442 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
May  23,  1901. 
wash  or  sorub.  Certainly  there  was  not  a  suspicion  of  green  or  moss 
growth  on  any,  and  the  majority  appeared  as  bright  as  though  fresh 
from  the  kiln.  No  syringing  is  practised,  and  atmospheric  vapour  is 
governed  by  the  hygrometer.  The  apparent  dryness  of  the  atmosphere 
was  striking  in  the  extreme  in  all  the  varions  structures,  yet  plants  and 
crops  displayed  their  customary  vigour  and  freedom  from  insect  enemies. 
To  mention  only  a  tithe  of  what  is  grown  in  the  varied  structures  would 
demand  too  much  space.  Suffice  it  to  say  that  flower  and  plant,  Orchid 
and  fruit  culture,  show  that  an  intricate  study  is  made  of  every  subject. 
Roses  are  very  extensively  grown,  both  under  glass  and  the  open. 
Hundreds  occupy  pots  and  rafters  under  glass,  and  great  breadths  were 
seen  in  the  open  garden  of  home-worked  plants.  Amaryllis  is  another 
specialty,  and  so  are  Carnations  and  Violets. 
Ventilation  is  an  interesting  study  at  Wilton,  Mr.  Challis  having 
perfected  a  system,  years  ago,  of  transmitting  air  into  the  house 
through  ohambered  walls.  In  the  lofty  range  of  Vine  and  Peach 
houses,  referred  to  previously,  the  front  and  back  walls  are  so 
constructed  that  air  passes  in  at  the  highest  point,  and  is  admitted  just 
above  the  ground  line  inside  through  sliding  shutters,  adjusted  by  lever 
power.  In  windy  weather  this  system  allows  of  ventilation  without 
opening  the  roof-lights,  and  the  same  principle,  I  observed,  was  adapted 
to  open-air  pits  as  well  as  the  houses.  Violets  in  these  pits  were 
splendid,  so  full  of  vigour  and  flower.  These  are  only  a  few  impressions 
gained  during  a  short  afternoon  visit  made  in  Maroh,  a  time  qu:te 
inadequate  to  allow  an  inspection  of  half  of  the  interesting  features, 
which  have  been  largely  created  during  Mr.  Challis’s  long  course  of 
years  at  Wilton.  He  is  indeed  a  man  of  many  parts,  and  an  interested 
visitor  could  not  leave  without  the  gain  of  useful  knowledge,  whether 
he  be  old  or  young,  learned  or  unlearned. — W.  Strugnell. 
- - - 
Water  Gardens  and  Gardening. 
When  so  much  attention  is  being  devoted  to  outdoor  gardening, 
the  plea  expressed  by  Mr.  Jackson  Dawson  in  a  bulletin  of  the  New 
England  Association  of  Park  Superintendents,  which  was  brought  to 
our  notice  by  '‘American  Gardening,”  should  be  of  interest.  Mr. 
Jackson  writes  that  one  of  the  great  needs  in  our  parks  and  gardens 
is  some  natural-like  plantations  near  our  ponds  or  lakes.  'As  a  rule 
there  is  too  much  cleaning  up  and  cutting  down  of  the  natural 
shrubbery,  leaving  nothing  to  break  the  shore  line.  While  I  would 
not  like  the  whole  pond  or  shore  covered  with  shrubs  or  aquatics,  I 
would  like  some  little  pieces  of  nature  left.  What  looks  more 
unnatural  than  a  beautiful  pond  or  lake  divested  of  all  natural  beauty, 
leaving  the  trees  all  trimmed  up  like  so  many  sentinels,  and  every 
vestige  of  shrub  and  flowering  plant  cleaned  to  the  water’s  edge  ?  On 
the  other  hand,  what  is  more  beautiful  than  the  trees  or  shrubbery 
hanging  over  a  river’s  bank  or  gracefully  grouped  at  intervals  along 
the  edge  of  a  pond  ?  We  have  so  many  plants  that  love  this  moist 
situation.  Imagine  a  planting  of  groups  of  Azaleas,  Clethra, 
Viburnums,  Coruus,  Myrica,  Rhodora,  and  Black  Alder,  high  bush 
Blueberries,  with  Irises,  Hibiscus,  Lobelia  cardinalis,  Forget-me-not, 
Caltha  palustris,  Eupatorium  purpureum,  Asolepias  purpurascens. 
