60 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ January 24,1 4. 
cottage garden plant. It is easily distinguished from the above two by 
its large, round, five-lobed leaves and smaller flowers. It grows about 
C> inches high. Beginning to flower in May it extends over several months* 
It grows in shady woods, and is an admirable plant for covering bare 
spaces under trees.—M. S. 
SUMMER AND AUTUMN CAULIFLOWERS. 
It often happens that when the earliest batch of Cauliflowers is cut 
there follows a period when these are not only scarce but not to be had 
at all. It has been my practice to sow in a box at this time a few seeds 
to produce plants which follow those now in the open quarters. The 
plants merely need to be kept growing slowly, and in March require to 
be pricked out in frames or in a sheltered position in the gardeD, to 
be thence transplanted to the ground set apart for them. We also 
transplant from seed beds those which have stood over the winter, but as 
a rule these are not satisfactory, buttoning being very general among 
them. Those from seed sown now do not button. Curiously enough, if 
autumn-sown plants are placed out in January they have very little 
tendency to button. For the past few years I have confined myself to 
the Early Dwarf Mammoth for the summer supply of this highly 
esteemed vegetable. Early London is a good variety, but I have not 
always obtained it true to name, and in growth it is much stronger than 
the Dwarf Mammoth. The new forcing varieties are useful for early 
work, and one of the best early autumn varieties is King of the Cauli¬ 
flowers, though I may say that I find no difficulty in keeping up a supply 
with the first named and Autumn Giant, of which a few seeds are also 
sown now, and treated in the same way as stated for the early varieties. 
To those who may have a difficulty in deciding upon Autumn Giant or the 
newer Eclipse for an autumn supply, it may be noted that both are 
excellent. Both require very rich soil and plenty of space to do them 
justice, the former having an advantage in being later than Eclipse, 
while it may be obtained quite as early by sowing as above recommended 
at this time. 
There is also this to be noted in connection with these late sorts as 
distinguished from earlier varieties, they must have a long season of 
growth, and require a richer soil to grow them well. A little guano as a 
surface dressing will do wonders in bringing on early Cauliflowers, but 
Autumn Giant must have the something in the soil, though surface 
dressings are not to be despised in its case either.—B. 
VINES BLEEDING. 
This has been a source of anxiety to many gardeners, and numerous 
remedies have been tried from time to time, some of which are effica¬ 
cious. Styptic specially prepared is excellent, and will prevent bleeding 
if applied in time, so as to be properly hardened. In the discussion 
respecting “ Stored-up Sap in Vines ” I learn the Vine in bleeding loses 
nothing but water at a certain season—that is, before the leaves expand. 
If this be a fact I need not trouble myself any more about my Vines 
bleeding or placing styptic on in good time. I can give my Vines two 
gallons of water for every one they lose in sap. Mr. J. Muir in the 
Journal of April 5th, 1883, gave us an account of a Vine that had lost 
gallons. He invited predictions as to the effect on the Vine, but none 
were made as far as I saw. He said he would let us have the result, 
and I for one have been looking for the fulfilment of his promise. 
I have a small house occupied with Vines of Lady Downe’s, which 
on the score of bleeding have always been a mystery to me. I generally 
prune them about the 1st of February each season. From this time 
until near the end of the month all seem lifeless, hut just as the Vines 
and the house are being cleaned bleeding commences, and in the mornings 
the sap is dropping all through the house, and continues for about eight 
or ten days. It then ceases, the Vines seem as lifeless as they did a 
fortnight previous, and for three -weeks or a month there is no per¬ 
ceptible start in the growth. This I cannot understand, but if the Vines 
were to start bleeding and continue doing so until they were in leaf I 
could. Perhaps Mr. Wm. Taylor, “Non-Believer,” or some of the many 
able correspondents who took part in the “ stored-up sap ” discussion 
will be able to explain it, and I am sure to the benefit and interest of 
many others. Though I took no part in this discussion I cannot help 
voting for Mr. Taylor, as I have always seen Vines. &c., liberally treated 
the season before starting strongly ; and, on the other hand, those treated 
badly always did correspondingly the following season. I believe all 
fruit trees “lay up a store,” according to their resources, and hence 
Pear and Apple trees have only a good crop every alternate year, and 
Vines are very similar. — Comber, Co. Doivn. 
CULTURE OF POINSETTIi PULCHERRIMA. 
This plant is a very great favourite with all who possess a 
stove. It is one of the most useful flowering plants for decora¬ 
tive purposes at this season of the year, but half a dozen good 
healthy plants with fine bracts make more show than twenty un¬ 
healthy plants, therefore a few hints on the culture will be 
acceptable to .young readers of this Journal. 
