April 20, 1871. ] 



JOURNAL OP HORTrCULTUEE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



285 



less tronblesoms to manage, although named varieties are easily 

 cultivated. 11 it is intended to grow seedlings, it is well to 

 make sure that the seed has been obtained from the best- 

 named and well-marked sorts, as it- ia as easy to grow good 

 flowers as bad ones, the difference in the price of the seeds 

 being but of small moment in comparison to the disappoint- 

 ment of having second-rate flowers only. 



To have a fine bloom of good-sized plants in March and 

 April, sow the seeds about the lat of May, using well-drained 

 pots or pans, and scattering the seeds thinly in a compost of 

 equal parts of loam and leaf mould, with the addition of a 

 little silver sand, mixing these materials in a rough state. Fill 

 the pot or pan three parts full, and pass through a sieve a small 

 portion, in which the seeds should be sown, just placing over 

 them as much of the fine soil as will cover them. A little 

 damp moss laid on the surface will keep the soil moist until 

 the seeds germinate, when it must be removed. If the pot is 

 plunged in a hotbed, or in a slight bottom heat, the young plants 

 ■will soon appear. They must not be exposed too freely to the 

 sun ; a slight shade is desirable during the whole of the sum- 

 mer months if the plants are grown in a frame. I prefer that 

 the back part of the frame should be turned to the south ; even 

 in this position shading is necessary. As soon as the plants 

 are large enough to handle, pot them off singly in 3-iaeh pots, 

 and as soon as the pots are tolerably full of roots they should 

 be shifted into 5 or 6-inch pots, and again shifted when neces- 

 sary. It is not easy to give instruciions to those who have 

 little acquaintance with gardening as to the best time to repot 

 plants ; the Cineraria is very impatient of being pot-bound, 

 or being allowed to suffer from want of sufficient water. If the 

 plants receive a cheek in any way, hordes of green fly are sure 

 to attack them in the most persistent manner. They are also 

 liable to be attscked by thrips, which, if not destroyed, will 

 soon render the plants unsightly. The best manner of destroy- 

 ing these pests is to fumigate with tobacco smoke ; this is far 

 superior to any of the " blight mixtures ; " for Cinerarias, Cal- 

 oeolarias, and other tendar-foUaged plants are easily injured if 

 the mixture is applied too strong. 



The plants should be shifted into their blooming pots late in 

 autumn, after which they should be kept near the glass. I 

 prefer a span-roofed structure for wintering them, as there is 

 generally a freer circulation of air in houses of this description. 

 The only attention the plants require during winter is the re- 

 moval of all decayed and decaying leaves, and it handsomo 

 specimen plants are desired, the shoots should be bent down, 

 either by pegging them to the surface soil in the pot, or by 

 twisting a wire round the pot close under ths rim, and tying 

 them down to it. 



There is always a considerable amount of interest in watch- 

 ing the developmen-t of the flowers, to mark those with the 

 most brilliant and decided colours and that approach nearest to 

 the florist's standard. The habit of the plants is also of great 

 importance ; those having a compact, bushy habit are to be 

 preferred. Some of the varieties have a tall, straggling habit, 

 so that the flowers do not form a compact head. When a 

 Cineraria is woU managed, ao signs of training should be per- 

 ceived without looking underneath the plant ; all the sticks 

 and pegs should bo hidden by the masses of flowers. 



If it is desirable to propagate any of the plants by cuttings, 

 the plants should be cut over as soon as they have ceased 

 flowering, and they will throw up numerous young shoots from 

 the base of the old stem ; and as soon as the shoots have made 

 three or four leaves they can be drawn out by the finger and 

 thumb and potted singly in 3inch pots, treating them in the 

 same way as recommended for seediiugs. When the plants are 

 repotted, a small quantity of well-decomposed manure should 

 bs added to the compost. — J. DocoLis. 



. ARUM MACULATUM. 

 I HAD often thought that a good vari«gated Ai'um maculatum 

 would be very ornamental for the spring flower border, but ii 

 was long before I could find one ; at last, during one of my 

 rambles, I discovered one with an irregular marginal varie- 

 gation of white, but I am afraid it will be inconstant. My little 

 boy came home one morning last spring and said, " Father, I 

 know where there is an Arum with a yellow edge to its leaves." 

