1026
[1:
i i l
■ ’'I:
haUrht nf mo ft or 150 ft. a t once, would be to begin with 25 ft., and to raise th e roof by adding to the
c / rminVas t L plants advanced. (See Ga rd . M a g ., vol. ix. p. G14.) The great majority of readers will no
dbullt Consider these ideas as sufflciently ex tra v ag a n t; but there is no limit to human improvement, and
few t h h m f a K a grea^^^^^ proof of it than the comforts and luxuries man receives from the use qf
S s s S m a K i l , as Cuvi?r observes (M a g a s in E najc lo p ed iq u e , I8I6), m ^ u fa c tu re d from seemingly
fi t m o s f S e s s (fcV/rw of our globe, and an insignificant plant (Salic6rnia) found on sea-shores.
5129 The a n u a r ium . T h e greater number of exotic aquatics being stove-fflants, a cistern of water tor
the r culture in om m o n ly placed in th e bark-stove, generally a t one end of the p it, and so as tq be as
n e tr the light as possible. Some, however, have erected houses on purpose for this beautiful clasx of
p K substituting a large cistern for th e b a rk -p it; others grow dwarf aquatics, such as the nymphma,
&c., in pits and frames, either heated by dung, leaves, or other fermenting substances, or by hot water,
is a requisite appendage wherever a general collection of exotic plants is
maintainccf andYhe proper situation for it is in the rescrve-garden. Such a house, like the houses used
bv X s e r v m /n does not require to be so light as fruiting or llowcring ho u ses; it may be little more than
S /Y e e Pit with the roof very flat (say from 12° to 15°), in order th a t all th ep lan tsm ay b e n e a r the glass:
it should contain a bark-pit, raised to within 18 in. of the glass m front, and 2^j ft. behind, a broad stone
shelf in front and two or more shelves in the back of the house, close under the rw f, t h ^ is, oyer the
oath and flue or steam or hot-water pipes. All shelves in hothouses, it may be observed, whether ot
f one Sr timber, ought to have narrow ledges along their edge, not less than an inch deep, by which
the l i t e r whicii escapes through the bottoms of the pots is not only prevented from dropping, but retained
to generate a salutary coolness and moisture.
5131 V a rio u s p its and hotbeds will be required in the rcserve-dcpartment of the
flower-garden, for forcing shrubs and flowers, raising annuals, &c.; the construction of
which, having nothing peculiar, need not be here detailed.
5112 The idea o f coldhmises se ems to have been first suggested by Sir W. Chambers ( Dfsm-i. o n O rien .
n n u f! n Ofl) a n d it m a v b e worth whilc to S u bm it somo h i ii ts on their c o n s t r u c t io n for such amateurs in
this c'ountry'as may be curious in the cultivation of Miisci, Jungermanm'i?, and other cryptogamous
vigei/bles Ih i c h Irow in the lowest temperatures ; and for botanists in warm climates, who may wish
to cultivate not oiily mosses, but the more perfect plants of elevated regions or northern c lim ^ e s ; as
for example, of the British or Swedish alpmes in Spam, or in the ¿ ¿ t h of Italy. T ^ simplest form of a
coldhouse m a y be a vault of rustic masonry open a t one end, along th e floor of which a n il of water may
p a S aM from every part of the ceiling water may drop on the floor or bed and descend to the rU n n th e
centre This is an obvious imitation o fth e dripping caves sometimes found in tracts of country abounding
wifo cScSemis rocks, of which, as an example..wemay cite the d rip ^ n g ro c k a
the drinuing cave near Rousseau’s w alkat Lyons ; mwhich last, on th e 19th day of Ju n e, 1 ^ 9 , we found
the thermometer a t 48°, whilst in the open air, under the shade of an adjoining mulberry tree , R stood
a t 72°. Various mosses and Jungermmmea? were m luxuriantvegetation in th e in te n o r of tbe cave ; and
some sorts of ferns near its mouth. Another imitation of ¿ c h caves might consist of an open grove of
elms or oaks, among the lower branches of which lead pipes pierced with small holes, m L o d d i^ s s
manner (2176.), m ight be fixed horizontally at regular distances, and these being fed, during the warmer
mnnths with w.iter from a nroper reservoir, would supply a continual shower, which, with the assistance
o fth e small rills furnished by th e collected rain thus proffliced, wquld lower the t em ^ r a tu r e o f th e
atmosphere sufficiently for the growth of such mosses and ferns as do not require much lig h t; and th e
I S r i r o f t h e grove m ^ h t be devoted to plants of a more perfect kind, requinng a low tem p c ra tu ^ and
moist atmosphere. But a more perfect plan would be to form a house like a large pit, with a double
glass roof, fronting the north. Over the outer roof should be a system of pierced pipes to keep it cool
by a continual shoVer during sunset, and at the top of the back wall an a rr^ g em c n t ^
ffi^orc separate and concentric coverings of canvas could be let down to e x c lu ^ t ^ sun durmg th e ^ a y .
