During last winter a new herbaceous garden was made here, and I may say no pains were spared to lay a solid and lasting foundation, both in labour and material, in order to insure success. The subsoil of the garden is an open gravel, so that drainage was not necessary. The natural soil was removed to a depth of from 2 to 2 1/2 feet, and a very liberal preparation substituted, such as is rarely given to hardy plants. The compost consisted of the top spit of a rich pasture which had been used for fruit-growing purposes for a year or two, and had been enriched with bones and manure. The soil was laid roughly in the beds all the winter, and was therefore fully exposed to the action of the frost, which sweetened it thoroughly, and rendered it a mellow pulverised mass for the plants to take root in. I may state here that the garden was made before "open-air conservatories" came into vogue, so the idea was neither borrowed nor stolen.

Well, after a long dreary winter spring came, and the garden was planted with a very select collection of herbaceous plants. After planting, we had the surface of the beds top-dressed an inch thick with broken horse-droppings - a luxury we did not accord to bedding-plants later in the season. Of course it is well known that horse-droppings, independent of arresting evaporation and maintaining a uniformity of earth-temperature, possess the still greater virtue of exciting and sustaining surface-roots. A feeling of delicacy prohibits me from attempting to delineate the process of planting - an undertaking in these latter days that seems to require teaching in a special school. However, the plants grew and flourished through the season.

In the spring we sowed patches of Mignonette, and also of two beautiful annuals - Browallia elata and Collinsia bicolor. There were in addition a goodly number of East Lothian Stocks and Evening Primroses, raised from seed, which, by the month of July, were very pretty, and in point of beauty and effect simply eclipsed every herbaceous plant in the garden.

The air was absolutely perfumed with the smell of the Mignonette; and bees hovered about, and sometimes descended to sip a drop of honey from the opening flowers. At evening, too, the dew descended, and like crystal diamonds sparkled upon the refreshed flowers and leaves, just as the sunbeams grew faint, and the Evening Primroses (OEnotheras) deigned to open their large but handsome flowers. There were also stately Delphiniums; and large Sun-Roses hung their heads, as if doing obeisance to the smaller but certainly more beautiful members of the hardy family.

But I must stop. I find I am growing sentimental in order to accommodate my friends with choice of language for their favourites. I must now for a moment direct attention to the flower-garden. Your correspondent, J. S. W., has quoted, in support of his arguments, a report from a distinguished correspondent of the 'Gardener' respecting his dealing with two large beds which swallowed up the sum of 10,000 plants, all good and valuable.

I do not for a moment dispute this statement; but would beg to suggest that a simpler and less expensive system of planting might possibly yield an equally good effect. In the summer of 1879 I had some very large beds to plant myself with Pelargoniums and suchlike, which took such a number of plants that I resolved upon changing the system of planting. In accordance with this determination, we procured a number of Cannas in the spring of the present year; and we also raised a stock of Castor - oils, Zeas, Abutilons, Solanums, Balsams, and suchlike - the former of which were planted at 6 feet apart, and were touching each other by the end of the first week in July. The Balsams were 5 feet in diameter in August, and flowered splendidly : of course the margins of these beds were toned off with groups of smaller plants.

I may also point out that the centres of many large beds would be much improved in appearance by the introduction of plants that are conspicuous for the grace and beauty of their foliage, whether hardy or half hardy. 10,000 plants might in this way plant a whole garden instead of two beds. Many of the finest of the Cannas and Abutilons I had lifted in the early part of the autumn and potted, and they are now (December) doing excellent duty in the way of furnishing a large conservatory; and perhaps before winter is over they will be useful for something else - whereas the finest things in the herbaceous garden are no better looking than a "bundle of dead sticks".

But to return to our system of planting the flower-garden. Independent of the foliage-plants, we used a large number of a Heliotrope we have here, which bears enormous trusses of flowers, and these we associated with pink Pelargoniums. Mrs Pollock Pelargonium and Coleus Verschaffelti were planted in representative beds, as were Pelargonium Flower of Spring, Beauty of Calderdale, and Iresine Lindeni, - from our point of view the most striking beds in the whole garden, the Heliotrope excepted. I name these as an example of our arrangement. After planting, little labour was required for some weeks, as we never peg down edgings before the plants have grown a considerable length; and once going over in this way is quite sufficient up to August. In point of labour I consider - nay, I boldly assert - that our herbaceous garden, yard for yard or foot for foot, cost us more than the flower-garden. Of course no sane person would say the same of carpet-bedding, which is costly, but very effective.

Having therefore given equal attention to the management of these two gardens, we have a right to compare results; and I venture to think that there are few people who (were it possible to accomplish such a thing) would exchange the one garden for the other for brilliancy of effect or unity of arrangement. And yet both are necessary in their places.

Herbaceous plants are interesting - many of them pretty, if you like; but they will never supplant the former of their birthright unless the tastes and habits of those who support horticulture so generously undergo a change which requires a more imaginative mind than mine to conceive.

Not satisfied, however, with my own experience, I journeyed last August to the nursery grounds of one of the largest, if not the very largest, growers of herbaceous plants in the neighbourhood of London, for the purpose of inspection. I was courteously received, and was conducted round the grounds by a very intelligent guide; but, alas ! I had to return home a sadder instead of a wiser man, - being too late for the show. I retraced my steps, and feasted my eyes upon the grand display that the able curators of the London parks annually provide for the British public. W. Hinds.