July  30,  1903. 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
do 
“  Kings.”  The  whole  of  the  chapter  from  which  the  above  is 
extracted  contains  much  curious  and  not  unhelpful  remarks,  and 
so  also  in  that  on  “  General  Rules  on  Gardening,”  as,  for  instance, 
“  Set  moist,  and  sowe  dry.”  “  Seeding  spoiles  the  moste  rootes.” 
Thin  setting  and  sowing  is  profitable,”  &c. 
But  it  is  time  to  turn  to  fruit  trees,  which  beyond  everything 
attracted  most  the  mind  of  Lawson.  The  sorts  he  best  liked  were 
Apples,  Pears,  Cherrias,  Wardens,  Filberds,  red  and  white  Plums, 
Damsons,  and  Bullace.  “We  meddle  not  with  Apricockes  nor 
Peaches,  nor  scarcely  with  Quinches,  which  will  not  like  in  our 
cold  parts”  ;  and,  in  another  part  of  his  book,  he  pooh-poohs  the 
idea  of  growing  Peache.S  trained  to  walls  as  being  altogether 
antagonistic  to  Nature,  and  therefore  certain  to  fail. 
Amongst  smaller  fruits  mentioned  are  Barberries,  Feaberries 
(or  Gooseberries  or  Grosers),  Raspberries,  Strawberries,  which  were 
planted  about  the  roots  of  tall  growing  fruit  trees  and  Currants. 
Some  of  the  cultural  propositions  enunciated  are  no  doubt  ])ro- 
vocative  of  a  smile  when  read  in  the  clearer  light  of  to-day  ;  but 
in  the  matter  of  pruning  and  training  we  are  not  one  whit  in 
advance  of  Lawson.  He  accorded  the  branches  of  his  trees  plenty 
of  space,  and  instead  of  permitting  the  .stems  to  grow  beyond 
reach,  he  pruned  and  trained  tree*  while  still  young,  and  thus 
kept  them  within  bounds,  and,  so  far  as  we  can  judge,  from  a 
specimen  engraved  from  a  drawing  of  the  author,  they  were, 
indeed,  a  roughly  grown  form  of  bush,  well  open  in  the  centre. 
Then  he  condemned  the  practice  of  uncovering  the  main  roots  of 
fruit  trees  during  the  winter  months,  and  he  shows  that,  while  it 
hurts  the  roots,  it  did  nothing  whatever  towards  effecting  the 
purpose  on  account  of  which  it  was  pursued,  namely,  to  retard 
the  exiiansion  of  blossom,  and  so  escape  spring  frost.  - 
In  this  he  was  ver3'  far  in  advance  of  his  age,  because  the 
practice  of  ablaquation.  as  it  was  called,  continued  in  vogue  till 
well  into  the  eighteenth  centuiy.  All  the  same,  remarks  of  Law- 
son  punctuate  not  only  the  position  he  himself  had  attained  as 
an  intelligent  pomologist,  but  also  serve  to  indicate  no  slight 
amount  of  interest  in  fruit  culture  generally  at  the  time  he  lived. 
But  as  the  space  planted  in  gardens  and  orchards  was  always 
limited — Bacon’s  princeh'  gardens,  it  will  be  remembered,  ex¬ 
tended  to  only  thirty  acres — Lawson  planted  only  the  more 
valuable  kinds,  such  as  Cherries,  Damsons,  and  Filberds,  being 
relegated  to  the  fencing,  which  formed  in  those  days  an  indispen¬ 
sable  complement  to  gardens.  It  ma.y  be  noted  that  on  account 
of  the  animals,  such  as  deer,  goats,  sheep,  hares,  conies,  cattle, 
and  horses,  all  of  which  appear  to  haye  roamed  at  will  about  the 
country,  a  fence  with  its  addition  was  a  formidable  affair.  Lawson 
desci’ibes  one  with  an  outer  and  an  inner  ditch  4ft.  in  depth, 
between  which  was  a  broad  space  for  a  fair  walk.  The  sides  of  this 
mound  were  planted  with  Thorn  and  Honeysuckle,  and  various 
trees,  including  the  fruits  already'  noted.  Another  form  of  fence 
in  common  use  was  a  “  diy  wall  of  earth.”  Our  author’s  sympathies 
tended  in  this  direction  because  Wallflowers  grew  naturalK' 
thereon,  and  afforded  with  “Palmes”  an  earh^  feed  for  his  bees. 
Earthen  walls  were,  indeed,  almost  an  English  institution  as  a 
garden  fence.  Turner,  for  instance,  observes  that  Hordeum 
murinum  was  called  Wall  Barley  because  it  commonly  grew  on 
fences  of  this  kind,  and  200  jmars  later  Mr.  Lawrence,  when  he 
commenced  gardening,  had  to  remove  an  earthen  wall  and  replace 
it  with  one  of  brick. 