Instead of flues of masonry, large tubes of lead or cast-iron should surround th e house, to be kept cool
bv a continual stream of water passing through them. T h e p it might c o n t^n a large metallic cistern,
filled with ice, to be renewed when thawed, &c. It would be adyancing too la r into the regions of speculation
to particularise other minor details th a t would be requisite to render such a hqiise complete ; let
it suffice to say, th a t such houses might be erected, either m Britain or the south of Europe, so as la
produce a temperature of 32° throughout the year. This would admit th e cultivation, m pots and in
pieces of rock, of lichens, mosses, and of all th e more perfect plants which grow m the regions of perpetual
snow.
C h a p . VI.
G eneral C u ltu re and M anag em ent o fth e F lo w e r-G a rd e n a nd Shrubbery,
5133. T he cu ltiva tio n o f the flo w e r-g a rd e n is simple compared with that of the kitchen-
garden, both from its limited extent and the general sameness of its products; but to
manage it to perfection requires a degree of nicety and constant attention beyond any
other open-air department of gardening. As the stalks of flowering plants shoot np,
they generally require thinning, and props for support; and the blossom, both of plants
and shrubs, no sooner expands than it begins to wither, and must be cut off, unless, as
in some of the ornamental shrubs, they are left for the sake of the beauty of their fniit.
Weeding, watering, sthring the soil, cutting off stems which have done flowering,
attending to grass and gravel, must go hand in hand with these operations.
5134. With respect to i/ie gm era f c u ltu r e a n d m a n u r in g o f tk e soil, it sh ouldbe subjected, as far as
practicable, to the same process of trenching to different depths as th a t of the kitchen-garden. In the
shrubbery this cannot be done, but it, and also the earth compartments of th e flower-garden, should be
turned over a spit in depth, and some vegetable mould, or very rotten cow-dung, added occasionally.
Every two or three years th e plants in the flower-garden should be taken up and reduced in size, and the
beds or borders trenched, say one time a t two spits deep, another a t three, and so on, adding enriching
compost or manure completely rotted, according to circumstances. If, instead of trenching, th e old earth
were entirely removed, and replaced by good loam from a dry upland pasture, the im p ro v em ¿ t \ ¿ u ld
be still greater. Most herbaceous plants flower well in such loam, and for the more cultivated sorts, as
.!• fi;.
border pinks, auriculas, th a t require a rich soil, a portion of enriching matter could lie added to
each plant as planted, and a corresponding attention paid to such as required peat-earth, sand, clav or
hme. In the shrubbery, a similar renewal of soil, and attention to th e soils required by particular shr ib.
