October lu, 1807. ] 



JOUKN.U. OF HOHTICULTUEE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



of High Holborn. They are formed either for growing a single 

 bulb or biilbs iu proups of three. Tlioso formed in imitation 

 of opal and jiainted with flowers are especially elegant. 



QUANTITIKS OF SEEDS REQUIRED. 



Thk amateur horticulturist is often at a lo.sa as to what quan- 

 tity of seed he ought to sow. The experienced gardener kiiows 

 upon how many circum.stance3 this depends, such as the good- 

 ness of the seed (to be tested by sowing a few seeds in a flower- 

 pot), the fineness of the soil, and the time of the year, so that 

 no general rule can be given. The evil of a scanty crop 

 is evident, and one too numerous is perplo.ving. Sometimes 

 Lettuces, Onions, and other crops, come up as thickly as Mus- 

 tard, niuo-tcntlis requiring to be hoed out. 



Perhaps the following table, showing the number of lineal 

 yards which 1 o/.. of certain garden seeds will sow, allowing 

 twelve seeds to the foot, may be a guide to the amateur. 



Boct SO 



Cabbage 138 



Onion ISl 



Carrot 363 



Radish 80 



Parsnip 181 



Turnip 820 



Lettuc-o 555 



As a pole of ground has 90 yards of drills at 12 inches apart, 

 it will follow that the 90 yards will require three-quarters of 

 an ounce of Cabbage seed, one-quarter of an ounce of Carrot, 

 one-sixth of an ounce of Lettuce, halt an ounce of Onion, 

 half an ounce of Parsnip, itj. These are minimum quantities, 

 and must bo increased according to tlie badness of the seed, 

 and the unfavourable state of the air and soil. 



Early-sown Peas require more plants than late, since many 

 never grow, or die, and they branch out very little. The later 

 kinds, on account of the genial atmo.sphere, and the warmth of 

 the soil when they are sown, combined with their branching 

 nature, require leas seed to be committed to the ground. Taking 

 all this into consideration, the following rule will apply for 

 good seed. Oue pint will sow iu December, 10 yards ; in Janu- 

 ary, 1.5 yards ; iu February, 20 yards ; in March, 25 yards ; 

 iu April and May, 30 yards. 



When small quantities of seed are required, it will save 

 trouble if the following be remembered: — One penny-piece 

 is equal to one-third of an ounce ; one halfpenny to one-fifth of 

 an ounce ; one farthing to one-tenth of an ounce ; and a silver 

 fourpenny-piece (wftrn by use) is equal to one-sixteenth of an 

 ounce. Thus — the weight of a fourpenny-piece of Lettuce seed 

 sows 33 yards, twelve seeds to the foot. But supposing that a 

 third of the seeds are had, and the sower does not deposit the 

 seeds evenly, more would be required, and the weight of a four- 

 penny-piece would suffice for only 15 or 20 yards. 



I made these memoranda for my own use, and think they 

 will be useful to others. — L. S. 



STEiVLING A BllAKCH OF A PELARGONIUM. 



In our last number wo published a report of the case in 

 which .•Ufr('(/ I'i>ilii:r was charged at the ]!ary Petty Sessions 

 with maliciously damaging a Pelargonium at the horticultural 

 show there, which charge the raagistrates rightly decided did 

 not come within the words of the statute. On the 3rd inst. 

 Fisher was again brought before the same magistrates charged 

 with wilfully damaging a Pelargonium, the property of the Rev. 

 E. Pi. Beuyon, Culford. It will be remembered that the Pelar- 

 gonium WHS a valuable one known as the Lady CuUum, and 

 was exhibited at the recent Jiorticultural show in Bury ; and 

 the case against the defendant rested upon the evidence of a 

 bootcloser named Head, who positively swore that he saw the 

 defendant take a cutting off the plant and put it into his pocket. 

 Mr. Grieve, who was the first witness, was further asked if the 

 plant was damaged by the cutting being taken off it. He 

 replied, " Of course the plant is damaged to that amount. The 

 cutting is worth 7s. Orf., and it must decrease the value of the 

 plant to that amount." 