Stone,  wood,  and  brick  were  also  in  use  for  fencing  in  Lawson’s 
day,  but  the  impression  one  receives  is  that  they  were  not 
common.  I  have  incidentally  mentioned  bees  which  formed  at 
this  period  an  unfailing  item  in  the  gardener’s  daily  work,  and 
Lawson  mentions  a  method  of  protecting  hives  in  recesses  in  .stone 
walls  as  a  novelty  in  his  experience,  which  derives  not  a  little 
interest  from  the  fact  that  in  the  old  gardens  attached  to  Edzell, 
in  Forfarshire,  exactly  the  same  recesse's  remain  till  the  present 
day  in  one  of  the  garden  walls. 
The  general  reader  may  have  concluded  that  Lawson  was  him¬ 
self  merely  a  gardener,  but  while  it  is  clear  that  he  was  perfectly 
cognisant  of  methods  and  means,  and  qualified  to  not  onlj^  direct 
but  to  undertake  much  of  the  operative  work  in  a  garden,  it  is 
at  the  .same  time  inadmissible  to  accept  that  theor^u  Lawson 
emplojmd  a  gardener,  and,  moreover,  explains  that  his  book  was 
w’ritten  not  so  much  for  people  who  kept  a  gardener  as  for  those 
who  had  to  trust  to  labourers,  and  who  not  improbabh^  would 
w'elcome  his  book  as  a  help  in  directing  their  work.  Besides, 
I  am  unaw'are  of  any  other  source  where  it  is  possible  to  gain  so 
definite  a  pronouncement  on  the  gardener  of  that  period  as  that 
given  by  Lawson. 
It  is  needless  to  copy  the  lengthened  list  of  good  qualifies  the 
head  gardener  of  300  years  ago  was  expected  to  possess,  but  it 
may  be  noted  that  “  hee  must  not  be  a  scholist  to  make  shew’.” 
He  concludes  “  you  must  needs  allow  him  good  helpe  to  end  his 
labours  which  are  endless,  for  no  one  man  is  sufficient  for  these 
things,”  and  elsewhere  it  is  remarked,  “  Your  under  gardners 
must  labour  to  keepe  all  cleanlj’  and  handsome.”  Here  we  have 
unimpeachable  evidence  of  counti-y  gardens  in  England  being 
managed  by  men  not  devoid  of  education,  and  assisted  b.v  a.  .staff 
of  under  gardeners  who  admittedly  performed  work  of  the  same 
nature  they  do  to-day. 
The  exigencies  of  space  have  caused  the  omission  of  not  a  few 
interesting  and  instructive  passage,s — e.g.,  the  subject  of  soils. 
cultivation,  stocks,  grafting,  and  gathering  of  fruit,  and  the 
management  of  forest  trees,  on  which  Lawson  held  very  pronounced 
opinions,  and  apparentl,y  in  advance  of  those  entertained  by  his 
countrj'iuen.  But  possibh''  sufficient  has  been  noted  to  indicate 
the  broad  lines  on  which  gardening  progressed  in  the  north.  Of 
course  it  is  at  once  palpable  to  the  student  of  Lawson  that,  along 
with  the  practical  advice  he  places  at  the  service  of  his  reader, 
he  was  at  the  same  time  an  idealist.  As  there  was  no  existing 
garden  from  which  Bacon  de.scribed  his,  extraordinary'  in  .so  many 
points  ;  so,  while  keeping  mainly  in  view  the  demands  and  tastes 
of  his  time,  Lawson  also  to  some  extent  produces  an  idealised 
garden.  It  would  not  be  so  delightful  if  it  were  not  so.  Ihe 
garden  was  still  a  part  of  the  house,  and  our  author,  wdth  lus 
description  of  Woodbines  trailing  over  the  doorway,  the  seemly 
and  comfortable  seats  of  Daisies  and  \  iolets,  the  maze  into  wdiich 
hi“  friend,  wandering  in  search  of  berries,  fails  to  recover  himself 
without  help,  the  mount  from  which  he  angles  a  “peckled  trout 
or  sleightie  eele  ”  ;  this  garden,  in  a  word,  which  “  makes  all 
our  sences  .swimme  in  pleasure,”  is  just  what  we  all  are  attempt¬ 
ing  to  produce,  and  always  coming  short  of  the  accomplish¬ 
ment. — B. 
- «♦#.> - 
1 
Hybrid  Perennial  Phloxes. 
Perennial  Phloxes  were  introduced  into  European  horticulture 
about  1780,  since  which  time  they'  have  been  considered  as  plant.s 
of  especial  merit.  When  cultivated  in  pots,  they  render  good 
service  in  the  ornamentation  of  apartments,  balconies,  and 
corridors.  Flowering  occurs,  according  to  variety,  from  the 
middle  of  July,  even  to  September. 
