April 3, 1866. ] ■ 



JOURNAL OF HOETICDLTUEE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



25T 



Verbenas at the place, I brought cuttings of ten varieties 

 which I had grown for three jears. I had them struck in 

 4B-sized pots, and in the spring I took cuttings from them, 

 and tlii'oughout the hot weather last summer the plants were a 

 mass of bloom, wJiile those which I found at the place dwindled 

 away in the beds, and before summer was over had to be pulled 

 up and thrown to the rubbish heap. 



Verbenas have never succeeded better with mc than they 

 have done this winter ; the mildness of the season caused them 

 to throw out strong short-jointed shoots for cuttings without 

 any extra heat. In putting the cuttings in if I find any insect 

 on them they are drawn through a little tobacco water. The 

 following I have alwaj-s found to keep well through the winter : 

 — Defiance, Purple King, Annie Laurie, Tommy, ilrs. Wood- 

 roof, Rosa, Snowllake, Lady Palmerston, ImpSratrice Eliza- 

 beth, and Beauty of Acton, a seedling of my own raising. — 

 R. HoLLiDAV, The Eliii-i, Actoti. 



PLANTING \T;NES. 



In answer to your correspondent "Ixquikek," I beg to detail 

 the following experiment, as bearing on his question. 



About ten years ago I had occasion to plant three large 

 vineries, the borders being made of the best materials within 

 my reach. I selected strong canes one year old, which were 

 cut down to one or two eyes in autumn. Early in February 

 they were started into growth, receiving from time to time a 

 liberal shift, and being plunged in a gentle bottom heat. 



About the first week in May I had a trench cut in the 

 border close to the front wall, about 2 J feet wide by 3 feet deep, 

 and filled it with well-prepared stable-manure. When the heat 

 had a Utile subsided, the ridge of dung was covered with soil, 

 the Vines turned out of the pois, the roots carefully spread out, 

 and the Vines shaded for a few days. The operation much 

 resembled the planting of Melons in an ordinary dung-frame. 

 The result has been most satisfactory. Stimulated by the 

 gentle bottom heat the Vines grew vigorously, and I had the 

 satisfaction of cutting very fine bunches fit for table sixteen 

 months after planting. — A. McK. 



NOTES ON BEDDING-OUT. 



As we are all now settling in our minds what our planting- 

 out is to be, I shoirld like to invite a few papers from your 

 correspondents on the subject of last year's results, chiefly as 

 respects omamental-leaved plants. 



Though my experience is on a limited scale, still, as I live in 

 a very ungenial climate, and with one of the worst soils in 

 Ireland, it may not be uninteresting to note down what I 

 know wiU give satisfaction. Coleus Verschaffelti, I find, will 

 succeed well in a sheltered situation. I had some very 

 wretched plants which it was not my intention to have made use 

 of, but, having au empty bed, I put them into it on the 20th 

 of July. By the 15th of August they had covered the bed, 

 though they bad scarcely a leaf on them when they were 

 planted out. The colour from that time till the frost killed 

 them could not be surpassed. 



Amaranthns melancholicus ruber grew stronger than I ever 

 saw it, rather more than li feet high, and broad in proportion. 

 I certainly think, however, that its colour was not so good as 

 it was the first year I had it, being more of the ruby and the 

 copper. Is the plant, like PerUla, gradually losing its beauty 

 in our climate ? or was this simi'ly the fault of the seed ? I 

 am inclined to think the latter was the case, for some plants 

 which sowed themselves in another bed, where it had been for 

 the last two years, were decidedly better in colour. 



Iresine Herbstii did very well, retaining its beauty longer 

 than either of its rivals, and ?mproving in colour as the season 

 advanced. 



The Amaranthus lost its beauty by the 10th of September, 

 though it was not killed till October 24th. The Ii^esine was 

 kUled about ten days later, and the Coleus on October 14th. 



Have any of yom' correspondents tried Amaranthus tricolor ? 

 I intend to attempt it this year, though my neighbours laugh 

 at me, aud say it will not do ; surely it carmot be more dehcate 

 than Coleus Verschaffelti. 



I found that no Calceolaria stood the dry weather last sea- 

 son so well as Victor Emmanuel, and it is a very handsome 

 variety. Cloth of Gold Geranium did splendidly, it was put 

 out on the 24th of May. I find that this Geranium suffers 

 more fiom transplanting than any other variety. It always 



with me takes a full month to recover itself, but after that is 

 grand for the rest of the season. Its effect at a little distance 

 is quite equal to a bed of Calceolarias, aud I need not say in- 

 finitely more lasting. 



In a dry season Cockscombs, with a double band of mow- 

 white Chrysanthemum-flowered Asters, are lovely. 



