240 JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. [ March 23, ins. 
but also, in some cases, it will kill the plants. I think so highly 
of these old plants for early flowering, that the best of our plants 
were lifted and potted last autumn, to be replanted again this 
spring for the production of early flowers. Could the mildness of 
the winter have been foreseen, the plants might have been left out 
with safety. 
The time for propagation by cuttings is most commonly in 
autumn, when these do well placed in cold frames or cool houses. 
They are also successfully propagated in spring, plunging the 
pots in a mild bottom heat until the cuttings have formed roots. 
1 now prefer the month of August for inserting cuttings. They 
require to be placed in cold frames in our case, as we grow 
several hundreds of plants. The cuttings are dibbled into soil in 
the frames. The sashes are kept close and shaded during sun¬ 
shine until the cuttings are rooted. By the end of September 
they are placed singly in 3-inch pots, using for compost a friable 
loam to which one-third of cow dung is added. We plunge the 
pots in cold frames for the winter, taking care to have the rims of 
the pots covered with the plunging material. The sashes are only 
placed over the plants during frosts, cold winds, or rain. At the 
middle of February the plants require to be shifted into pots 
2 inches larger, and returned to their winter quarters until the 
time arrives when they may be safely planted out. The middle 
of April is quite early enough in our locality to place out these 
plants ; later-struck plants and those propagated the same spring 
may be left with advantage till the beginning of May before 
planting out. 
A stock of plants is easily raised from seed sown in March in a 
mild hotbed. The seed is small, and must be very thinly covered 
with soil. Seedlings grow very strongly and flower in autumn, 
though I prefer to depend on good named sorts, as being the only 
sure means of securing the best spikes and flowers ; yet those who 
are not so particular as to quality can raise a stock of plants most 
cheaply from seeds. Pentstemons will not succeed satisfactorily 
unless the soil in which they are planted is dug deeply and well 
enriched ; their roots ramble widely and deeply, and during dry 
weather, even in well-prepared soil, they require frequent supplies 
of water. 
Plants propagated early in autumn and afterwards treated as 
above recommended may be allowed to bear half a dozen spikes. 
From a decorative point of view these are quite enough to give 
effect, and from the florists’ point of view they are not too many. 
Staking is necessary to secure the spikes from being broken, but 
I only employ one stout stake to each plant, leaving it 18 inches 
above ground. If the spikes are secured to these stakes before 
they have grown much, they will require no further attention. 
Our position is rather exposed, and this plan has succeeded per¬ 
fectly here. Occasionally cold winds injure the young growths 
very much. With strong plants this only retards the period of 
flowering slightly, as, when the damaged growths are cut back, 
strong shoots start directly and soon make good progress during 
fine weather. I have occasionally exhibited these. 
I find that a newspaper fastened in an acute pyramidal form 
over the plants makes a capital shading. Three sticks are re¬ 
quired to support the newspaper over each plant. The shade 
must be applied as soon as the first flowers are open. The more 
flowers open on a spike the better, though length of the spikes 
alone does not constitute a point in favour of a given flower. 
Judges look more to the quality of the individual flowers on a 
spike. 
It is a not uncommon occurrence to see Pentstemons at exhi¬ 
bitions with the flowers drooping or falling. If carefully gummed 
this does not happen. They are somewhat difficult to carry. The 
following plan I have found a very simple mode. If you wish to 
show half a dozen spikes take a round stake about 2 inches in 
diameter and tie the spikes closely together round the stake, 
always putting an extra spike or two in, in case of accidents. 
Three ties will be sufficient. Then place some wetted moss round 
the cut ends of the spikes and tie it firmly. The flowers will 
travel safely thus if the show-room is a short distance away. If 
some distance from home, place them in a box, fastening the 
stake at each end only. I have carried them thus to a show 
seventy miles, starting the previous day, without their being 
injured in the least. 
As regards selecting varieties, the best plan is to write to a nur¬ 
seryman who is noted for them, and ask for the best. There is a 
steady advancement in these, the darker-coloured flowers being 
especially fine.—R. P. B. 
CUTTING DOWN CAMELLIAS. 
