198 



THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 



broken stones put in, tliin cut sods laid on 

 them, aud the ashes returned. After this 

 the place was as dry as could be wished 

 for ; and my immunity from disaster last 

 winter was doubtless owing partly to this. 

 In the article above alluded to, a thin layer 

 of coal ashes, upon which to place the 

 plants, is spoken of; but when the trouble 

 is not considered too great, it appears 

 better to plunge them, as they are then 



not only warmer, but need no watering 

 during the entire winter. 



I have found the rice bags spoken of 

 an excellent substitute for mats. They 

 are more manageable, lasting, and warmer, 

 provided the heavy description, for there 

 are two kinds, can be obtained. 



Alexander Batle. 

 Pembrokeshire. 



AN INVALID'S FIRST ATTEMPT AT GARDENING.— TEA. 

 ROSES IN ELFESHIRE. 



In April last I ventured to solicit the 

 Editor of the Floral World to give in- ! 

 formation respecting the mode of raising 

 Solanum capsicastrum from seed, and of 

 treating ericas out of bloom. A kindly- 

 explicit reply appeared in the May num- 

 ber, but little did the courteous Editor ' 

 conjecture that such simple directions | 

 would be beyond the capabilities of my 

 resources. 



It now strikes me that, as many of the 

 readers of this excellent periodical may be 

 similai-ly situated with myself, viz., inva- 

 lids inhabiting lodgings in a country town, 

 soma record of my failures and successes — 

 solely aided by the instructions in the 

 volumes and numbers already published — 

 may not prove wholly uninteresting, while 

 the utility of such a paper would be ma- 

 terially enhanced by the Editor's kindly 

 appending bracketed remarks in answer to 

 queries propounded, or in explanation of 

 difficulties acknowledged. 



My apartments are situated in a plea- 

 sant midland town, a locality rather 

 characterized by a love of flowers ; and in 

 my perambulations, by means of a Bath- 

 chair, I remark numerous flowers I would 

 gladly transfer to my balcony-garden were 

 I acquainted with their habits and the 

 method of culture. However, being re- 

 solved this last spring to " make a begin- 

 ning," I carefully studied the two first 

 volumes of the Floral World, and en- 

 deavoured to make the most of my little 

 territory. Throughout the winter I had 

 kept plants in my sitting-room, which has 

 a south-western aspect and a large win- 

 dow. Chinese primroses, ericas, myrtles, 

 and Solanum capsicastrum flourished well, 

 as did also a plant of Dracaena and two 

 fine little shrubs of Lignum vita? ; a ca- 

 mellia and a bushy specimeu of veronica, 

 covered with spikes of lavender flowers, 

 completed my collection. 



Owing to the late frosts, I did not 

 venture to put out my treasures even into 

 the verandah'd balcony till the second 

 week in April, covering them over with 

 Haythorn's hexagon garden net, No. 1 (see 

 Floral World, vol. i. p. 90), every even- 

 ing. Under this treatment all escaped 

 injury, but the ericas began to show a 

 yellow tiDge of leaf, and the Solanum to 

 wither. It had been my wish to raise 

 seedlings, which I hoped to do by aid of 

 a room kept warm on account of my ill- 

 ness, and a bell-glass. My only success, 

 however, was with some sweet peas, which 

 I enclosed in a wire frame ; these flowered 

 abundantly and well last month, the seeds 

 being sown in February. 



On receiving the Editor's reply (see 

 Floral World, May number,1860, p. Ill), 

 I removed the ericas from their hot quar- 

 ters in the sunny balcony to the sill of my 

 bed-room window, having a north aspect ; 

 and, subsequently finding the camellia 

 droop, by the directions respecting "excess 

 of light," in vol. ii. p. 125, I judged it pru- 

 dent to place the plant iu the same aspect, 

 the result justifying my expectations. 



With regard to raising the Solanums 

 from seed, I still felt lamentably deficient. 

 The only means at my disposal were a 

 seed-pan covered with a bell-glass, and 

 kept in my room for additional heat. But 

 hoio to sow ? Were the berries to be 

 planted whole, or the seeds removed from 

 the husk ? I chose the latter, and was 

 surprised at the number of seeds contained 

 in each berry. In about a week green 

 specks were visible above the earth, and I 

 already congratulated myself on success ; 

 but time sped on, the seed-pan was trans- 

 ferred to the balcony for air and light ; 

 there were leaves undoubtedly, but in 

 numbers which began to be suspicious. I 

 had the pan brought to me (being unable 

 to walk I am obliged to garden by deputy), 