I should like to know which is the better Oxalis, I mean as to 

 colour of leaves — " corniculata atropurpurea "' or " tropaeo- 

 loides ;" and whether would Cloth of Gold or Bijou Geraniums 

 be the better edging to a bed of Eicinus sanguineus glaucus ' — 



Q-Q- 



PORTRAITS OF PLANTS, FLO^VERS, AND 

 FRUITS. 



H.iEKjVSTHUS FULGENS (BrilUant Habranthus). — Kat. ord., 

 AmarylUdea?. Linn., Hexandria Monogynia. Native of tropical 

 and southern extra-tropical America. Flowers scarlet, with 

 yellow centre and tube. Introduced by Messrs. Backhouse, 

 York. — (Bot. Maij., t. 55G3.) 



Dendp.oeicm dixasihum (Double-tinted Yellow Dendrobium). 

 — Nat. nrd., OrchidaceaB. Linn., Gynandria Monandria. Na- 

 tive of Moulmein. Introduced by Messrs. Low & Co., Clapton. 

 There are two tints of yellow in the flowers. — (Ihid., t. 55ti4.) 



Gladiolus I'AriLio (Butterfly-flowered Gladiolus). — Xat. ord., 

 Lidacefe. Linn., Hexandria Monogynia. From the Cape of 

 Good Hope. Flowers various tiuts of pini, yellow, and purplish 

 crimson. — (Ibid., t. 55G5.) 



Pebisteophe lasceolakia (Lance-leaved Peristrophe). — Nat. 

 ord., Acanthacea;. Linn., Diandi'ia Monogynia. Native of 

 Moulmein. Herbaceous. Flowers pale purple. — (Ibid., t. 5566.) 



Batehannia grasdifloea (Large-flowered Batemarmia). — 

 Nat. ord., Orehidaceie. Linn., Gynandria Monandria. Native 

 of low elevations in New Granada. Flowers white variously 

 streaked with purple, aud stained with yellow. — (Ibid., t. 5567.) 



Sphacele ciERULEA. — Nat. ord., Labiate Flowers pale 

 purple. Very like a Stachys. Probably a native of Chili. — 

 (Floral Mag., pi. 281.) 



Nerixe Fothergillii. — Scarlet-flowered. A very old kind. 

 —(Ibid., pi. 282.) 



Makan-ta rosea-picta. — Native of equatorial regions of the 

 upper Amazon, between Loreta aud Iquitos. Leaves of darkest 

 sap-green, with the midrib, and a band near the margin, pink. 

 —(Ibid., pi. 283.) 



Po-iipoNE Chrtsanihemums. — The following are introduced 

 by Mr. Salter, Versailles Nursery. Fairy Ni/?nph, white. Rose 

 d'Amour, white, with rosy-tipped petals. Torfrida, golden 

 je]low.—(Ibid., pi. 284.) 



Lobelias. — Distinction, rose cerise, mth pink s-hade. Peach- 

 blossom, beautiful peach- blossom coloiu". — (Florist and Fomo- 

 logist.) 



HOUSE-CULTURE OF CUCUMBERS. 



FCLLT agreeing in the truth of the sentiment expressed by 

 Mr. Read, " that discussion and inter-communication will do 

 much to advance the cause of gardeners and gardening," and 

 having read with interest " Peter's " account of his system of 

 cultivating Cucumbers (although I must say I wish he had 

 been a little more expUcit), I venture to send a few remarks 

 descriptive of my own system of management. 



Miue is a six-sided house, four sides of the roof being double- 

 glazed ; the other two, towards the north and overliung by 

 trees, are slated; the sides are single-glazed. It is fully ex- 

 posed to the east, south, and south-west, aud from its peculiar 

 shape is adapted to catch every gleam of sunshine ; it is, 

 therefore, very suitable for the winter forcing of Cucumbers. 

 It is heated by one of Pierce's patent boilers. The eight-inch 

 flow-pipe passes through a chamber covered with slate ; on 

 this is a layer of fine sand, which affords a nice bottom heat 

 for propagating-purposes, aud, being kept constantly moist, 

 insures a humid atmosphere. The return, a single four-inch 

 pipe, is brought out of the chamber aud carried round the 

 house for surface heat. The bed being on the north side, and 

 generally occupied with other things, I am reduced to the 

 necessity of growing my Cucumbers in pots, and by following 

 the system I sh.all detail, I have been very successful. 



I am expected to keep up a constant supply of good Cucum- 

 bers from the middle of October till June, and to accomplish 

 this, I commence operations about the last week in July by 

 sowing some seeds singly in small pots, placiug them in a com- 

 paratively cool house. The young plants soon make their 