Notwithstanding the long experience of “A Little Makket 
Gardener” and the good results of cutting down Camellias he 
has shown us, I strongly urge your readers to pause before going 
to the extreme of cutting. The last few weeks I have been very 
interested in noting the growth of Pelargoniums cut down close 
and those of the same variety left with a few leaves, and the 
comparison is very striking, from the simple fact that the leaves 
left are sufficient to keep the roots in action. Perhaps your cor¬ 
respondent may say, “ What has this to do with Camellias ? ” but he 
must be reminded that the nearer we keep to Nature the better 
the result. From observations and experience combined I know 
we may cut or prune deciduous trees or plants in a manner which 
evergreens would not endure. I have had to manage large speci¬ 
men plants of Camellias, and at times I have had to use the knife, 
but it is surprising what can be done with care. To obtain any 
plant in shape I should always prefer cutting a little year by year 
to beheading them at once ; and as regards cleaning, I have no 
doubt with proper use of some insecticide a few leaves more or less 
would make but little difference in time. The best time to cut 
Camellias is when they begin growing, at least as soon as the 
buds are moving.— Stephen Castle. 
THE CULTIVATION OF THE POTATO. 
In a way Potatoes may he said to he very easily grown, and for 
this reason they do not always receive that careful cultivation neces¬ 
sary to secure fine crops of fine produce. Hardly any other garden 
crop is so badly treated in the matter of manuring and preparation 
of the soil, yet hardly any other crop is more affected by the condi¬ 
tion of the soil than the Potato. Not only in quantity, but in quality, 
is it affected by being generously treated in the matter of manuring, 
hut even more in the matter of the proper preparation of the soil. 
So far as my experience goes Potatoes are never so good as when 
planted on newly trenched soil, more especially after Strawberries. 
The same experience teaches that a stinted supply of manure is an 
evil. However, let not the reader imagine that I prefer a rich 
soil, as that word is ordinarily understood, for there can hardly he 
anything more certain than the fact that rich old garden soil pro¬ 
duces Potatoes of not the best description. There is a difference 
greater than the inexperienced would dream of between soil turned 
up that has long been left undisturbed well enriched with plenty of 
fresh unexhausted manure, and poisoned manure-laden garden soil. 
New soil, no matter how poor, liberally treated with ordinary ma¬ 
nure, is by far the best for producing a great crop of Potatoes. 
Where this is penned the soil is naturally only 8 or 9 inches deep. 
Below is an impenetrable rusty, stony, sandy, clayey subsoil. _ This 
is perfectly watertight. In wet seasons the land is a hog, in dry 
ones a Sahara. In order to remedy this steps have been taken to 
improve it, and, unpromising as it may seem, the following course has 
been adopted with gratifying success. Trenches 2 feet wide are 
formed at digging time, and wheeled to the opposite end of the piece 
to be operated on. Then with a strong pick 6 or 8 inches depth of 
the subsoil is broken up, thoroughly pidverised, and the largest 
stones thrown out. Over this broken subsoil is placed a good layer 
of manure, and then some soil from the next trench. Oyer this 
another layer is spread, and the shovellings of soil left, with any 
loose subsoil, is thrown on the top roughly. This the winter pul¬ 
verises, and from soil so prepared we have always crops of Potatoes 
unequalled either for quality or quantity by Potatoes grown on 
any other system. 
A couple of years afterwards this may be trenched again, hut 
instead of a shovelling we can easily turn up two spadefuls. To be 
sure the under one is rather liberally mixed with the broken-up 
subsoil, hut it is now very different from what it wa3 originally. 
Cleansed from rust by the washing rains, mouldered by time till it 
somewhat resembles soil, enriched by the layer of manure spread oyer 
it and with what has been washed into it from above, mixed with 
the original soil, thrown to the surface for further preparation, and 
further enriched by a layer of manure under it and a dressing of old 
hotbed manure over it, to be in due time forked in and mixed with 
it when need be, nothing whatever produces Potatoes like it, at least 
here; and no preparation so well suits Strawberries. 
New soil and new manure—that is the watchword we conjure 
with when we wish to surpass the whole locality with Potatoes and 
Strawberries. When in July and August the Potatoes are removed 
the Strawberries with little preparation are planted. The year 
after we have a full crop of Strawberries. 
It is not always we can afford either time or manure so to prepare 
the soil. Indeed, sometimes a crop of Broccoli or Brussels Sprouts 
has to be removed, and the ground at once occupied with Potatoes. 
Under such circumstances we have found ordinary manure which 
was laid up some months before and sprinkled with sulphate of 
potash gives results incomparably superior to what was obtained by 
means of ordinary manure, even where considerably more was given. 
Failing either we have found Lawes’ Potato manure gives splendid 
crops. On rich soil a dressing of wood ashe3 will often wonderfully 