 Away I went on the first opportunity to the place he indicated, 

 and sure enough there was a fine plant growing exactly as he 

 had described it. I could see it a good way off. I dug it up, 

 and of course brought it home and potted it, and if it preserve 

 the same character as it presented last season, I shall feel rather 



proud of it. There is something striking about these Arums ; 

 the variegation is of such a bold character that they must take 

 a front rank amongst hardy variegated spring-flowering plants 

 when they come into the hands of the public. I have not done 

 with Arum maculatum yet ; if all be well I shall doubtless find 

 other varieties during the coming spring. Great numbers of 

 Arums grow in the hedges, and almost everywhere in our 

 neighbourhood. — W. B., Cromivell House. 



THE PRESERVATION OF APPLES. 



It has been said that " There is nothing new under the sun," 

 and certainly, if the mode of preserving Apples, some of which ' 

 I send you as an example, is not new, it is, I beiieve, an un- 

 common mode to adopt — namely, to " camp " them, or, as it is 

 called in this neighbourhood to "pie" them. The camping of 

 Potatoes is so well known that I need but briefly refer to it. 

 The Potatoes are placed on a smooth and dry surface, on and 

 around them a layer of clean dry straw is placed to the depth 

 of several inches, and over all ia put a thickness of soil, say 

 9 inches or a foot. This protection is considered sufficient 

 to render all safe from frost. To-day, April 13th, I have been 

 shown by a retired gentleman farmer on this estate a quantity 

 of Apples which were preserved throughout the winter as de- 

 scribed above from October last. The experiment, or rather 

 the idea, struck the gentleman more owing to necessity, which 

 is the mother of invention, than anything else. Last year 

 Apples were very plentiful nearly everywhere, and in this 

 instance all the ordinary storing-room was occupied, and then 

 a quantity of Apples remained on hand to be taken care of. 

 The camping system was had recourse to, and the result was 

 favourable. I am informed that in future, even if storing-room 

 be available, the gentleman will not hesitate to adopt the same 

 course. 



My object in noticing the matter is not because this mode o! 

 preserving Apples is to be adopted by those who have ample 

 store-room at command, but simply to show that Apples can 

 be stored in as easy a manner as Potatoes. I am informed 

 that when the " Apple-pie " was opened very few Apples were 

 found to be decayed, nor had they heated. I think the variety 

 is that called Minohall Crab, and if not that, be good enough 

 to say what it is. — J. Gabdnke, Elsham Hall Gardens, Brigg. 



[The specimens sent to us were in very eseeHent ooadition. 

 They are the Minchall Crab.— Eds.] 



GARDENERS EXCHANGING PLANTS WITH 

 OTHER GARDENERS. 



A CASE occurred last week at the Olerkenwell Police Court 

 which deserves some comment. A gardener was charged with 

 stealing his employer's clothes and Geraniums. The theft ol 

 the clothes was clearly disproved, the wife of his employer 

 acknowledging she had sold them to him, and been paid for 

 them ! Sow, after such a false charge had been allowed to 

 be brought against the gardener, we should have had some 

 difficulty had we been on the bench ia convicting him of having 

 stolen the Geraniums, especially js the defence was that he 

 was not taking the GeraQJums in question for any felonious 

 purpose, but for the purpose of givingthem to another gardener 

 in exchange for cuttings of a different class. By this arrange- 

 ment the prosecutor, instead of being a los-er, was a gaimer by 

 the transaction. However, the Magistrate fined the gardener 

 40s. and 3s. costs, or a month's imprisonment. 



We notice the ease for the purpose of warming all gardeners 

 never to exchange plants unless tlaey have the clear permission 

 from their employers in writing. We have before as a letter 

 from a well-known head gardener, in which he says — " I hav« 

 always stated that a gardener should depend on no custom, 

 and should neither give nor take a cutting or a plant without 

 a clear understanding. With some employers I should not 

 consider myself safe unless the understanding were in writing. 

 I know a case where the gardener was encouraged to beg and 

 borrow all he could, and then was punished because he ga,Te 

 away what was worth 3d." 



BiEMiNGHAsi Rose Show. — We are requested to draw atten- 

 tion to aa advertisement which appears ia another column, 

 announcing the days fixed for the next Show. It will probably 

 be regretted by some of the Eose-growers who have been regular 

 exhibitors in former years that other days could not have been 