After the plants have flowered they should be pruned tc about 
half a dozen eyes and removed into a little bottom heat. They 
will produce abundance of shoots in a very short time, and when 
these are about 2 inches long they may be taken off with a heel. 
Insert about eight cuttings in a 48-size pot, pressing them in 
firmly with a dibber, taking care not to bruise them, or they will 
not strike. Employ a compost of equal parts of good sandy 
loam and leaf soil, and plunge them in a little bottom heat--they 
will strike freely. They should then he potted off into b -sized 
pots, using a compost like that recommended for old plan s. 
After they have recovei’ed from the shift they should be hardened 
gradually to the same temperature as the old plants. As soon 
as the roots become well established they should be placed m 
32-sized pots. These plants will make good specimens by winter, 
suitable for associating with Ferns. 
About the middle of June the old plants should be pruned to 
within two eyes of the previous year’s pruning. Then they 
should have all the old soil shaken, off the roots and potted m a 
compost of two parts fibry loam, one part leaf soil with some 
decomposed fowl manure, a little sand, and a 3-inch pottul ox 
bone dust to the barrowload of soil. Pot them rather firmly. 
They should be started in a cool frame with a south aspect, keep¬ 
ing the frame closed till they are growing freely ; then ventilate 
a little to prevent their being drawn, breaking off all the weak 
shoots that are not required, leaving two or three, which will be 
quite sufficient if large bracts are desired. When about U, me 
long they should be plunged in some coal ashes in a sunny Posi¬ 
tion. The soil should never he allowed to become dry or the 
leaves will fall; they should have a supply of liquid manure about 
three times a week. Before the frost appears the plants should be 
shifted into a frame, keeping them close to the glass, covering 
them on cold nights, and ventilating freely on favourable occa¬ 
sions. As soon as the winter commences they must he housed 
in a temperature of 48 J , falling to 45°, still keeping tFe m neai 
the glass, for the less growth they make in the autumn the larger 
the bracts will be. When the bracts are showing the plants may 
he removed to a stove temperature to develope, and when fully 
expanded they may he placed in an intermediate house. .Under 
this treatment I have seen heads of bracts fully 13 inches m dia¬ 
meter, with leaves down to the rim of the pot. C. H. Stephens, 
jun., Lyne Gardens. 
HOTBEDS AND THEIR MANAGEMENT. 
There are many young gardeners who do not know the proper 
wav to make a hotbed. I believe it was thought amongst old gar¬ 
deners to he one of their qualifications, and from my father who is 
one of the old school I had my first and only lessons in the ait. A 
number of gardeners and amateurs have to trust to hotbeds for pro¬ 
ducing their Cucumbers, Melons, propagating, raising seeds, &c. ; 
arid if it is desired to grow good Cockscombs a hotbed is the right 
place to produce them. Young gardeners of the present day have 
not the makeshifts to contend with that our fathers had in their young 
days, and by only having experience with the modern appliances .of 
the present time, are generally in a fix when they first take a situation 
on their own account, if they do not find all the modern conveniences’ 
Of course they are expected to produce as good crops of Cucumbers, 
Melons, &c., as was expected from gardeners they lived under who 
had all puitable convenience for producing them ; but to succeed 
they must adapt themselves to circumstances and make a hotbed 
for a start. 
If Oak or Beech leaves can he procured so much the better. Add 
to the leaves the same quantity of long stable dung as will make the 
bed, and turn the heap two or three times to prevent overheating, 
which will cause the material to dry, and if it was made up. in this 
state very little heat would be procured ;. if it should get a little dry, 
or the dung may be rather dry in itself, it should be well watered to 
cause it to heat satisfactorily, as a lasting heat is what is required, 
not a violent heat at first, which is exhausted by the time the ma'erial 
is in a proper condition for making the bed. Mark a space 8 inches 
wider than the frame intended to place on it, drive a stout stake into 
each corner, and then commence placing the material in, but not in 
layers as usually done, or trampled down, hut commence at one end, 
well shaking the dung out, and work to the other, beating it down as 
the work proceeds, especially the edges, with the back of the fork, 
when it will bind well together. About 4 feet G inches to 5 feet is 
a good height. After the bed is made the frame must be placed on. 
Place two smooth planks across the bed about 2 feet from each end ; 
then with a man at each end, or corner as required, lift the frame up, 
place the back of the frame on the end of each plank,.when you can 
easily run it on the bed without anyone trampling on it. Leave the 
lights open about an inch to allow rank steam to escape. 
If the frame is required for Cucumbers or Melons place turves 
grass side down over the bed ; hut if for propagating, a layer of 
cocoa-nut fibre or ashes will be the best. The lights should be open 
slightly night and day at the back of the frame ; and when the mats 
