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JOURNAL OF HOBTXCULTUBE AND COTTAGE GABDENEB. 



[ December 19, 1867. 



cultivation of the Vine, I still pay it is a mistake to confine their 

 roots between the inside walls, for by so doing the health of 

 the Vines can only be maintained for a few years. 



Leaving this house I entered other two, both early half-span 

 vineries, each 60 feet long and 13 feet wide, and next to these 

 a long range, 1.50 feet by 13, in two divisions. This house was 

 planted with Lady Downe's and Alicante (Meredith's variety), 

 in June, ISiiS. There are only three rows of four-inch pipe in 

 the house. The Vines were in excellent condition, and most of 

 them had on them two or three bunches of Grapes exceedingly 

 weU grown and ripened ; some bunches of the Alicante would 

 weigh not less than 3 lbs. The (juantity of Grapes which this 

 house contained would almost repay the cost of its being 

 erected. The more I see of this fine Grape the more I am 

 convinced that there is no Grape equal to it for winter work. 

 The border in which the Vines are planted is about 4 feet deep. 

 The next structure to which Mr. Doran directed my atten- 

 tion was the Pine sucker-pit, which is 130 feet long and 8 feet 

 wide. It contained three hundred and fifty suckers in fine 

 condition. Next to this is the succession-pit, which is a 

 three-quarters span, 144 feet long by 12 wide, containing about 

 five hundred plants intended for fruiting next year. 



I next entered two lean-to houses, principally used for green- 

 house plants, and for growing flowers for cutting. The back 

 wails were covered with some fine old Scarlet Pelargoniums. 

 These are covered early in spring with a profusion of flowers, 

 which, like the Moss Eose buds, are turned into ca.sh, for any 

 cut flowers are saleable in Manchester, and, of coinse, the better 

 the kinds are the higher the prices they command ; but there 

 are many persons in the neighbourhood of Manchester who 

 earn very good livings by cultivating even the simplest and 

 most common flowers. 



The last structure I entered was the large Mushroom-house, 

 75 feet by 20. It has a thatched roof, is heated by hot water, 

 and is in every respect well adapted to the growth of Mush- 

 rooms ; accordingly they may be gathered by the barrowful at 

 any time during the winter months. There is a walk through 

 the cenh-e of this house, and on each side are the Mushroom- 

 beds. There are, besides, two other Mushroom-houses, now in 

 full bearing. After these beds are cleared ofi, the houses are 

 used for forcing Ehubarb. 



There are also long ranges of pits for Melons, Cucumbers, 

 early Eadishes, Lettuce, Celery, &c., and about 13 acres of 

 ground, which was cropped during the past season as follows : — 

 Celery, 2 acres ; Onions, 1 acre; Lettuce, li acre ; Peas, 2 acres ; 

 Cabbages, 2 acres ; Dwarf Kidney Beans, 1 acre ; Scarlet Eun- 

 ners, 1 acre ; Strawberries, 1 acre ; Cauliflowers, 1 acre ; Ehu- 

 barb, Ac, 1,J acre. Not a foot of ground is allowed to remain 

 idle. A crop of Eadishes is taken off the Celery ground, then 

 foUow Cauliflowers and spring Lettuce, and so the rotation of 

 crops is continued, thus showing how readily the earth pro- 

 duces abundance for the use of man if only properly cultivated 

 and judiciously enriched. All young gardeners should spend 

 a year and half, or two years, of their early life in a good 

 market garden, where they would learn a lesson which would 

 through life prove highly beneficial to them. Nothing is wasted, 

 . and everything is made the most of. This is as it should be, 

 not only in market, but in private gardens. — .J. Wills. 



COLEUS V'EKSCHAFFELTI. 



The Coleus has within the last few years become, and most 

 deservedly so, an especial favourite, whether we view it as an 

 ornament to the flower garden, greenhouse, or stove ; and 

 although it may be said to flourish in almost any soil that ia 

 of a light texture, yet in some situations gardeners complain 

 of its not doing well, when, at the same time, a little more 

 attention would in almost every place well repay the cul- 

 tivator, and secure success. I consider this Coleus one of the 

 greatest acquisitions which have been made for the flower 

 garden in these days of banding colours, and perhaps the 

 following details as to its cultivation may he useful to some of 

 your numerous readers. 



I find it absolutely necessary that the plants intended to 

 produce a good effect in the flower garden should be well grown, 

 healthy, and short-jointed, especially in cold situations like 

 this. The first year I tried this charming bedding plant it 

 partially failed with me, owing to my plants being small, and 

 not well grown previous to being bedded-out, which never takes 

 place before the first or second week in June. 



