54 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
July  19,  1900* 
the  usual  black  and  solid  looking  material  that  some  gardeners  call 
leaf  mould  the  Belgian  article  is  a  light,  well  divided  sharp  feeling 
material  that— at  fiist  at  any  rate — could  not  under  ordinary  circum¬ 
stances  damage  the  roots  of  the  most  delicate  of  Orchids.  It  is  of 
course  a  very  natural  medium  for  Orchid  roots,  containing  as  it  must 
do  so  much  woody  fibre,  and  it  appears  to  me  that  if  only  the  bulk 
can  be  prevented  from  getting  into  a  sour  and  waterlogged  condition 
through  over-moistening  them-it  will  be  satisfactory. 
I  am  more  than  ever  inclined  to  this  view  by  seeing- a  very  fine 
stock  of  Cattleyas  and  other  Orchids  growing  under  these  conditions  at 
Shipley  Hall,  Derby.  A  year  ago  these  plants  looked  very  promising, 
but  at  that  time  Mr.  J.  C.  Tallack  had  only  been  experimenting  a 
short  time  and  was  therefore  not  in  a  position  to  say  much  about  it. 
Just  now  the  pots  appear  to  be  full  of  roots,  the  plants  look  the  very 
picture  of  health,  and  the  number  of  growths  springing  from  the  base 
of  the  bulbs  is  remarkable.  The  plants  are  in  pots  of  medium  size, 
and  owing  to  the  nature  of  the  material  cannot  be  elevated  much 
above  the  rim.  A  layer  of  sphagnum  moss  is  placed  on  the  surface 
to  conserve  moisture,  thus  preventing  the  necessity  for  very  frequent 
watering. 
This  latter  point  seems  to  me  to  be  the  principal  consideration.  As 
long  as  sufficient  moisture  can  be  drawn  from  the  leaf  mould  for  the 
need  of  the  roots  there  is  no  necessity  for  continual  soakings  of  water, 
which  only  fine  down  the  material  without  any  corresponding  benefit, 
and  the  sphagnum  on  the  surface  always  to  a  certain  extent  drawing 
moisture  from  the  atmosphere.  Just  at  present  there  appears  to  he 
some  difficulty  in  getting  supplies  of  the  Belgian  article,  but  doubt¬ 
less  in  case  of  a  demand  arising  this  would  soon  be  forthcoming.  And 
without  being  too  optimistic  as  to  results  it  would  be  well  worth  while 
to  try  the  effect  of  rome  of  the  leaf  deposits  of  our  woods  at  home. 
Many  readers  will  doubtless  have  tried  the  fibre  that  collects  about 
Pine  woods,  but  this  never  seemed  to  me  to  be  just  what  was  wanted. 
Where  there  are  mixed  plantations  of  evergreen  and  deciduous  trees, 
or  of  forest  trees  and  Conifers,  there  is  more  likely  to  be  a  proper 
blend  of  leaf  and  woody  textures,  and  it  should  be  possible  by 
experimenting  for  a  year  or  two  with  plants  of  little  value  to  find  out 
whether  the  effects  were  good  rr  the  reverse.  Possibly,  too,  some  of 
our  more  difficult  species  may  by  these  means  be  induced  to  thrive. 
Take  for  instance  the  charming  set  of  Oncidiums,  of  which 
0.  Marshallianum,  0.  crispum,  and  its  allies  0.  Forbesi  and  others,  are 
well  known  members.  They  are  olten  imported,  and  as  often  killed, 
and  anyone  who  could  find  out  a  way  to  insure  their  holding  on  for 
years  under  cultivation  would  he  a  benefactor  to  all  classes  of 
orchidists.  I  am  not  saying  that  this  leaf  mould  is  going  to  prove  a 
panacea  for  their  ills,  but  when  one  sees  easily  grown  kinds  increased 
in  vigour  by  its  use,  there  is  at  least  a  po^sibility  that  more  difficult 
species  may  also  be  assisted.  In  the  meantime  it  would  be  very 
interesting  to  hear  the  experience  of  any  readers  who  have  tried 
it.— H.  R.  R. 
