April  23,  1904. 
JOURNAL  CF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTACE  GARDENER. 
.‘563 
Interior  View  oi  a  Large  Conservatory. 
N’otwitlistaiidinfi  progress  in  the  knowledge  of,  and  skill  in. 
the  cultivation  ot  plants  for  decoration,  the  methods  of  arrang¬ 
ing  tneni  to  the  l)est  effect  have  not  improved,  we  fear,  upon  that 
practised  yeais  ago.  It  always  seems  to  ns  that  the  construc¬ 
tion  of  conservatories  leaves  a  very  great  deal  to  he  desired. 
Gardeners  do  not  sufficiently  nnderstand  building  construction, 
and  builders  do  not  sufficiently  appreciate  the  requirements  of 
gardening:  and  these  combined  influences  limit  the  plans  of 
buildings.  But  in  private  gardens,  where  large  conservatories 
are  erected,  we  frecpiejitly  find  huge  side  stages,  and  even  a 
central  stage,  with  four  .straight  walks  aiound,  each  with 
corners  turning  at  an  angle  of  90deg.  True  enough,  if  the 
gardener  is  an  artist,  he  can  make  a  beautiful  display  in  any 
house  by  the  use  of  hanging  and  edging  plants,  and  by  the 
The  Yegttable  Garden, 
Potatoes. 
In  many  parts  of  the  country  planting  will,  during  last  and 
the  present  week,  bo  in  full  swing,  and  where'  large  areas  have 
to  be  planted  theic'  is  a  great  deal  to  be  said  in  favour  of  doing 
the  work  at  any  time  during  April,  when  the  soil  is  in  a 
thoroughly  suitable  condition  ;  but  if  one  could  depend  upon 
getting  similarly  good  conditions  during  the  first  oi‘  second  week 
in  May.  I  should  prefer  to  plant  main  crop  varieties  then,  rather 
than  earlier,  because  when  the  plants  push  through  the  soil  they 
are  less  likely  to  be  checked  by  cold  winds.  The  oidy  exception 
I  would  make  to  this  pix'ference  for  late  planting  is  in  the  case 
mm 
'6 
il 
Interior  View  of  Large  Conservatory. 
ShoiL'ing  hoio  plants  can  he  naturally  and  effectively  arranged  without  stages. 
proper  disposition  of  his  grouplets  and  individual  subjects. 
Ta.steful  arrangement,  we  feel  convinced,  is  not  half  studied. 
A  clever  man  can  make  “old  sticks” — as  scraggy  plants  are 
sometimes  called — can  make  these  look  well  ;  w  hereas  the 
incapable,  untutored  practitioner,  in  u.sing  the  same  plants, 
would  make  a  hideous  exhibition. 
One  great  fault  is  overcrowding.  Another  fault  is  the  ill- 
chosen  association  of  colours  and  forms.  As  .a  rule,  the  average 
man  loves  to  mix  his  colours  to  the  utmost,  whereas  the  truer 
beauty  lies  either  in  harmonies  or  in  agreeable  contrasts  of  not 
more  than  three  (preferably  two)  colours.  It  musb  also  bo 
affirmed  that  many  plantsmen  do  not  properly  understand  their 
plants,  for  have  not  all  of  us  often  seen  plants  that  could  have 
adorned  some  space  in  the  open  garden  if  given  care  and 
shelter,  occupying  valuable  hmise  loom?  This  is  no  exaggera¬ 
tion  :  it  is  truth. 
And  so  in  the  present  illustration  we  .seek  to  .show  that  if  the 
correct  plants  are  chosen,  and  either  planted  out  or  grouped 
naturally  without  stages  in  large  conservatories,  a  more  satis¬ 
factory  result  may  be  attained  than  is  possible  where  the  con¬ 
ventional,  orthodox  means  are  adhered  to. 
of  light,  shallow  soils;  late  planting,  followed  by  a  dry  summer, 
is  then  not  a  success,  Imt  soils  having  such  cliaracteristics 
should  be  planted  with  early  rather  than  late  varieties. 
Those  who  have  .stiff  soils  to  deal  with  will  find  a  little  finely 
powdered  lime  scattei'ed  along  the  drills  at  planting  time  a 
great  aid  to  the  production  of  clean  tubers.  Many  cultiv'ators 
make  a  practice  of  scattering  superphosphate,  or  fish  guano, 
along  the  drills;  but  I  have  always  found  it  far  preferable  to  u.se 
such  manures  on  the  surface  of  the  soil  either  before  or  imme¬ 
diately  after  planting,  Avorking  it  in  thoroughly  with  the  hoe 
or  fork.  How’  many  tubers  fail  to  start,  or,  after  having 
.started,  get  their  roots  burned,  as  a  con.sequence  of  scattering 
artificial  manure  along  Potato  drills,  w  ill  never  be  known  ;  if  it 
could  be  clearly  ascertained,  many  would  receive  a  rude  shock. 
Steamed  bone-flour  or  bone-meal  may,  however,  with  safety 
be  used  in  the  drills.  Good  samples  of  the  former  aie,  however, 
so  fine  and  di'y  that  it  is  difficult  to  use  it  alone  without  wa.il.e 
during  a  day  when  the  slightest  wind  prt'vails.  An  excellent 
wa.v  of  gettin.g  over  the  diffictilty  is  to  mix  the  bone-flour  witu 
twice  its  bulk  of  light  soil.  It  can  then  be  used  with  ease  and 
economy.  —  Onward. 
