-tmvarj S, I8«e. ] 



JOURNAL OP HORTICOLTOBB AND OOTTAGR GARDE NEB. 



•ordon or linp. It is, in fact, what in English pardening we 

 call a branch pruned on thu npur Rystem, which every gar- 

 dener knows posBessos no novelty. Tlie only novelty connected 

 with cordon pruning are the fanciful forma in which the French 

 have of late years delighted to train their trees, but which do 

 not in any way contribute either to their health, longevity, or 

 fertility, more than our owu practice which has been followed 

 SO long. 



BEDDING PLANTS THAT WINTKK WELIi IN 

 A COLD PIT. 



ALTDouGn from time to time vigorous attacks are made on 

 the bedding system by those who wish for a return of the old- 

 fashioned mixed border, yet it is apparent to every one that the 

 system is still gaining ground. Whether a change is near or 

 (iistant, there can be no question that the present demand for 

 bedding phmts is a heavy tax on the means of many who have 

 to produce them, and the utmost ingenuity has to bo exercised 

 to furnish the necessary number every season ; as a conse- 

 quence, due attention is always paid to any plan which in 

 reality lessens the labour or simplilies the moans by which the 

 end in view is attained. The great object aimed at of late 

 years has been the wintering of a large number of plants with 

 the least possible assistance from glass structures provided 

 with artificial heat, and whenever glass can be dispensed with 

 go much the better. With some plants this cannot be done 

 without increasing the labour to an exteut more than equiva- 

 lent to the cost of employing glass, and of this class are the 

 bedding Pelargoniums, which occupy the po^t of honour among 

 bedding plants, but which are rarely met with in a tilting con- 

 dition to plant out in May without having in some degree had 

 the benefit of a heated glass structure during the i>recediug sis 

 months. Of these, however, enough has been said of late ; 

 and I will, therefore, confine myself to a class of plants 

 scarcely less important, but which may be kept through the 

 winter with much less trouble and expense. My object is to 

 enable the inexperienced to make the most of the means at 

 their command, and so to give to the more delicate plants the 

 most suitable positions, while to the others may be assigned 

 such quarters as can be afforded them. 



In some communications which appeared in this Journal 

 early in the autumn, the ease with which the Calceolaria could 

 be propagated, and kept over the winter almost without the aid 

 of glass, w.is pointed out, and without either pots or artificial 

 beat. I wish that, in addition to the information then given, 

 some easy means could have been devised for ensuring the 

 success of this plant throughout the summer ; but I fear we 

 must employ such varieties only as jjossess greater constitu- 

 tional strength than most of those now grown, and in so doing 

 no doubt we must be content with either species or varieties 

 not so ornamental as those we have hitherto employed. 

 Amongst the plants, however, to which a cold frame affords 

 sufficient winter protection, the bedding Calceolaria stands 

 pre-eminent, and its capability of withstanding the influence 

 of long-continued moisture is of the highest order; even a 

 little frost does not effect its destruction when the change from 

 that condition to one of a contrary kind is gradual. A fort- 

 night or three-weeks seclusion from both light and air is also 

 harmless to this plant. 



Ctutaurfaiiiimmicarpa. — This, though not hardy, is, like the 

 Calceolaria, not killed by a slight frost. It will also endure 

 the damp atmosphere and confinement of cold-frame treatment 

 without Buffering much. It is well to insert the cuttings by 

 the 1st of October, which is a month earlier than Calceolarias 

 are often put in ; but they will do very well even put in at the 

 same time as these. I cannot say that I have been f o success- 

 ful with C. candidissima ; but its failure did not arise from the 

 plant not standing cold, but from its not doing well witn us 

 during the summer. The plants became sickly, and decay set 

 in at the ends of the leaves ; the cuttings, therefore, were not 

 a fair sample, otherwise I expect this plant is much more 

 hardy than is generally supposed. 



Gazania splcntUtis is almost hardy, and plants in a sheltered 

 position will sometimes live through a mild winter out of doors ; 

 but if cuttings are inserted in the cold frame early in October, 

 they make, in April or May, as good plants us can be desired, 

 and we have occasionally obtained cuttings in April from plants 

 so treated, which formed neat little subjects by the usual bed- 

 ding-out time. No plant that I am acquainted with does better 

 than this, and looks better when planted out. 