arran^ed"'^ necessary, a t least in front, where the more delicate shrubs and herbaceous plants are chiefly
51^5. With respect to the tim e s o f p la n tin g , o r sowing, a n d m a n n e r o f c ro pping the flower-garden and
shrubbery, th e greater part of the surface being covered with shrubs or plants of perennial duration,
very little cropping is required, and, as a substitute for a rotation, recourse must be had to the renewa
of the soil, as recommended above. Annuals are sown a t various periods from February to June, and
th e more hardy sorts m autumn ; b u t for the principal show, generally in March ; the half-hardy sorts
arc raised on hotbeds in th e reserve department, and transplanted when they are to flower in April and
May, and later sowmgs and transplantmgs are made, to procure a protracted display. Biennials and
perennials qf the fibrous or ramose rooted kinds are transplanted from the reserve department in Sep-
tember or in March ; and ¿ c h bulbous roots as are annually taken up, are generally replanted in
November or ¿ b r u a r y . When bulbs and other florists’ flowers are cultivated in beds, a rotation may
he adopted as far as respects them : thus, th e hyacinth, tulip, &c., may be succeeded by annuals, and
these by the Dianthus tribe, or dahlias, &c. ; but m borders and compartments planted in th e mingled
manner, as well as in shrubberies, a rotation is out of th e question. P articular care is requisite to re move
weak,_ Ill-conditioned, or ill-flowermg plants, and to replace them by others of the same height and
colou¿ 1 his may be done at all seasons o f the year by the use of the transplanter : but the better mode
IS to have always an ample stock in the reserve garden, of all the colours and heights, both of herbaceous
plants and low shrubs (of all the sorts is unnecessary), in pots, and whenever when anv plant
IS in flower, a defect appears, it can be remedied a t once by turning the plant out of the pot into its
situation m the border. Independently of disease or accident, fine showy species, answering in general
colour and height, may thus at pleasure be substituted for such as are less showy, or less to the taste of
th e master.
5136. Ornamental plants, whether shrubby or herbaceous, require to be p ru n ed , tra in e d thin n ed and
dressed, according to the sort of beauty or effect expected from them. If they are grown chiefly on account
of their blossoms, then they must be pruned on the same general principles as fruit trees • but
little more than thinning out weak and crowded shoots will be required where they are grown chiefly
qn account of the beauty of their foliage ; and still less where the tree or bush is planted for the sake of
Its natural shape. It is customary m some places to apply the hedge-shears to shrubs ; but this is a barbarous
practice, destructive of all these beauties, which ought to be exploded, unless in cases where
111 imitation of the ancient style, trees are to be trained in artificial shapes. Herbaceous plants require
little pruning, but nevertheless something in this way may be occasionally required on th e same general
principles ¿ p l i e d to trees. Where very large flowers are wanted, it is obviously advantageous to prevent
th e plant from expending its vigour in too great a number of them, or in mere shoots and leaves
Top-heavy plants, as some thistles, solidagos, &c., may require to be lightened, and almost all are benefited
by thimung out a part of their shoots. In some annuals, thinning is effected both by eradication
¿ d pruning, and in th e more delicate sorts by pinching off the young shoot, when 1 in. or 2in h ifo
Creepers, climbers, and shrubs planted against walls or trellises, either on account of their ra rity deli?
cacy, or to conceal the object against which they are placed, require different degrees of training : those
which auach themselves naturally, as the ivy, merely require to be occasionally guided, so as to induce a
regular distribution of their shoots ; the others must be treated like fruit trees, training thinly if blossoms
are the object ; and rather thicker, if am a ss of foliage be what is chiefly wanting. Hedges and
edgings require to be cut and otherwise kept in order by th e obvious means. “ Edgings of all sorts ”
Marshall observes, “ should be kept in good order, as having a singularly neat effect in the appearance of
a garden. The dead edgings will sometimes, and the live edgings often, want putting to rights • either
cuttmg, clipping, or making up complete. Where there are no edgings, or but weak ones, let the earth
bordering on the walks be kept firm, and now and then worked up by line in moist weather, beating it
smooth with a spade.” (7«ira>., p. 57.) auiui, uedung ic
require to be r e g u la r ly m ow n a t least once a fortnight, and where extraneous plants
Ol broad-leaved kinds, make th eir appearance, as plantagos, crowfoots, &c., they must be carefullv removed.