In order to secure a good supply for spring, I insert thirty 



or forty cuttings in August, keeping them all the winter in 

 pots in the stove, as this plant requires heat to remain in good 

 condition, and it well deserves a place there on account of its 

 ornamental appearance. From the plants which these make I 

 select my cuttings in March and April ; these are struck in 

 gentle heat, and, when well rooted, are pottedoff in 4-inch pots, 

 and placed as near the glass as convenient in a warm pit with a 

 temperature of not less than (J0° at night. When the plants 

 have been potted a week or two, the leading shoots are pinched 

 out, which causes them to push freely. When the side-shoots 

 have gi-own 3 or 4 inches, the plants have another stopping, 

 and are gradually inured to the temperature of a cooler pit. 

 I usually place mine in rows between Mrs. Pollock, Golden 

 Chain, and Cloth of Gold Pelergoniums, and the result is a 

 very pretty contrast, giving a neat appearance in spring, espe- 

 cially if plants of Centaurea candidissima are introduced. This 

 Centaurea cannot fail to be a general favourite wherever Coleus 

 Verschaffelti is cultivated as a bedding plant. The soil which 

 I prefer is equal parts of loam, leaf mould, and sand, sifted 

 through an inch sieve. 



The foregoing mode of culture will secure beautiful, stout, 

 bushy, and highly-coloured plants, from 9 to 12 inches in 

 diameter, by the first week in June, and will, I trust, be accept- 

 able to all who are about to give the Coleus a trial ; for if this 

 be a fair one, the plant will be found to well repay any extra 

 trouble which its culture may involve, as compared with other 

 bedding plants. — Thomas Eawloke, J]'ooJseat, Aslibonriie. 



PROPAGATIKG MRS. POLLOCK PELARGONIUM. 



I HAVE experienced no difficulty whatever in increasing the 

 stock of this favourite bedder, if the plants were in good health, 

 to commence with. 



My practice is to take off the cuttings earlj' in August. 

 After preparing them I put them either in pots or boxes pre- 

 viously well drained, give a gentle watering, and place the 

 pots or boxes in a cold frame or pit full in the sun. The out- 

 tings only require a slight shading from the midday sun for 

 four or five days. The lights should be drawn off on fine 

 nights, and replaced early in the morning. 



I have found the cuttings root quite freely in the open air, 

 like other Pelargoniums, if their wants are attended to. 



If good cuttings can be procured in February, they may 

 be inserted in CO-sized pots, or several cuttings may be placed 

 round the sides of 6-inch pots, well drained. Use for soil a 

 good, light, sandy loam, a little leaf mould, and sand, well 

 mixed. It is a good practice, if larger pots are used, to put a 

 smaller one in the centre, the bottom being stopped up, and a 

 little water kept constantly in this pot to preserve sufficient 

 moisture in the soil. After the cuttings are placed in the pots 

 these should be plunged in a bottom heat of 75° (the top-heat 

 should be less), shading a httle as recommended for summer 

 striking. 



When rooted, the cuttings should be potted off, using 4-inch 

 pots, and the same kind of compost. They should then 

 receive a gentle watering, and be placed as near the glass as 

 possible in a warm greenhouse or vinery. 



When the young plants have filled the pots with roots, they 

 may be removed to a cooler house or frame. If larger plants 

 are desired, they should be stopped, and again shifted into 

 larger pots. If properly attended to they will be fine plants 

 by the middle of May. 



Summer cuttings make the strongest plants, and if kept in 

 the pots or boxes in which they were struck they take up much 

 less room during winter. These should be repotted about the 

 middle of February, and treated as other Pelargoniums. 



In bedding-out, many gardeners plunge the pots in which 

 the plants are growing ; when this is done the plants do not 

 receive such a check as when planted in the open border or 

 bed, for their roots are not disturbed. They may also be hfled 

 with greater safety in autumn. 



Sunset, I am of opinion, will make a prettier bed than Mrs. 

 Pollock, especially when mixed with other plants, such as 

 Verbenas, Lobelias, Violas, &c. I should like to know the 

 experience of those who have tried it. — E. 0. B. L. 



PROLIFEROUS FERNS. 

 The question as to the cause of Ferns becoming proliferous 

 under cultivation does not yet seem to have been settled ; and 

 from " FiLix-FtEMiNA's " letter I see that it ia doubtful whether 



