the'  principal  reason  is  that  there  are 
few  gardeners  who  feel  independent  enough  to  tackle  so 
delicate  a  matter,  which  often  proves  dangerous  ground,  as 
the  influence  of  an  agent  is  frequently  an  unmeasurable 
quantity,  and  is  too  often  exerted  “  below  ”  rather  than 
“  above  ”  board.  Writers  in  periodicals  devoted  to  the  in¬ 
terests  of  the  land  agents  are,  however,  by  no  means  back¬ 
ward  in  treating  of  such  matters,  and  in  arranging  facts  in  a 
light  extremely  favourable  to  their  “  clients,”  and  for  this 
reason  I  am  prompted  to  appear  for  “the  other  side.”  At 
the  outset,  however,  let  me  explain  that  there  are  two 
classes  of  men  to  which  my  remarks  are  not  intended  to 
apply,  because  they  have  too  great  a  knowledge  of  their 
business,  or  too  little  “  arrogance,”  to  create  such  incidents 
as  I  shall  subsequently  touch  upon. 
In  a  few  princely  establishments  it  is  the  custom  for  the 
employer  to  have  nothing  whatever  to  do  with  financial  de¬ 
tails  ;  the  head  of  each  department  is  responsible  for  the 
working  of  it,  and  a  secretary  or  agent  is  the  medium  through 
which  financial  matters  are  arranged,  and,  to  their  credit,  be 
it  said  that  it  is  seldom  that  such  gentlemen  attempt  to  in¬ 
terfere  with,  or  hamper  the  gardener  in  the  conduct  of  his 
duties.  In  some  other  instances  a  gardener  has  perhaps 
proved  a  faithful  and  capable  servant  for  a  number  of  years, 
and  when  changes  come  he  is  promoted  to  the  vacant 
agency,  sometimes  still  retaining  the  control  of  the 
gardeners,  at  others  appointing  a  successor  to  succeed  him. 
Such  men  are  naturally  deeply  interested  in  the  gardens 
which  have  been  extended  and  improved  under  their  watch¬ 
ful  care,  and  although  the  control  of  them  may  have  passed 
from  their  hands,  they  are  always  interested  in  watching  new 
developments,  and  like  to  be  on  the  best  of  terms  with  their 
successors,  and  the  latter  will  generally  find  that  such  men 
have  a  real  desire  to  be  their  true  friends,  and  may  help 
them  in  many  ways,  and  I  have  never  yet  known  a  case  in 
which  two  fair-minded  men  could  not,  under  such  circum¬ 
stances,  work  amicably  together  for  the  benefit  of  their 
employer. 
The  above  illustrations  I  therefore  place  outside  the 
scope  of  this  discussion.  In  giving  a  few  examples  of  the 
methods  of  an  increasing  proportion  of  estate  agents,  let  me 
start  from  the  beginning  of  a  gardener’s  term  of  office.  A 
thoroughly  trained  man  who  has  spent  from  twelve  to  fifteen 
years  in  various  departments  of  a  good  garden,  is  brought  to 
the  notice  of  a  nobleman  or  gentleman  requiring  the  services 
of  a  gardener  capable  of  taking  the  entire  management  of 
a  large  establishment.  An  interview  is  arranged,  and  the 
candidate  meets  the  would-be  employer,  as  well  as  the 
mistress  of  the  house,  who  usually  takes  great  interest  in 
the  gardens.  Matters  progress  satisfactorily,  and  the  gar¬ 
dener  is  engaged  on  the  distinct  understanding  that  he  is 
responsible  to  his  employers  only  in  regard  to  the  conduct  of 
the  garden.  It  is  arranged  that  the  expenses  of  the  gardens 
shall  be  kept  within  a  stated  amount,  and  they  expect  him 
to  produce  the  best  results  he  possibly  can  with  that  amount 
of  expenditure.  He  is  to  obtain  the  money  for  weekly  wages 
from  the  -^ate  office,  and  at  the  end  of  each  quarter,  when 