W  HATEVER  may  be  the  future  cf  flower  gardening,  and  it  does 
undeigc  cl  anges  Item  time  to  time,  there  seems  to  be  little  fear  that 
old  fav(  urite  flowers,  especially  such  as  commonly  grown  biennials, 
will  ever  he  ostracised.  It  does  not  lollow  that  these  old  favourites 
are  still  regarded  as  such  because  of  any  garden  sentiment,  for  senti¬ 
ment  has  to  go  by  the  board  when  fashion  dominates,  but  rather  it  is 
because  these  old  plants  are  so  beautiful,  so  comparatively  hardy,  so 
easily  raised  and  grown,  and  because  everybody  likes  to  see  these 
flowers  in  their  respective  seasons.  But  even  biennials  of  to-day  are 
not  exactly  those  of  half  a  century  since.  They  may  still  be  Wall¬ 
flowers,  or  Sweet  Williams,  or  Canterbury  Bells,  or  Foxgloves,  but  in 
all  cases  how  much  have  they  bien  improved.  Possibly  their  existing 
popularity  is  largely  due  to  the  fact  that  they  have  kept  pace  with 
the  progression  found  in  the  Rose,  Carnation,  Pmk,  Dahlia,  and  many 
other  old-fashioned  favourite  garden  flowers,  all  of  which  for  the  same 
reason  seem  to  be  more  popular  in  gardens  than  they  were  in  bygone 
days. 
Sweet  Williams. 
Sweet  Williams,  just  now  coming  into  bloom,  are,  when  well 
grow  ,  very  beautiful,  and  extremely  varied.  I  have  no  sympathy 
with  those  seedsmen  who  for  the  sake  of  getting  very  large  flow'ers 
limit  colours  and  markings  to  merely  ringed  pips,  all  exactly  alike. 
Ihose,  because  large  and  rounded,  may  be  regarded  as  the  finest  for 
exhibition;  but  in  gaidens  a  siraiu  that  shows  at  least  a  dozen  diverse 
hues^  and  markings,  with  fine  pips  and  large  trusses,  is  far  more 
pleasing  and  decorative.  To  have  such  strains  it  is  not  needful  to  tie 
oneself  to  any  one  seedsman.  It  is  best  'o  purchase  small  quantities 
from  three  or  four  vendors,  and  n.ix  altogether.  When  the  plants 
flower  it  is  easy  to  tie  a  pirce  of  bast  round  the  stems  of  a  few 
of  the  most  variously  coloured  and  finest  trusses,  and  later  save  the 
seed.  That  is  the  way  to  secure  a  charming  strain.  Sweet  Williana 
seed  should  be  sown  in  the  open  ground  early  in  May,  and  in  drills- 
12  inches  apart.  In  a  couple  of  months  the  seedlings  are  strong 
enough  to  be  lifted  and  dibbled  out  into  borders,  or  if  preferred  into 
a  special  bed.  As  seed  saved  one  year  ripens  too  late  to  produce, 
even  if  at  once  sown,  strong  flowering  plants  for  the  following  year,  it 
is  needful  to  have  seed  in  hand  to  sow  at  the  proper  time.  The 
plants  do  best  when  got  out  early,  and  on  good  deeply  worked  soil.. 
Whether  the  flowers  have  smooth  edges  or  serrated  ones  is  a  matter 
of  little  moment.  If  they  be  fine  and  varied  in  colours  and  in  mark¬ 
ings  all  are  beautiful.  It  is  not  the  least  charm  of  the  Sweet  William 
that  it  gives  the  grower  so  little  trouble,  and  is  so  hardy. 
Foxg-loves, 
The  improved  Foxgloves,  or  Digitalis,  are  beautifully  spotted  as  a 
rule,  and  are  much  taller  in  spike  and  fuller  in  flower  than  are  the 
common  wild  forms.  The  white  varieties  are  striking  objects  in  a 
garden,  strong  plants  sending  up  spikes  to  a  height  of  6  feet  and 
even  talliT,  whilst  many  long  side  shoots  also  bloom  freely.  But 
whatever  the  colour,  white,  flesh,  rose,  red,  or  purple,  those  having 
deep  coloured  large  spots  in  the  throat  are  the  most  attractive, 
greatly  excelling  those  even  of  the  finest  flowers  that  are  pure  seifs. 
Foxgloves,  to  be  seen  in  their  perfect  beauty,  should  not  only  bloom 
strong,  but  in  quantity.  Colonies  of  from  twelve  to  twenty  plants 
give  superb  effects,  although  s'ngle  p’ants  here  and  there  in  broad 
borders  are  very  beautiful.  Seeds  of  a  few  of  the  finest  and  most 
varied  can  easily  be  saved,  as  these  plants  are  marvellously  prolific.. 