The  principal  varieties  are  ;  (1)  Phlox  pyramidalis  or  maculata, 
a  native  of  North  America,  its  stem  attaining  a  height  of  from 
3ft.  3in.  to  3ft.  bin.,  with  odoriferous  flowers  arranged  in 
serrated  panicles;  (2)  Phlox  paniculata,  with  straight,  brittle 
stems,  from  about  IMt.  to  3ft.  high,  having  revei-sed  leave.s,  at 
the  end  of  which  there  is  a  superb  paiiicled  cluster,  which  is 
pyramidal  and  serrated  with  pedunculate,  odoriferous  flowers ; 
(3)  Phlox  acuminata,  better  known  under  the  name  of  Phlox 
decussata,  with  lanceolate  leaves  and  stems  from  30in.  to  lOin. 
high,  which  are  straight,  and  terminated  by  a  round  clnster  of 
flowers  of  a  rose-lilac  hue.  This  is  a  very  simple  plant,  and  can 
be  grown  in  most  indifferent  soil,  having  also  the  advantage  ot 
withstanding  drought.  It  is  undoubtedly  owing  to  these  qualities 
that  seedsmen  and  amateurs  have  ajiplied  themselves  to  the  im¬ 
proving  of  this  plant.  Numerous  varieties  of  the  hybrid  perennial 
Phlox  are  now  comprised  under  the  name  of  Phlox  deonssata. 
All  the  beautiful  varieties  obtained  froiii  seeds  come  from  the 
cressing  of  the  Phlox  paniculata,  pyramidalis,  and  decu.ssata.  In 
point  of  fact,  it  is  from  the  latter  that,  as  a  result  of  the  per- 
severino-  and  intelligent  selections  that  have  been  made,  the  most 
remarkable  varieties  have  been  obtained  with  hues  varying  from 
the  purest  white  to  the  darkest  red.  ^ 
The  cultivation  of  the  hybrid  pereiiiual  Phlox  is  very  siiuple, 
for  these  plants  will  grow  in  all  soils,  irre.spective  of  the  .situation. 
It  should  be  mentioned,  however,  that  they  grow  best  in  good  soil, 
and  in  a  place  where  they  are  favoured  with  the  sun.  they  can 
be  multiplied  by  seed,  division  of  the  crowns,  or  by  cuttings. 
Seed. — Seed'  plots  of  perennial  Phloxes  can  be  made  all  the 
year  though,  preferably,  as  soon  as  the  seeds  are  ripe  in  October. 
Furnish  a  well-drained  bed.  The  raising  of  the  seed.s  is  very  .slow 
and  risky,  sometimes  even  only  springing  up  the  second  year, 
especially  if  sown  in  the  spring.  \\  hen  the  plants  have  a  few 
leives  they  are  transplanted  bin.  apart.  As  a  rule,  seed  plots  are 
onlv  used  by  specialists  eiideavouniig  to  obtain  some  new 
varieties,  for  the  various  methods  of  multiplication  are  far  simpler 
‘^^'^IJiviJon 'of  the  crowns  is  best  done  in  the-  spring.  Perennial 
Phloxes  can  also  be  multiplied  by  bedding  the  branches  in  the 
Sil  in  August  or  September,  and,  if  well  watered,  these  branches 
will  soon  take  root  at  all  the  nodes  which  are  buried. 
Cuttings  are  useful  where  a  large  number  of  subiects  of  the 
^ame  variety  are  desired.  They  may  be  taken  during  the  whMe 
year  though  it  will  be  easier  to  operate  with  young  shoots,  insert- 
them  in  a  light  and  sandy  soil,  covered  with  a  bellg  ass  or  in  a 
’1-^1110.  Once  hiving  taken  root,  they  are  planted  in  the  nursery 
intil  the  time  arrives  for  putting  them  in  their  respective  places. 
Phlox  subulata  or  frondosa  are  ornainental  for  rockeries^ 
Phlox  setacea  was  introduced  from  North  America  in  L8b,  along 
ivith  the  Phlox  Nelsoni  and  nivalis.  P.  reptaiis,  also  introduced 
From  North  America  in  1800,  is  cultivated  under  the  names  vmrna 
and  stolonifera.  Thi.  is  a  very  different  plant  on  account  of  i  s 
rounded  leaves,  which  are  thick  and  silky;  as  likewise  by  it.s 
ourple-red  cyme  inflorescence  and  its  uncovered  and 
flowmr.s  These  different  species  of  Phlox  make  delightful  ’’ordei 
plants  from  the  end  of  April  to  May.  and  even  June.  They  can, 
moreover,  be  easily  multiplied  by  dividing  the  clusters. 
