MISCELLANY OF NOTES AND CORRESPONDENCE. 191 



and the means should always be kept out of sight. The compost I use is the 



following : — Two barrows full of good maiden loam, with the turf, one ditto well 



rotted cow dung, three years old, and one of rotted leaf mould. This requires 



to be frequently well turned over in winter, to destroy the worms and insects. 



One peck of silver sand, and one ditto of boue dust; for the winter repotting, a 



little more sand is added.'' 



* >-- * # * 



" I strike the cuttings about the beginning of June ; or sooner, if the plants will 

 bear cutting. As soou as rooted, they are removed into 60-sized pots, and set 

 in a shady situation on hoards or slates, or in a cold frame. When rooted, they 

 are removed to an open situation, and as soon as the plants will bear the sun 

 without flagging, they are stopped. In September they are repotted into 

 48-sized pots, and at this time 1 commence training. In December and 

 January those that are sufficiently strong, are again shitted into 16-sized pots ; 

 in these pots they are allowed to bloom. About the middle of July or begin- 

 ning of August, they are headed down and set in a shady sheltered situation; 

 and when the p'.ai.ts have shoots near an inch long, the soil is nearly all shaken 

 from the roots, and they are again repotted into the same sized pots. As the 

 shoots are formed they are carefully thinned out. In the greenhouse, the plants 

 intended for exhibition are kept four feet apart ; the front sashes are kept open 

 o.i all convenient occasions. In November the plants are stoppid, and a stake 

 put to each shoot. The leaves are thinned out to allow the air to circulate 

 freely. In December and January, the strongest plants are again selected and 

 potted into 6-sized pots, and at this time additional heat is applied to enable 

 the plants to n.ot rapidly. In February, they are S) ringed in the aiternoon, but 

 sufficiently early to allow them to dry before night. In March they are again 

 repotted in '2-sized pots, water is now very liberally supplied. When the 

 flowers begin to open, a shading of cheese-cloth is used on the outside of the 

 house. Air is admitted before the sun has much power on the glass, and this is 

 found to prevent the attacks of the green fly. The success of all the other opera- 

 tions depends on the mode of applying fire heat. The fires are lighted at 3 or 

 4 o'clock in the afternoon, allowed to go out about 9 or 10. They are again 

 lighted about 3 or 4 in the morning. The thermometer during the night is kept 

 at 40 degrees or 42 degrees Fahrenheit. The soil is prepared thus — a quantity 

 of turfy loam is chopped and laid up in a heap, a quantity of fresh stable litter is 

 then shaken up and laid in the form at a mushroom bed. If the weather is dry 

 at the time, the manure is well watered; liquid manure and the steam or ammonia 

 is prevented from passing off' by a covering of slates. In this state it is allowed 

 to remain fifteen or sixteen days, and is then mixed with about an equal quan- 

 tity of fresh loam, and when the mixing is complettd, the heap is at last covered 

 with loam. At the end of a month or five weeks it is turned over three or four 

 times, in order that the dung and loam may incorporate well together. In 

 twelve months it is fit for use. To two barrowfulls of this compost is added 

 one of leaf mould, and a peck and a half of silver sand." 



A List of the Collections of Pelargoniums exhibitkd at Chiswick ani> 

 Ukoent's Park Snows, &c. — A Country Florist will be obliged by an early list 

 of the names, &c, of the new Geraniums exhibited at the London Shows. 



[We shall give a particular descriptive list in our next number, in the mean 

 time we give the names of those shown at Chiswick at the last exhibition, and 

 which were unusually superb : — 



Twelve nbw and first-rate kinds, Mr. Cock, of Chiswick — Lucifer, Orion, 

 Mars, Ate, Pearl, Hector, Rosy Circle, President, Negress, Zenobia, Margaret, 

 Desdemona. 



Mr. Dobson, of Isleworth — Queen Pomare, Orion, Rosy Circle, Adolphus, 

 Arabella, Competitor, Isabella, Hebe's Lip, Hindoo, Othello, Margaret, Gigantic. 



Mr. Gaines, of Jiattersea — Pamela, Agrippina, Hector, Arabica, Duchess of 

 Leinster, Medusa. 



Mr. Catleugh — Orion, Pearl, Hector, Magog, j*grippiua, Rosetta Superb. 



The above are the nrw kinds. 