Can  we  not  have  more  water  gardens  in  our  parks,  and  make  those 
we  have  more  ornamental,  instead  of  the  unsightly  things  edged  with 
stone  walls  that  we  call  ponds  ?  No  pond  or  brook  should  be  banked 
with  stone  unless  actually  necessary  to  hold  the  soil  in  its  place,  and 
even  then  they  should  not  be  laid  like  a  wall,  but  as  near  on  a  natural 
slope  as  possible  to  the  water’s  edge,  with  plenty  of  pockets  left  to 
plant,  so  that  eventually  the  stones  will  not  be  seen,  but  would  have 
the  appearance  of  a  natural  bank.  What  we  need  most  is  some 
natural  bits  of  planting  near  our  ponds  or  lakes.  As  a  rule  we  have 
too  much  trimming  and  cleaning  up  around  them,  often  destroying  the 
shrubs  which  were  really  beautiful,  and  turning  what  was  beautiful 
Nature  into  desolation.  I  have  seen  ponds  and  bays  where  all  the 
natural  shrubbery  and  native  planting  was  cleared  up  to  the  water’s 
edge,  and  the  trees  in  the  park  ground  trimmed  up  like  so  many 
sentinels,  thus  destroying  all  the  charm  of  the  once  natural  woods  and 
river  banks.  We  know,  of  course,  that  in  public  places  we  cannot 
have  all  such  places  decorated,  but  we  could  have  more  than  we  do. 
We  surely  have  material  enough  to  plant  such  places  witn  perfectly 
hardy  plants,  and  when  once  planted  I  am  sure  the  public  will 
appreciate  them. 
A  lake  or  pond,  properly  planted,  can  be  made  a  thing  of  beauty 
from  spring  to  fall,  and  even  into  the  winter.  These  places  need  not 
all  be  planted,  mossy  openings  can  be  left ;  but  when  it  is  planted 
the  planting  should  he  massive,  and  so  planted  that  a  continuance  of 
bloom  could  be  had  from  spring  until  the  middle  of  autumn.  Trees 
and  shrubs,  gracefully  grouped  with  herbaceous  plants  on  edges,  and 
aquatics  in  the  water,  present  at  once  a  beautiful  contrast  with  water 
not  so  decorated.  I  have  seen  many  fine  natural  effects  whicn  might 
well  be  copied  ;  for  instance,  a  group  of  Flag.  Typha  latitolia,  with 
Hibiscus  palustris  and  Cardinal  Flower  and  white  Water  Lilies  on  the 
surface  along  the  Hudson ;  a  large  rock  at  the  edge  of  a  wood  with 
pool  in  front,  Helenium  autumnale.  Ferns,  and  Cardinal  Flower  ;  a 
ditch  in  a  brackish  marsh,  Phragmites  communis,  Hibiscus  palustris, 
Li  ium  superb  im,  Lobelia  cardinalis ;  a  rive  bank  with  Buttonbush, 
Clethra,  and  Alder,  with  huge  masses  of  Lythrum  Salicaria  and  white 
Water  Lilies  in  the  eddies;  the  Lythrum  in  such  quantities  that  it 
dazz'ed  the  sight.  A  river  with  overhanging  trees  and  shrubs,  Clethra 
a  >d  L  ibelia  cardinalis,  Mimulus  ringens,  Arrow  Heads,  Pickerel  Weeds 
in  groups.  A  swamp  of  Cardinal  Flower,  Fire  Weed,  and  Bidens,  &c. 
I  could  enumerate  groups  without  number,  all  beautiful,  and 
offering  you  object  lessons  so  that  you  might  make  hundreds  of 
combinations  out  of  chiefly  native  plants.  Add  to  these  many  fine 
herbaceous  plants  and  aquatics  that  are  hardy,  and  a  water  garden 
could  be  made  the  finest  feature  in  many  of  our  gardens  and  parks. 
The  following  list,  all  hardy,  and  mostly  native,  are  fine  for  the  water 
garden: — Shnbs:  Azalea  viscosa,  Rhodora  canadensis,  Rosa  setigera 
and  lucda,  Ilex  verticillata,  Ilex  laevigata,  Ilex  glabra,  Cornus 
stoionifera,  Clethra  alnifolia,  high  bush  Blu  -berry,  Vibilrnum  dentatum, 
Cephalanthus  occidentalis,  Spiraea  salicifolia,  Clematis  virginiana,  and 
many  others.  Of  herbaceous  plants  we  have  Himscus  palustris  and 
others,  L  Re  ia  cardinalis  and  syphilitica,  Lvthrum  Salicaria,  Caltha 
palustris,  different  fall  blooming  Ast  -rs  and  Solidag  >s,  several  hardy 
Coreopsis,  Asclepias  purpurascens,  Eupat  Hum  purpureum  and  per- 
foliatum,  Mimulus  ringens,  Chelone  glibra  and  Lyoni,  S'bbatia 
chlorides,  Iris  versicolor  and  Pseudacorus,  and,  if  wanted,  all  the  forms 
ot  the  Japanese  Iris.  Of  truly  aquat’cs  we  have  all  the  Nymphseas, 
both  native  and  hardy  hybrids,  Nelumbrnm  luteum  and  speciosum, 
the  pretty  little  Floating  Heart;  Limnanthemum,  the  Pickerel  Weed  ; 
Alisma  plantago,  Calla  palustris,  the  Utncularias,  the  Sagittarias, 
several  species;  the  Nuphar  advena,  the  Water  Shield  ;  the  Water 
Poppy,  the  Flags,  Kalmias,  many  of  the  Rushes  and  Ledums,  all  come 
in  and  can  be  used  to  great  advantage,  and  when  judiciously  combined 
form  a  most  attractive  garden.  Besides  these  there  are  numbers  of 
varieti  s  of  foreign  aquatics,  both  tender  and  hardy,  that  can  be  used 
to  advantage. 