With  them  the  best  time  to  sow  seed  is  in  the  month  of  May,  to 
insure  having  strong  plants  to  flower  the  following  year.  The  seed 
must  be  .sown  thinly,  and  it  is  often  wise  to  raise  plants  in  shallow 
pans  or  boxes  under  glass  where  there  is  danger  that  seed  may  fail 
if  sown  in  the  open  ground;  germination  may  be  much  assisted  if 
the  bed  he  occasionally  watered  and  shaded  in  the  daytime. 
Canterbury  Bells. 
Canterbury  Bells  have  in  this  common  term  what  seems  to  be  an 
undyingappellation.  How  everyone  knows  them  so-called,  how  few  know 
them  as  Campanula  med’a.  There  are  few  more  beautiful  biennials 
than  these,  yet  they  have  the  demerit  that  their  lovely  bells  soon 
collapse  under  heat  such  as  prevails  in  June,  commonly  when  they  are 
in  bloom.  But  if  the  plants  be  strong  they  flower  with  wonderful  pro- 
fu.-ion,  so  that  the  early  loss  of  the  flower  is  speedily  compensated  by 
the  production  of  others.  Whilst  Canterbury  Be  Is  were  originally 
restricted  to  single  flowers,  the  first  break  was  found  in  thb  production 
of  the  floral  calyx,  which  assumed  the  appearance  of  a  floral  collar,  or 
a  saucer  in  which  the  floral  bell  when  placed  erect  stood  as  a  cup. 
This  proved  to  be  a  very  beautiful  addition  to  these  old  fashioned 
biennials,  and  was  soon  followed  by  semi-double  and  double  bells,  the 
former  always  being  the  finest  and  most  perfectly  formed,  the  latter 
having  cup  crammed  into  cup  so  tightly  as  to  almost  produce  barren¬ 
ness.  In  both  sections  of  single,  semi-double,  and  double  flowers,, 
with  the  normal  green  calyx,  and  the  calycanthemas,  with  the  floral 
calyx,  numerous  colours  abound,  generally  very  beautiful  ones  also, 
so  that  a  good  mixed  strain  of  these  biennials  furnishes  great  variety. 
I  have  found  seed  bad  to  germinate  in  the  open  in  some  soils,  but  it  will 
do  so  freely  on  fine  soils  well  enriched  with  manure  or  leaf  soil,  and 
with  some  sand  in  it.  It  is  always  well,  in  addition  in  sowing  out 
of  doors  in  May,  to  also  sow  seed  in  one  or  two  shallow  pans,  and 
thus  raise  plants  under  glass,  that  there  may  be  no  failures. 
Hcllyhocke. 
Hollyhocks  are  usually  classed  as  biennials,  but  they  can  be 
induced  to  flower  the  same  year  if  seed  be  sown  in  warmth  under 
glass  in  March.  Still,  if  sown  in  May  outdoors,  where  it  readily 
germinates,  strong  plants  are  produced  to  flower  the  following  year. 
These  also  have  a  certain  perennial  character,  as  they  will  continue 
to  exist  for  several  years.  To  have  them  at  their  best,  however, . 
it  is  wisest  to  sow  seed  annually,  as  thus  a  good  stock  of  healthy 
plants  is  obtained. 
Various  Plants. 
Wallflowers  rank  amongst  the  most  widely  grown  of  all  hardy 
garden  flowers.  The  introduction  of  comparatively  annual  strains  does 
not  minimise  the  popularity  of  Wallflowers  as  biennials.  They  are 
now  very  varied,  but  the  blood  red,  yellow,  aud  lemon  are  the  most 
pleasing.  The  month  of  May  furnishes  the  best  average  time  for 
sowing  seed.  Pentstemons  and  Antirrhinums  are  as  much  annual  as 
biennial,  as  they  flower  freely  the  same  season  as  raised,  and  both 
have  marked  perennial  characters.  Yet  from  seed  they  are  primarily 
regarded  as  biennials,  as  rais  d  from  June  sowings  they  make  strong 
plants  to  put  out  in  the  autumn,  blooming  profusely  and  long  the 
following  year.  Brompton  and  Queen  Stocks  used  to  be  popular 
biennials,  but  they  are  now  too  seldom  seen  in  gardens.  This  is  a 
misfortune,  as  they  are  so  deliciously  perfumed,  but  neither  are 
thoroughly  hardy,  hence  they  are  less  widely  grown. — D. 