SifrembiTijid gracilis. — This and its varietica, though hardier, 

 perhaps, than even the Oaznnia, do not strike bo freely from 

 cuttings put in about October ; indeed, the plant in often a 

 ccdlection of flower stems. I have sometimes taken plants up 

 and divided them, and planted rooted offsets in the cold frame 

 or pit, but the success was never so great as with the tlazania. 

 In sheltered situations in the open air, the Nierembergia often 

 withstands the winter, and furnishes cuttings in ]''ebrnary, 

 which strike fust enough in heat. In the cold pit it8 defects 

 would seem to be the absence of suitable cuttings, rather than 

 its not fltanding cold, for we have many instances of its sur- 

 viving the winter ' 



Cineraria marilima. — When well grown nothing can exceed 

 the beauty of this. It certainly excels Centaurea candidissima 

 in gracefulness of form, although the latter may surpass it in 

 whiteness, and in the property of not running to tlower; or 

 rather its commencing to do so does not affect its appearance 

 so much as in the case of the Cineraria ; but the facility with 

 which the latter is propagated, and the greater certainly of its 

 succeeding when planted-out, give it an importance not always 

 accorded to it. Cuttings put in early in October, make very 

 good plants in May, with no more attention than is given to 

 the Calceolaria. 



Lolielia i^jiecicsa. — Although old plants taken up and palled 

 to pieces, with a little root attached to each, and so planted in 

 the cold pit, will, in some cases, do very well, they do not 

 always succeed. It is, therefore, better to raise seedlings in the 

 ordinary way, as this plant seems less hardy than those pre- 

 viously named. Occasionally, however, batches of plants may 

 be wintered in a cold pit, aud if some very late seedlings were 

 obtained, and planted before flowering, they would be certain 

 to succeed. 



Veronica Andtrsoiii variegata. — This has not hitherto teen 

 adopted to the extent which it deserves to be, as it ia certainly 

 one of the prettiest of white-edged plants. It is readily pro- 

 pagated by cuttings put in at the same time aa the above, and 

 it is rarely that one fails to become a plant. 



Enurii/mus jriponicux anreovarienatiis. — This plant lias with 

 me failed to thrive so satisfactorily as was expected, the growth 

 in summer being very limited. It is easily propagated, and 

 stands well in the culd pit in company with the other plants 

 named. I'lants out of doors also withstood last winter, but 

 they were under the snow. It is much to be regretted that its 

 tendency to run into the green state is so general. 



Pentsti'mons. — These being thought hardy, are only mentioned 

 to state that autumu-put-in cuttings, treated the same as the 

 others, form good plants by spring. 



Pi/rethruiim. — Like the Pentstemon, this is known to be 

 hardy, but, nevertheless, it requires to be propagated every 

 year. Slips or cuttings put in during October, furnish well- 

 formed plants by Apiil, from which other cuttings may be 

 taken, which root freely under hand-glasses out of doors, or in 

 any place where not too much exposed to the full sun. 



Ciqilicas are certainly not so hardy, but will do in a cold 

 frame or pit. They will not endure so much damp as the 

 Calceolaria, and long confinement is apt to thin their n.imhers 

 very much, but they sometimes pass through the winter with 

 but little loss, and make good plants early in May. 



Virhnm^. — Not being always successful with them, 1 .-annot 

 recommend them for cold-]iit culture in winter. Probably if 

 the cuttings were put in eailier tbey might do better, but this 

 is not always convenient, as the pit may have something else 

 in it at the time. Verbena pulchella is the most likely to prove 

 satisfactory, or Verbena venosa ; the latter, however, not by 

 any means so generally good as might be wished for. J^eailet 

 and other-coloured Verbenas in general use are seldom taken 

 up in time to jdaut here, and as none of them will end.ire the 

 long confinement necessary when cold weather is prolonged, it 

 is better to have a stock of plants elsewhere to propagate from 

 when spring conjmences. 



Pftunias. — These will endure cold but not damp, so that I 

 have never done any good with them here, and, in fact, have 

 not tried them often. 



Cerastiuni tvyiu-ntusum. — Plenty of this should be secnred in 

 cold pits ; not but that it will endure cold and frost well enough, 

 but long-continued wet weather and a cold wet situation are 

 sometimes fatal to it. This plant was not by any means plen- 

 tiful last spring. 



Besides the above, there may be many other subjects to 

 which a well-constructed cold pit affords all the protection 

 necessary in ordinary winters. My worthy friend, Mr. R. Fish, 

 gives the preference to a turf pit over a brick one, and for 