— - <•©*> - 
Young  Gardeners’  Domain. 
Primala  stellata. 
During  the  past  three  or  four  years  this  beautiful  section  of 
flowering  plants  has  become  immensely  popular,  and  deservedly  so. 
For  house  decoration,  either  in  a  cut  state  or  otherwise,  they  are  most 
valuable  in  winter  and  spring.  Their  elegant  and  graceful  habit,  the 
flowers  being  thrown  well  up  above  the  foliage,  and  delicate  shades, 
make  them  objects  of  considerable  attraction.  Seed  may  be  sown 
in  May,  and  again  in  July  for  succession,  in  well  drained  pots  or  pans, 
placing  a  few  leaves  or  a  piece  of  moss  over  the  crocks.  The  compost 
in  which  the  seeds  are  sown  should  consist  of  two  parts  leaf  soil,  one 
part  sifted  loam,  with  enough  sharp  sand  to  keep  the  whole  porous. 
Before  the  seeds  are  sown  the  soil  should  be  made  moderately  firm 
and  level,  then  sow  thinly  and  evenly  on  this,  and  slightly  cover  with 
some  very  fine  sandy  soil.  The  pots  should  then  be  watered  very 
care  ully  with  a  fine-rosed  can,  or  the  seeds  will  get  washed  into  a 
heap,  the  pots  being  then  placed  in  a  warm  greenhouse,  and  covered 
with  a  piece  of  slate,  which  conserves  moisture,  and  the  seeds 
germinate  better  in  darkness.  So  soon  as  the  seedlings  are  large 
enough  to  handle  they  should  be  prioked  off  into  boxes  about  3  inches 
apart  in  a  compost  as  before,  with  a  little  more  fibrous  loam  added, 
then  water  well  and  shade  for  a  few  days. 
Water  should  be  given  carefully  at  all  stages  of  growth,  or  the 
plants  will  rot  off  at  the  base.  The  lifting  of  the  plants  demands 
attention,  so  as  not  to  disturb  any  more  soil  than  is  possible,  as  the 
seeds  germinate  very  irregularly.  When  the  plants  touch  each  other 
they  should  be  transferred  into  3^-inch  pots,  well  drained,  good  drainage 
being  essential  to  successful  culture,  and  a  heavier  compost  may  be 
employed.  Beautiful  little  specimens  can  be  grown  in  this  sized  pot, 
if  it  is  desirable,  from  some  of  the  later  sown  plants.  I  may  mention 
that  some  self-sown  seedlings  that  were  got  up  and  potted  at  the  latter 
end  of  September  have  been  most  valuable  to  us  for  table  decoration  ; 
the  3|-inoh  pots,  in  which  they  have  flowered,  being  useful  for  fitting 
into  small  silver  receptacles  used  on  the  dining  table.  These  small 
plants  have,  in  some  instances,  developed  eight  flower  trusses,  the 
central  one  being  16  inches  above  the  top  of  the  pots.  Larger 
specimens  can,  of  course,  be  grown  from  earlier  sown  seeds,  and  potted 
on  into  4,  5,  or  6-inch  pots,  as  found  desirable.  As  the  flowers  develop 
a  little  weak  manure  water,  or  a  pinoh  of  “  Clay’s  ”  occasionally,  will 
be  most  beneficial.  We  have  grown  the  plants  on,  and  flowered  them  a 
second  year,  but  think  there  is  little  to  be  gained  by  it. — W.  HitchMAN, 
Moor  Hall.  * 
Australian  Apples. — Parte  of  Australia  are  becoming  lively  rivals 
to  Canada  and  the  United  States  in  the  European  Apple  trade. 
Tasmania  especially  has  been  found  a  first-class  Apple-raising  country. 
There  are  8373  acres  in  Apple  orchards  there,  and  the  produot  in  1899 
was  363,915  bushels. 
