DOJMESTIC NOTICES. 



new and some old,) are Psyche, Gajiad, Son- 

 tag, Devoniana, Corallina, Elegaiitissiiiia, Eliza 

 Milliez, Magnillcent, Chateaubriand, and Acte- 

 on. Serratifolia is a winter blooming variety. 



Early Spring Plants. — ^Cottager. You 

 may sow now many seeds in pots, to keep in a 

 garden frame through winter, such as Candj"^- 

 tuft. Virghiia Stock, Nemoplijdla, Sweet Alys- 

 sum. Pansy, which will then bloom early in the 

 year ; and in the same way you may have in 

 bloom at the same time, Walltiowers, Primro- 

 ses, Daisies, Polyanthus, Stocks, Pinks, Carna- 

 tions, Roses, Columbine, and many others. We 

 ■will give an article on this subject shortly. 



Stocks. — Samuel. Tlie large scarlet stocks 

 which you admired so mucli in pots, are 

 grown thus: The seed is sown in June, the 

 young plants arc transplanted when large enough 

 to move, and by October they have become good 

 sized plants, when thej' are potted, and kept 

 during winter in a frame or cool green-house. 



Salvia patens. — James Stone. If you wish 

 to propagate this extensively, you may do so in 

 spring by cuttings, exactly as you do dahlias. 



Begonias. — X. Z. The Begonia is a hot- 

 house plant, but most of the varieties Avill thrive 

 very well with green-house culture. Zebrina, 

 Fuchsioides, Coccinia, and Maculata, arc four 

 of the best. 



Azaleas. — G. T. The cooler your Azaleas 

 ai-e kept through the winter, so that frost be 

 kept out of the house, the better. So also, 

 your geraniums; and it is wonderful how little 

 water the latter require if a low temperature 

 is kept, by which they will be infinitely benefit- 

 ted when set to work in spring. 



Root-pruning. — C. F. Your perplexity in 

 the dilferences of opinion which as you truly 

 say exist about root-pnming, is not to be won- 

 dered at. The reason of this diversitj of opin- 

 ion is easily exi)laincd. Where it is practiced 

 by i)ers(ins who have a competent knowledge of 

 the laws of vegetable physiology it is both bene- 

 ficial and a safe operation as regards the ])er- 

 manent health of the trees; but when practised 

 by others who have not that knowledge it is 

 frequently (|uite the reverse. Without writing 

 a dissertation on the subject we can onlysny, 

 you had better not practice it except in the ca.se 

 of a fruit tree which appears healthy, but which 



whilst making strong growth fails to give a crop 

 of fruit. Generally speaking, in such a case it 

 will be beneficial. 



Potatoes. — Charles. Ko progress has rea//y 

 yet been made by either the philosophical re- 

 searches or in the experiments which have been 

 instituted to find out the cause of the potatoe 

 disease. Smees' insect theory has been proved 

 to be quite fallacious. Moisture has something 

 to do, when in excess, in producing it, as may 

 be proved by growing a dozen potatoes in as 

 many large pots in a frame. Of these keep 

 feeders filled with water under six of the pots, 

 and keep the other six rather dry than other- 

 wise. Generally, but not always, those with 

 the feeders under, will have the disease and the 

 others not. 



Auriculas. — E. S. Oh yes, we have grown 

 Auriculas here as fine as we ever saw them in 

 England. As you say you have grown them 

 there, all the difference you need make in your 

 culture here, is to keep tlie plants entirely in 

 the shade from the time they go out of bloom 

 until the end of September. 



Grape HousKs. — j1. J.R., (Middleborough, 

 Mass.) Fou cannot do better than follow Mr. 

 Rivers' i)lan, detailed in vol. G, page 17, ex- 

 cept that we recommend you to build tlie house 

 higher so as to avoid the sunken walk; you Avill 

 find it more convenient ; and we advise you to 

 board both sides of the posts as recommended 

 in the note to page 18. of the article referred 

 to ; this will enable you to make the liouse more 

 useful during winter, because if you take the 

 vines down from the rafters and cover them up, 

 you may then keep out the frost by the stove, 

 and use the liouse for plants or any other pur- 

 po.se that does not require a high temperature. 

 As to the borders, read Mr. Buist's articles in 

 vol. 5, page 8G, and Mr. Chorlton's in tlie pre- 

 sent volume, page 94, both very judiciously 

 written by men who thoroughly understand 

 the subject, and the material details in which 

 our own experience for many years fully 

 confirms. Do not aim at too many varieties in 

 a house the size you name. The Black Ham- 

 burgh, the Victoria, the Grizzly Fontignac, and 

 the Muscat will be ample ; but plant most of the 

 first named. 