Worms should be gathered by hand before sunrise, or th e ir casts swept off with the wire
besom (1729.), and then the groimd watered with lime-water. Rolling and wateringmust be applied ac-
cording to circumstances, and nothing neglected to insure that deep green colour and velvet texture
island characteristic of the British lawn, and which is indeed th e pride of our
5138. Walks, whether between grass edgings or edgings of box or other plants, ought at all times to be
kept nearly brimful of gravel, and th a t gravel ought to be rolled till it becomes almost as hard and as
smooth as a pavement of flag-stones. F or this purpose the roller ought either to b e o f solid cast-i
loaded lo a ^ d to a degree requisite to — produce th e desired effect. In general loading .................................
the roller is the better
mode, because, when the gravel gravel
is rough, the light roller is more easily drawn over it, and is less likely
to produce inequalities by dragg...„dragging along th e gravel, than the heavy roller. At luc the present mue time there tnere
IS 1« scaraelyany »„OTT „pomt QirtiOT ...which l.IrtvK rtrt.so „.„„„much I, requires reformation _ , f_ot:_ _ as il.th e _ rolling of .rt gravel . walks,^ unless . u v it i iv be
ic
attending to their edgings.
5139. E d g in g s to w a lk s are either of turf, box, or other plants, or they are architectural. In the latter
case, they ought always to be distinctly m arked, and to exhibit a decided line. In the former case thev
ought to exhibit a decided line also ; but that line ought to be delicate, so as never to give the idea ofthe
walk being sunk in the ground. Neither ought this line to indicate th e marks of the shears, nor the
spade, because this is to direct attention to th e means, instead of to th e end. There is, as we have
observed m th e preceding paragraph, no p a rt of modern ornamental gardening in which gardeners
generally are so defective as in this. ®
5140. Various ten d e r so rts o f p la n ts a n d shrubs req u ire p rote c tion by one or other of the different u tensils,
structures, or contrivances, destined for th at purpose. Alpine plants require protection from cold
by covering with snow, or by hand-glasses, or frames, during winter ; and from heat, by screens to
produce shade during summer. The roots of many sorts require to be protected from frost, by ashes
rotten tan, or litte r ; and the tops of others, both shrubs and plants, to be guarded by fronds of fern, fir-
branches, mats, or portable glass cases, from rain, hail, and cutting winds. Great care must be taken to
protect pots of plants from frost ; by always keeping them plunged in earth or some non-conductor ; for
no state in which a plant can be placed is so obnoxious to the baneful influence of congelation as that
M being grown in a pot. Climbing plants require to be supported by poles or rods, as some sorts of
honeysuckle, bignonia, aristolochia, &c. ; by props, as pyramidal bell-flower, Lobèha fúlgens, &c. ; or
by branches or spray, as the nasturtium and pea tribe. Much of the beauty of the flower-garden depends
the manner in which these operations are performed. The prevalent error consists in overdoing the
thing, in emplojdng too stout and too long rods or props, and too many thick tufty branches, instead of
such as,are free-grown and open. Watering must be liberally applied to almost every part of the flower-
garden during summer, and in th e evening ; it increases the progress, and enlarges the parts of all
vegetables ; gives a fresh appearance to th e soil as well as th e plants, disperses their odours in the
surrounding atmosphere, and tends to subdue various kinds of insects.
5141. Wa te r, whether asan ornamental feature, or as an aquarium, should be kept clear both of weeds
and insects. Of aquatic weeds, th e most troublesome in small aquariums are the Conférvæ and ,gvssi,
which can only be removed by hand, or by entangling them with a rake or broom. The aquarium or
J I