THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 



85 



disputes about tlielr relative values. They 

 do not require much lieat to start them, 

 and nothing better than a gentle hot-bed 

 on the old-fashioned plan. In the Wal- 

 tonian they are sure to mildew if kept very 

 damp and close. 



Cucumbers. — Sow for ridging out, and 

 get the plants forward in pots. They turn 

 out better when singly in sixty or forty- 

 eight pots ; they should have no check. 

 Shift those already forward. Splash water 

 about the beds of fruiting plants, and close 

 early, so as to give the plants a good 

 steaming, which they will enjoy. 



Hollyhocks plantsd now from store 

 pots will bloom to perfection, and have no 

 check from frost. Put a couple of spade- 

 fuls of rotten dung in each hole, plant 

 firm, tally and stake at once ; cover each 

 plant with an inverted Hower-pot for a 

 week, and then remove it. Give plenty of 

 ■water and liquid manure as required. 



Hyacixth.s must have abundance of 

 water while in bloom, and for some time 

 after ; as long, indeed, as the foliage con- 

 tinues green and growing. After it begins 

 to get discoloured, dry them off gradually, 

 and lay tlie pots on their sides, where they 

 will have morning and evening sun to ripen 



tliem before removing the bulbs to bo 

 stored away. 



Sr.v-Kale to b;5 sown <hc first week, 

 and to be liberally treated. It becomes 

 productive the second 3'ear, and ought to 

 be grown much more than it is. (See 

 vol. iii. p. 28.) 



YiNEs in flower to have plenty of air, 

 and syringing to be discontinued till the 

 berries are set. 



Violets planted now from young run- 

 ners of Russian and the double flowering 

 kinds will make fine plants. For their 

 management, see vol. iii. p. 110 and p. 56 

 of the last number. Better still to get a 

 pinch of good seed of each of the kinds re- 

 quired, as seedling plants generally bloom 

 most profusely. 



Wall Trees must have protection from 

 the cutting east winds, and the protection 

 should be of a kind easily removed, so that, 

 the trees have free air upon them night and 

 day, weather permitting, and be covered 

 with tlie least possible trouble if the wind 

 shifts to east or north. It will generally 

 be found that those who exclaim against 

 protecting have been in the habit of shut- 

 ting the trees up as if they were muffled 

 I bells. 



-TO CORRESPONDENTS. 



Catalogues Received. — " Suttons' Fanner's 

 Jlauual and Seed List for 1861, Sutton and Sous, 

 Keadinjj," is this year embellished with seventeen 

 selected specimens of roots to assist the grower 

 in determining the characters of tlie most distinct 

 and most esteemed kinds of mangolds, carrots, 

 turnips, etc. There is also an admirably pre- 

 pared table of the chemical constituents of twenty 

 nine kinds o f farm and garden crops, which may be 

 used as a key to the adaptation oi' soils, and the 

 application of manures, and some excellent 

 articles on the formation of permanent pastures, 

 and the cultivation of fallow-crops. — "Oata. 

 logue of Stove, Greenhouse, and Hardy Exotic 

 and British Ferns ; List of Hardy Herbaceous 

 and Alpine Plants, Messrs. A. Stansfield and 

 Sons, Vale Nurseries, Todinorden." These are 

 two excellent lists. That of ferns contains 

 many novelties exhibited last season, by Messrs. 

 Stansfield, before the Floral Committee of the 

 Horticultural Society. The list of hardy her- 

 baceous plants is full of fine old-fashioned fa- 

 vourites, and all sorts of choice things, that are 

 all but forgotten in the race after novelties of 

 but passing interest. There is no more promis- 

 ing field for enterprising nurserymen than that 

 chosen by Messrs. St.msfield, in the collection 

 of herbaceous plants of real excellence ami es- 

 tablished character. 



Pot Cultuee o? GtiDiOM. — C. J^.~In heavy 

 clay lands the choicer kinds of gladioli will not 

 prosper unless the soil is previously prepared 

 lor them by good drainage and burning, and 

 the admixture with the burnt earth of a liberal 

 proportion of smd and leaf-mould. In goori 

 turfy peat soils they grow as freely as weeds, if 

 taken up when ripe, and not planted again till 

 the month of April. In all ordinary good loams 

 they thrive if the holes in which they are 



plmted are first partially fillod with sand, and 

 the bulbs covered with sand after being inserted, 

 from four to six inches deep, according to their 

 kinds and sizes. Here is the simple key to 

 their management in pots : good turfy peat or 

 leaf-mould, no animal; manures, very complete 

 and effectual drainage, a moderately warm 

 greenhouse, plenty of light except when iu 

 bloom, and then to be shaded; the bulbs tho- 

 roughly ripened before being stored away. 

 There are tliree distinct sections of gladiolus ; 

 1. The G-andaven-^is, large corms, very showy 

 flowers, erect habit, the best of all for grouping. 

 I'lacd one bulb in an eight-inch pot, use a mix- 

 ture of old cow-dung one half part, leaf-mould 

 one part, turfy peat, or well rotted turf from a 

 loamy meadow one part, sharp sand one part. 

 Place the bulb so tnat it will be just covered 

 with the soil. Give very little water till the 

 plants are in fall growtli, then plenty till the 

 bloom is over, after which dry them ofl" by de- 

 gree-i, but not to bo quite dry till the foliage 

 his died down ; then trim away the dead leaves 

 and store the bulbs iu dry sand till wanted 

 again for planting. 2. K imosus, not so robust 

 as the last, and of spreading habit, as the name 

 implies, colours brilliant. Put from two to 

 four bulbs in an eight-inch pot witb the same 

 mi.'cture as the last, or better still for these, use 

 fresh chopped fibry peat and sand only, with 

 the crumbs of the peat to cover with. Keep 

 almost dry till tlie plants are above ground, 

 warm greenhouse, plenty of light, and plenty 

 of water after the plants have made a good 

 start. Dry off as directed above. 3. Cardi- 

 nalis, slender habitad, very neat, brilliant 

 flowers, admirably adapted for pot culture. Put 

 four bulbs in an eight-inch pot, and treat same 

 as directed for 3. All the sections may be 