The defence attempted was contradictions in minor points of 

 the evidence, probable mistaken identity, want of motive iu 

 stealing the branch, and Fisher's previous good character. In 

 conclusion, after some deliberation the magistrates decided 

 upon convicting the defendant. The Mayor said the Bench 

 were fully satislied of the defendant's guilt, and the majority 

 were in favour of giving the option of a line, and he would 

 therefore have to pay i'5 penalty, 5:s. damages, and 19.5. expenses, 

 or receive two months hard labour. His 'Worship remarked 



that it was a most serious case, and they felt bound to protect 

 those who sent plants for exhibition. The defendant asked to 

 be allowed time to pay. The Bench agreed to allow the defen- 

 dant a fortnight to pay the money. 



PROPAGATING GOLDEN CHAIN PELARGONIUM 

 ON THE OPEN BORDER. 



It may not be out of place to state to the amateur gardener 

 how to propagate with a certainty of success this queen of 

 yellow-foliaged bedding plants. 



Golden Chain is well known to the practical gardener as 

 being a shy grower and very difficult to increase to a large 

 stock in a short time, and for such reasons it has been dis- 

 carded by many, and varieties of freer growth have been substi- 

 tuted ; yet I cannot see why this beautiful flower-garden requi- 

 site, second to none, should bo cast aside by the amateur 

 because he finds it rather difficult to propagate. I will there- 

 fore give a short outline of how I have managed my cuttings 

 this year most successfully. The himplest and easiest way of 

 insuring success must undoubtedly bo the best way. 



For several years I have tried cuttings in many modes and 

 at dilYerent times of tho year — in pots and boxes, in hot and 

 cold frames, also in the propagating-house with and without 

 hand-glasses, but never obtained a sufficient return for my 

 labour ; so last year I resolved to lay aside the propagating- 

 pots, boxes, &o., and out on the open border in the kitchen 

 garden, alongside of Mrs. Pollock and Cloth of Gold, I would 

 prick in my Golden Chain cuttings at tho risk of losing all. 

 This was in the last week of July. The result of this trial 

 gave me great encouragement to try again, it being the best 

 batch of cuttings I ever had, and obtained so easily. 



Still, I was of opinion that had the cuttings been put in a 

 mouth sooner I might have had a plant for every cutting. 

 This year I ventured, on the strength of my opinion, to put 

 them in just a month sooner — in the last week in June — and 

 from the day I put them in " they never looked behind them," 

 but went on growing, making roots, leaves, and wood ; and 

 when I lifted them three weeks ago for potting I could have 

 taken another batch of cuttings from them. By bedding-out 

 time next year they will bo well-furnished plants, not the 

 poor weedy examples obtained by autumn or spring propa- 

 gation. 



Allow me to add that I have often tried tho late Mr. D. 

 Beaton's plan of grafting Golden Chain on the Tom Thumb. 

 The grafting answers very well, but takes up too much time. 

 I find that the grafts of Golden Chain, Cloth of Gold, Jlrs. 

 Pollock, and others of the same class, if specimens are -wanted 

 for show, do well on large plants of Scarlet Queen. By so 

 doing you steal a march of two years over the plants on their 

 own roots, and the wood and leaves of the graited specimens 

 are much more robust. — E. E., Womersley Park, Yorkshire. 



THE LONG FIRM. 



About ten days ago, most likely the same Mr. H. Eastwood, 

 salesman, &c, as mentioned by Jlr. G. M'are in your last number 

 wrote to me in answer to an advertisement, ordering two tons 

 of Onions, and said he had no doubt that he could take all I 

 had. My answer was. Send a remittance first, or if not do not 

 write again. Suffice it to say I have heard no more from him. 

 No sooner does an advertisement of goods for sale appear in any 

 respectable paper, than one of these gentlemen answers it, order- 

 ing at once, and seldom finding fault with the price ; hut one 

 marked feature in all their orders is, they never want anything 

 forwarded to tho address they give, hut to bo sent to the station 

 till called for, as one of their vans or carts is often there, and to 

 bo advised by post. — CnmsTjiAS Quincet, Market I'lace, Peicr- 

 bvrough. 



HEATING BY GAS. 



[IlAviNf. received numerous inquiries as to the best modes of 

 heating greenhouses and conservatories by gas, we are induced 

 to reprint, with some additions, tho following from our tenth 

 volume.] 



The simplest mode is using a gas stove. We liave employed 

 such a stove merely to exclude frost from a small greenhouse, 

 and it answered very well. It was a circular stove, with one 



